# Do Good Deeds Extend My Life? | Why Me? **Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman **Series:** Why Me **Published:** 2024-04-02 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/ojt8FtaSVr4 **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/do-good-deeds-extend-my-life-why-me **Topics:** Afterlife, Faith ## Description Your choices shape your legacy and your destiny. A life dedicated to Allah and full of barakah may be enriched and prolonged. On the other hand, the scholars say that sin destroys the blessings of your years and your wealth on Earth. The choice between a fruitful, blessed life and a sinful one is... ## Transcript **[0:01]** You were meant to be tested in this world. And you were meant to bear witness to the tests of others. It's not just your hardships that you endure and work through, **[0:16]** but to help others with whatever capabilities you have. And this charity has a direct impact on your qadr. So if each test seems greater than the last, and your heart is heavy with grief, **[0:33]** rest assured that it is only to give you a greater blessing ahead. **[0:56]** Everyone has heard of Khadijah (رضي الله عنها). But she wasn't the only wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) to die in his lifetime. There's this other woman who has only a page or two in most history books. If even that. **[1:11]** Her name is Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (رضي الله عنها). And she was the widow of Abdullah ibn Jahsh (رضي الله عنه), who was martyred in Uhud. And she was known for only one thing. Her sadaqah. She used to love the poor. **[1:26]** And the Prophet (ﷺ) loved that about her. And so he marries her (رضي الله عنها) in Ramadan, four years after hijrah. And then just after a few months of being married to the Prophet (ﷺ), she passes away, being the only other wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) **[1:44]** to die in his lifetime. And the first one to be buried in the Baqi'. I want you to think about this. What if it was her charity that extended her life just long enough to be granted eternity as the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) in Jannah? **[1:59]** Was it her exemplary patience at the death of her first husband? Or her exemplary charity that continued after? You see, your legacy is the culmination of all of your life's effort. Every hardship you endured, every obstacle you overcame, **[2:14]** every mountain you climbed, and every time you rose to the occasion, you were leaving your mark in this world that will last for generations. It may have been a warm smile or an embrace that you gave to a child as he came to the masjid for the very first time, that became a formative memory and kick-started his love for the masjid. **[2:32]** It may be a word of truth that penetrated the heart of a friend going through a really tough time, that he then carried on with him through his life and spread to others. It may be you pulling over your car to help someone in need, which ended up inspiring them to look into Islam and become Muslim. **[2:49]** And all these moments are shaping your legacy. But not just that, they may also be shaping your destiny. Just as you have helped ease the life of others, prolonged their lives and spent your wealth on them, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will increase your lifespan and provision **[3:07]** so that your legacy will only be stronger. Just as you were charitable with others, Allah is charitable with you. And so your lifespan and your legacy are stretched to encompass more so that your reward in the next life is even more. **[3:24]** As the Prophet (ﷺ) said, nothing extends a person's life like good deeds. But how do we reconcile this with the verse, fa-idha ja'a ajaluhum la yasta'khiruna sa'atan wa la yastaqdimun **[3:39]** that if their time comes, their hour will not be moved ahead or behind not a single moment than that which was decreed for their death. The scholars said there are two types of ajal, two types of lifespans. There is ajalun mutlaq and there is ajalun muqayyad. **[3:57]** There is the ajal, the lifespan that is only known to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and is unlimited. And then there is the ajal that is limited and known to the angels. You see Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) commands the angel to write down for his servant a certain lifespan with your date of death already there. **[4:14]** Remember you were born with the date of your death and your life's bank account already documented. Then Allah's bounty descends and He commands the angel to increase him in his lifespan and wealth. So the angel erases that date and puts something new. And then this keeps on happening until Allah informs the angel of death **[4:32]** to now go and take the soul of that person. So the angel is not just working off of some register, but off of Allah's rizq which is unfolding before their eyes as well. Good deeds and du'as can literally work wonders, but we don't see the change here in our decree. **[4:48]** Just like we don't see the reward yet in the hereafter for our deeds. There were two brothers in the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). One who would stay and study with him while the other had to work to provide for him. And the one that felt like he was missing out opens up to the Prophet (ﷺ) **[5:04]** about feeling like he has to carry the load while his brother gets to enjoy the companionship of the Prophet (ﷺ). So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) says to him, la'allaka turzaqu bihi It might be that Allah only provides for you because you provide for him. **[5:20]** Your parent asks you to do something and you say, I'm too busy. But the du'a of a parent literally opens up, not just the gates of Jannah for you, but years of good ajal. Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) says that my mother, **[5:36]** Umm Sulaym brought me to the Prophet (ﷺ) to serve him. And she asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to make du'a for me. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, Allahumma akthir malahu wa waladahu wa atil 'umarahu wa ghfir dhanbahu **[5:51]** Oh Allah make his wealth and children abundant, increase his years on earth and forgive his sins. Now this wasn't a materialistic du'a because the Prophet (ﷺ) knows what he's making du'a for and who he's making du'a for. The more life, the more wealth and the more children that Anas is going to have, **[6:10]** the more ways he's going to dedicate that to preserving the prophetic legacy. So Anas (رضي الله عنه) goes on to live for over a hundred years, being the last major companion to die. And he had over a hundred grandchildren in his own lifetime. And his wealth was so abundant that they said it was like everything he touched **[6:28]** would turn to gold. And he became one of the most generous companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). But he also narrated over 2000 ahadith from the Prophet (ﷺ) and spread them throughout the world. And so many details of the daily life of the Prophet (ﷺ), **[6:45]** from his habits to the foods that he used to eat to his conduct at home, come to us through Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه). He had a longer life due to a du'a and he had barakah in every single year that he lived. And in a hundred years, he accomplished over a thousand years with barakah. **[7:03]** You see some lives shrink and others grow and in more ways than one. Of the punishment of sin, annaha tamhaq barakat al-'umar wa barakat al-rizq. That as the scholars say, it destroys any blessing you have in your years on earth **[7:18]** or in your wealth on earth. Sometimes in life, everything seems great. You used to enjoy certain things, but it's no longer pleasurable for you. The barakah seems gone from your life, even though you're still here and seemingly still have plenty. The only thing that keeps life worth living **[7:36]** is the remembrance of Allah. ma 'indakum yanfad wa ma 'indallahi baq What is with you will expire, but what is with Allah will always remain. wallahu khayrun wa abqa Allah is always greater and more everlasting. **[7:51]** wal-akhiratu khayrun wa abqa And working for the hereafter is always better and more enduring. And so just like some lives shrink, others are increased in so many ways. Adam (عليه السلام) gave 40 years of his life to Dawud. **[8:06]** Imagine how many people Dawud fed, how many more people he gave da'wah to because he lived to be a hundred instead of 60. Other people with the barakah of a few years worked wonders on earth. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz was only 38 when he took an earth full of injustice **[8:23]** and filled it with justice. And he dies just two years later. Mu'adh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) was in his 30s when he died, but he's the leader of the scholars on the Day of Judgment. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh also was only in his 30s, but the throne of Allah shook at his death. **[8:39]** And so you may ask how come this righteous person who was so generous died at 40? Was their life not increased? It may be that they were actually initially a miscarriage or maybe they were going to develop a rare disease in childhood, or maybe they were saved from a car accident at 18 **[8:56]** and their lives reached what you knew. And even if they would have died at any of those tender ages, it wouldn't have been because they weren't good enough to live. It would have been because Allah knew that death was better for them at that age. And perhaps those touched by their death in their youth **[9:13]** would change their lives for the better and continue to find their peace in the puzzle, all while being a sadaqah jariyah and an extension for the deceased. You see, some people die young and they don't live any more years on earth to do good. But they also aren't here to sin anymore **[9:30]** while others continue to do good on their behalf. Allah has a plan for all of us. And it could be that you were given an extra day on this earth to be part of a beautiful life for someone else and hopefully a beautiful afterlife for you all. **[9:58]** Many a life is long in years, but meager in fruits. And many a life is short in years, but rich in fruit. The fruits of your spiritual labor aren't only found in Jannah. The righteousness you persevered with **[10:14]** could birth gifts for you in this life as well. A calamity averted, or time added to do more good, or answered du'as as a result of your patience and prayer and acceptance of His decree. Beautiful memories can be made here with beautiful deeds. **[10:29]** But the crowns of the hereafter and celebrations in paradise is what we really need. Your deeds may extend your time here, but that time is decreed for you by time Himself, Allah. **[10:44]** And it may be that you've started to realize that you may not have much longer. ## Other Episodes in "Why Me" - [Did My Life Really Matter? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/did-my-life-really-matter-why-me.md) - [When Life Comes Full Circle | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/when-life-comes-full-circle-why-me.md) - [What Will The Day of My Death Be Like? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/what-do-i-feel-when-im-dying-why-me.md) - [Will Allah Still Forgive Me? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/will-allah-still-forgive-me-why-me.md) - [How Can I Accept That I'm Dying? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/how-can-i-accept-that-im-dying-why-me.md) - [What If It's Too Late? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/what-if-its-too-late-why-me.md) - [Why Is There So Much Suffering in The World? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-is-there-so-much-suffering-in-the-world-why-me.md) - [Can I Escape The Outcome of My Sins? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/can-i-escape-the-outcome-of-my-sins-why-me.md) - [Is Allah Testing or Punishing Me? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/is-allah-testing-or-punishing-me-why-me.md) - [Why Is Everything Falling Apart? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-is-everything-falling-apart-why-me.md) - [Why Did They Have to Die? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-did-they-have-to-die-why-me.md) - [How Do I Find Love in Loneliness? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/how-do-i-find-love-in-loneliness-why-me.md) - [I Didn't Mean to Hurt You | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/i-didnt-mean-to-hurt-you-why-me.md) - [Why Do They Get the Life I Want? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-do-they-get-the-life-i-want-why-me.md) - [What If I Could’ve Changed Things? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/what-if-i-couldve-changed-things-why-me.md) - [Why Were Hurtful People Put in My Life? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-were-hurtful-people-put-in-my-life-why-me.md) - [Will I Ever Find True Love? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/will-i-ever-find-true-love-why-me.md) - [Why Make Istikhara? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-make-istikhara-why-me.md) - [Why Won't Allah Answer Me? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-wont-god-help-me-why-me.md) - [Did I Choose To Be Muslim? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/did-i-choose-to-be-muslim-why-me.md) - [Why Do I Have to Carry Their Burden? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-do-i-have-to-carry-their-burden-why-me.md) - [Why Am I Rich or Poor? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-am-i-rich-or-poor-why-me.md) - [Why Do I Look Like This? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-do-i-look-like-this-why-me.md) - [Why Do I Have These (Dis)Abilities? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-do-i-have-these-disabilities-why-me.md) - [What Shaped My Personality? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/what-shaped-my-personality-why-me.md) - [Why Is This My Family? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-is-this-my-family-why-me.md) - [What Happened On My Birth Day? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/what-happened-on-my-birth-day-why-me.md) - [Why Did Allah Choose This Time for Me? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/why-did-allah-choose-this-time-for-me-why-me.md) - [Where Was I Before I Was Born? | Why Me?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/where-was-i-before-i-was-born-why-me.md) - [Trailer: Why Me? | A Ramadan Series on Understanding Qadar](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/why-me/trailer-why-me-a-ramadan-series-on-understanding-qadar.md)