Small Deeds Big Rewards
In Ramadan 2017 I had a 5 week old baby, initially unable to pray or fast,
I was desperate for a way to do something, anything, to earn extra rewards
during the blessed month. And He 'azza wa jal guided me back to the many
small deeds I could do. Easy deeds for a sleep-deprived mama of 3; deeds
that, if I did mindfully, helped me feel more connected to my Rabb.
While others have written articles on these deeds (may Allah reward them!),
I wanted to have them in a format that was easy to access
and so I compiled them into this eBook. Reading through the hadith for each
deed has been incredibly motivating and I pray it's of benefit to you as well.
Please note this is not a comprehensive list nor is it in any particular order.
If you're in need of such a du'a book, I highly recommend the one
from AlHuda Sisters called 'Precious Remembrance'.
It's available as a free PDF download at alhudasisters.com
There's also a free app called 'Precious Dhikr'.
All praise is due to Allah who enabled me to complete this project.
Absolutely any good in it is from Him Alone and any mistakes are my own.
Please keep me and my family in your du'as.
Bismillah
Sara
Before you dive in, a few tips:
1. Start with du'a.
Ask Allah to help you to remember Him, to do these good deeds
for His Sake alone.
2. Intention is everything.
As an example, if you're counting dhikr, it's quite possible
(probable, if you have kids) to lose count. As frustrating as that
can be, it's important to remember that Allah is the Most Merciful and
He will reward you for your intention inshaAllah.
3. Pay attention to and make use of
your 'pockets of time'.
'Pockets of time is a term I was introduced to by Farhia Yahya (Fajr Literary).
It refers to those moments in your day, as little as 5 - 10 minutes that you can
make use of; time you might otherwise spend doing something
less productive. Examples of this could be
while nursing the baby, loading the dishwasher, waiting at a traffic light,
driving the kids somewhere or commuting to work.
You get the idea ;)
4. Aim for consistency.
Go slow, pick a few deeds per day. Really focus on them.
Take a screenshot and set it as your phone's lock screen/wallpaper or
print it out and stick it on the fridge.
Remember "the most beloved deed to Allah is the most
regular and constant even if it were little."
Please note: The Arabic, transliteration and translation of each deed have been
taken from the 'Fortress of the Muslim'. All hadith were taken from sunnah.com
Dhikr Allah
Remembrance of Allah
Narrated: Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas (RA):
[Muslim]
SubhaanAllaah
100 times
Glory is to Allah
WHAT IT MEANS
"We were with the Messenger of Allah ( (صلى الله عليه وسلم
when he asked,
"Is anyone of you unable to earn
a thousand good deeds?"
One of those present asked:
"How can one earn thousand good deeds
in a day?" He ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied, "By saying:
SubhaanAllaah a hundred times,
then one thousand good deeds
will be recorded for him or one thousand sins
will be blotted out from his record."
SAY
THE REWARD
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Bukhari]
Subhaanallaahi wa Bihamdihi
100 times a day
Glorified is Allah
and praised is He.
WHAT IT MEANS
Allah's Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"Whoever says,
'Subhaanallaahi wa Bihamdihi,'
one hundred times a day,
will be forgiven all his sins
even if they were as much as
the foam of the sea"
SAY
THE REWARD
Narrated Abu Musa (RA):
[Bukhari & Muslim]
Laa hawla wa laa quwwata
'illaa billaah
There is no power and no might
except by Allah.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to me,
"Shall I not guide you to a treasure from
the treasures of Jannah?"
I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!"
Thereupon he ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "(Recite)
'Laa hawla wa la quwwata 'illa billaah'"
SAY
THE REWARD
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Muslim]
Subhaanallaahi, walhamdu lillaahi,
wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu, wallaahu 'Akbar
Glory is to Allah,
and praise is to Allah,
and there is none worthy of worship but Allah,
and Allah is the Most Great.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"The uttering of the words:
"SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah,
La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar,
is dearer to me than
anything over which the sun rises."
SAY
THE REWARD
Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdihi
Subhaanal-laahil 'Adheem
Glorified is Allah and praised is He,
Glorified is Allah the Most Great.
WHAT IT MEANS
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Bukhari & Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"There are two statements that are
light for the tongue to remember,
heavy in the Scales
and are dear to the Merciful:
'Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdihi
Subhaanal-laahil 'Adheem'.
.
SAY
THE REWARD
Narrated Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (RA):
[Muslim]
Subhanallaahi wa bihamdihi, 'Adada khalqihi,
wa ridhaa nafsihi, wa zinata`arshihi,
wa midaada kalimaatihi
Glory is to Allah and praise is to Him,
by the multitude of His creation,
by His Pleasure,
by the weight of His Throne,
and by the extent of His Words
WHAT IT MEANS
The Reward
The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) came out from my apartment
in the morning as I was busy in performing
the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon
and found me sitting there.
The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"Are you still in the same position as I left you."
I replied in the affirmative.
Thereupon the Prophet said,
"I recited four words three times after I had left you.
