Good Deeds: The Bridge to Divine Acceptance
Understanding the Connection Between Words and Actions in Islam
The most truthful speech is Allah’s book and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Verily the worst affairs are those introduced into the religion without basis.
The Verse That Transforms Understanding
“Whoever desires honor—then to Allah belongs all honor. To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it. But those who plot evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those—it will perish.”
— Surah Fatir (35:10)
Today we reflect on one little part of a verse that carries profound meaning: “To Allah ascends the good words, and it is the good deed that lifts it.” This simple statement reveals a fundamental truth about our relationship with our Creator.
The Presidential Analogy
Imagine I am the president of a country, and one of the citizens wants to complain. He writes his complaint on paper, comes to the palace, and submits it. What happens? 99.999% of the time, it reaches nothing but a trash can. Why? Because he is not connected. He doesn’t know anyone high enough to get the complaint transferred or transmitted to the president.
Similarly, Allah says that the good deed lifts the good words to Allah. When I praise Allah—Alhamdulillah—it may not reach Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala without something to lift it up: the good deed.
Created to Be Tested
“It is He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed.”
— Surah Al-Mulk (67:2)
We often take trials as something bad—perhaps a loss of money or a calamity. But the word “trial” means test. Allah created us to be tested: which one of us will do better? Which one of us will perform better deeds?
Every one of us came to this life to practice some role, and then we will leave, making space for others. My father died, his father died, my grandfather died. At the end of the day, we are a newer generation. Our kids will take over, their kids will take over, and so on. Why did Allah create us? I was created to be tested. What type of work will I do?
The Reality: Actions, Not Words
Allah addresses those who mistakenly believe that worldly fortune is a sign of divine love. Some might say, “Oh, Allah loves me—He gave me a good car!” and compare themselves to others who have less. But Allah clarifies the true measure:
“No! But you do not honor the orphan. And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor. And you consume inheritance, devouring it altogether. And you love wealth with immense love.”
— Surah Al-Fajr (89:17-20)
All of these are actions, not words. Deeds, not talk. It is what we do, not what we say. Look at the generosity of Allah: if I plan to give $10 to a brother as charity and then suddenly change my mind, subhan Allah, it will still be written as a good deed because I had the intention to pay it. Allah will make it count—just the intention to do something good.
But if I plan to do something wrong and then forget, will it be written against me or not? Only Allah knows, because it remained mere words without action.
The Best of Creatures
“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—those are the best of creatures.”
— Surah Al-Bayyinah (98:7)
Allah declares that those who have made a gathering between faith (iman) and good deeds are the best of creatures. Whether this refers to all humans or all creatures including angels, the meaning is profound: faith combined with righteous action elevates the believer to the highest ranks.
The Path to Divine Love
Good deeds are the best way to earn the love of Allah and the love of other people. Allah says in a hadith qudsi:
“My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts of worship until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks.”
— Hadith Qudsi (Bukhari)
The Prophet ﷺ explained that when Allah loves a servant, He calls Jibreel: “O Jibreel, I love this servant of mine, so love him.” Jibreel will love him, and then Jibreel calls the people of the seventh heaven: “Allah loves this person, so love him.” They love him, and it keeps descending until the first heaven of this world, and then Allah places acceptance of him on earth.
The opposite is true for disbelievers—those who see the truth and do not follow it. If Allah dislikes someone, He calls Jibreel, and the same process occurs, but with hatred descending until everyone on earth dislikes that person.
Shield Yourself with Good Deeds
“O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.”
— Surah Al-Anfal (8:29)
To fear Allah—taqwa in Arabic—means to shield yourself against the consequences of divine displeasure. Shield yourself with what? With good deeds.
We all remember that on the Day of Judgment, those who did not embrace Islam will hope to come back. To pray? No. To have faith in Allah? No. To pay charity! To do something tangible that changes the world. When you pay charity, you change the community around you. You could change the world.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Muslims are like this—and he interlaced his fingers—supporting one another. When we hear that people in a certain country need help, that’s a good chance for us. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will ask: “I sent you this chance, but you forgot about it. You ignored it. You loved your money more than loving your role in this world.”
