What Are the Small Deeds with Great Rewards in Islam?


Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

I heard that Allah (Most High) has multiplied the rewards for the Muslim Umma and has granted them great rewards for small deeds. What are those deeds?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

There are many acts of goodness for which rewards are multiplied, allowing one to receive great rewards for small deeds. Here are some of these actions, which Allah (Most High) enables us and you to implement:

Granting Respite to the Debtor in Difficulty

This involves giving extra time to a debtor who is in financial difficulty and cannot repay their debt, without rushing them to settle the debt when it is due.

Sulayman Ibn Burayda narrated from his father, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:

“Whoever gives respite to a debtor in difficulty, will have charity equal to the amount of the debt for every day he gives him respite.” Then I heard him say: “Whoever gives respite to a debtor in difficulty will have charity double the amount of the debt for every day he gives him respite.” I said: “I heard you, O Messenger of Allah, say: ‘Whoever gives respite to a debtor in difficulty will have charity equal to the amount of the debt for every day.’ Then I heard you say: ‘Whoever gives respite to a debtor in difficulty will have charity double the amount of the debt for every day.’” He said: “He will have charity for every day before the debt is due, and if he gives him respite after the debt is due, he will have charity double the amount of the debt for every day.” [Ahmad]

Easing the Difficulty of a Debtor in Distress

This refers to alleviating the hardship of a debtor who cannot fulfill their debt.

Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abi Qatada, his father said: “I sought a debtor of mine who was hiding from me. Then I found him, and he said, ‘I am in difficulty.’ I said, ‘By Allah?’ He said, ‘By Allah.’ I said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say: “Whoever would love for Allah to save him from the calamities of the Day of Resurrection, let him grant respite to someone in difficulty or forgive him.” [Muslim]

Various Acts with Great Rewards

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) mentioned several deeds that result in great rewards:

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever alleviates the situation of one in difficulty, Allah will alleviate his situation in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal his (faults) in this world and the Hereafter. Allah is in the aid of the servant as long as the servant is in the aid of his brother. Whoever follows a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them to those with Him.” [Ibid.]

Repentance

Repenting by abandoning sin, feeling regret for past actions, and resolving not to return to sin has a great reward. Allah has promised multiplied rewards for such repentance. He says:

“As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran, 25:70]

Introducing a Good Practice in Islam

This refers to any good deed initiated by a Muslim that has not been done before by anyone, provided that it is based on a valid principle in our Sacred Law, and others follow suit in performing it. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without that detracting from their reward in the slightest…” [Muslim]

Fasting and Standing in Ramadan with Faith and Expectation of Reward, and the Night of Decree

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and expectation of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever stands (in prayer) on the Night of Decree with faith and expectation of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Bukhari]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

“Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramadan with faith and expectation of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Ibid.]

Building Mosques for the Sake of Allah

‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan (Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:

‘Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah (Most High)—(Bukayr said: I think he said: seeking the pleasure of Allah)—Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.’” [Muslim]

Prayer, Ramadan, and Friday Prayers

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“The obligatory prayer to the next obligatory prayer is an expiation for whatever sins are committed in between them, and from one Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and from one Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are expiations for what is between them, provided that major sins are avoided.” [Ahmad]

Benefits of Acts That Cause Multiplication of Rewards

  • Perfecting One’s Islam is a Cause of Multiplied Rewards: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “When any of you perfects his Islam, every good deed he does will be recorded for him with ten times its like, up to seven hundred times. And every bad deed he does will be recorded for him as one bad deed like it.” [Bukhari]
  • Reasons for Multiplication of Rewards: Rewards are multiplied due to the nobility of time and place (such as prayer in the Sacred Mosque or performing ‘Umra during Ramadan). Additionally, fulfilling the needs of others, such as providing water to the thirsty, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, is another cause for multiplying rewards, especially when the need is great.

Conclusion

Muslims should hasten to do good deeds and take advantage of the opportunity of being alive before the appointed time comes or other obstacles arise. A man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, which charity is greatest in reward?” He said:

“To give charity when you are healthy and greedy, fearing poverty and hoping for wealth, and do not delay until you are on your deathbed, saying: ‘Give so-and-so such and such, and so-and-so such and such,’ when it already belongs to so-and-so.” [Ibid.]

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.