Seven Hundred Times And More

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Allah records good and bad deeds in this way: If anyone intends to do a good deed, but does not do it, Allah still records it with Him as one full good deed. If he intends a good deed and then carries it out, Allah records it with Him as ten to seven hundred times in reward or even increases it many times more. If anyone intends to do a bad deed but does not actually do it, Allah records it with Him as one full good deed. If he intends to do a bad deed and does it, Allah records it with Him as only one bad deed.”

[Bukhari]

So easily does Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) reward us, that even intending to do a good deed earns us the full reward of having done it. This is great encouragement to think along constructive lines. Actually performing the intended good deed, gets us the reward of having done many good deeds. Intending a bad deed will not be punished, while abstaining from actually doing it, earns us the reward of a full good deed. 

It is thus to be wondered how anyone can doubt the love that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has for His creatures! The root of mercy is love. This method of taking account of our deeds shows Allah’s extreme love for us. Suppose your son or daughter gave you $7 for safekeeping every week. Every time your child would ask you for their money back, you would return them $700 instead of $7. Provided you could afford to do this, could there be any reason for your doing this, other than your extreme love for your child? This is a little like Allah’s love for us, although His love is much deeper and vaster than what we are capable of imagining.

One of Allah's names is Shakoor, the One who appreciates. Nobody can appreciate the way Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) can, for even if the good deed or intention is like a grain in the middle of a rock, He will know of it. It is said that when you do good by a person, the average person will repay you by ten bad deeds. But when you do something for Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), no matter how small it is, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will know it and repay you by multiplying it into at least ten good deeds. That is why, only the person who does good for Allah's pleasure, can remain committed in doing good: While those who seek acknowledgement from people for their deeds, can not stay committed (have istiqamat) in doing good, because people cannot appreciate and repay the way that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) appreciates and repays.