Path to Piety
Deeds that increase one’s rank
(2nd and final part)
Nawaz Attari
Allah Almighty has said in the Quran:
وَ لِكُلٍّ دَرَجٰتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوْاؕ-
‘And for everyone there are different degrees of their (good or bad) deeds.’ [1]
Irrespective of whether someone is pious or sinful, there are various degrees of good and bad actions, and reward and punishment will be given based on these. People admitted to Paradise will have a rank based on their good deeds. Likewise, those admitted to Hell will be punished in different ways based on the nature of their sins.[2]
اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه some of the deeds that increase one’s rank in Paradise were mentioned in the previous issue. Below are seven more narrations of the final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mentioning deeds that increase one’s rank in Paradise.
An increase in rank for every prostration
1. ‘It is necessary for you to prostrate to Allah in abundance, because whenever you prostrate to Allah, in return, He will increase your rank by one and forgive one of your sins.’[3]
2. ‘Whoever prostrates to Allah once, Allah writes one good deed for him in return, erases one of his sins and elevates his rank by one. Therefore, prostrate frequently.’[4]
An increase in rank by one million
3. ‘Whoever enters the marketplace and says لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَہٗ لَاشَرِیْکَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْکُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ یُحْیِیْ وَیُمِیْتُ وَھُوَ حَیٌّ لَّا یَمُوْتُ بِیَدِہِ الْخَیْرِ وَاِلَیْهِ الْمَصِیْرُ وَھُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرٌ, Allah will write a million good deeds for him, forgive a million of his sins and elevate him in rank by a million.’[5]
Forgiving someone increases one’s rank
4. ‘Whoever desires for a palace to be built for him [in Paradise] and for his rank to be increased should forgive the one who wrongs him, give to the one who deprives him and mend ties with the ones who break them.’[6]
5. ‘Whoever suffers an injury [inflicted upon him by another] and forgives the one who caused it, Allah will raise his status by one and forgive one of his sins.’[7]
An increase in rank by 10
6. ‘The one who says ‘لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَہٗ لَاشَرِیْکَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْکُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَھُوَ عَلیٰ کُلِّ شَیئٍ قَدِیْرٌ’ in the morning will receive the reward of freeing a slave from the family of Ismail. He will receive 10 good deeds and have 10 sins forgiven. His rank will be raised by 10, and he will be protected from the devil until the evening. And if he recites these words in the evening, he will be granted similar until the morning.’[8]
7. ‘Whoever circumambulates the Ka’bah seven times whilst saying: ‘سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَلَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ اَکْبَرْ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِالله’ will have 10 of his sins erased, 10 good deeds written for him, and will be increased in rank by 10.’[9]
May Allah Almighty give us the ability to perform these actions and raise our ranks in Paradise.
اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم
[1] [Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 8, Surah al-Anaam, verse 132)
[2] Siraat-ul-Jinaan, vol. 3, p. 213
[3] Muslim, p. 199, Hadith 488
[4] Ibn Majah, vol. 2, p. 182, Hadith 1,424
[5] al-Tirmizi, vol. 5, p. 270, Hadith 3,439
[6] al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 12, Hadith 3,215
[7] al-Tirmizi, vol. 3, p. 97, Hadith 1,398; Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 3, p. 775
[8] Abu Dawood, vol. 4, p. 414, Hadith 5,077
[9] Ibn-e-Majah, vol. 3, p. 439, Hadith 2,957
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