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'Amal al-Salih

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Al-ʿAmal al-Ṣāliḥ (Arabic: العمل الصالح, lit. 'righteous deed') is a term in religious texts, introduced alongside faith in God as a condition for human happiness. The Qur'an describes believers who perform righteous deeds as the best of God's creation. According to Qur'anic verses, on the Day of Judgment, the people of Hell will wish to return to the world to perform righteous deeds. In the Qur'an, the result of righteous deeds accompanied by faith is Hayat Tayyiba (a good life). The Qur'an views all humans, except believers who perform righteous deeds, as being in loss.

Al-Amal al-Salih (righteous deed) encompasses any worthy individual or social action. Some examples of righteous deeds include obedience to God, charity (infaq), performing obligatory acts and avoiding forbidden acts, acquiring knowledge, worship, and any action that contributes to the progress of society. Qur'anic scholars say that faith and righteous deeds have a reciprocal effect on each other, and the existence of each contributes to the perfection of the other; neither faith nor righteous deeds alone lead to human salvation. They believe that whoever possesses a greater and higher degree of faith and righteous deeds will attain a higher level of salvation.

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Whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him act righteously.

— Qur'an 18:110

In the Qur'an, alongside faith, righteous deeds are stated as a condition for human salvation and happiness.[1] The recommendation for righteous deeds and the reward of Paradise for them appear in many verses of the Qur'an.[2][3] Al-Amal al-Salih appears 87 times in various forms in the Qur'an.[4] The phrase "those who believe and do righteous deeds" (الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَات) is frequently seen in the Qur'an.[5] According to the Qur'an, any individual who performs righteous deeds while being a believer will enter Paradise.[6]

Exegetes have emphasized that what matters in religion and leads to happiness and human dignity is faith and righteous deeds.[7] It is said that true friendship with God is that which reflects righteous deeds; otherwise, faith without righteous deeds is self-deception.[8]

Meaning and Examples of Righteous Deeds

Amal Salih is considered a general concept meaning good and virtuous work,[9] encompassing any worthy individual, social, devotional, or political act.[10] Obedience to God,[11] Jihad,[12] following the Prophet (s),[13] performing obligatory acts and avoiding forbidden ones,[14] performing acts of worship, charity, acquiring knowledge, and any worthy deed that contributes to the progress of human society in all fields[15] are among the examples of righteous deeds.

Connection Between Faith and Righteous Deeds

Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female, should he be faithful, We shall revive him with a good life.

— Qur'an 16:97

According to Ja'far Subhani, in most cases where the Qur'an speaks of righteous deeds, it also mentions faith in God.[16] In his view, faith and righteous deeds have a reciprocal effect on each other, and the existence of each contributes to the perfection of the other.[17] Toshihiko Izutsu, a Japanese Qur'anic scholar, stated that this interdependence is such that faith can be defined by righteous deeds and righteous deeds by faith.[18] Exegetes, based on Qur'anic verses, have concluded that only righteous deeds accompanied by faith are accepted.[19] They also say that righteous deeds are the fruit of the tree of faith[20] and are born from it.[21]

Result of Righteous Deeds

Based on the Qur'an, the fruit of righteous deeds is seen in both this world and the hereafter,[22] and whoever possesses a greater and higher degree of faith and righteous deeds will attain a higher level of salvation.[23] In Qur'an 98:7, believers who perform righteous deeds are described as the best of God's creation.[24] In Qur'an 35:10, pure speech (correct belief) and righteous deeds are recognized as causes for spiritual proximity.[25] In some verses of the Qur'an,[26] it is stated that the people of Hell on the Day of Judgment will wish to return to the world to perform righteous deeds.[27] High ranks in Paradise are promised to believers who have performed righteous deeds.[28] The Qur'an sees all humans except believers who perform righteous deeds as being in loss.[29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 4, p. 142, vol. 16, p. 141; Muntaẓerī, Islām dīn-i fiṭrat, 1385 Sh, p. 298; Muṭahharī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār, 1389 Sh, vol. 22, p. 96.
  2. ↑ Including verses 10 and 37 of Sura Fatir, verse 97 of Sura al-Nahl, verses 88 and 110 of Sura al-Kahf, verse 9 of Sura al-Taghabun, verse 3 of Sura al-'Asr, verse 55 of Sura al-Nur, verse 120 of Sura al-Tawba, verse 62 of Sura al-Baqara, verse 15 of Sura al-Jathiya, verse 67 of Sura al-Qasas, verses 14, 23, and 56 of Sura al-Hajj, verse 12 of Sura Muhammad, verse 82 of Sura al-Baqara, verse 75 of Sura Taha.
  3. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, pp. 338, 345; Muḥsinī, Anwār-i hidāyat, 1394 Sh, vol. 1, p. 348.
  4. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 338.
  5. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Akhlāq-i Islāmī dar Nahj al-balāgha, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 520.
  6. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 2, p. 170.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, p. 282; Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 1, p. 129.
  8. ↑ Mudarrisī, Tafsīr-i hidāyat, 1377 Sh, vol. 1, p. 514.
  9. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 339; Khūshdil Mufrad, "Barrasī-yi ḥawza-yi maʿnāyī-yi ʿamal-i ṣāliḥ dar Qurʾān", p. 17.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 20, p. 357; Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qurʾān, 1386 Sh, vol. 6, p. 154; Kāshānī, Manhaj al-ṣādiqīn, vol. 10, p. 314.
  11. ↑ Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 6, p. 468.
  12. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 9, p. 403.
  13. ↑ Kāshānī, Manhaj al-ṣādiqīn, vol. 5, p. 375.
  14. ↑ Khūshdil Mufrad, "Barrasī-yi ḥawza-yi maʿnāyī-yi ʿamal-i ṣāliḥ dar Qurʾān", p. 17.
  15. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 27, p. 299.
  16. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, pp. 340-341.
  17. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 338.
  18. ↑ Izutsu, Mafāhīm-i akhlāqī-dīnī dar Qurʾān-i majīd, 1394 Sh, p. 415.
  19. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 4, p. 577; Arzānī, "Hamrāhī-yi atharbakhsh-i īmān wa ʿamal-i ṣāliḥ", p. 122.
  20. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qurʾān, 1386 Sh, vol. 6, p. 153; Makārim Shīrāzī, Akhlāq-i Islāmī dar Nahj al-balāgha, 1385 Sh, vol. 1, p. 520.
  21. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 346.
  22. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 344.
  23. ↑ Miṣbāḥ Yazdī, Rastgārān, p. 144.
  24. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 27, p. 208; Arzānī, "Hamrāhī-yi atharbakhsh-i īmān wa ʿamal-i ṣāliḥ", p. 134.
  25. ↑ Subḥānī, Manshūr-i jāvīd, vol. 14, p. 348; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 18, p. 194.
  26. ↑ Verse 100 of Sura al-Mu'minun, verse 12 of Sura al-Sajda, verse 37 of Sura Fatir.
  27. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1408 AH, vol. 14, p. 51; Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 7, p. 308; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 18, p. 275.
  28. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1390 AH, vol. 14, p. 183.
  29. ↑ Arzānī, "Hamrāhī-yi atharbakhsh-i īmān wa ʿamal-i ṣāliḥ", p. 121.

References

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