Is It Sinful to Ask Allah or Do Good Deeds Just for Worldly Reasons?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

If someone asks Allah Most High or does a good deed for something purely worldly with no intention of the Hereafter, is this person sinful and is all his deeds worthless, and is he a disbeliever according to the following verse:

“Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment, We shall pay them in full for their deeds therein, and they will not be wronged therein. (But) they are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter, but the Fire: and worthless is what they have done in it, and vain shall be what they were doing.” [Quran, 11:15]

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Allah Most High said, “Whoever desires (only) this worldly life and its luxuries, We will pay them in full for their deeds in this life—nothing will be left out.” [Quran, 11;15]

Whoever Wants the Worldly Life, Then He Will Have No Share of the Hereafter

‘Awfi reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said concerning this verse, “Verily those who show off, will be given their reward for their good deeds in this life. This will be so that they are not wronged, even the amount equivalent to the size of the speck on a date stone.”

Ibn ‘Abbas continued saying, “Therefore, whoever does a good deed seeking to acquire worldly gain – like fasting, prayer, or standing for prayer at night – and he does so in order to acquire worldly benefit, then Allah says, ‘Give him the reward of that which he sought in the worldly life,’ and his deed that he did is wasted because he was only seeking the life of this world. In the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.”

A similar narration has been reported from Mujahid, Dahhak, and many others. Anas bin Malik and Hasan both said, “This verse was revealed concerning the Jews and the Christians.” Mujahid and others said, “This verse was revealed concerning the people who perform deeds to be seen.” Qatada said, “Whoever’s concern, intention, and goal is this worldly life, then Allah will reward him for his good deeds in this life. Then, when he reaches the next life, he will not have any good deeds that will be rewarded. However, concerning the believer, he will be rewarded for his good deeds in this life and in the Hereafter as well.” Allah Most High says,

“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer – then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. On each – these as well as those – We bestow from the bounties of your Lord. And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden. See how We prefer one above another, and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in intricacy.” [Quran, 17:18-21]

Allah Most High and Exalted, says,

“Whosoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world, We give him thereof, and he has no portion in the Hereafter.” [Quran, 42:20] [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir ibn Kathir]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction, in sha’ Allah.

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• Purification of the Heart for Youth: Diseases of the Heart and Their Cure. [Video]
• The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained. [Video]
• Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.