the entrance of the cave would open due to this, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ then blessed them by accepting their du'as and granted them freedom from the cave.^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers, in light of this of this blessed Hadith and its explanation, it is clear that only good deeds which were performed for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will benefit one in this world and in the Hereafter. Worship along with ostentation is not only useless, but it also results in calamity. The Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “Whoever decorates himself by exhibiting such deeds to people whose reality is something else in the knowledge of Allah, he will be distanced by Allah from His court.”^[2]

Another blessed Hadith informs about a person who performs good deeds just to show off and not for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. The final Prophet  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم explained:

“On the Day of Judgement, it will be said to the show-off: ‘Go and seek your reward from those you would perform (good) deeds for.’”^[3]

We should also perform whatever good deed we can before making du'a. It was the practice of many pious saintsرَحِمَہُمُ اللہُ الْمُبِین   to offer two units of voluntary salah before making du'a.

Salvation from a cruel ruler

When the nephew of Safwan bin Muhriz was imprisoned by Ibn Ziyad, the cruel ruler of that time, he was very worried and requested the