Sharing isn't always caring

[Ali Hammuda]

Imam Malik said, إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا ذَهَبَ يَمدَحُ نَفْسَه، ذَهَبَ بَهَاؤُهُ

“When a person praises himself, his radiance will be taken away from him."

It is a major calamity and a heart-breaking tragedy when a person finds no better way in inviting people to righteousness except through the sharing of his good deeds and accomplishments with others..

"We prayed ..", "I studied ..", "We invited ..", "I taught ..", "We gave .."

The "Maw’itha"/ Islamic reminder is found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH. Recite upon people the Ayaat of the Qur'an and quote the actions of those who came before you. How could an individual voluntarily open up the doors of Shaytan upon himself as if immune to his whisperings and safe from his entrances?

One may argue that he "wishes to inspire people"

Is inspiration only to be found in your biography and experiences? If the person you advise isn't inspired by the book of Allah, then your good deeds will not inspire him.

If people ask you about your deeds, respond by telling them of the deeds of the companions. If they ask about your accomplishments, shift the lights away from yourself at once. If the questioner insists that "I want your story", tell him to feel embarrassed before Allah for having asked such a weak individual about his deeds whilst we possess such an unparalleled heritage of scholars, worshippers, saints and reformers.

Those who came before us would vehemently hide their good deeds from people. Should such deeds be discovered however, their eyes would haemorrhage with tears, fearing insincerity! How then could you and I actively promote our acts of goodness and then feel safe from insincerity and Fitnah?

For this reason, dearest reader, you will find that many of these ‘accomplishments’ have been entirely stripped from every form of 'Baraka'/blessing, bearing very little fruits.

“We’ve produced 20/100/1000 memorisers of Qur’an!!” one may proclaim. But a cursory glance at the Qur'an-less lives which such memorisers are leading afterwards makes it apparent that it wasn't an accomplishment at all.

It was a mirage.

Keep well away from discussing your good deeds, regardless of what your motive is and realise that in every Islamic achievement of yours, there is someone before you who did better and is far worthier of being focused on.

May Allah SWT accept our good deeds.

[M.I.A.]

I lol'd surely the Quran memorisers that hide there knowledge are well in keeping with the nature of the thread..

I on the other hand was almost a pharmacist, 9 years later my knowledge is ever increasing in gaps.. Failure takes its toll.

Although that was a knowing choice I made, with the intention of drawing closer to Allah swt..

And saving my family from wherever my choices may have lead them.

Although after nine years I think i would have been off being a pharmacist, the world never changes.

..and God is still elusive

..it's not a money thing, I have just seen the carelessness of man..

Although I have no idea if keeping the ill subjugated fills my plate.

Or helping them does.