Is It Permissible to Do Good Deeds Intending to Please God and His Prophet?
Question: As Salaamu Alaykum, Is it permissible to say I will read Quran in order to please Allah and His beloved Prophet?. Or should one say I will read the Quran only to please Allah? Is it also permissible to raise your hands when asking for help from the Prophet?
Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
It is certainly permissible to intend pleasing the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) with one’s good deeds.
Allah Most High says, “They swear to you by Allah in order to please you. However, Allah and His Messenger are more deserving that you please Him if they truly believe” [Qur’an; 09:62].
In actuality what pleases the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) pleases Allah Most High and vice versa.
As Allah Most High says, “Whosoever obeys the Messenger has certainly obeyed Allah…” [Qur’an; 04:80].
Thus there is no contradiction in seeking the pleasure of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
Good Deeds Please the Prophet
From the Prophetic teachings, we see that good deeds are pleasing to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) told us, “My life is good for you and my death is good for you. Your actions are presented to me. Whatever therein is good I praise Allah for it and whatever is bad I seek Allah’s forgiveness for you” [al-Bazzar, Hadith Sahih as a grade by al-Suyuti in al-Khasais al-Kubra].
Asking help from the Prophet
Asking help from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) is an action passed down from the time of the Sahaba and those who followed them (may Allah be pleased with them all).
However when asking from the Prophet, one must understand that all benefit is only from Allah Most High. Asking of the Prophet is only a means and in reality, it is Allah who we are asking from by way of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
It would be incorrect to believe that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) in and of himself is giving benefit separate from the decree and will of Allah Most High.
With that being said, the supplication, in reality, is a supplication to Allah Most High. And from the etiquette of supplicating is to raise the hands. However, this should not be publicized as it may confuse those who don’t realize these nuances.
Hope this helps
Allahu A’alam
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.
