What if the most decisive thing you leave behind is not wealth, reputation, or achievement—but a moral legacy that Allah chooses to remember when your children need Him most? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us to recite Sūrat al-Kahf regularly every Friday, and within it Allah Preserved lessons that reward careful reflection.
We learn from Prophet Mūsá’s عليه السلام actions revealed in the Surah that, despite being a prophet, he strived in seeking knowledge and travelling for that purpose. It signifies that no one should ever cease their pursuit of knowledge, even if they believe they have attained its pinnacle. Learning is not easy. Many of the Salaf would say, “Knowledge cannot be attained through physical comfort.” But learning starts with a question, and anyone who has questions must understand that hardship will follow, but will ultimately lead to ease and comfort.
The Wall, the Orphans, and the Power of a Righteous Father
Among its most instructive narratives is the journey of Prophet Mūsā عليه السلام with al-Khiḍr عليه السلام, a journey that exposes how divine wisdom often unfolds in ways that are not immediately apparent. We are given a masterclass to understanding the Qadr of Allah. One such incident occurs when they pass through a town whose people treat them with hostility, refusing them even basic hospitality. Despite this, al-Khiḍr repairs a wall that is about to collapse—an act that appears undeserved when viewed only through human standards. The wisdom of this action becomes clear when Allah Reveals that beneath the wall lay a buried treasure belonging to two orphan boys, and that its protection was intended until they reached maturity.
Allah Says,
وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا
“And their father was righteous.” [Sūrat al-Kahf, 18:82]
The Qur’ān does not describe the boys as righteous, nor does it attribute any deed to them. Instead, Allah Places the reason for their protection firmly in the past, the righteousness of their father. The safeguarding of the weak is shown to be directly tied to the unseen moral legacy of a righteous servant.
Do we know who the righteous father was? No.
Do we know who the son was? No.
Do we know what the buried treasure was? No. Scholars have differed and debated on it for years. Scholars like Imam Qatādah رحمه الله said, “Underneath it there was some wealth that was buried for them.” According to Imam ʿIkrimah رحمه الله, it was gold. On the other hand, Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما said, “This (treasure) was neither gold nor silver, rather it was scrolls of knowledge.” Imam Ibn Kathīr said, “What appears most likely is that it was a golden tablet on which knowledge was written.”
What we do know with certainty is that because of the righteous deeds of a forefather, Allah decreed that Prophets of Allah from different lands would unite, work with their own hands like masons, labour under the sun, and rebuild a wall to safeguard the well-being of that forefather’s descendants. These were no ordinary men. Among them was Mūsā عليه السلام, one of the Ulū al-ʿAzm min al-Rusul. The term Ulū al-ʿAzm literally refers to those of firm resolve and immense steadfastness. In the Qur’ānic sense, it denotes the five Prophets granted the highest rank due to the magnitude of their trials and the weight of their missions. They are: our own beloved Muḥammad ﷺ, Nūḥ عليه السلام, Ibrāhīm عليه السلام, Mūsā عليه السلام, and ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام. That Allah would involve such towering figures in an act whose sole purpose was the protection of a future generation is itself a profound statement: righteousness is never insignificant in the sight of Allah, and its consequences may mobilize the greatest forces for the sake of the weakest.
Righteousness as an Investment with Generational Returns
One of the most striking manifestations of Allah’s Mercy and Bounty is that He does not confine the reward of righteousness to the individual alone. Rather, from His vast Grace, He allows a single act of obedience to outlive its doer, to be stored, multiplied, and later unfold as protection, guidance, and stability for others, sometimes long after the doer has returned to Allah. A believer is rewarded fully for his good deeds. Yet from Allah’s Generosity, those same deeds may continue to yield benefit in ways the servant never witnessed in his lifetime. Just as an investment continues to generate returns long after the initial capital is deployed, righteous deeds, by Allah’s permission, may continue to produce moral, spiritual, and even material outcomes across time. This is not transactional in a crude sense, but a manifestation of divine faḍl: the servant acts once, and Allah gives repeatedly.
Imam Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله commented, “This indicates that the righteousness of parents benefits their children in this world and the Hereafter, and that Allah preserves them because of their parents’ righteousness.
Saʿīd ibn Jubayr رحمه الله reported from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما, 'They were taken care of because of the righteousness of their father, even though it is not mentioned that they themselves were righteous.'" [Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr]
Imam al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله similarly commented, “In this verse is proof that Allah Most High preserves the righteous in himself and in his offspring, even if they are far removed from him… and it has been reported that Allah preserves a righteous servant through seven of his descendants.” [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī]
It is reported that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه would stand in prayer at night. When he would see his young child sleeping, he would say, “This is for you.” Then he would weep and recite the verse, “And their father was righteous.” [Maʿālim al-Tanzīl]
The preservation of good is not necessarily limited by time, distance, or closeness in lineage. The servant may be gone; the descendants may be weak, negligent, or unaware, yet Allah’s Care still reaches them. This is not because of their worthiness, but because Allah chose to remember the righteousness of one of His servants. This is something we have heard repeatedly from our teachers and something I have personally witnessed within my own family as well.
The Tābiʿī Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir رحمه الله said, “Indeed, it is through the piety and righteousness of a servant that Allah preserves his children, the children of his children, his family, and even the houses built around his own.” [Tafsīr al-Maẓharī] Here, righteousness is portrayed not as a private virtue but as a moral force. Its effects radiate outward into families, neighborhoods, and environments.
