(Good Deeds are always rewarded)
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “We should worship the one and true God who rewards even the smallest of good deeds… In this regard there is a story which is that three men became stranded on a mountain. This happened because they were staying in a cave and suddenly a large rock fell at the mouth of the cave, leaving the three men unable to escape. All three proclaimed that now we can only be saved due to any good deeds we may have done! The first one said ‘O Lord! Once I appointed a few labourers (to look after my crops). When it was time to work, one of them disappeared. I searched from him everywhere but when I could not find him I purchased a goat with the money that I was going to use to pay him for his labour and a few years later it grew in to a herd. Then that same labourer appeared and said that once I did some labour for you and politely asked if he could have his pay. When I heard his request I gave him all his wealth (that is to say the herd of sheep). O Allah! If you are pleased with this good deed of mine then please remove this difficulty from me!’ The rock moved slightly upwards as a result.
Similarly the second man narrated his story and proclaimed ‘O Allah, if my good deed pleased you then please remove this difficulty from me.’ The rock moved slightly more upwards again.
Then the third said that ‘My mother was old and asked me to bring her some water one night however when I had brought the water she had already fallen asleep. I did not wake her up thinking that this would cause her discomfort and remained standing in wait the whole night. Eventually I gave it to her in the morning when she woke up. O Allah! If this good deed of mine pleased you then please remove this difficulty from me.’ As a result the rock was lifted high enough for all three of them to walk out of the cave and hence Allah rewarded them for their good deeds.” (Malfuzat Volume 6, page 26-27)
