‘AMAL AS-SÂLIH - اعمال الصالح

 

Literally: Sâlih is good. Serviceable. Valid. Upright. Righteous. Pious. The one who carries out the commands of Allah. The virtuous people of taqwâ.

Literally: ‘Amal is an act. An action. A work. Practice. Performance. Performing a religious obligation. Obedience. ‘Ibâdah.

‘Amal as-Sâlih is a good or pious act that are in the sphere of Sharîah. An act of beneficence for Allah's sake. An act or work of avoiding sins. Rendering the material and ma’nawî rights of the ‘abds of Allah.

  

(This letter is very important.)

My ‘azîz, siddîq brothers,

In recent times, I have considered the principles of taqwâ and ‘amal as-sâlih, which, in the view of Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm, are regarded as the most fundamental principles after îmân. Taqwâ is to abstain from prohibitions and sins, and ‘amal as-sâlih is to act in the sphere of command and gain virtue. While repelling sharr has always been superior to attracting good, in this age of destruction, dissipation (safahat) and alluring desires, repelling the causes of corruption and abandoning kabâir, which is taqwâ, became the most fundamental principle and has gained significant superiority.

Since negative currents and devastation have become terrifying in this age, taqwâ has become the most effective principle to prevent such destruction. Those who perform fardh and do not commit the kabâir will be saved. Amidst such kabâir, it is exceedingly rare to achieve success with ikhlas in ‘amal as-sâlih. Furthermore, even a minor ‘amal as-sâlih is considered great under these heavy circumstances.

Furthermore, a form of ‘amal as-sâlih is present within taqwâ because abandoning a haram is wâjib; performing a single wâjib has sawâb equivalent to many Sunnahs. In these times when thousands of sins attack everyone, a simple ‘amal, a single act of abstaining, is equivalent to performing hundreds of wâjibs by abandoning hundreds of sins. With the intention of this significant point, under the name of taqwâ and with the aim of avoiding sin, it is a significant ‘amal as-sâlih achieved through the passive ‘ibâdah.

The most important duty of the students of the Risale-i Nur in this age is to act with the principle of taqwâ to prevent destruction and sins. Since, in today’s social life, hundreds of sins are attacking people every minute, indeed, through taqwâ and the intention of abstaining from sins, one would perform hundreds of ‘amal as-sâlih.

Kastamonu Addendum (148-149)

 

through the indication of a five-hundred-year distance of Jannah being bestowed and seventy thousand palaces and houris being given to a single man in the âkhirah and everyone among the people of Jannah being perfectly satisfied with his share, it is demonstrated that there is no cause for rivalry in the âkhirah, nor can there be rivalry. In which case, there cannot be rivalry in ‘amal as-sâlih belonging to the âkhirah; jealousy has no place in it. The one jealous is either a hypocrite; he seeks worldly results by means of ‘amal as-sâlih, or a faithful ignorant, he does not know where ‘amal as-sâlih looks towards and does not understand that ikhlas is the rûh and foundation of ‘amal as-sâlih.

 The Twentieth Flash – 7th Cause