If these are to be weighed against
all you have recited since morning,
these will be heavier. These are (see above)..."
SAY
3 times
"
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Bukhari & Muslim]
Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu,
lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu
wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer
None has the right to be worshipped
but Allah alone, Who has no partner.
His is the dominion and His is the praise,
and He is Able to do all things.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"He who utters a hundred times in a day
these words: (see above) he will have a reward
equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves,
a hundred good deeds will be recorded to his credit,
hundred of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll,
and he will be safeguarded against the devil
on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in
doing more excellent good deeds except someone who
has recited these words more often than him..."
SAY
THE REWARD
Istighfar Seeking Forgiveness
Narrated Shaddah bin Aus (RA):
[Bukhari]
Allaahumma 'Anta Rabbee laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta,
khalaqtanee wa 'anaa 'abduka,
wa 'anaa 'alaa 'ahdika wa wa'dika mas-tata'tu,
'a'oothu bika min sharri maa sana'tu, 'aboo'u laka bini'matika 'alayya,
wa 'aboo'u bithanbee faghfir lee
fa'innahu laa yaghfiruth-thunooba 'illaa 'Anta
O Allah, You are my Lord,
there is none worthy of worship but You.
You created me and I am Your slave. I keep Your covenant,
and my pledge to You so far as I am able.
I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done.
I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeeds.
Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"The best supplication for seeking forgiveness
(Syed-ul- Istighfar) is to say: (see above)
He who supplicates
in these terms during the day with firm belief in it
and dies on the same day (before the evening),
he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah;
and if anyone supplicates in these terms
during the night with firm belief in it
and dies before the morning,
he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah."
SAY
THE REWARD
'Astaghfirullaaha
wa 'atoobu 'ilayhi
I seek Allah's Pardon and
turn to Him in repentance
WHAT IT MEANS
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Bukhari]
I heard
the Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying,
"I swear by Allah that
I seek Allah's Pardon and
turn to Him in repentance
more than seventy times a day."
HADITH
SAY
After
Wudhu & Salah (Ablution) (Prayer)
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA):
[Muslim]
WHAT IT MEANS
THE REWARD
'Ash-hadu 'an laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu
wahdahu laa shareeka lahu
wa 'ash-hadu 'anna Muhammadan
'abduhu wa Rasooluhu
SAY
I bear witness that none
has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone,
Who has no partner; and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"Whoever of you performs Wudu' carefully
and then affirms: 'Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu
Wahdahu la sharika Lahu,
wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan
'abduhu wa Rasuluhu
the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him.
He may enter through whichever of these
gates he desires (to enter)."
Narrated Humran:
[Bukhari]
"Allah's Messenger ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said
'If anyone performs ablution
like that of mine
and offers a two-rak'at prayer
during which he does not
think of anything else
(not related to the present prayer)
then his past sins will be forgiven.' "
Pray 2 Rak'ats (units) of prayer
after taking
Wudhu
DO
THE REWARD
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
[Muslim]
Subhaanallaahi, walhamdu lillaahi, wallaahu 'Akbar,
Glory is to Allah, and praise is to Allah,
and Allah is the Most Great,
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone,
He has no partner, His is the dominion and His is the praise
and He is Able to do all things.
.
WHAT IT MEANS
SAY
Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu,
lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu
wa Huwa'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer
(33 times each)
THE REWARD
(1 time)
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"He who recites after every prayer:
Subhan-Allah thirty-three times;
Al-hamdu lillah thirty-three times;
Allahu Akbar thirty-three times;
and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu,
wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku
wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shai'in Qadir
will have all his sins pardoned
even if they may be as large as
the foam on the surface of the sea."
Reciting
the Qur'an
Ibn Mas'ud (RA):
[Tirmidhi]
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
"Whoever recites a letter from
the Book of Allah,
he will be credited with a good deed,
and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward.
I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter,
but Alif is a letter,
Lam is a letter
and Mim is a letter."
Absolutely any part
of the Qur'an
RECITE
THE REWARD
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (RA):
[Bukhari]
reported about Surat Al-Ikhlas
"The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,
“By Him in Whose Hand my soul is,
it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’an.”
According to another version,
he ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to his Companions,
“Is anyone of you incapable of
reciting one-third of the Qur’an
in one night?”
They considered it burdensome and said:
“O Messenger of Allah,
which of us can afford to do that?”
He ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Surat Al-Ikhlas
is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’an.”
Surah Ikhlas
(Chapter 112
of the Qur'an)
RECITE
THE REWARD
'Alhamdu lillaahil-lathee 'at'amanee
haathaa, wa razaqaneehi,
min ghayri hawlin minnee wa laa quwwatin
Praise is to Allah,
Who has given me this food
and sustained me with it
though I was unable to do it and powerless
WHAT IT MEANS
Sahl bin Mu`adh bin Anas narrated from his father that:
[Tirmidhi]
The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Whoever eats food and then says:
(see above)
his past sins shall be forgiven.”
T
