الصالحات
al-Ṣāliḥāt
The righteous deeds that God calls on men and women to perform, which earn the reward of Paradise.
What it means
Al-Ṣāliḥāt is the plural of ṣāliḥa, a deed that is sound, right and fitting. The Quran uses the phrase more than fifty times, nearly always joined to belief: “Those who believe and do righteous deeds, theirs are gardens beneath which rivers flow” (2:25). Faith and action are paired, and neither is complete without the other. The term covers acts of worship, honest dealing, kindness to family, care for the poor, and the avoidance of harm. It addresses both men and women: “Whoever does righteous deeds, male or female, and is a believer, We shall give a good life” (16:97). A deed counts as ṣāliḥ when it is done for God and in line with what He has taught.
Often misunderstood as
Translating the phrase as “good works” can suggest earning salvation by deeds alone, while the Quran always joins the deeds to faith and relies on God’s mercy.
What the sources say
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that deeds are judged by intentions (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). He also said that none will enter Paradise by his deeds alone, and he added that this applied even to himself unless God covered him with mercy (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 35, listed as AL ṢĀLIḤĀT. The definition is restated here.