“Whoever is slowed by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage.”
[Muslim]
All of mankind originated from the same source. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, tells us:
“O mankind, fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and from them spread forth many men and women”
(Surah al-Nisaa:1)
We all share this common lineage from the soul of Adam, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Although we may appear different on the surface, we are from the same source, with the same constitution, and have been created for the same purpose, the worship of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.
The only thing that distinguishes us is taqwa, or fear of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, which is manifested in our deeds. Allah says:
“O mankind, We have created you from a male and female and We have made you into nations and tribes, so that you may recognise one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is he who has the most taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
(Surah al-Hujuraat:13)
On the Day of Judgement, we will each stand before Allah alone. All the relations of this world will be forgotten and there will be no-one to help us. Allah says:
“Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask [about one another].”
(Surah al-Muminoon:101)
The only thing that will matter to us will be the good deeds that we performed in this world, for the sake of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. Allah tells us:
“For all there will be ranks according to what they did. And you Lord is not unaware of what they do”
(Surah al-Anaam:132)
If we have not put forth any good deeds for this day – deeds that were done for the sake of Allah alone and in accordance with the sunnah of His Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam – what rank do we think we will find ourselves in? How do we think our scales will look? Being from a high ranking family from a particular race or region will be of no assistance to us whatsoever. Actions that we did for the sake of the people and what they thought of us, will have no value.
The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, has detailed in this hadith some of the actions that we can perform, with the right intention, that will be of benefit to us on that Day. When should help our brothers and sisters when they are in need, assisting them in distressful situations. We should forgive debt when someone is in dire circumstances, and conceal our brothers and sisters’ sins. Further, we should strive to seek knowledge, and gather to recite and study the glorious Qur’an. These are just some of the important acts that we can perform, after the obligatory and recommended ones. These acts must be performed for the sake of Allah alone, whether we are from the noblest or lowest of families, so that Allah may be pleased with us, and enter us into His Paradise.