The Ruling on Enumerating Good Deeds
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Question:
Comparing deeds, meaning that this deed is better than that deed, is determined by reflecting on the texts. This is clarified by reflecting on the Quranic texts and the Prophetic texts, and by studying the words of the scholars in the explanations of these verses and hadiths. One who is among the common people and cannot reach the knowledge of these books, tafsirs, and explanations must ask the scholars of knowledge. May Allah help us; he must ask the scholars. So, which of my distractions am I going to go to for the lesson?
Answer:
Yes. That is, I am performing Hajj, or rather, I am making du'a for this wealth for the needy Muslims. Good. The scholars have reached a conclusion. Good. You find some people saying they have performed Hajj thirty times, some less, and some more. Yes. But the guidance of Shaykh Fahd? It is not befitting for a person to enumerate his deeds. Yes. He says, "I have performed Hajj forty or fifty times, I prayed so much," and so on. It is not befitting for a person to enumerate his deeds.
Because this is as if he is pleased with his deed. A person should not be pleased with his deed; rather, he should hide it. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) does not forget anything, and nothing is hidden from Him. He knows what you do, Glorified and Exalted is He. Indeed, He knows the intentions and purposes in the hearts. And He says, Glorified and Exalted is He:[Al-Baqarah 2:143] The Most Merciful, the Compassionate. If the Shaykh sees that enumerating Hajj to reach this number might have aspects of righteousness, or should a person do it by obeying the repetition of Hajj?
This is from one aspect. From the second aspect, we are discussing here: if a person intends Hajj, does this not mean he is pleased with himself? Does it not indicate that this Hajj is entirely valid and complete? If there is a difference of opinion, or if there is a deficiency, or if it is not valid, or other such circumstances, a person does not certify himself. Rather, he performs the deeds and asks Allah to accept them, and he does not hide them absolutely. He does not speak about what he did.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good
Comparing deeds, meaning that this deed is better than that deed, is determined by reflecting on the texts. This is clarified by reflecting on the Quranic texts and the Prophetic texts, and by studying the words of the scholars in the explanations of these verses and hadiths. One who is among the common people and cannot reach the knowledge of these books, tafsirs, and explanations must ask the scholars of knowledge. May Allah help us; he must ask the scholars. So, which of my distractions am I going to go to for the lesson?
Answer:
Yes. That is, I am performing Hajj, or rather, I am making du'a for this wealth for the needy Muslims. Good. The scholars have reached a conclusion. Good. You find some people saying they have performed Hajj thirty times, some less, and some more. Yes. But the guidance of Shaykh Fahd? It is not befitting for a person to enumerate his deeds. Yes. He says, "I have performed Hajj forty or fifty times, I prayed so much," and so on. It is not befitting for a person to enumerate his deeds.
Because this is as if he is pleased with his deed. A person should not be pleased with his deed; rather, he should hide it. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) does not forget anything, and nothing is hidden from Him. He knows what you do, Glorified and Exalted is He. Indeed, He knows the intentions and purposes in the hearts. And He says, Glorified and Exalted is He:
never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah
كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَThis is from one aspect. From the second aspect, we are discussing here: if a person intends Hajj, does this not mean he is pleased with himself? Does it not indicate that this Hajj is entirely valid and complete? If there is a difference of opinion, or if there is a deficiency, or if it is not valid, or other such circumstances, a person does not certify himself. Rather, he performs the deeds and asks Allah to accept them, and he does not hide them absolutely. He does not speak about what he did.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، نور على الدرب 064 من المجموعة الثانية للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (19:44)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.