Five Qualities That Complete A Deed

Hazrat Abu Abdullah Nibaajee Alaihir Rahma said:

خَمْسُ خِصَالٍ بِهَا تَمَامُ الْعَمَلِ : الإِيمَانُ بِمَعْرِفَةِ اللهِ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ الْحَقِّ، وَإِخْلَاصُ الْعَمَلِ لِلَّهِ، وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى السُّنَّةِ، وَأَكُلُ الْحَلَالِ فَإِنْ فُقِدَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ لَمْ يُرْفَعِ الْعَمَلُ: وَذَلِكَ أَنَّكَ إِذَا عَرَفْتَ اللهَ وَلَمْ تَعْرِفِ الْحَقَّ لَّمْ تَنْتَفِعُ، وَإِذَا عَرَفْتَ الْحَقِّ وَلَمْ تَعْرِفِ اللَّهَ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعُ، وَإِنْ عَرَفتَ اللهَ وَعَرَفْتَ الْحَقَّ وَلَمْ تُخْلِصِ الْعَمَلَ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعُ، وَإِنْ عَرَفْتَ اللهَ وَعَرَفْتَ الْحَقَّ وَأَخْلَصْتَ الْعَمَلَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى السُّنَّةِ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعُ، وَإِنْ تَمَّتِ الْأَرْبَعُ وَلَمْ يَكُنِ الْأَكْلُ مِنْ حَلَالٍ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعُ

Translation: There are five essential qualities by which an action attains completeness:

(1) Faith accompanied by the recognition of Allah Almighty,

(2) recognition of the truth,

(3) sincerity in one's actions solely for the sake of Allah Almighty,

(4) adherence to the Sunnah, and

(5) consumption of lawful (Halaal) sustenance.

If any one of these is absent, the deed is not accepted. This is because if you recognize Allah Almighty but do not recognize the truth, it will not benefit you. If you recognize the truth but not Allah Almighty, that too will not benefit you. If you know both Allah Almighty and the truth, but your action lacks sincerity, it will still not benefit you. If you have sincerity along with the recognition of Allah Almighty and the truth, but your action is not in accordance with the Sunnah, it will not be accepted. And even if all four are present, yet your sustenance is not Halaal, your deeds will still not be accepted."

(Al-Ikhlaas Wan-Niyyah)