Short answer
Yes. In Islam, serving people is worship when it is done for God (﷾). The Prophet (ﷺ) said that deeds are judged by their intentions. Islam also builds service into the faith. Zakat, a yearly share of savings for the poor and others in need, is one of the five pillars. The Qur'an praises those who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive "for the sake of Allah alone". The Prophet (ﷺ) said that every good deed is a charity. Sikhs know this as seva, and Guru Nanak ties seva to a seat in God's (﷾) court. But Islam asks for one thing more. Serving people does not replace serving God (﷾) directly. He asked for prayer, fasting and Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, as well. The Qur'an names prayer and feeding the poor side by side. So Islam's answer is both: serve God (﷾) in prayer, and serve His people for His sake.
Feeding the hungry for God's (﷾) sake
A good word, or moving harm off the road
Paying zakat each year
Giving only to be seen and praised
Full explanation
Seva in Sikh life
In Sikhism (Sikhs also say Sikhi), seva means service given freely. The Sikh code of conduct, the Rehat Maryada, calls it a prominent part of the Sikh religion. It names simple forms of it. A gurdwara is the Sikh place of worship. Sikhs sweep its floor, serve water to the congregation, work in the common kitchen and dust the shoes of visitors. The kitchen is the langar, where anyone may sit and eat. The code gives it two aims: to train Sikhs in service, and to banish the idea of high and low birth. It adds that service is not confined to these tasks. A Sikh's whole life is to be one of benevolent effort. So for Sikhs, seva is more than kindness. Guru Nanak (Sikhs say Guru Nanak Dev Ji) ties it to God (﷾). His words are in the Guru Granth Sahib, which Sikhs honour as their living Guru. At Ang 26 it says: "While abiding in this world perform worship; Thus shalt thou obtain a seat in God's court". An Ang is a page of its standard 1,430-page edition. The Punjabi word there is sev, service, and Macauliffe's 1909 translation renders it as worship. So a Sikh already sees seva as worship, done for God (﷾) and rewarded by Him. That is real common ground with Islam.
The Sikh Rehat Maryada is the Sikh code of conduct issued by the SGPC. Its article on voluntary service says that voluntary service (seva) is a prominent part of the Sikh religion. It gives simple forms of it: sweeping and plastering the floors of the gurdwara, serving water to or fanning the congregation, giving provisions to and working in the common kitchen, and dusting the shoes of those who visit. It says the Guru's kitchen (the langar) has two aims: to train Sikhs in voluntary service, and to help banish all distinction of high and low, touchable and untouchable, from their minds. Anyone, of any caste or colour, may sit and eat in it, and no distinction of country, colour, caste or religion is to be made when seating people; only initiated Sikhs may eat off one plate. The next chapter adds that service is not confined to these tasks: a Sikh's whole life is a life of benevolent exertion.
“While abiding in this world perform worship; Thus shalt thou obtain a seat in God's court”
Yes: service done for God (﷾) is worship
Islam gives the same answer, and it states the condition plainly. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that deeds are judged by their intentions, and each person receives what he intended. So the same meal can be worship or not. Given for God (﷾), it is worship. Given only to be seen and praised, it is not, and the Qur'an says it earns nothing. The Qur'an describes the righteous who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive. They say: "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks." The Prophet (ﷺ) went further. He said that on the Day of Resurrection Allah (﷾) will say to a man: I was sick and you did not visit Me. The man will ask how he could visit the Lord of the worlds. Allah (﷾) will answer: My servant was sick; had you visited him, you would have found Me with him. Of a hungry man, Allah (﷾) will say: had you fed him, you would have found that with Me. So kindness reaches people, and its reward is with God (﷾). This matters because no act of kindness is too small or too ordinary to become worship.
Umar ibn al-Khattab heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that deeds are judged by their intentions, and each person receives what he intended. A man who emigrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman has only what he emigrated for.
“O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil: on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (Just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith.”
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,- (Saying),"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that on the Day of Resurrection Allah will say: son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me. The man will ask how he could visit the Lord of the worlds. Allah will say: My servant was sick and you did not visit him; had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.
