Week 11 – Question of the Week

Given that Allah SWT only accepts the work of pious individuals, isn’t that reason for the common individual and sinners to lose hope?

Firstly, with regards to the Ayah that states:
إ نَّمَا يَتَقَبَّل ٱللَّه منَ ٱلْمتَّقينَ

God accepts only of the pious. (Al Maidah 5:27)

Piety in itself has stages. Therefore, pious means “with more piety”.

The Qur’an states:
إ نَّ أَكْرَمَكمْ عندَ ٱللَّه أَتْقَىكمْ

Surely the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most god-fearing of you (Al Hujjarat 49:13)

Most of the common people and those who do wrong also have levels of piety even if they have never done any good nor do they leave any sin.

Secondly, if a government dictates that only university students can be employed their intention is that when one officially is employed in their field, they need to have that qualification, not that anyone who works outside their field or without qualification has no right to their wages earned.

Thirdly, the acceptance of your actions also has levels.

The Qur’an states Allah SWT accepts with
بقَبول حَسن

With gracious favour (Al-Imran 3:37)

and in the prayer fare welling Ramadhan we read:
تقبل باحسن قبولك

And accept our deeds with the best of your acceptances.

So everyone’s actions will be accepted according to their own level of piety.

Therefore, the Qur’an states different levels of reward relative to the people who do good and to what action they do:

•  ضعْفَيْن (Baqarah 2:265) – Some actions have double the reward
• أَضْعَافًا (Baqarah 2:245) – Some have rewards that are multiplied multiple times over
• فَلَه عَشْر أَمْثَا لهَا (Al Anaam 6:160) – Some actions have a tenfold reward attached to them
•  كَمَثَل حَبَّة أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابلَ فى كل سنۢبلَة مائَة حَبَّة (Baqarah 2:261) – Some actions have the reward multiplied 700 times over.
• فَلََ تَعْلَم نَفْس مَّآ أخْفىَ لَهم (Sajda 32:17) – Some rewards are so great that only Allah SWT knows them.

And these differences are based on the differences in the intention and the kind of good deed being performed.

– PARABLES – IMPORTANT QUESTIONS SIMPLE ANSWERS

A translation of the work by Hujjat Al Islam Mohsen Gharaati

Translated by S.L. AL-Hakim