Allah
has said that those who spend their wealth in His cause are like seeds that
grow seven pods, each containing a hundred grains, resulting in a total of
seven hundred. Allah multiplies the reward for those whom He wills, as He is
Vast and All-Knowing.
To develop good character, one needs to
cultivate qualities that serve as these pods, bearing good deeds that stem from
those qualities. This leads to the maqaam or station in tazkiya, where good
becomes natural due to the nurtured quality producing fruit repeatedly. Allah
rewards even a single good deed way more than its worth, while never punishing
anyone with a sin more than it is worth. The Prophet (Pbuh) had said that Allah
records good and bad deeds and made them clear. If someone intends to do a good
deed but fails to follow through, Allah still records it as one complete good
deed. If they follow through, Allah may record it as ten good deeds up to seven
hundred times as much as He wills. If they intend to commit a sin but hold
back, Allah records one complete good deed for them. If they commit the sin,
Allah records one bad deed. This hadith highlights the mercy of Allah.
Have you ever pondered
on the factors that elevate a good deed from being worth 10 to 700 or even
beyond? Undoubtedly, sincerity is a key factor. Additionally, ensuring that you
perform a deed completely, without any shortcuts, is also important. For
instance, consider the difference between saying "Assalamu alaykum"
versus "Assalamualykum warahmatulahi wa barakaatuh." In a hadith, a
man greeted the Prophet (Pbuh) with "Assalamu alayka, Ya Rasulullah,"
and the Prophet responded by saying, "10 good deeds." Another man
greeted him with "Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullah," and the Prophet
replied, "20 good deeds." Then, another man greeted him with
"Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh," and the Prophet
responded by saying, "30 good deeds." Though the greetings are
similar, the more complete one will earn greater rewards.
Similarly, every letter of the Quran is
worth 10 good deeds, and therefore, it's beneficial to read a little extra
during your daily recitation. But, have you ever wondered why some deeds are
specified as being worth 700 rewards? Interestingly, the deeds that the Prophet
(Pbuh) specified as being worth 700 all relate to spending for the sake of
Allah, particularly in situations where it's difficult to do so/.
Therefore, the verse that mentions the
grain becoming 700 was a great comfort to the poor companions who had little to
give. Abu Masud Al-Ansari narrated that a man brought a she-camel to the
Prophet (Pbuh) with its rope through its nose ring, as that was all he had to
give for the sake of Allah. The Prophet (Pbuh) told him that on the Day of
Judgment, he would have 700 she-camels for this one she-camel, each coming
forth with a rope through its nose ring. Ibn Abbas commented that any money
spent for the sake of Allah, including money spent on Hajj, would be multiplied
by 700 on the Day of Judgment.
There is one deed that has been attributed
to the reward of over 700, and that is fasting. The Prophet (Pbuh) said that
the fasting person has two moments of joy - when they break their fast and when
they meet Allah with that fast. Allah rewards every good deed of the son of
Adam between 10 and 700 times, but fasting is rewarded especially by Allah, and
the reward is beyond human imagination. Fasting requires patience, and those
who are patient will be rewarded without measure. Therefore, the reward for
fasting on the Day of Judgment is immeasurable, and it applies to any day of
fasting, not just Ramadan. Keeping up the habit of fasting beyond Ramadan can
bring one closer to Allah and weigh heavily on their scale on the Day of
Judgment. Whoever's scales are heavy with good deeds will have a happy and
contented life in Hereafter.
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