In the same saying, Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: son of Adam, I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. The man will ask how he could feed the Lord of the worlds. Allah will say: My servant asked you for food and you did not feed him; had you fed him, you would have found that with Me. He will say the same of the servant who asked for a drink.
Islam builds service into the faith
Islam does not leave service to choice alone. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Islam is built on five pillars, and zakat is one of them. It is a yearly duty on savings held above a set minimum: one-fortieth, or 2.5%, on money, gold and silver. When the Prophet (ﷺ) sent his companion Mu'adh to Yemen, he said that zakat is taken from the wealthy and given to the poor. The Qur'an names eight groups it may go to, with the poor and the needy first. Beyond zakat comes sadaqah, charity given freely. The Prophet (ﷺ) named feeding people among the best things in Islam. He said that every good deed is a charity. He counted a fair judgement between two people, helping a man onto his mount, a good word, and moving something harmful off the road. He even said there is reward for kindness to every living thing. So service in Islam is not kept for special days. It is a fixed duty each year and a small act each day.
Ibn Umar reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Islam is built on five: to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to pay zakah, to perform the pilgrimage, and to fast the month of Ramadan.
Anas reports the written rules of zakah that Abu Bakr sent with him to Bahrain, as the Prophet (ﷺ) had laid them down. They set the amounts due on camels and sheep, and for silver one-fortieth (2.5%), with nothing due if a man has only a hundred and ninety dirhams.
Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu'adh to Yemen and told him: first invite the people to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that he is Allah's Messenger. If they accept, teach them that Allah has made five prayers binding on them each day and night. If they accept that, teach them that Allah has made zakat binding on them from their property, taken from their wealthy and given to their poor.
“Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.”
Abdullah ibn Amr reports that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) which qualities of Islam are best. He answered: to feed people, and to greet with peace both those you know and those you do not know.
Jabir ibn Abdullah reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: every good deed is a charity (sadaqah).
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said charity is due for every joint of the body each day: judging fairly between two people is charity, helping a man onto his mount or lifting his baggage is charity, a good word is charity, every step to prayer is charity, and removing something harmful from the road is charity.
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) told of a thirsty man who drank from a well, then saw a dog licking mud from thirst. He climbed down again, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink, and God thanked him and forgave him. Asked whether there is reward for kindness to animals, the Prophet said there is reward for kindness to every living thing.
| Kind | How often | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Zakat | Each year | One-fortieth (2.5%) of savings above a set minimum, for the poor and the other groups the Qur'an names |
| Sadaqah | Any time | Charity given freely, such as feeding people |
| Every good deed | Every day | A fair judgement, a good word, moving harm off the road |
What serving others earns
Islam is exact about the reward, so here it is in the sources' own terms. The Qur'an speaks of those who feed others for Allah's (﷾) sake. It says: "Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and will shed over them a Light of Beauty and (blissful) Joy." Because they were patient, "He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk." Spending in Allah's (﷾) way is like a grain that grows seven ears, with a hundred grains in each. "Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth". The Prophet (ﷺ) said that one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like one who strives in Allah's (﷾) cause. Or he is like one who prays all night and fasts all day. Even one date given from honest earnings is accepted by Allah (﷾), who makes its reward grow until it is as big as a mountain. On the Last Day, Allah (﷾) will shade one who gives so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand gave. This matters because every one of these rewards comes from God (﷾). So the one who serves needs no thanks from people.
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,- (Saying),"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”
“But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and will shed over them a Light of Beauty and (blissful) Joy. And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk.”
“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear Hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: the one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like one who strives in Allah's cause, or like one who prays all night and fasts all day.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: if someone gives in charity as much as one date from honest earnings, and Allah accepts only what is honestly earned, Allah takes it in His right hand and makes its reward grow for the giver, as one of you raises a young foal, until it becomes as big as a mountain.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) named seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His. One of them is a person who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.
