How to Perform Righteous Deeds Successfully

 

Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

An individual requires patience in three circumstances:

First: Before commencing the act of worship; by correcting the intention, being sincere, avoiding the motives of show off and popularity seeking. He must have the firm will to fulfill the rights of the obligation.

Second: Patience while performing the act of worship. A servant should be patient in avoiding all the things that will lead to deficiencies and negligence in the act. He should also patiently recall the intention and be mindful of His Lord. He should not forget His orders because performing the obligation is not all that matters; not forgetting the One who gave the order while carrying out the order matters a great deal.

He should constantly remember Him while observing His obligations; this is the worship of the sincere servants of Allah. He needs patience in fulfilling the rights of worship by observing its pillars, its obligatory aspects and recommendations as well giving Allah’s remembrance therein. He should not allow his god-consciousness of his heart to impede him from worshipping Him with his limbs; and he should not allow the worship with the limbs  hinder him from giving god-consciousness before his Lord.

Third: Patience after completing the act of worship; and this can be done in the following ways:

One: Patience in refraining from the things that nullify the individual’s act of worship. Allah the most High said: “O you who believe! Do not render in vain your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury.” [Soorah al-Baqarah: 264]

Two: He should be patient in refraining from looking at it, having a high opinion of it and being proud of it. This is because such is more harmful to him than many apparent sinful deeds.

Three: He should give patience to avoid transferring the acts of worship from a secret book to an open one because someone may perform a good deed secretly between himself and his Lord and it will be recorded in a secret book, and if he informs about it, it becomes transferred to an open book.

So, one should not think the mats of patience are folded just after completing the act of worship.

Source: ‘Uddah as-Saabireen wa Dhakheerat ash-Shaakireen, by Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah; translated by Abdus-Samee’ Abdus-Salaam.