Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may the praises and peace of Allah be upon him, said: “Certainly, among people are the keys to goodness and the locks of evil, and certainly among people are the keys to evil and the locks of goodness. Thus, Touba1 to the one whom Allah has placed the keys to goodness in his hands, and woe to the one whom Allah has placed the keys to evil in his hands.”2
One who wishes to be counted among the keys to goodness and the locks of evil must:
Show sincerity towards Allah in his words and actions, for it is the foundation of all good and the source of all virtue.
Invoke and implore Allah persistently to achieve this, for supplication is the key to all good, and Allah does not reject a servant who invokes Him, nor does He disappoint a believer who implores Him.
Be diligent in seeking and acquiring knowledge, for knowledge calls to virtues and nobilities, while preserving from vices and grave sins.
Dedicate oneself to the worship of Allah, especially the obligations, and especially the prayer, for it keeps one away from obscenity and reprehensible acts.
Cultivate noble eminent characters, while avoiding infamous and blameworthy characters.
Associate with the best and sit with the pious, for their gatherings are surrounded by angels and enveloped in mercy, while being wary of those of the wicked and depraved upon whom descend the devils.
Advise the servants when one associates and interacts with them, encouraging them to do good and turning them away from evil.
Remember the day of return when one will stand before the Lord of the universes. He will then reward the benefactor for his beneficence, and the malefactor for his malefaction: “Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” [Surah 99, v.7-8]
All of this rests upon the sincere desire of the servant to do good and be beneficial to others. When this desire is present, the intention is firm, the determination is assured, and he seeks Allah’s help for it while undertaking things as they should be, then, by Allah’s will, he will count among the keys to goodness and the locks of evil.
And it is Allah who takes charge of granting success to His servants. He opens to whomever He wills in truth, He is the best of Fatihin3.
Source: Official website of Cheikh ‘Abd Al Razzaq Al Badr, may Allah preserve him.
[NDT] This term has been interpreted in various ways by scholars. Some have affirmed that it refers to paradise, while others have advanced that it designates a tree in paradise whose shade extends a distance traveled in a hundred years, and from which the inhabitants of paradise draw their clothes, as explicit hadiths report. Another interpretation suggests that the root of this term evokes what is good, thus announcing a good life in this world and in the hereafter. This last explanation is the most exhaustive, as highlighted by Sheikh Mohammed Al ‘Othaymine, may Allah have mercy on him. ↩︎
Reported by Ibn Majah (237), Al Albani rendered it good in his authentication of Ibn Majah’s Sunan (194). ↩︎
[NDT] Al Fatah is one of the sublime names of Allah which encompasses several meanings. He is the one who judges between His servants with equity in this life and the hereafter, who grants assistance to the believers: “In Allah (Alone) we put our trust. Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the best of those who judge” [Surah 7:39]. He is also the one who opens the doors of sustenance and mercies: “Whatever mercy (i.e., good) Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” [Surah 35, v.2]. ↩︎