“When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him: his relative, his property, and his deeds follow him; relatives and his property go back while his deeds remain with him.” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 42 (6514); Muslim, Zuhd, 5 (2960).)
The word “amal,” which in the lexicon carries meanings such as work, act, and effort, is defined as an action performed with a specific purpose. In religious literature, it refers to conduct that is subject to commands, recommendations, or prohibitions and that ultimately entails either punishment or reward. (Suleyman Uludag, “Amel,” DIA, 3/13–16.) Righteous deeds, on the other hand, mean believing in Allah the Almighty, worshipping and serving Him, and carrying out beneficial acts for the good of creation. Accordingly, every halal and legitimate action may be regarded as a righteous deed, provided that it is performed properly and soundly with the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allah. In many verses and hadiths, the concept of amal is often used to refer to various acts of worship performed in order to attain greater reward. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the concept of righteous deeds has a broader scope. Allah (swt) states in many noble verses, “those who believe and do good…”, thereby mentioning faith and righteous action together (Baqarah, 2:25, 62, 82, 277). The expression “those who do good” found in these verses encompasses all positive and beneficial actions and works, foremost among them acts of worship. Moreover, just as beneficial actions are called righteous deeds, the person who performs them is also described as a righteous person (Islam through Hadiths, 3/35–36). About righteous deeds, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) stated, “All that is good is a sadaqah” (Bukhari, Adab, 33 (6021)). By this statement, he broadened the scope of both charity and righteous deeds.
Moreover, with his saying, “Allah the Almighty is pleased when one of you performs a task and does it with excellence,” (Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman, 7/234 (4931)), he indicated that, alongside sincerity and devotion, quality and excellence in one’s work are also of great importance. Faith and righteous deeds are likewise two essential criteria that determine a person’s worth in the sight of Allah. This matter is expressed in the noble verse as follows: “It is not your wealth or children that bring you closer to Us. But those who believe and do good—it is they who will have a multiplied reward for what they did…” (Saba, 34:37). The Prophet Muhammad (saw) summarized this message in these words: “Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces, but He looks to your hearts.” (Muslim, Birr, 34 (25647)
One day, as our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) was entering the city from the region of Aliyah, one of the elevated areas of Madina, he passed by the marketplace. People were gathered around him. He then came across a dead young goat with small ears. Reaching out, he took it by the ear and said: “Which of you would like to buy this for one dirham?” The noble companions replied, “We would not buy it even for less than a dirham. What would we do with it?” He then asked, “Would you want it if it were given to you for free?” They answered, “By Allah, even if it were alive, it would be defective because its ears are small. So what would we do with it when it is dead?” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “By Allah, in the sight of Allah the Almighty, this world is more worthless than this dead goat before you.” (Muslim, Zuhd, 2 (2957)). The only capital that will save us in this world and the hereafter is our deeds. While striving for our fleeting worldly life, we must not neglect performing lasting righteous deeds for the hereafter, our eternal abode. It should not be forgotten that possessing wealth and property in this world is different from attaching excessive value to them and turning them almost into an ultimate goal. Certainly, a Muslim should possess lawful wealth and property and spend them in accordance with the pleasure of Allah. However, if a person is unwilling to give zakat and sadaqah, or if his hand, as it were, trembles while giving them, this indicates that he attaches excessive value to worldly possessions. Such behavior does not befit a Muslim. The well-known proverb “The shroud has no pockets” is often cited to warn those who become excessively attached to worldly wealth. This expression means, “No matter how wealthy you are, you will take nothing with you when you die.” This reality is beautifully expressed in the following hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw): “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him: his relative, his property, and his deeds follow him; relatives and his property go back while his deeds remain with him.” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 42 (6514); Muslim, Zuhd, 5 (2960)). The reality of death is the greatest lesson for one who seeks to take heed. Death reminds us that worldly life is temporary and that all the possessions we hold are merely means of trial. This matter is explained in the Qur’an as follows: “Every soul will taste death.
And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will (indeed) triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” (Al-i ‘Imran, 3:185). Therefore, wealth, property, status, and fame should not deceive us. Indeed, Allah the Almighty warns us in this regard as follows: “Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children…” (Hadid, 57:20). While good deeds bring happiness to their doer, evil deeds will cause him regret. One day, our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) said to his companions, “Every person who dies will surely feel regret.” The noble Companions asked, “Why will he feel regret?” He replied, “The one who does good will regret not having done more good during his lifetime, and the one who does evil will regret not having abandoned his evil deeds while he was alive.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 58 (2403)). Since this world is transient and the hereafter is eternal, each should be given its due value in proportion to the time one will remain there, and preparation should be made accordingly. Indeed, regarding preparation for the hereafter, Allah the Almighty says: “O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what (deeds) it has sent forth for tomorrow (the hereafter).” (Hashr, 59:18) Our Beloved Prophet (saw) also warned in this regard, saying: “The wise person is the one who calls himself to account and works for what comes after death, whereas the helpless person is the one who follows his desires and yet entertains hopes of forgiveness from Allah.” (Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 25 (2459))
