3 Good Deeds of Great Rewards

1. Maintaining Family Relations

Allah (SWT) in several places in the Quran commands the Muslims to not only obey their parents, but also to shower them with mercy, love and passion. This is throughout the lifetime of the parents and not during one's childhood. Let look at some of these parables in the Quran.

Chapter (2:83), The Cow

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لاَ تَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَاناً وَذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْناً وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مِّعْرِضُونَ

Chapter (4:36), The Women,

وَاعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُورًا

Chapter (6:151), The Cattle

قُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلاَدَكُم مِّنْ إمْلاَقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Chapter (17:23), Al Israa (Journey of the Night)

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا

Chapter (17:24)

وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

Chapter (29:8), The Spider

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

Chapter (31:14), Luqman

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

Chapter (46:17), Al Ahqaf (Curved Sandhills)

وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَا أَتَعِدَانِنِي أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِي وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ اللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ آمِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَيَقُولُ مَا هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

Chapter (46:18)

أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ فِي أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا خَاسِرِينَ

The Prophet (PBUH) also mentions in a Hadith, narrated by Bukhari (5986) and Muslim (20) "Whoever wishes his provision be increased and his life be blessed, let him maintain the ties of kinship". This is a wonderful invitation and motivational request to encourage Muslims to stay in touch with their families, not only parents, but the extended cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces, grandparents, grandchildren, etc... Maintaining that relationship could include visiting, calling on the phone, helping with errands, supporting, calling to the way of Allah.

It is worth mentioning that the one who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does so because he gets recompensed by his relatives, but the one who truly maintains the bonds of kinship is the one who persists in doing so even though the other party has severed those ties. This was also narrated by Bukhari as reported by Abdullah bin Amr ibn Al Aas. the rewards for maintaining family ties are never failing...

In another hadith narrated by Abi Hurairah he said, that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Nothing of the acts of obedience to Allah brings the reward from Allah faster than joining the ties of kinship, and nothing beings about the punishment of Allah faster than indescency and cutting the ties of kinship (5391 in Albani's Sahih Al Jami').

Islam also teaches parents to be patient with their children, and to seek their opinions and feedback. Lets take a look at this wonderful conversation between Ibrahim and his Son Ismail and stated in the Quran in (37:102), the chapter of Safaat (Rangers/Angels)

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ

In a Hadith Qudsi (394) "Allah (SWT) tells the one who abandoned his parents, do whatever you will of good deeds for indeed I will not forgive you, and he tells the one who is righteous to his parents, do whatever you wish for indeed I forgive you".

In another Hadith the prophet told his companions, "Should I not tell you about the greatest sins? Should I not tell you about the greatest sins? Should I not tell you about the greatest sins? His companions replied, "No tell us". The Prophet said, "Associating partners with Allah, abandoning the parents", and he was resting so he sat up and said "oh from false witnessing and lying" and he kept repeating it until his companions said we wish he would stop.

2. Fulfilling People's Needs
Islam encourages to support and help others. The Prophet (PBUH) even mentioned that helping a Muslim brother or sister at a time of challenge is more rewarding than worshiping at the Masjid of the Prophet in Medina. This is a place were prayers are 1000 times more rewarding than any other Masjid except the Sacred Masjid in Mekkah, yet the Prophet mentions in the following Hadith that helping others is more rewarding.

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Omar that someone asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), "Who is the most beloved person to Allah? The Prophet replied, "the most beloved person to Allah is the one who is most beneficial to the people, and the most beloved deed to Allah is to make your Muslim brother happy, to remove a distress, or assist in a debt, or satisfy their hunger", he then said "That for me to walk with my Muslim brother in fullfillig his need is dearer to me than being in seclusion "E'tikaf" in this Masjid for a month, and whomever suppresses his anger even though he is able to act upon it, allah will in return fill such person's heart with happiness on the Day of Judgment and the one who continues to assist his brotherin fullfiling his need until he is satisfied completely, then Allah will make his feet firm on the Day of Judgment in which the people will sway out of fear" (Al Isbahaani, Hasan Hadith).

Allah also states in the Quran in the chapter of the Table (5:2)

تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ


3. Visiting the Sick
Not does visiting a sick Muslim hold huge rewards, but also it is an obligation on a Muslim towards his brother.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) asks a man, why did you not visit me? The man replies, Oh, Allah how can I visit you and you are the Lord of the Universe? Allah responds, wasn't so and so sick on that day, if you had visited him, you would have found me there. Of course we know that Allah is physically above his throne and creation. The Creator does not get encompassed in his creation. However Allah (SWT) is with us and with that sick person with his attributes, such as his knowledge, mercy, passion, hearing, seeing, etc...

In another Hadith narrated by Ali, he mentioned that he heard the Messenger of Allah (SWT) say, "Whoever visits his Muslim brother walks on a pathway leading to Paradise, and when he sits down at the side of the sick person he becomes immersed in Allah's Mercy. And if the visit was during the day 70 thousand angels will pray for him until the evening, and if it is at night 70 thousand angels will pray for him until the morning. (Dawood, Sahih).