بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
Most people seem to think that it’s easier to do evil than to do good. For example:
Actually, the reality is the exact opposite: it’s actually harder to be bad!
Proof? It’s in the last ayah (verse) of Surah Al-Baqarah:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖوَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula (Patron, Supporter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2) : 286]
Allah says:
لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ
which has been translated as:
He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned.
Yet, the translation is not accurate. The word used for the good one has earned is كَسَبَتْ (kasabat) and the word used for the evil one has earned is اكْتَسَبَتْ (iktasabat). They both have a common root (kasaba) but the latter has more letters in it. And in the Arabic language, more letters (in the root word) implies an increase in meaning. So, “iktasabat” implies working harder so doing evil deeds is harder than doing good deeds.
Also, good deeds come more naturally and the reward for them is easier to attain.
Imam As-Saadi (rahimahullah) states in his explanation of this verse:
“Then, the Exalted informs that every person will get reward for that (good) which he has earned, and will be punished for that (evil) which he has earned. Therefore, no soul shall carry the burden of another. And the good deeds of a person will not be accounted for by someone other than him.
And in the used of the word “kasaba” (which means gaining/aquisition) in the context of doing good deeds, shows that the person achieves the reward of the good deed by doing just a little of it, rather even by just having the intention in the heart.
And in the context of the word “iktasaba” regarding the evil deeds, show that evil deeds are not written down for a person until he actually enters into these deeds and does them.”
The following hadeeth supports what Imam As-Saadi stated:
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ قَالَ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ فَمَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، فَإِنْ هُوَ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَمَنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، فَإِنْ هُوَ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً
Narrated Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhuma): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) narrating about his Lord (glorified and exalted be He) and said, “Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him); and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times: and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allah will write one bad deed (in his account) .” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadeeth No. 498]
Therefore, being good isn’t hard, rather it is being bad that’s hard. So, let’s strive to do good deeds because they are so much easier to do – and so much better for us both in this world and the Hereafter.