Reward for a Consistent Good Deed – An Islamic Perspective

By: Farhat

Here is an inspiring story with lessons grounded in Islamic values, emphasizing the importance of consistent good deeds, sincerity, and the consequences of our actions.

The Story of a Woman’s Generosity and Patience

There was once a pious woman who baked bread daily for her family and made an extra loaf for anyone in need. She would place the extra bread on her window sill so that a hungry passerby could take it. Every day, a hunchbacked man came to collect the bread. However, instead of thanking her, he would say, “The evil you do remains with you; the good you do comes back to you.”

Though she felt irritated by his repeated words, the woman continued this act of kindness. One day, anger overtook her, and she thought of getting rid of the man. She decided to poison the bread meant for him. But as she prepared to place the poisoned bread on the sill, her conscience pricked her. She realized the gravity of her action, repented, and destroyed the poisoned bread. Instead, she made a fresh loaf and placed it on the sill.

As usual, the hunchback came, took the bread, and repeated his words: “The evil you do remains with you; the good you do comes back to you.”

The Return of Her Son

The woman had a son who had traveled far to seek his fortune. She prayed every day for his safety and return. One evening, there was a knock at her door. To her amazement, it was her son, frail and hungry. He explained, “Mother, I would not have made it home if it weren’t for the kindness of a hunchbacked man. I collapsed from hunger, and he gave me his bread, saying, ‘This is what I eat every day; today, it is yours because you need it more.'”

The woman froze, realizing that the bread her son received was the very bread she had placed on the sill. She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if she had not destroyed the poisoned loaf. She understood the profound truth of the man’s words: “The evil you do remains with you; the good you do comes back to you.”

Islamic Lessons and Teachings

This story aligns beautifully with Islamic principles, which emphasize the importance of consistent good deeds, gratitude, and reliance on Allah.

Quranic Teachings

The Quran highlights the consequences of deeds and encourages believers to act righteously:

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Surah Az-Zalzalah 99:7-8)

Allah also reminds us of the power of patience and forgiveness:

“Good and evil are not equal. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.”
(Surah Fussilat 41:34)

Prophetic Guidance

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized the importance of doing good and being mindful of the consequences of one’s actions:

“Be mindful of Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good one to erase it, and behave with good character toward people.”
(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1987)

He also taught that helping those in need brings immense rewards:

“Whoever removes a worldly hardship from a believer, Allah will remove one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection from him. Whoever alleviates the burden of someone in difficulty, Allah will alleviate his burden in this world and the Hereafter.”
(Sahih Muslim 2699)

This story and the teachings of Islam remind us of the significance of consistent good deeds and the consequences of our actions. Even when faced with ingratitude or challenges, believers are encouraged to persist in righteousness and trust in Allah’s wisdom. As the Quran and Sunnah teach, every good deed will be rewarded, and every evil deed will return to its doer.

May Allah guide us to always choose good over evil and reward our sincere actions in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.