What is CQIS and Why You Should Know it
By: Samet Faruque
Tags: Motivation, Quality, Quran, Muslim, Islam

“And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.” (Al Qur’an, 2:198) Continuity, Quality, Intention and Shariah compliant (CQIS) — 4 Elements to boost your deed to a super deed.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to the One who has perfected all things.

وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ ۚ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

And you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allah , who perfected all things. (Surah Naml, 27:88)

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ

Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay. (Surah Sajdah, 32:7)

Blessed is He, and blessed is His name.

فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ * فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ * تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْك * تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامُِ

So blessed is Allah , the best of creators. (Surah Al Mu’minoon, 23:14) So blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds. (Surah Ghafir, 40:64) Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion. (Surah Mulk, 67:1) Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor. (Surah Rahman, 55:78)

The lawful is what He allowed, and the forbidden is what He forbade. The good is known and the evil is rejected. The obligatorily is what He obligated, and as for His silence, it has been out of mercy and not forgetfulness.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَرَضَ فَرَائِضَ فَلَا تُضَيِّعُوهَا وَحَدَّ حُدُودًا فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا وَحَرَّمَ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَا تَنْتَهِكُوهَا وَسَكَتَ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ رَحْمَةً لَكُمْ غَيْرَ نِسْيَانٍ فَلَا تَبْحَثُوا عَنْهَا

Verily, Allah has made duties obligatory, so do not neglect them.

He has set limits, so do not transgress them.

He has made some things sacred/forbidden, so do no violate them.

He has remained silent upon some things as mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search them out. (Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, reported by Abu Tha’laba, Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī 4396, Sahih according to Ibn al-Qayyim. Other gradations may also have been given to this hadith see Mishkat:197 and Hadith 30 of 40 Hadiths of Nawwawi)

The lawful is clear, and the forbidden is clear, and in between there are dubious matters. So protect yourself from these dubious matters and you will definitely be safe.

CQIS — Four ingredients to Success

There are four ingredients to a deed becoming better and greater. They are continuity, quality, intention, and shariah compliant. A deed may be rejected if the last three are missing.

Continuity

As for continuity, the Prophet ﷺ said, as narrated by Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:

أَحَبُّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَلَّ

The most beloved of actions to Allah are those which are done persistently, even if they are little. (Muslim 783b)

The most beloved acts to Allah are the most continuous, ongoing and abiding ones, even if the act is little in nature.

Imam Nawwawi reflects, saying:

It is encouraged to be moderate in doing acts of worship and to avoid taking on too much. (Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim (6/70–71), Islamqa 111750)

The Prophet ﷺ said, as narrated by ‘Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ خُذُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا، وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَا دَامَ وَإِنْ قَلَّ

O people! Take of the deeds what you are capable of, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) till you get tired, and indeed the most beloved of deeds to Allah are what are continuous, even though they were few. (Bukhari, 5861)

Quality

Dear reader, you should focus on making your deeds be of high quality,with presence of mind, sincerity, emotions of the heart and awareness of Allah the Majestic. Allah says:

ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً * وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا

Call upon your Lord in humility and secretly… and call upon Him in fear and longing. (Surah Al A’raf, 7:55–56)

And Allah says:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

The believers have already succeeded. The ones who in their prayer are submissive. (Surah Al Mu’minoon, 23:1–2)

And the Exalted says:

وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ

And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech — in the morning and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless. (Surah Al A’raf, 7:205)

These verses describe the internal state of a person engaged in dua, prayer and zikr. They teach us how to have good quality of worship.

Have the realization of Allah’s vision upon you, as you do a deed. Allah says:

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Does he not know that Allah sees? (Surah Al Alaq, 96:14)

And the Prophet ﷺ said, when asked about ihsan (excellence):

أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, then He surely sees you. (Muslim, 8, narrated by Umar Ibn Khattb)

So try to have good quality in your action, for actions on that day will be weighed. Some will have a greater weight and some less. And among them the one wretched and the one

فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ

So (some) of them are wretched, and (some) happy. (Al Qur’an, Surah Hud, 11:105)

Intention

Make your intention good and pure, have sincerity, and do not do so for fame, praise and show off, but for Allah and His good pleasure.

The Prophet said as narrated by Umar Ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him:

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى

Actions are but by intentions and each man will have but what he intended. (Bukhari, 1)

Shariah Compliant

The last of the matter is to do worship as according to the Shariah, as legislated by Allah and shown to us by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, without innovation, excess and laxity. Allah says:

فَإِذَا أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ

Then when you are safe, Remember Allah like what He has taught you, what not you were knowing of. (Surah Al Baqarah, 2:239)

So blessed may the one be, who continues and persists, whose deeds are of excellent quality, who is sincere to Allah with pure intentions, and who insists to do deeds as per the Qur’an and sunnah.

تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَامٌ ۚ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَرِيمًا