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Encyclopedia of Religion entry for
Good Works
Arabic as-Salihat Surah xviii 103-5: "Shall we tell you who are they that have lost their labor most; whose efforts in the present life have been mistaken, and who deemed that what they did was right? They are those who believed not in the signs of the Lord, or that they should ever meet Him. Vain, therefore, are their works; and no weight will we allow them on the day of Resurrection." Faith in the above is belief in the mission of Muhammad; all Muslims being considered in a state of grace, no matter what their actions may be. With reference to the good deeds of Muslims, the following is the teaching of Muhammad, as recorded in the Traditions (Mishkat, book x chap iii):- "When a man is brought to Islam and he performs it well, God covers all his former sins, and he gets ten rewards for every good act, up to seven hundred, and even more than that, whereas the reward of misdeeds is as one to one, unless God passes that over likewise." "There are three persons whose actions are not written; one a person asleep until he awakes; the second, a boy not arrived at puberty; the third, a madman until he recovers his reason." "Verily, God recordeth both the good deeds and the evil deeds. He who has proposed to do evil, and did not do it, for him God recordeth one perfectly good deed. And he who intended to do good and put his intentions into practice, for him God recordeth from ten to seven hundred good deeds (according to their merits). And he who intended to do evil but did it not, God recordeth one good act; but he who intendeth to do evil and doth it, for him God recordeth one evil deed." "Verily, the condition of that person who does evil and after that good deeds, is like the condition of a man with tight armour on, which has troubled him. He does one good deed and the rings of the armour become open. He does another deed, and the armour falls from his body." "Verily, there was a man amongst those who were before you to whom the angel of death came to take his soul, and he was asked ‘Have you done any good act? ‘ He said in answer, ‘I do not remember that I have done any good. ‘ It was said to him, ‘Look well into yourself, and consider if you have done any good work. He said, ‘I do not find any good in myself, except that I used to buy and sell in the world and used to claim my right from the rich, but allowed them their leisure to pay me when they liked, and I forgave the poor. ‘ Then God brought the man into paradise." "An adulteress was forgiven who passed by a dog at a well, and the dog was holding out his tongue from thirst, which was near killing him. The woman drew off her boot and tied it to the end of her veil, and drew water for the dog, and gave him to drink, and she was forgiven on account of that act. It was asked the Prophet, ‘Verily, are there rewards for our doing food to quadrupeds, and giving them water to drink? ‘ He said, ‘There are rewards for benefitting every animal having a moist liver. ‘" "Your smiling in your brother ‘s face is alms; and your exhorting mankind to virtuous deeds is alms; and your prohibiting the forbidden is alms; and your showing men the road when they lose it is alms; and your assisting the blind is alms; and your removing stones, thorns, and bones, which are inconvenient to a man is alms; and your pouring water from your bucket into that of your brother is alms for you. ‘" 
. According to the teaching of the Qur’an, good works without faith will not save from the torments of hell.
citations: Dictionary of Islam, Hughes
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12
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