Al-Fawzan on Knowing If Your Deeds Have Been Accepted

Question:

Noble Shaykh,what are the signs that a deed has been accepted  [by Allāh]?And can a person sense this acceptance, can he sense that his action has been accepted?

Answer:

A person does not know if his deed has been accepted, [knowledge of this] is with Allāh [alone]. That is why the Salaf used to have the utmost fear that their actions might not be accepted.

Those who they give with their hearts full of fear [whether their works have been accepted or not], for they are surely returning to their Lord [for reckoning].

Meaning of Qur'ān  23:60

Thus, they would do great righteous deeds, [at the same time] fearing that they would not be accepted. But a Muslim must do good works, act in obedience [to Allāh] and have a good opinion about Allāh ‘azza wa jall (hoping in His reward). As for knowing that [deeds] have been accepted, none but Allāh knows this. Thus, some of the Companions have said, ”If I knew that Allāh had accepted a mustard seed’s [of my deeds],I would wish to die. ”Because if Allāh accepts from a person, it means he has succeeded.Allāh ta'ālā said:

Verily, Allah accepts only from the muttaqin (those who fear and obey Him).

Meaning of Qur'ān 5:27

Therefore, one of the causes of deeds being accepted is taqwā. You must practice taqwā of Allāh – ṣubḥānahu  wa ta'ālā – by doing what He has commanded, leaving what He has forbidden, hastening to obey Him and staying away from disobedience of Him. This is one of the causes for [your deeds] to be accepted.

Al-Fawzān, Ṣāliḥ b. Fawzān. Signs of the Acceptance of Deeds’ (Arabic). Official Website of His Eminence Shaykh Dr. Ṣāliḥ b. Fawzān Al-Fawzān. Web. 14 July. 2015. Available at: http://www.alfawzan.af.org.sa/node/8377.

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Source: https://owaisalhashimi.info/al-fawzan-on-knowing-if-your-deeds-have-been-accepted|Translated by:  Ustaadh Owais Al-Hashimi (حفظه الله)

Note: Posted with kind permission