This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
The demand of true faith is that a believer neither lies nor breaks promises, acts according to what he says, and does not attribute to himself any good deed that he has not done, because the most detested thing in the sight of Allah is that a person attributes to himself a good deed which he has not done, or says that he will do such and such good deed and then does not do it. Such people should not forget that Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts. It is stated:
﴿لِّلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِن تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ ۖ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾
"Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, and whatever is in your hearts, reveal it or conceal it, Allah will hold you accountable for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills, and Allah is capable of all things."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:284)
In this noble verse, Allah Almighty has stated that He is aware of the secrets and mysteries of the hearts. No matter or matter is hidden from Him. Yes, one can differentiate between outward and inward in front of people and keep it hidden from them, but nothing of the inner self is hidden from the All-Knowing of the hearts. In short, this verse encourages keeping the outward and inward pure and clean and acting upon what one states oneself.
Regarding the Children of Israel, Allah Almighty said that they have a very bad trait that they command people to have faith and do good, but forget themselves, even though they read the Book in which there is a very severe warning against betrayal, abandoning good, and contradiction between word and deed. It is stated:
﴿أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ﴾
"Do you order people to do good deeds while you forget yourselves, even though you recite the Book? Do you not understand?"
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:44)
To further explain the evil of this trait, Allah Almighty said at the end: Do you not have enough intellect to feel the evil of contradiction between word and deed?
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ. كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ.﴾
"O you who believe! Why do you say what you do not do? It is very hateful to Allah that you say what you do not do."
Reference: (61-As-Saff:2)
A wise person who speaks in a gathering also acts upon it in solitude; the one who encourages people to act upon something and describes its virtues and merits but is himself unable to act upon it is not wise, as indicated in the noble verse. Such a situation is disliked by Allah and people do not look upon it with admiration:
﴿قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ ”إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ﴾
"He said: O my people! See, if I have brought clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with the best provision from Himself, my intention is not at all to go against you by inclining towards that which I forbid you. My intention is only to reform as much as I can. My success is only by the help of Allah. In Him I trust and to Him I turn."
Reference: (11-Hud:88)
Sayyiduna Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with them) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
يؤتى بالرجل يوم القيامة فيلقى فى النار فتندلق أقتاب بطنه فيدور بها كما يدور الحمار بالرحى فيجتمع إليه أهل النار فيقولون: يا فلان مالك؟ ألم تكن تأمر بالمعروف وتنهى عن المنكر؟ فيقول: بلى، كنت آمر بالمعروف ولا آتيه، وأنهى عن المنكر وآتيه .
"On the Day of Resurrection, a man will be brought and thrown into the fire, his intestines will come out, and he will carry them around like a donkey carries a millstone. The inhabitants of Hell will gather around him and say, O so-and-so! What has happened to you? Did you not command good and forbid evil? He will say, Yes indeed (I am that one), but (my state was) that I used to command people to do good but did not do it myself, and I used to forbid people from evil but committed it myself."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Beginning of Creation, Chapter on the Description of the Fire, No: 3267; Sahih Muslim, Book of Asceticism, Chapter on the Punishment of One Who Commands Good but Does Not Do It, No: 7483.
The era in which the world was proud, now we have forgotten that time
We remembered to awaken others, but forgot to come to our senses ourselves
We looked at our face in the mirror, but did not see the stain in our chest
We lived as if life was easy, forgot to die as Muslims
