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Lesson 21: The Completion Of One’s Actions

Tradition

"إسْتِتْمامُ الْمَعْرُوفِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ إِبْتِدائهِ"

The Prophet (S) is narrated to have said: “Completing and following through with good actions is better and more important than simply initiating them.”1

Brief Commentary

In our social or religious lives, we oftentimes begin performing good actions with great zeal and eagerness. Yet, as time passes, we sometimes lose focus and leave the work unfinished. Islam encourages people to work hard and develop a level of determination where they begin various good actions and then push through and take them to completion. We should have a greater focus on finishing what we have started rather than simply beginning new things…

  • 1. Narrated from the book Nahj al-Fasahah.