Knowledge & Devotion · Virtues of Good Deeds

Priorities and Rewards in Islamic Ethics

Explore ethical priorities and rewards for deeds in Islam.

9 questions · Hard · about 4 minutes

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9 questions, about 4 minutes.

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1. What should a Muslim businessman prioritize above his trade?

  • Remembering Allah, praying, and giving what is due from his wealth. (correct answer)
  • Maximizing profit by any means.
  • Crushing competitors before they can compete.
  • Hiding all religious duties during business hours.

Why

A Muslim businessman should not let trade distract him from remembering Allah, praying, or giving what is due from his wealth. The Qur’an praises believers whose commerce and sales do not distract them from Allah’s remembrance, prayer, and zakah. Seeking permissible earnings is good, but business must remain within the limits of obedience, honesty, and religious duty.

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2. What should a Muslim prioritize when speaking?

  • Speaking truthfully, honestly, and on the basis of knowledge. (correct answer)
  • Speaking from speculation as long as it sounds convincing.
  • Sharing every opinion without checking it.
  • Talking often even when there is no benefit.

Why

A Muslim should strive to speak the truth, be honest, and make his words useful. He should avoid excessive speech that brings no benefit and should not speak based on speculation or about matters he does not know. This is especially important in matters of religion, halal and haram, and Islamic rulings. If a person is only guessing or uncertain, he should make that clear rather than presenting it as knowledge.

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3. What is one major wisdom behind calamities in Islamic teachings?

  • They help a person attain true submission and servitude to Allah. (correct answer)
  • They prove that Allah wants hardship with no wisdom.
  • They guarantee worldly power and wealth.
  • They remove the need for repentance and self-reflection.

Why

Calamities contain many wisdoms. One of the greatest is that they help a person realize his weakness and need for Allah, turn to Him sincerely, and attain true servitude to the Lord of the worlds. Trials may also expiate sins, raise status, reveal people’s true nature, strengthen resolve, remind a person of blessings, and push him to repent and long for Paradise.

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4. What makes a deed a good deed in Islam?

  • It is in accordance with Shari‘ah and done sincerely for Allah. (correct answer)
  • It is praised by people, even if it opposes revelation.
  • It follows custom regardless of intention.
  • It brings worldly benefit without regard to Allah’s commands.

Why

Good deeds are those that agree with Shari‘ah and are done sincerely for Allah. They include outward and inward words and actions that Allah loves and is pleased with. Examples include belief in Allah, prayer on time, acceptable Hajj, honouring parents, reading Qur’an, fulfilling trusts, truthfulness, spending for Allah’s sake, feeding the hungry, helping the needy, and keeping one’s harm away from people.

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5. What character should a Muslim businessman show in transactions?

  • Sincerity, honesty, fear of Allah, and avoiding deception. (correct answer)
  • Lying if it increases sales.
  • Spying on competitors to harm them.
  • Hiding defects to protect profit.

Why

A Muslim businessman should be sincere, honest, and fearful of Allah in his dealings. The Prophet ﷺ taught that when both parties in a transaction are honest and disclose defects, their transaction is blessed, but if they lie and conceal defects, the blessing is erased. Business dealings must not be based on deception, cheating, harming competitors, artificially inflating prices, or misleading customers.

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6. Why might some later Muslims receive greater reward for similar deeds than some of the Sahaabah?

  • Because they may face greater temptation and lack supporters who help them. (correct answer)
  • Because later generations are superior to the Sahaabah.
  • Because accompanying the Prophet ﷺ has no special virtue.
  • Because the Sahaabah did not struggle for Islam.

Why

Some later Muslims may receive greater reward for certain similar deeds because they face many temptations and may have few or no supporters helping them. But this does not mean they are superior to the Sahaabah. The Sahaabah have the unmatched virtue of seeing, accompanying, supporting, believing in, and striving with the Prophet ﷺ when Islam was weak and its enemies were many. No later person can attain the special virtue of that companionship.

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7. Can one payment be counted both as a person’s zakah and as voluntary charity on behalf of someone else?

  • No, zakah must be given with the intention of fulfilling one’s own zakah obligation. (correct answer)
  • Yes, every zakah payment may automatically be shared with the deceased.
  • Yes, but only if the deceased was a parent.
  • No, because voluntary charity on behalf of another person is always forbidden.

Why

Zakah is an individual obligation that must be fulfilled with the intention of giving zakah to those entitled to receive it. It cannot be combined with the intention of voluntary charity on behalf of one’s father or someone else. Voluntary charity, however, is different: a person may give voluntary charity on behalf of another person, or share its reward, but that should be separate from his zakah obligation.

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8. What is the ruling on giving voluntary charity on behalf of another person?

  • It is permissible. (correct answer)
  • It is forbidden in all cases.
  • It is only allowed if the person is alive.
  • It only counts if the charity is a large amount.

Why

It is permissible to give voluntary charity on behalf of another person, whether it is ongoing charity or a one-time payment. Ongoing charity includes things such as a waqf, building a mosque, donating Mushafs or beneficial books, or digging a well. Giving food or cash is not ongoing charity in itself, but it is still a valid one-time charity. The reward of charity on behalf of the deceased reaches and benefits him, by Allah’s permission.

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9. What is the general ruling on voluntary charity?

  • It is recommended at all times. (correct answer)
  • It is disliked unless given to a specific group.
  • It is obligatory after every sin.
  • It is only allowed during Ramadan.

Why

Voluntary charity is a confirmed Sunnah and is recommended at all times. If a person commits a sin, he must repent to Allah immediately, and if the sin involved another person’s right, he must restore that right or seek pardon. Giving charity after a sin is also recommended because good deeds wipe out bad deeds and charity extinguishes sin, but charity does not replace repentance.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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