The ten deeds that please Allah most

In the life of this world, people try in so many ways to please others. Sometimes they spend their wealth, sometimes they give up their own interests, and sometimes they make many sacrifices to keep a loved one happy. Yet how much do we think about pleasing the Great Being on whose pleasure the true success of our worldly life and the hereafter depends?

Allah the Almighty declares in the Holy Quran, 'The pleasure of Allah is the greatest thing. That is the supreme success.' (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 72) In light of the Quran and Hadith, here are ten deeds that please Allah most.

The first deed is sincere repentance and seeking forgiveness. No human being is above error; every person falls into sin and fault in one way or another. But the dearest servant to Allah is not the one who never makes a mistake; rather, it is the one who, after making a mistake, realises his fault and returns to Allah with a repentant heart.

Allah the Almighty says, 'Indeed, Allah loves those who repent often and loves those who purify themselves.' (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 222) And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than a man who finds his lost mount in the desert.' (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2747)

The second deed is performing the obligatory acts of worship properly. The most important path to Allah's pleasure is to carry out His obligatory commands as they should be carried out. Many people are keen on voluntary worship while remaining careless about obligatory worship, yet no voluntary deed can substitute for an obligatory one.

Allah the Almighty says, 'They were commanded only to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion.' (Surah Al-Bayyinah, verse 5) Narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that Allah the Almighty says, 'Among the deeds by which My servant draws near to Me, the dearest to Me are those I have made obligatory upon him.' (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6502)

The third deed is adopting taqwa, the fear of Allah. A person's honour before Allah is not determined by wealth, lineage, rank or outward beauty. Rather, the most honoured before Allah is the one whose heart holds the most taqwa. Allah the Almighty says, 'Indeed, the most honoured of you before Allah is the most God-fearing among you.' (Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 13)

The fourth deed is good conduct and kindness towards people. Treating parents well, maintaining family ties, looking after neighbours, helping the helpless and showing mercy to people are all important means of attaining Allah's pleasure. Allah the Almighty says, 'Do good deeds. Indeed, Allah loves those who do good.' (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 195)

The fifth deed is patience and steadfastness in hardship. Happiness and sorrow, joy and pain, trials and adversity are bound to come in a believer's life. Sometimes illness, sometimes poverty, sometimes the pain of losing a loved one, and sometimes many adversities must be faced. In such situations, keeping trust in Allah and remaining patient instead of losing hope is one of the defining qualities of a believer.

Allah the Almighty says, 'And Allah loves the patient.' (Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 146) The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'How wonderful is the affair of the believer! Every matter of his is good for him.' He said, when the believer gains happiness and peace, he expresses gratitude, and that becomes good for him; and when he is struck by hardship, he remains patient, and that too becomes good for him. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2999)

The sixth deed is spending in the way of Allah and helping the helpless. Wealth is an important trust from Allah in a person's life. It is not meant only to be spent on one's own pleasures, but also to stand beside the helpless, the poor, orphans and those in distress. Allah the Almighty says, 'Those who spend in prosperity and in adversity.' (Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 134)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Whoever relieves a believer of one of the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Judgement. Whoever makes things easy for a person in need, Allah will make things easy for him in this world and the hereafter.' (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2699)

The seventh deed is controlling anger and forgiving people. Anger, resentment and the desire for revenge often destroy relationships. Yet the person who can control his anger and forgive others even when he has the power to take revenge holds a special rank before Allah.

Allah the Almighty says, 'Those who restrain anger and forgive people. And Allah loves those who do good.' (Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 134) The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Giving charity does not decrease wealth. Through forgiveness, Allah only increases the honour of His servant. And whoever humbles himself for Allah, Allah raises his rank.' (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2588)

The eighth deed is placing trust in Allah. Relying on Allah in every sphere of life is one of the defining qualities of a believer. A person will strive, plan and take the necessary means, but as for the outcome, he will depend only on Allah. Allah the Almighty says, 'Indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him.' (Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 159)

The ninth deed is establishing justice and fairness. No injustice may be done to anyone because of one's own interest, kinship, friendship or enmity; rather, one must stand firm on the side of truth and justice in all circumstances. Allah the Almighty says, 'Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 42)

The tenth deed is drawing near to Allah through voluntary worship. Alongside the obligatory acts of worship, tahajjud, voluntary prayers, voluntary fasting, recitation of the Quran, remembrance of Allah and supplication bring a servant closer to Allah. In a hadith of Sahih Bukhari, Allah the Almighty says, 'My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary deeds until I love him.' (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6502)

May Allah the Almighty grant us all the ability to attain His pleasure. Ameen.