| What you do | What is promised |
|---|---|
| Feed others for Allah's (﷾) sake | Deliverance from the evil of that Day, light and joy, and a Garden |
| Spend in Allah's (﷾) way | Like a grain that grows seven ears, with a hundred grains in each |
| Look after a widow or a poor person | Like one who strives in Allah's (﷾) cause, or prays all night and fasts all day |
| Give one date from honest earnings | Its reward grows as big as a mountain |
| Give in secret | Allah's (﷾) shade on the Last Day |
Which sins it wipes out
Some of these rewards are forgiveness, and the sources say how far it reaches. Charity given in secret, the Qur'an says, "will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil". The Prophet (ﷺ) told of a man who gave water to a thirsty dog: Allah (﷾) thanked him and forgave him. The scholar Ibn Rajab (d. 1393) gives the view of most scholars: major sins are not wiped out without repentance. So promises like these cover minor sins, and major sins need sincere repentance. And no charity pays what you owe another person. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever has wronged someone should put it right today, before the Day when there is no money to pay with. So charity is not a price for sin. A man cannot keep stolen money and give some of it away to be clean.
“If ye disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you: It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And Allah is well acquainted with what ye do.”
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) told of a thirsty man who drank from a well, then saw a dog licking mud from thirst. He climbed down again, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink, and God thanked him and forgave him. Asked whether there is reward for kindness to animals, the Prophet said there is reward for kindness to every living thing.
On the hadith "follow a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out", Ibn Rajab asks which sins good deeds wipe out. He reports Ibn Mas'ud's words that the five prayers make up for what lies between them as long as major sins are avoided. He then writes that the sound view is that of the majority of scholars: major sins are not wiped out without repentance, because repentance is a duty on every servant.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: whoever has wronged another, in his honour or in anything else, should seek his release from it today, before the Day when there will be no money. If he has good deeds, they will be taken from him in proportion to the wrong. If he has none, some of the wronged person's bad deeds will be laid on him.
| What is on you | What clears it |
|---|---|
| Minor sins | Good deeds, such as charity given in secret |
| Major sins | Sincere repentance |
| A wrong done to a person | Putting it right with that person |
The conditions
The reward comes with conditions, and the sources name them. The giving must be for Allah (﷾), not for praise. It must come from honest earnings, for Allah (﷾) accepts only what is honestly earned. It must not be spoiled afterwards. The Qur'an speaks of those who "follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury". Their reward is with their Lord: "on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve". And it must come with faith. The Qur'an pictures charity given "to be seen of men" by one who believes neither in Allah (﷾) nor the Last Day. It is like soil on a hard rock, washed away by heavy rain, leaving "a bare stone". These conditions matter because they keep service clean. They keep it from becoming pride, a trade, or a cover for wrongdoing.
Umar ibn al-Khattab heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that deeds are judged by their intentions, and each person receives what he intended. A man who emigrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman has only what he emigrated for.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: if someone gives in charity as much as one date from honest earnings, and Allah accepts only what is honestly earned, Allah takes it in His right hand and makes its reward grow for the giver, as one of you raises a young foal, until it becomes as big as a mountain.
“Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury,-for them their reward is with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
“O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil: on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (Just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith.”
Serving people does not replace serving God (﷾)
Here Islam asks for more than service alone. The Qur'an says God (﷾) created people "that they may serve Me". It says that people were commanded to worship Allah (﷾) sincerely, "to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity". Prayer and giving stand side by side in the Qur'an, again and again. When the people of Hell are asked what brought them there, they answer first: "We were not of those who prayed". Then they say that they did not feed the poor. Surat al-Ma'un, chapter 107, turns it round. It condemns the one who "encourages not the feeding of the indigent", and in the same short chapter it condemns those "neglectful of their prayers". So neither can stand in for the other. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught them together too. He told Mu'adh to call people first to the one God (﷾), then to the five daily prayers, and then to zakat for the poor. This matters because service is turned towards people, while prayer is turned to God (﷾) Himself. A person can serve thousands and never speak to the One he serves for. Islam asks him to do both.
“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.”
“And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.”
“And be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship).”
“"What led you into Hell Fire?" They will say: "We were not of those who prayed; "Nor were we of those who fed the indigent;”
“Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)? Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness), And encourages not the feeding of the indigent.”
“So woe to the worshippers Who are neglectful of their prayers, Those who (want but) to be seen (of men), But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs.”
Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu'adh to Yemen and told him: first invite the people to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that he is Allah's Messenger. If they accept, teach them that Allah has made five prayers binding on them each day and night. If they accept that, teach them that Allah has made zakat binding on them from their property, taken from their wealthy and given to their poor.
| Source | Prayer | Feeding or giving |
|---|---|---|
| Qur'an 2:43 | ||
| Qur'an 98:5 | ||
| Qur'an 74:42-44 | ||
| Qur'an 107 | ||
| Mu'adh sent to Yemen (Bukhari 1395) |
- Named
What of good done before Islam?
A Sikh who has served for years may ask what Islam says of that service. Islam does not throw good deeds away. A companion named Hakim ibn Hizam asked about the good he did before Islam: charity, freeing slaves and keeping ties with his relatives. Would it count? The Prophet (ﷺ) told him that he had become Muslim together with all the good he had done. Scholars have read these words in more than one way. The scholar an-Nawawi (d. 1277) holds to their plain meaning. Whoever becomes Muslim, and dies a Muslim, is rewarded for the good he did before. On that reading, a Sikh who has given years of seva would not lose it by becoming Muslim. He would bring it with him. What Islam does not teach is that service alone is enough. The Qur'an promises Heaven to those who do good deeds "and have faith". Aisha once asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about her relative Ibn Jud'an, a chief of Mecca before Islam. He kept ties with his relatives and fed the poor. Would that help him? The Prophet (ﷺ) said it would not, for he never once said: my Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgement. An-Nawawi explains these words. The man did not believe in the Resurrection, so his good deeds will not help him in the next life. This matters because it shows what was missing. He fed many people, but he did not believe he would ever stand before his Lord. Muslims do not judge any person's end. That belongs to Allah (﷾), who looks at hearts and deeds. Islam's call is simple: keep the service, and add the faith.
Hakim ibn Hizam asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether there was any reward for the good he had done before Islam, such as charity, freeing slaves and keeping ties with his kin. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied that he had become Muslim together with all the good he had done before.
On the Prophet's (ﷺ) words to Hakim ibn Hizam, "you have become Muslim with the good you did before", al-Nawawi says the scholars differ. He reports al-Mazari's readings: that Hakim's good habits would help him in Islam, that his good name would stay with him, or that his reward in Islam would be increased; and al-Qadi Iyad's, that by the blessing of that good Allah guided him to Islam. He then reports that Ibn Battal and other careful scholars take the hadith by its plain meaning: when an unbeliever becomes Muslim and dies a Muslim, he is rewarded for the good he did before. Al-Nawawi supports this, and says that anyone who denies such a reward in the Hereafter is answered by this authentic hadith.
“If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.”
Aisha said: Messenger of Allah, in the time before Islam Ibn Jud'an used to keep ties with his relatives and feed the poor. Will that benefit him? He said: it will not benefit him, for he never once said: my Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgement.
Al-Nawawi says the hadith means that the man's keeping of ties, his feeding of people and his other noble deeds do not benefit him in the Hereafter, because he was an unbeliever. He explains the words "he never said: my Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgement" as: he did not believe in the Resurrection. He quotes al-Qadi Iyad that the scholars agree the deeds of unbelievers earn them no reward in the Hereafter, though some are punished more severely than others, and al-Bayhaqi that such good may lighten the punishment owed for a man's other crimes. He adds that Ibn Jud'an, whose name was Abdullah, fed people often, was one of the chiefs of Quraysh, and came from Banu Taym, the kin of Aisha.
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah does not look at your faces or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.
Islam's answer: serve God (﷾) and serve His people
So yes, serving others is worship in Islam when it is done for God (﷾). Islam keeps what a Sikh loves in seva: the meal for the hungry, help for the weak, and service given without wanting thanks. It adds the worship God (﷾) asked for directly. That is prayer five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, zakat, and Hajj for those who can make the journey. It also asks whose way of worship to follow. Islam's answer is the way God (﷾) taught through His last messenger, Muhammad (ﷺ). The Qur'an says: "whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah". The page "Why do Muslims pray five times a day at set times?" looks at the prayer itself. The page "Is Naam simran like dhikr?" looks at remembering God (﷾). The page "I'm a Sikh: why should I consider Islam?" takes up the whole question. Read the Qur'an in a translation you trust, and test whether it is God's (﷾) word.
