DEFINITION OF RIGHTEOUS ACTION

Righteous action is the doing of good (ihsaan, which is a causative construction meaning to make something good), i.e. the doing of righteous deeds, and righteous deeds are those which Allah has ordered us to do. That which Allah has ordered us to do is that which he has put in the law (shari’a), and that is what is in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah of His Prophet (sas). Allah has informed us that whoever purifies his intentions for the sake of Allah, and practices ihsaan in his actions is deserving of reward and in safety from punishment.

For this reason, the imams of the salaf (the righteous first generations), used to combine these two concepts, as in the statement of Al-Fadheel ibn ‘iyaadh in relation to the meaning of Allah’s statement: [That He might test you, which of you are best in action.] Qur’an 67/2, he said:

“The most sincere and the most correct.” It was said to him: “O, father of Ali, what is the meaning of the most sincere (of actions) and the most correct?” He said: “Verily, any action, though it may be correct, which is not done with sincerity, is not accepted; if it is done with sincerity, but is not correct, it is also not accepted, unless and until it is both done with sincerity, and is correct. The sincere action is the one done purely for the sake of Allah, and the correct action is the one which is in accordance with the sunnah.”

It has also been narrated by Ibn Shaaheen and Al-lalkaa’iy from Sa’eed ibn Jubair that he said: “No statement is accepted without action. And no statement and action is accepted without (pure) intention. And no statement and action and intention is accepted unless it is in accordance with the sunnah. This statement has also been narrated from Al-Hassan Al-Basry who used the word “is not valid” instead of “is not accepted”.

In this is a rejection of the position of the sect called the Murji’a, who hold that mere verbal statement (i.e. the profession of faith) is sufficient. Rather, he informs us that statement and action are both necessary, since faith (imaan) is: profession and action. Both are necessary, as we have explained at length elsewhere. And we have explained that mere “belief” of the heart, and the pronunciation of the tongue, along with the presence of loathing for Allah and His laws, and arrogance in front of Allah and His laws, cannot be called faith (imaan) by the consensus of the believers – not until this “belief” is joined by righteous action. The origin of action is the action of the heart, and that is its love, and its overwhelming respect and humility which eliminates loathing and arrogance.

Then, they went on to say: Statement and action is not accepted except with correct intention. This is clear: statement and action which is not undertaken purely for the sake of Allah is not accepted by Allah.

Then, they went on to say: Statement and action and intention is not accepted except with its being in accordance with the sunnah, and the sunnah here means the shari’a (law). And that is what Allah and His Prophet have ordered. Statement, action, and intention which is not enjoined by the sunnah, enjoined by the shari’a, i.e. which Allah has ordered is bid’a (innovation), and all innovation is going astray, and is not of that which Allah loves, so Allah does not accept it, and it is not valid. Examples are the actions of the associationists, and the Christians and Jews.