Rewards: In the Eyes of God
Mohammad Hussain asks:
Walaikum Assalam.
What is sawab?
It is said that one obtains sawab by doing good deeds. What is this sawab?
Sawab is like cryptocurrency.
There's no reality to it.
Yeah, there's no reality to it. 'You will get sawab' meaning rewards.
Whenever we do a good deed, we believe the Karaman Katibeen will note it in our book of deeds.
This begs the question - and it is a great misunderstanding
This begs the question: which good deed will be written down?
The one which you deem good or the one which is good in the eyes of God?
Like when people giver charity and alms to the poor in Pakistan, like machines or clothes.
What did Prophet Mohammad say? Your actions are based on your intentions.
If you do something for fame, like when the politicians help the poor
just as Chief Minister Mr Shahbaz Sharif went.
If any tragedy strikes the poor areas, they go to them with a truck
all the poor will be lined up and they will take out 50-60 large pots of food.
They go there and quickly set up the large pots to feed the poor; along with the cameras.
As soon as their photo session ended, they pack up the pots and drive away.
This actually happens in Pakistan.
Now, good deeds and obtaining sawab
If you only help the poor because you will be rewarded for it, and not because you feel a moral obligation as a human being to help someone, then curse such rewards.
What do you think?
You should help the poor because it is unbearable to witness their dire state.
Helping the poor as a passion for humanity is a good deed in God's eyes.
Don't just seek rewards.
People doing such things for sawab should know that God looks at the intentions.
Actions are based on your intentions.
Whatever your intention - like, the clerics in Pakistan who fool people.
It is forbidden to eat or drink in the mosque, right?
The clerics found a loophole. They say it is okay to eat in the mosque as long as you your intention is Itikaf.
You are allowed to eat and drink during Itikaf.
People stay in the mosque for Itikaf; since it is a 10-day long period, eating and drinking is permissible.
The clerics say that it is permissible to eat in the mosque as long as your intention is to stay in Itikaf.
They have even destroyed the intentions.
Your intention is what you want to do.
You want to eat so then how can you say your intention is Itikaf?
You are deceiving people!
Am I right?
Your intention is to eat food; it is neither Ramadan nor is it the time for Itikaf
therefore, Itikaf cannot be done.
You have not gone there for Itikaf. You felt hungry in the mosque and wanted to eat.
May God forgive me, they are trying to deceive God by intending to sit for Itikaf.
How can Itikaf be done when it is not time for it?
Will it be a ten minute Itikaf?
This is corruption.
The corruption of the minds of clerics.
They have managed to find loopholes in every matter
and in doing so, they have completely destroyed the religion.
Your intention is what you want to do; your desire.
If you want to eat food then that is what your intention is.
But [the clerics] have even made intentions fake
They say that as long as your intention is to sit for Itikaf you can eat in the mosque because it will be permissible this way.
This is fraud.
As far as sawab is concerned, you think that what you have done was a good deed
in that case your 'good deeds book' will have run out of pages.
The deeds marked in the book of deeds if God approved of them to be good deeds.
And that will be judged by finding out the intentions behind that deed.
So the purpose of the deed will be judged based on the intentions.
If your intentions are corrupted then your book of good deeds will remain blank.