Is there a specific book that helps the Muslim understand the preference between deeds?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Many Muslims do not know the preference between deeds, O Shaykh Salih. Consequently, you find them desiring a specific deed that may be the lesser one, while the superior deed is absent from their minds. Is there a specific book that encourages this preference between deeds so that the Muslim can return to it? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
There is no doubt that the books, praise be to Allah, that expound on the virtues of the righteous are numerous. Among them are books of hadith, such as *al-Targhib* by al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri, and *Rawatib al-Salihin* by Imam al-Hafiz al-Nawawi, and other books of hadith. They clarify the virtues of the righteous through the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Likewise, when a person learns the verses of the Qur'an, such as the verse he recited:[Al-Baqarah 2:261] in the cause of Allah. This condition [Al-Baqarah 2:261] Then he said: "And Allah multiplies for whom He wills." So the multiplication may exceed seven hundred. Yes, and this is according to the intention of the doer and the status of the deed. There is no doubt that a person reflects before he undertakes a deed; he reflects on its virtue and the virtue of other deeds, and he weighs the two deeds.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
The questioner:
Which seed produces seven hundred grains, O Shaykh Salih? Yes. And prayer is a hundred thousand prayers. Yes.
The Shaykh:
Yes, but this seven hundred grains is a term with multiple meanings. The distinct, multiple meanings in the book.
The presenter:
And as for a hundred thousand, that is for the year only.
The Shaykh:
And the doer himself. We said that there are books that discuss the benefits of deeds, but are there books that discuss the preference between deeds, meaning that this deed is better than that deed?
The presenter:
That is through reflection. I do not know any books of this type, but it is through reflection on the texts, reflection on the Quranic texts and the Prophetic texts, if one reads the words of the scholars.
The Shaykh:
We seek help from Allah.
The presenter:
Yes, and reads the words of the scholars in the explanations of these verses and these hadiths. The one among the common people who is unable to reach knowledge of these books, tafsirs, and explanations must ask the scholars of knowledge.
The Shaykh:
May Allah.
The presenter:
He must ask about the festival, and then it was said, which is better for me: do I go to the grave, or do I perform Hajj, or do I spend this money in benefiting the needy Muslims?
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Many Muslims do not know the preference between deeds, O Shaykh Salih. Consequently, you find them desiring a specific deed that may be the lesser one, while the superior deed is absent from their minds. Is there a specific book that encourages this preference between deeds so that the Muslim can return to it? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
There is no doubt that the books, praise be to Allah, that expound on the virtues of the righteous are numerous. Among them are books of hadith, such as *al-Targhib* by al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri, and *Rawatib al-Salihin* by Imam al-Hafiz al-Nawawi, and other books of hadith. They clarify the virtues of the righteous through the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Likewise, when a person learns the verses of the Qur'an, such as the verse he recited:
The example of those who spend their wealth
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْin the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains
فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍThe presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
The questioner:
Which seed produces seven hundred grains, O Shaykh Salih? Yes. And prayer is a hundred thousand prayers. Yes.
The Shaykh:
Yes, but this seven hundred grains is a term with multiple meanings. The distinct, multiple meanings in the book.
The presenter:
And as for a hundred thousand, that is for the year only.
The Shaykh:
And the doer himself. We said that there are books that discuss the benefits of deeds, but are there books that discuss the preference between deeds, meaning that this deed is better than that deed?
The presenter:
That is through reflection. I do not know any books of this type, but it is through reflection on the texts, reflection on the Quranic texts and the Prophetic texts, if one reads the words of the scholars.
The Shaykh:
We seek help from Allah.
The presenter:
Yes, and reads the words of the scholars in the explanations of these verses and these hadiths. The one among the common people who is unable to reach knowledge of these books, tafsirs, and explanations must ask the scholars of knowledge.
The Shaykh:
May Allah.
The presenter:
He must ask about the festival, and then it was said, which is better for me: do I go to the grave, or do I perform Hajj, or do I spend this money in benefiting the needy Muslims?
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل من كتاب معين يعين المسلم في فهم المفاضلة بين الأعمال؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.