The Witnessed Prayer of Fajr
“Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and recite the Qur’an at dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.”
— Surah Al-Isra (17:78)
The angels of day and night witness our Fajr prayer. The Prophet ﷺ told us that every night in the last third of the night, Allah descends to the first heaven and says: “Is there anyone asking so I will give to him? Anyone requesting something so I will grant it? Anyone praying for something so I will fulfill it?”
This is what the Prophet ﷺ told us about Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Good deeds open these doors of mercy.
Blessings from Heaven and Earth
“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied, so We seized them for what they were earning.”
— Surah Al-A’raf (7:96)
Faith and taqwa are also reasons for blessings that come from the sky and from the earth. If the people of different cities had faith and did good deeds, Allah would have opened all the doors of blessings. But they lied, they did not believe, and We took them by punishment for what they have been doing.
The Promise of a Good Life
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer—We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do.”
— Surah An-Nahl (16:97)
The good deed flourishes and bears fruit for the believer who has a good life. Allah cannot be mocked. You cannot deceive Allah. If you have true faith and you do the good deeds that He asked for, then Allah promises: We will let him live a good life, and We will reward him better than what he used to do.
If I pay $10 as charity, I will get it back as if it were a billion dollars. Allah is not poor.
Community Updates and Achievements
It is with profound gratitude to Allah that we share recent blessings and achievements of our Islamic center. Our efforts are dedicated to serving Islam and upholding the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, inspired by his timeless command: “Convey from me even one verse.”
We highlight these projects not for pride, but to show the infinite ways we can collectively strive for Allah’s pleasure.
Education and Family Care
- Our Islamic school continues providing excellent instruction every week during the school year in Arabic, Islamic studies, and other academic subjects
- Family counseling services have helped reconcile differences and bring peace to families, with ongoing work bringing further progress, Alhamdulillah
Da’wah and Outreach
- The center has become a beacon for seekers of knowledge, welcoming visitors from Stillwater, Ponca City, Morrison, and Perkins
- A memorable visit from a mother and daughter who traveled two hours for a school assignment—both left with their questions answered and hearts opened
- Two groups from Stillwater (20-30 members each) are in communication, expressing: “We want to know more about the faith”
- Three shahadas celebrated over the last 8 months—two brothers and one sister, all well-informed about Islam before formally embracing it
- The sister had already been wearing hijab at home and work before her shahada—a beautiful testament to her conviction
- Regular visits from OSU world religion studies classes led by Dr. Adam Sultani and Dr. Armstrong
Digital Platforms and Media
- Three new brothers joined the Da’wah, Media, and Technology (DMT) team, actively working in communication, debate, and church visits
- AsSaddiquw Weekly: After 26 weeks of publication, now moved online at AsSaddique Post
- AsSiddique Online School: An invaluable knowledge source for students of all ages—from elementary to adult learners. It can be found at AsSaddique School
- ICStillwater.org: Official launch completed, covering community information, Islamic center activities, and services
- About Islam: A portal page leading to 90+ pages answering common questions about Islam
- ConveyIslam.org: Newly launched! A global effort with over 200 pages introducing Islam to the world, covering Who is Allah, What is Quran, Who is Muhammad, What is Islam, and more
The domain conveyislam.org was found available for only $12—a miracle from Allah. Subhan Allah!
A Humble Invitation to Action
I share these achievements to demonstrate that the avenues for doing good deeds are truly infinite. You can do anything you want. If you feel unable to start your own initiative or simply don’t know where to begin, know that all these activities are wide open for participation.
Please do not let your nafs (ego) prevent you from taking part in this vital work. The DMT team warmly welcomes new ideas and is always ready to offer technical and editing support.
Imagine: someone in Germany—or any country—reading something you contributed, something that touches their heart and helps them find the right path. On the Day of Judgment, you will see so many good deeds coming to you without knowing where they came from. When you ask, they will say: “You did this before your life ended, maybe 40 or 50 or 60 years ago.”
May Allah give you long life and accept our efforts.
May Allah accept our efforts and reward us all. Ameen.
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