Are there signs that a deed has been accepted, such as Hajj and 'Umrah?

The questioner : Hello, yes. Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.

The questioner : How are you, Shaykh?

The Shaykh : I am well, praise be to Allah.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. Are there signs that a deed has been accepted, like Hajj and 'Umrah, for example?

The Shaykh : First, if a person performs a deed in the prescribed manner, then Allah the Exalted accepts it; this is the default. So what is the prescribed manner? It must be sincere for Allah and follow the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, if a person acts out of showing off so that people see him and praise him as a worshipper of Allah, his deed is invalid and not accepted. And if a person performs a deed that is sincere but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not legislate it—meaning it did not come in the Shari'ah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), neither in the Book nor in the Sunnah—then it is invalid. Therefore, the deeds of the people of innovation, no matter how sincere they are,
and no matter how much effort they put in, are invalid and rejected, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) . By the way, in the month of Rajab, some people single it out for fasting, so they fast the entire month, and this is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Some people pray in it, on the first Friday between Maghrib and 'Isha', a prayer with a known form called the Prayer of Raghā'ib, and this is a religious innovation. Some people pray it in the middle of the month, i.e., the middle of Rajab, and this is also a religious innovation. The important thing is that if the deed is sincere for Allah and correct in the Shari'ah of Allah, it is accepted. But there are other signs in the person, such as the tranquility of the heart, the expansion of the chest, joy, and counting the lifespan; all of this indicates acceptance.

The questioner : For example, is steadfastness in obedience after performing Hajj or 'Umrah one of the signs of acceptance, if Allah wills? If Allah wills. May Allah reward you with good.