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,- (Saying),"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”
Ibn Umar reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Islam is built on five: to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to pay zakah, to perform the pilgrimage, and to fast the month of Ramadan.
“In it are Signs Manifest; (for example), the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security; Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah,- those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures.”
“And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: And whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees Well all that ye do.”
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.”
Worship of God (﷾)
what people were created for.
Prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj
as God (﷾) asked for directly.
Serving His people
when it is done for His sake.
Perspectives
Sikh: good conduct and service are the true prayer
Many Sikhs hold that God is served through truth, good conduct and service in the world, rather than through set rites. Guru Nanak describes the five prayers as five virtues, and teaches that God's light is in everything.
Sikh teaching in the Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Nanak names five prayers: truth, what is right, charity in God's name, good intentions, and the praise of God (Ang 141). So good conduct and service are the real prayer.
Rebuttal
Islam honours each of those virtues, charity among them. But the Qur'an never lets them stand in for the prayer. It commands prayer and charity in the same verse (2:43; 98:5). The page "Why do Muslims pray five times a day at set times?" gives the full reply.
God's light is in everything (Ang 13). So serving people is itself serving God.
Rebuttal
Islam agrees that serving people brings a person near to God (﷾). Of a hungry man, Allah (﷾) says that whoever fed him would have found that with Him (Muslim 2569). So kindness reaches the servant, and its reward is with God (﷾). But the Creator is not His creation: "there is nothing whatever like unto Him" (42:11). And He still asks to be worshipped Himself (51:56).
Sikh: true seva asks for nothing back
Seva should be selfless. Some Sikhs say that Muslims give in order to win Paradise, so their charity is a kind of trade.
A reply Sikhs give
The Qur'an likens spending to a grain that grows seven ears of a hundred grains each (2:261). Giving for a reward is not selfless.
Rebuttal
The righteous in the Qur'an want nothing from the people they feed, not even thanks (76:9). They feed for the sake of Allah (﷾) alone, which Ibn Kathir explains as hoping for His reward and His pleasure. That is love of God (﷾), not trade with people. Guru Nanak too ties seva to "a seat in God's court" (Ang 26). And the Prophet (ﷺ) said that each person receives what he intended (Bukhari 1).
Sikh: langar is open to all, but Muslim charity is for Muslims
The Sikh code says anyone of any caste, colour or religion may eat in the langar. Some Sikhs say Islam's charity goes only to Muslims.
A reply Sikhs give
Zakat is taken from Muslims and given to their own poor (Bukhari 1395), while the langar feeds everyone.
Rebuttal
Zakat is one fixed duty, and the Qur'an names who receives it (9:60). It is not the whole of Muslim giving. Ibn Abbas said that the captives the righteous fed in 76:8 were idolaters at that time (Ibn Kathir). The Qur'an lets Muslims deal kindly and justly with all who do not fight them over faith (60:8). The Prophet (ﷺ) told Asma to keep good ties with her mother, who was not Muslim. And he said there is reward for kindness to every living thing.
The Islamic perspective
Serving people is worship when it is done for God (﷾). Islam makes it a duty in zakat and a daily virtue in sadaqah, and states its reward and conditions exactly. It never lets service replace the worship God (﷾) prescribed: prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj.
Deeds are judged by their intentions, so service done for God (﷾) is worship.
Zakat is one of the five pillars. It is a yearly duty, taken from the wealthy and given to the poor and the other groups the Qur'an names.
Every good deed is a charity, from a good word to moving harm off the road.
Those who feed others for Allah's (﷾) sake are promised deliverance from the evil of the Day, light and joy, and a Garden.
Good deeds wipe out minor sins; major sins need repentance, and wrongs to people must be put right.
The reward needs sincerity, honest earnings, no reminders or harm, and faith.
Prayer and feeding the poor stand side by side, and neither replaces the other.
An-Nawawi holds to the plain meaning of the hadith. A person who becomes Muslim, and dies a Muslim, is rewarded for the good he did before.