1. Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Iman (إيمان) | Believing in what Islam teaches |
| Amal (عمل) | Putting the teachings of Islam into practice |
| Mu'min (مؤمن) | A believer – someone who accepts the beliefs of Islam and carries out deeds according to them |
Definition of Iman: Iman is accepting with the heart, declaring with the tongue and proving with action.
2. Iman and amal cannot be separated
- Iman and amal always go together, like a flower and its fragrance.
- Deeds without Iman, and Iman without deeds, are not accepted by Allah.
- In about seventy or more places, the Quran mentions Iman and deeds together.
Evidence
- (2:25) – (meaning) Give good news to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens beneath which rivers flow.
- (16:97) – (meaning) Whoever does good deeds, male or female, while being a believer, We will make them live a good life.
The branches of Iman – hadith (Bukhari)
- Iman has more than seventy branches.
- The highest: the declaration "La ilaha illallah".
- The lowest: removing something harmful from the road.
- Modesty (haya') is also a part of Iman.
3. Deeds are not limited to acts of worship
Deeds include:
- Acts of worship (prayer, fasting, dhikr…)
- Public service
- Dealings and transactions
- Good character
(2:177) – meaning: Righteousness is not only turning your faces towards the east or the west. The truly righteous are those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books and the prophets; who give wealth they love to relatives, orphans, the poor, travellers, those who ask, and for freeing slaves; who establish prayer and give Zakat; who keep their promises; and who are patient in poverty, illness and in times of war. They are the truthful ones; they are the God-conscious.
In simple terms: true righteousness is belief + worship + helping others + good character together.
4. Deeds taught by the Sunnah (hadith)
| Meaning of the hadith | Source |
|---|---|
| The difference between a believer and a disbeliever is abandoning prayer | Bukhari (as given in the textbook) |
| One who works to help a widow or a poor person is like one who stands in prayer at night and fasts during the day | Bukhari |
| None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself | Bukhari |
| Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be good to his neighbour, honour his guest, and speak good or remain silent | Bukhari |
| The best of the believers are those with the best character | Ahmad |
Verification: the first hadith is attributed to Bukhari here (as in the textbook) but to Muslim in Chapter 7. This inconsistency is listed in
VERIFY.md. Confirm with a teacher.
5. Deeds without Iman = a mirage
(24:39) – meaning: The deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, but when he comes to it, he finds nothing.
In other words: even if a deed looks good from outside, a deed done without Iman brings no benefit in the Hereafter.
6. What are righteous deeds (al-'amal al-salih)?
Whenever the Quran mentions deeds together with Iman, it says "those who believe and do righteous deeds".
Righteous deeds are:
- The right actions, done at the right time.
- All actions that suit every part of life – this world and the Hereafter, the individual and society, the spiritual and the material.
The main condition for a deed to be accepted by Allah is sincerity (ikhlas).
The occasion when verse 18:110 was revealed
- A Companion said to the Prophet ﷺ: "I do some deeds only for Allah, but it also pleases me when people see what I do."
- The Prophet ﷺ did not reply. Then this verse was revealed:
(18:110) – meaning: Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.
Lesson: a deed done to win people's praise (showing off / riya') is like associating partners with Allah (shirk).
7. Four features of a believer's actions
- They are done in obedience to Allah and His Messenger.
- They are done in the way the Prophet ﷺ did them.
- They are done to win Allah's pleasure.
- The reward is expected from Allah alone.
This is why there is a difference between the actions of a believer and those of a non-believer.
8. An example: the incident of Ali (RA)
- On the battlefield, Ali (RA) overpowered an enemy.
- The defeated enemy spat in Ali's (RA) face.
- Ali (RA) immediately let him go and walked away.
- When asked why, he said: "I fought you because you were an enemy of Allah. When you spat at me, you became my personal enemy. If I killed you now, I would be killing you for my own sake, and I would get no reward from Allah."
Lesson: every action must be for Allah alone – this is ikhlas.
Quick revision
- Iman = accepting with the heart + declaring with the tongue + proving with action.
- Iman and amal = a flower and its fragrance; neither is accepted without the other.
- Iman has more than 70 branches: the highest is the kalimah; the lowest is removing harm from the road; modesty is a part of Iman.
- Deeds = worship + public service + dealings + good character (2:177).
- Deeds without Iman = a mirage (24:39).
- The main condition for a deed to be accepted = ikhlas; showing off is like shirk (18:110).