A wise father once instructed his son, “Share with me all that you hear, see, and do throughout the day in the evening.” The son dutifully reported his day’s activities that evening. However, on the following day, he hesitated and said, “Father, I can bear a mountain on my head, but I lack the courage to provide an account of all my daily actions, nor do I possess the strength to speak about them.” In response, his father assured him, “I won’t compel you, my child. I asked you to do this so you could realize that if you struggle to report one day’s deeds to me, how will you ever present the account of your entire life to Allah?”
Certainly, it holds true that providing a comprehensive account of every action taken would be an exceedingly challenging task. It is imperative for us that, when we contemplate or endeavor to undertake something, we should carefully consider the intentions and efforts. We should wait until it becomes clear through the light of knowledge that if this work is for the sake of Allah, then it should be done, or if it is for our own carnal desire, then it should be avoided.
Our Nafs, akin to an unharnessed camel, tends to wander astray if left unattended even for a moment. Satan, ever vigilant for such susceptible souls, seizes the opportunity to exploit this vulnerability. When an individual exercises control over their Nafs, Satan retreats, but if the person succumbs to their desires, they veer away from the path of righteousness and draw nearer to evilness. Often, people fail to recognize when they inadvertently stumble into the perilous depths of disbelief.
Hence, the founder of Dawat-e-Islami, Sheikh Ilyas Qadri, devised a straightforward approach to remain vigilant against the deceptions of the Nafs and Satan, which he named the “Pious Deed Booklet.” This booklet comprises a series of simple questions, each inquiring whether a particular virtuous act was carried out. Embracing these pious deeds entails a daily self-examination of the actions undertaken and an evaluation of whether one has succeeded in drawing nearer to Allah through their righteous deeds.
The final Prophet of Allah ﷺ said to Sayyiduna Abu Zar Giffari رضی اللہ تعالی عنہ, “Wherever you live, fear Allah and do good deed after sin, for it (good deed) erases it (sin).” (At-Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-Al-Bar-Wal-Sala, Chapter Ma-Jaya-Fi-Muashara-Tin Nas, p. 483, Hadith: 1987)
Multiple pious deeds booklets with question have been designed for different age and categories.
| Pious Deed | Brothers | Sisters | Male Students of Jamia tul Madinah | Female Students of Jamia tul Madina | Kids | Special Brothers | Prisoners | Performing Hajj or Umah |
| Daily | 50 | 47 | 67 | 60 | 29 | 17 | 41 | 19 |
| Weekly | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | – |
| Monthly | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | – |
| Annually | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | – |
| Life Time | – | – | – | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 72 | 63 | 92 | 83 | 40 | 27 | 52 | 19 |
The main objective behind the Pious Deed booklet is
- To obtain the pleasure of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Messenger ﷺ.
- To develop a passion for acting upon the sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
- To teach the basics of Islam.
- To remove from the mire of sins and make worshippers.
- To develop love of the final Prophet ﷺ and pious saints in the heart.
- To strengthen beliefs and protect faith.
- To improve morals and creating fear of Allah.
- To avoid vain deeds and vain words.
- To read Quran with punctuality.
The “Pious Deed Booklet” is readily accessible to anyone with a smartphone. You can easily find it by searching for “Neik Amaal” in your Android device’s Play Store or on your iOS device. Complete it daily, and you will personally witness and experience the positive impact it can make.