Islam and ethics

One of the sisters here said:

I always talk about death to my children and tell them to get as many rewards as possible because you never know when you will go.

However true this may be it is important to note that good deeds that are acted out must also be sincere. There is a thing called "necessary good." Necessary good also falls under sincere good as well. When we do good things not only is it for the pleasure of Allah it is also necessary to do those good deeds because they can also be "contagious" because the "receivee" who received the good deed(s) might mimic those deeds to another. We as Muslims must be careful with how we go abouty doing good deeds. The "collection of deeds" is not a game as Allah will judge us on our sincerity. How can we be judged accordingly if we only do things for the sole pleasure of Allah and not along be sincere about them? I implore my brethren to not only keep God in mind when they do good deeds but please be sincere about those good deeds.

Israfil wrote: However true this may be it is important to note that good deeds that are acted out must also be sincere.

I don't know. I thought good deeds acted purely out of fear of Allah are as sincere as good deeds can be. Though, pretending to be charitable, when the intent is only to further one's own selfish interest, I consider to be insincere in doing "good deeds".

Assalamu alaikum,

It is vitally important that we instil in our children a deep love for Allah.  Teaching them to do good deeds is necessary, but, teaching them to do them because they love Allah so much and want to please Him is better.

We can quote Qur'an and ahadith endlessly to our kids.  We can tell them they must behave in such a manner because they are Muslims or because we (as parents) say so.  But, unless they have that love for Allah in their hearts, they will always question why they must behave in such and such a manner.  When that love is there, they will behave in such and such a way because they want to, to please Allah.

Making kids behave because society says it must be this way, or because parents say it must be this way, or even because Allah says it must be this way, is not enough.  The love for Allah must be there in order for them to want to behave in a manner pleasing to Him.

It always breaks my heart to see people who were born Muslims but don't follow Islam.  I think this is because their parents failed to instil a love for Allah in the hearts of their children.  Anyone who grows up loving Allah will want to please Him and, therefore, would strive always to be a good Muslim.

I may have just repeated what everyone who posted here already said, sorry.

Peace, ummziba.

MOCKBA point well taken. I guess my stance was the purely analytical one when I hear people say, "Do good deeds to gain the reward of Allah." Which of course is indeed a commandement as aMuslim this is true in every respect. But, what I meant here is that there is good deeds for God and there are necessary good deeds. Sister Nausheen correctly mentions there is no seperation. But let us take into consideration that isn't possible for one to only do something for the sole pleasure of rewards and not out of necessity? For example not only is it pleasurable in the sight of God, but its necessary to help someone up when they fall. The necessity in that is, if the person fell would if they broke a leg or hip? Do we do things because it pleases God and we "know" we'll get rewarded or we do it because it is necessary and it please Allah?

The essence of Allah's command is to do good as goodness is the oreservative of life and shun evil as it is the opposite. We must take into consideration the necessity of doing good and it sustains or world.