Imam Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said, “Indeed, a servant performs an act of obedience, and Allah makes it a source of righteousness for his descendants after him.” [al-ʿIyāl]
Imam Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib رحمه الله used to say, “Indeed, I increase in prayer, intending by it the righteousness of my child.” [al-ʿIyāl]
This is not mere theory that one reads in classes .Imam Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib understood that duʿāʾ and worship could be strategically directed, seeking not only personal reward but also Allah’s Care for the next generation. He invested his worship knowing that Allah’s Generosity far exceeds the intention of the servant.
The Other Side of the Equation: How Sin Also Travels Forward
But this principle is not one-sided. If righteousness leaves traces that protect and elevate others, then disobedience, too, leaves traces that diminish and corrupt beyond the self. For this reason, the Salaf paired hope in Allah’s bounty with deep fear of the unseen consequences of sin. Imam Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī رحمه الله said, “Indeed, I disobey Allah, and I see that reflected in the character of my mount and my wife.” [Ṣayd al-Khāṭir] This is the other side of the same reality. Evil, too, has a return, often felt first by those closest.
Similarly, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said, “Disobedience has vile effects upon the soul, one’s children, and one’s descendants.” [al-Dāʾ wa al-Dawāʾ] Obedience produces barakah; sin produces deprivation. Neither stops at the individual. This alone should be motivation for us to ponder, reflect, and take ourselves to task.
Correcting the Metric: From Fame and Output to Allah’s Pleasure
It is deeply human to look at scholars and righteous people, whether in person or online, and feel some level of envy at what Allah has allowed them to achieve. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it." [Bukhari and Muslim].
That feeling in itself is not the problem unless it prevents you from doing good. Imam Ibn al-Malak رحمه الله said, “Envy distracts one from engaging in good deeds, or the envier is not content with the decree of Allah, so perhaps he is overtaken by envy, malice, and enmity until he utters words of ingratitude, thereby invalidating his good deeds.” [Sharḥ al-Maṣābīh]
The other danger begins when Shayṭān steps in and reshapes that envy into despair. He convinces you that you have arrived too late, that the doors they walked through are now closed to you, that your responsibilities, your job, your finances, or your age disqualify you from ever reaching anything meaningful. Slowly, the desire to strive weakens. Learning feels unrealistic. Effort feels wasted. And before you realize it, you are not failing because you cannot do more, but because you have stopped trying altogether.
This is where the mindset must be corrected. The goal was never fame, visibility, or public recognition. The goal has always been the pleasure of Allah and entry into Jannah. In fact, chasing recognition in the dunyā can quietly corrupt intention, drain sincerity, and even destroy the very barakah that makes knowledge and good deeds in general beneficial. Many people who appear “successful” outwardly pay a hidden spiritual price. What Allah values is not how far your name travels, but how sincere your striving is, even when no one is watching.
Imam ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak رحمه الله said, “I know that my father never fed me or my siblings except from what was ḥalāl.” [Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ] The Salaf understood that ḥarām sustenance corrupts the heart long before it corrupts actions, and that guarding one’s income is among the most decisive forms of unseen worship. One of the strongest foundations of his righteousness was a father who feared Allah in what he earned.
When you see a young scholar benefiting the community, do not fall into the trap of thinking that you must somehow reach his level, mirror his path, or compete with his output. That comparison is neither fair nor necessary. Instead, shift your perspective entirely. Compete with his parents. It sounds strange doesn't it? No one is born with knowledge, discipline, or clarity. Behind many of the gifted young minds we admire today are years of quiet, unseen sacrifice. Parents who worked long hours to earn halal income so stability could exist at home. Parents who paid for extra classes, drove children to lessons, sat with them late into the night revising, encouraged them when motivation dipped, and protected their time when distractions were everywhere. Those efforts were not glamorous, but they were foundational. And in the sight of Allah, they carry immense weight. This is where another blessing and life hack from Allah beautifully manifests for us as another opportunity. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who does it.” [Sahih Muslim]
The same principle applies to spouses as well. Great work rarely emerges from isolation. It grows in environments of support, patience, and mutual sacrifice. A spouse who creates emotional stability, who carries extra responsibility, who believes in the other during moments of doubt, is often an unseen partner in every achievement that follows. Allah does not ignore that labor.
You may not be meant to stand at a podium, publish widely, or carry public recognition. But you may be meant to prepare the ground, to remove obstacles, to create space, and to make growth possible for others. You can work at your level, within your capacity, and still play a decisive role in shaping the next generation of Muslim scholars, leaders, thinkers, and innovators across every field. In the scales of Allah, facilitating good can be as heavy as performing it. Sometimes it is even heavier, because it is done without applause, without visibility, and purely for His sake.
Conclusion
So the question the Qur’ān leaves us with is not whether we will be remembered by people, but whether Allah will remember us when others need Him. Will our actions be a cause for protection or deprivation? For stability or loss? For guidance or confusion? These are not abstract outcomes. They are being shaped now, quietly, through choices that no one else may notice.
Imam Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said, “Improve your conduct in what remains, and you will be forgiven for what has already passed. You are nothing but a collection of days; each time a day passes, a part of you is gone.” [Ṣayd al-Khāṭir]
We ask Allah to accept our meagre work for His sake. We ask Allah to bless us with being united with our Prophet ﷺ at Al-Kawthar and to save us from being counted among those about whom the Prophet ﷺ had said that Allah may support this religion by the hands of a wicked man.
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