DO GOOD SOLELY FOR THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH TA’AALA

Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Maseehullah Khan Sahib رحمه الله has warned that one should not boast of favours conferred on beggars. Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله states in the Holy Qur’ān:

يآايها الذين آمنوا لاتبطلوا صدقتكم بالمن والاذي

‘O you who believe! Do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury (insult).”

(Surah 2: 264)

Hazratjee رحمه الله has explained: O Muslims! Do not destroy the thawaab of your sadaqah by boasting about it and causing difficulties but rather consider it a favour of the beggar that, through him, we have been given the tawfeeq to give sadaqah (charity).  And we should continuously ask Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله for tawfeeq. The duaa of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is as follows:

اللهم وفقني لما تحب وترضى من القول والعمل والفعل والنية و الهدى انك على كل شيء قدير

‘O Allah! Grant me the ability (to do) that which You love and are pleased with, be it a word, an act, a deed, an intention or a method (way). Surely You have power over everything.’

This is the statement of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. So, we should continually ask for tawfeeq from Haq Ta’ala جل جلاله. And we should feel indebted to the beggar. Otherwise, as it appears in the Hadīth that such an era will also appear that Muslims will go searching for people to give Zakaah but will find no one who will accept the Zakaah.

Therefore, Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله at a different place addresses the pious (Ashābe Taqwa):

فلا تزكوآ انفسكم . هو أعلم بمن اتقى

‘And do not claim purity for yourselves. He knows best about him who turns away (from evil).’

(Surah 53:32)

Hazratjee رحمه الله has said that one should not consider oneself to be pious. Do not believe yourself to be holy. That only Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله knows who actually is pious. It can be that despite adopting Taqwa, it is possible that there is included in it such an item of which you have no inkling of but which is in the knowledge of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله; which taints and spoils the Taqwa. This knowledge will be with Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله alone and not with us. Ikhlaas (sincerity) is no trifling thing; it is a very elevated quality. The underlying factor is that we involve ourselves in actions solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله and never contaminate any deed with any ulterior motive other than Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله be pleased with us.

SOURCE: For Friends (23)