Return for Deeds

Abū Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “A person who calls people towards doing good deed will get the same reward as those who follow him and do good; and nothing will be diminished from the requital of the latter.…

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August 16, 2022

Abū Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “A person who calls people towards doing good deed will get the same reward as those who follow him and do good; and nothing will be diminished from the requital of the latter. Similarly, those who call the people towards vice will have the same punishment as those who follow him without any diminution in the punishment of the perpetrators.”

(Sahih Muslim)

This hadīth gives good tidings to one who invites people to virtue, and warns a person against inviting his/her fellow beings to vice. Calling people towards doing good deeds is in itself a virtuous act. It wins the pleasure of God. Contrary to it, the act of inviting people to some evil is in itself a vicious act. It earns the Divine wrath.

God can give reward and likewise award punishment, here on earth and in the hereafter as well, to whom He wills. But this does not mean that His judgement is baseless. He knows perfectly well the deeds done by His servants as well as the intention working behind the commission of the deeds. Hence His judgement is based on human actions. He however can forgive whomsoever He wills.

In the present hadīth the Holy Messenger encourages the believer to call people towards doing good deeds because it will yield to him the same reward as those who in response to his call do good deeds. Similarly, it forbids him to invite people to do evil because it is not only a sin in itself but also earn the same punishment as those who will follow him. And, God need not diminish even a bit from the requital of the doer.