Promptness in Good Deeds

إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا يُؤَخِّرْهُ فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ رُبَّمَا صَلَّى الصَّلَاةَ أَوْ صَامَ الْيَوْمَ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ اعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ بَعْدَهَا فَقَدْ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَكَ‌[1].

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘When one of you intends to do a good deed, he should do it without delay; a servant (of Allah) perhaps performs a prayer or fasts for a day, thereupon, it is said to him, “Do whatever you like (other good deeds) after this act, Allah has already granted you forgiveness. (One may n

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ افْتَتِحُوا نَهَارَكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ وَ أَمْلُوا عَلَى حَفَظَتِكُمْ فِي أَوَّلِهِ خَيْراً وَ فِي آخِرِهِ خَيْراً يُغْفَرْ لَكُمْ مَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Begin your day with a good deed, dictate to your guards (angels on both shoulders) good in the beginning and in the end of the day, all that is in between is forgiven if Allah so wills.’”

كَانَ أَبِي يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا هَمَمْتَ بِخَيْرٍ فَبَادِرْ فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي مَا يَحْدُثُ.

“My father (a.s.) would say, ‘When you intend to perform a good deed, do not delay; you may not know what happens next.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ مَا يُعَجَّلُ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Of the good deeds that Allah loves is that which is done without delays.’”

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فَلَا تُؤَخِّرْهُ فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ يَصُومُ الْيَوْمَ الْحَارَّ يُرِيدُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَيُعْتِقُهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ لَا تَسْتَقِلَّ مَا يُتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَوْ شِقَّ تَمْرَةٍ[2].

“When you intend to perform anything good, then do not delay. A man may fast on a hot day and hope thereby to receive what is with Allah, and Allah then sets him free from fire. Do not underestimate the good deeds with which one may seek nearness to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, even if it is a piece of a da

مَنْ هَمَّ بِخَيْرٍ فَلْيُعَجِّلْهُ وَ لَا يُؤَخِّرْهُ فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ رُبَّمَا عَمِلَ الْعَمَلَ فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَ لَا أَكْتُبُ عَلَيْكَ شَيْئاً أَبَداً وَ مَنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَا يَعْمَلْهَا فَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا عَمِلَ الْعَبْدُ السَّيِّئَةَ فَيَرَاهُ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فَيَقُولُ لَا وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أَغْفِرُ لَكَ بَعْدَهَا أَبَداً.

“Whoever intends to perform a good deed should act fast and do not delay. Perhaps a servant (of Allah) performs a deed and Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, says, ‘I have granted you forgiveness and will never write down anything against you.’ Whoever intends to perform an evil deed he must not do it. Perhaps a m

إِذَا هَمَمْتَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فَلَا تُؤَخِّرْهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ رُبَّمَا اطَّلَعَ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَ هُوَ عَلَى شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الطَّاعَةِ فَيَقُولُ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أُعَذِّبُكَ بَعْدَهَا أَبَداً وَ إِذَا هَمَمْتَ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَا تَعْمَلْهَا فَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا اطَّلَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَ هُوَ عَلَى شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْمَعْصِيَةِ فَيَقُولُ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أَغْفِرُ لَك

“When you intend to perform a good deed, do not delay doing it; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, perhaps finds a servant (of Allah) during a good deed of obedience and He, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, may say, ‘I will never subject you to punishment hereafter.’ If you intend to do an evil deed, you must no

إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ أَوْ صِلَةٍ[1] فَإِنَّ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ شِمَالِهِ شَيْطَانَيْنِ فَلْيُبَادِرْ لَا يَكُفَّاهُ‌[2] عَنْ ذَلِكَ.

“When one of you intends to perform a good deed or establish good relations there will be two Satans, one on each side. He, thus, should perform it immediately before they prevent him from the good deed.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ هَمَّ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فَلْيُعَجِّلْهُ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ شَيْ‌ءٍ فِيهِ تَأْخِيرٌ فَإِنَّ لِلشَّيْطَانِ فِيهِ نَظْرَةً[3].

‘Whoever intends to perform a good deed he should do it without delay; Satan keeps an eye on anything that is delayed.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَقَّلَ الْخَيْرَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا- كَثِقْلِهِ فِي مَوَازِينِهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَفَّفَ الشَّرَّ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا كَخِفَّتِهِ فِي مَوَازِينِهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) say, ‘Allah has made good deeds heavy for the people of the world like its weight in their balance on the Day of Judgment. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has made evil of a light weight on the people of the world just as it will be of a light weight (no value) in their balance on th

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ فِي آخِرِ خُطْبَتِهِ‌ طُوبَى لِمَنْ طَابَ خُلُقُهُ وَ طَهُرَتْ سَجِيَّتُهُ وَ صَلَحَتْ سَرِيرَتُهُ وَ حَسُنَتْ عَلَانِيَتُهُ وَ أَنْفَقَ الْفَضْلَ مِنْ مَالِهِ وَ أَمْسَكَ الْفَضْلَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ وَ أَنْصَفَ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Hassan ibn Hamza from his grand father from abu Hamza al-Thumali from Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah at the end of his sermon would say, ‘Tuba (a tree in paradise) is for those