Our righteous predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی would also set a daily target for virtuous deeds and strive to act upon it. Moreover, they would still remain engaged in performing worship even after completing their target.

Sayyiduna ‘Aamir Bin Abd-e-Qays رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was the most superior among the devout worshippers of his era. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه had made it compulsory upon himself to offer one thousand Nawafil every day. Therefore, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would remain engaged in offering Nawafil from the time of Ishraq to the time of ‘Asr (for most part of the day). When he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would return home, his shins and feet would be swollen. It seemed as if they would burst out right away. Despite performing so much worship, the state of his humbleness was such that he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would say addressing his Nafs: ‘O Nafs that inclines towards sins! You have been created to worship. By Allah! I will perform so many virtuous deeds that you will not receive peace even for a moment and you will stay away from sleep. I will constantly keep you engaged in activity.’ (‘Uyun-ul-Hikayaat, vol. 1, pp. 154)

Read the Seerah of righteous predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی

In order to develop the greed for virtuous deeds, lead your life following the Seerah of the righteous predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی. Due to this, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ your passion to perform virtuous deeds will increase and you will gain courage to endure the hardships that you face while doing so.

These righteous individuals don’t remain occupied in pondering over bettering their worldly life like ordinary people, rather, they remain restless in bettering their afterlife every moment. Due to this very reason, every moment of theirs is spent in virtuous deeds. Let’s listen to the parables of the greed for virtuous deeds these righteous individuals had.

Reciting Quran during last breaths

Sayyiduna Junaid Baghdadi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was reciting the Holy Quran during the last moments of his life. Somebody asked him: ‘Reciting Quran even at this time?’ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه replied: ‘My book of deeds is coming to an end. I am quickly increasing (good deeds) in it.’ (Sayd-ul-Khatr Li-Ibn Jauzi, pp. 227)