What Does Islam Say About Goodness?
“A person who is pleased by the good they have done and saddened by the evil they have committed is a true believer.” 1
There is another hadith on this subject: “The one who trembles and shakes due to the sin they have committed, and feels hope of entering Paradise due to the good and virtuous deeds they have done, is a true believer.”2
The sense of relief and comfort that arises within a person from performing a good deed is one of the signs and manifestations of faith. If looking at what is forbidden, touching what is forbidden, or going towards what is forbidden causes a pang of remorse, a blush of shame, or a deep sigh of regret within a person, this is a sign of the presence of faith in that person, as stated by our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Religion consists of faith, deeds, and morality. The concepts of reward and sin, prohibitions, and allowances are significant parts of religion from this perspective. Every good deed a believer performs brings peace to their heart, eases their path, and lightens their burden.
Conversely, every sin they commit weighs heavily on them like tar, burdens their body, pulls them downwards, and makes them more worldly. These are experiential matters that can be better understood through living. In a sacred hadith (a hadith whose meaning is from God, but whose wording is from the Prophet), God’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A glance at what is forbidden is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan. Whoever abstains from it out of fear of Me, I will replace it with faith, the sweetness of which he will find in his heart.” 3
The extent to which a person can feel the impact of good and evil deeds measures the strength and weakness of their faith. If a person does not shudder in the face of prohibitions, it can be said that their faith is in danger of disappearing. The saying attributed to the early prophets, “If you feel no shame, then do as you wish,” can also be remembered in this context.
A Companion once asked, “O Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), how can I know if I am a true believer?” God’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “There is no servant among my Ummah who does a good deed, knowing it is good and that God will reward them for it, and is not a believer.
Similarly, there is no servant among my Ummah who commits a sin, knowing it is a sin, and (if they commit the sin) knows that only God can forgive sins and asks for God’s forgiveness, and is not a believer. Thus, they are indeed a believer.” 4
Therefore, a true believer knows that God will reward them for their good deeds.Likewise, when they commit a sin and repent, they know that only God can forgive their sin.
Footnotes:
1.Tirmidhi, Fitan, 7; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 1/18, 26; 3/252, 256.
2.Ali al-Muttaqi, Kanz al-Ummal, 1/160-161 (hadith no: 801-806).
3.Hakim, Mustadrak, 4/314
4.Ali al-Muttaqi, Kanz al-Ummal, 1/160 (hadith no: 800).