“So never be among those who doubt.” That is, do not let the slightest doubt or uncertainty about it arise within you. Rather, reflect upon it and contemplate it until you thereby attain certainty, for reflecting upon it will inevitably dispel doubt and lead to certainty.
⦗73⦘
(148) “Each has a direction toward which he turns, so race with one another in good deeds. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Indeed, Allah is Most Capable of everything.”
That is, every religious community has a direction toward which it turns in worship. What truly matters is not facing the qiblah, for this is among the laws that vary with times and circumstances and are subject to abrogation and transfer from one direction to another. What matters above all is obeying Allah, drawing near to Him, and seeking nearness to Him. This is the hallmark of felicity and the charter of divine friendship. If souls do not possess this quality, they suffer loss in this world and the Hereafter; but when they do possess it, they are the true winners. This is a matter upon which all revealed laws agree. It is the purpose for which Allah created His servants and what He commanded them to pursue.
The command to race toward good deeds goes beyond merely commanding that they be performed. Racing toward them entails performing them, perfecting them, carrying them out in the best possible manner, and hastening to undertake them. Whoever is foremost in good deeds in this world will be foremost in reaching the Gardens in the Hereafter. Thus, the foremost are the highest of creation in rank. Good deeds include every obligatory and voluntary act, such as prayer, fasting, zakat payments (1), Hajj, Umrah, jihad, deeds whose benefit extends to others, and those whose benefit is confined to the doer.
Since the most powerful incentive that urges souls to hasten toward goodness and fills them with zeal is the reward Allah has promised for it, He said: “Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Indeed, Allah is Most Capable of everything.” By His power, He will gather you for the Day of Resurrection and recompense everyone for his deeds: “so that He may repay those who did evil for what they did and reward those who did good with the finest reward.”
This noble verse is also evidence that deeds should be performed with every excellence they can possess. This includes performing prayer at the beginning of its prescribed time; promptly discharging one’s obligations concerning fasting, Hajj, and Umrah; paying zakat; and observing the recommended practices and proper manners of worship. What a remarkably comprehensive and beneficial verse it is!”