Concept of Pious Deeds/ ‘Aamal-e-Saliha’ in Quran

           

 Quran broadly divides human deeds into two categories- those which are done for world’s sake; and those which are done for Allah’s sake OR in obedience to Allah. Aamal-e-Saliha/ pious deeds are those which are done for Allah’s sake Or in obedience to Allah. Deeds done for Allah's sake have to be in obedience to Allah otherwise such pious deeds are worthless in ukhra life. Only such deeds which are done following our Nabi (saw) are considered to be done in obedience to Allah.

Quran states about these two kinds of deeds- done for Allah’s sake and done for world’s sake. Quran says: “And whoever desires the reward of this world - We will give him thereof (for compensable deeds); and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We will give him thereof [for compensable deeds] (al-imran-145). The most important reward in ‘ukhra life’/ the Hereafter is ‘rowyat-e-Ilahi’/ sensing presence of Allah.  The deeds done for Allah's sake OR done in obedience to Allah are called pious deeds/ 'aamal-e-saliha'. But  pious deeds (done for Allah's sake) have to be in accordance with our Nabi’s  (saw) Sunnah in order to attract Allah's love. Quran declares that:

Say [Muhammad (saw)] "If you should love Allah , then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”(al-imran-31).
Addresssees of this verse are both Muslims and non-Muslims; and in this verse Allah is directing human beings to follow our Nabi (saww).  This verse shows  deeds done for Allah's sake have to be in accordance with our Nabi's (saw) Sunnah; otherwise such deeds will not be considered to be done in obedience to Allah and Allah's love will not be obtained, and such deeds will be rendered worthless in 'ukhra' life (for details plz see my article " Non-Muslims' Paradise").

Both Muslims and non-Muslims do pious deeds. Al-baqra-62 and al-maidah-69 state about non-Muslims' pious deeds and their reward. 
"Indeed, those who believed (in Muhammad (saw)) and those who are Jews or Christians or Sabeans, those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness (pious deeds) - will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve" (al-baqra-62).

"Indeed, those who have believed [in Prophet Muúammad] and those who are Jews or Sabeans or Christians – those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness (pious deeds) – no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve"(al-maidah-69).

The difference between pious deeds done by Muslims and done by non-Muslims is that Muslims' pious deeds are done following our Nabi's (saww) Sunnah and as such are done in obedience to Allah, and consequently attract Allah's love. That is why Muslims' pious deeds are rewarded in ukhra life too. But non-Muslims' pious deeds are not done following our Nabi's (saw) sunnah and as such are not done in obedience to Allah (though done for Allah's sake); so such pious deeds are not rewarded in 'ukhra' life. Non-Muslims pious deeds are rendered worthless in 'ukhra' life but are fully compensated in this world and in uqba life (for details plz read my article "Non-Muslims' Paradise").

 Quran states: "And whoever denies the faith(emaan) - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers" (al-maidah-5). 

In other words only those deeds would be acceptable in ‘ukhra’ life/ in the life Hereafter, which are done by Muslims. As Muslims are obliged to do pious deeds following our Nabi (saw) [ale imran-31], only those deeds are compensable in ukhra life/ in the life Hereafter which are done with reference to our Nabi (saw). The pious deeds of non-muslims are rendered worthless in ukhra life because such deeds are not done following our Nabi (saw). It means only our Nabi (saw) is to be followed in earthly life; to follow anybody else must be subject to our Nabi's (saw) Sunnah.