Acceptance of deeds..

[Karimeldib]

18-110 (whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner). This verse states the two main requirements for the acceptance of our deeds; Sincerity and following the Prophet’s guidance (Sunnah).
In the hadeeth al Qudsi Allah says: “I am the Self-Sufficient. I am in no need of having an associate. Thus, who who does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have their action renounced by Me in favor of him whom he associated with Me”.
In other words if you do a deed and you want something out of it other than Allah’s pleasure and reward, then you will get only that thing and no reward. This is like when we give charity or help someone, it should be only for Allah’s sake not so that this person or other people think or say that we are good, or kind, or generous.
The Prophet peace be upon him said “All deeds are according to intentions.” Our intentions are like magic, they can turn all our daily deeds, like sleeping, eating, and working in thawab, or they can make it null as mentioned before. All we have to do is to remember to make this deed only for Allah. Like when you sleep, sleep with the intention of regaining our energy so you can worship Allah better and you will get reward for this, but if you sleep just because you fell like it then you will get nothing.
The second requirement for our deeds to be accepted is that this deed follows the guidance of the Prophet peace be upon him. Allah says: 59-7 (So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah; for Allah is strict in Punishment), and 4-80 (He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah; but if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds)), the Prophet peace be upon him said “Whoever does an act for which there is no command of ours then it will be rejected.” This evidence proves that our deeds will not be accepted unless they conform to what they Prophet peace be upon him has taught us. Following the Sunnah does not only allow our deeds to be accepted but it is also a sign of our love for Allah, a way to make Allah love us, and a reason for Allah to forgive our sins. Allah says: 3-31 (Say: "If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."). This verse is a true test for your love for Allah, how much you follow the teachings of the Prophet peace be upon him is how much you love Allah. Allah says in the hadeeth al Qudsi: “…My servant continues to draw closer with optional acts until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me I will defiantly give him, and if he seeks refuge with Me I will definitely give him refuge.” The more Sunnah you do the closer you are to Allah’s love. Don’t leave any sunnah, no matter how small you feel it is, it might be this Sunnah that will bestow Allah’s love upon you.
May Allah accept our deeds, and make us from the ones He loves.

[Raul-7]

Ameen. This issue is very important; it could also lead to Hell (will ayazoo bi'Allah) as narrated in this Hadith Qudsi-

"The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire."

May Allah make all our intentions purely for His pleasure.