Intentions in Islam

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته 

Intention

Umarr bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), say: 

"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1 Book 1 number 1.& Sahih Muslim Book 020 Chapter 45 number 4692)

I highlighted "everyone will get what was intended" because this is a powerful statement. Both Imam Shafi`i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal agreed that this Hadith above conveyed a third of the knowledge of the religion. Imam al-Nawawi includes it as the first hadith in his collection of his 40 as well as starting his famous Riyad us-Saliheen [with the Hadith] and again in his other famous book Kitab Al Adkhar. Imaam Al-bukhari starts his book of Hadeeth (Sahih Al-Bukhari) with this Hadeeth and continued to explain that every action that is done without seeking Allah’s pleasure is invalid and devoid of reward. Imam Bukhari also reported the Prophet (PBUH) delivered a khutbah on this Hadith. Imam Abu Dawuud said this Hadith is half of Islam further saying Deen can be divided into two categories: external which are actions and internal which is intention or Niyyah. Abu Ubayd, a famous physician and chronicler said there is no Hadith that is more comprehensive, richer in virtue or greater in benefit. May Allah be pleased with all of them. 

Scholars agree that without Niyyah (intention) no action is complete. Every action therefore has a purpose or should have a purpose. The most important of actions that should require your attention and intention are religious acts of worship (prayer, Hajj, Umrah etc.) or other actions you that you also carry out for the sake of Allah for example charity. Narrated by Abu Huraira: ‘Allah's Apostle (PBUH) said, "A man said that he would give something in charity. He went out with his object of charity and unknowingly gave it to a thief. Next morning the people said that he had given his object of charity to a thief. (On hearing that) he said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. I will give alms again." And so he again went out with his alms and (unknowingly) gave it to an adulteress. Next morning the people said that he had given his alms to an adulteress last night. The man said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I gave my alms) to an adulteress. I will give alms again." So he went out with his alms again and (unknowingly) gave it to a rich person. (The people) next morning said that he had given his alms to a wealthy person. He said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I had given alms) to a thief, to an adulteress and to a wealthy man." Then someone came and said to him, "The alms which you gave to the thief, might make him abstain from stealing, and that given to the adulteress might make her abstain from illegal sexual intercourse (adultery), and that given to the wealthy man might make him take a lesson from it and spend his wealth which Allah has given him, in Allah's cause." Sahih Al Bukahri Volume 2, Book 24, Number 502.

From Sahih Muslim Book 41, Number 6890:'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was startled in the state of sleep. We said: Allah's Messenger, you have done something in the state of your sleep which you never did before, Thereupon he said: Strange it is that some, people of my Ummah would attack the House (Ka'ba) (for killing) a person who would belong to the tribe of the Quraish and he would try to seek protection in the House. And when they would reach the plain ground they would be sunk. We said: Allah's Messenger, all sorts of people throng the path. Thereupon he said: Yes, there would be amongst them people who would come with definite designs and those who would come under duress and there would be travellers also, but they would all be destroyed through one (stroke) of destruction. though they would be raised in different states (on the Day of Resurrection). Allah would, however, raise them according to their intention."

The importance of intention

The importance of intention should never be underestimated. Volume 1, Book 2, Number 30: Narrated Al-Ahnaf bin Qais: While I was going to help this man ('Ali Ibn Abi Talib), Abu Bakra met me and asked, "Where are you going?" I replied, "I am going to help that person." He said, "Go back for I have heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'When two Muslims fight (meet) each other with their swords, both the murderer as well as the murdered will go to the Hell-fire.' I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! It is all right for the murderer but what about the murdered one?' Allah's Apostle replied, "He surely had the intention to kill his companion." 

I took the following hadiths from Sahih Al Bukhari which to me show how important ones intentions can be:

Volume 3, Book 41, Number 572: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to spoil it, then Allah will spoil him." 

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 52: Narrated Abu Mas'ud: The Prophet said, "If a man spends on his family (with the intention of having a reward from Allah) sincerely for Allah's sake then it is a (kind of) alms-giving in reward for him.”

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 137: Narrated 'Aisha: This Verse: "Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths." (5.89) was revealed about a man's statement (during his talk), "No, by Allah," and "Yes, by Allah." 

When a good deed has been accomplished a person will be rewarded for what they intended. A sincere intention of good will result in benefit for that individual; whereas an act that may be very beneficial for one or a group of people but was intended to hurt, impress, or just show off to someone there will most likely be no reward. " surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful"; Quran 4:36
 "And spend in the way of Allah and cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands, and do good (to others); surely Allah loves the doers of good." Quran 2:195

Riyya (showing off)

Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 506: Narrated Jundub: The Prophet said, "He who lets the people hear of his good deeds intentionally, to win their praise, Allah will let the people know his real intention (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who does good things in public to show off and win the praise of the people, Allah will disclose his real intention (and humiliate him). 

and also narrated in Sahih Bukhari

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 266: Narrated Tarif Abi Tamima: I saw Safwan and Jundab and Safwan's companions when Jundab was advising. They said, "Did you hear something from Allah's Apostle?" Jundab said, "I heard him saying, 'Whoever does a good deed in order to show off, Allah will expose his intentions on the Day of Resurrection (before the people), and whoever puts the people into difficulties, Allah will put him into difficulties on the Day of Resurrection.'" The people said (to Jundab), "Advise us." He said, "The first thing of the human body to purify is the abdomen, so he who can eat nothing but good food (Halal and earned lawfully) should do so, and he who does as much as he can that nothing intervene between him and Paradise by not shedding even a handful of blood, (i.e. murdering) should do so." 

When performing good actions it is important not ruin it by boasting about it.

Pride is a dangerous characteristic that Iblis has expressed and one we should be careful about."O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." Quran 2:264

 "And certainly Allah made good to you His promise when you slew them by His permission, until when you became weak-hearted and disputed about the affair and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you loved; of you were some who desired this world and of you were some who desired the hereafter; then He turned you away from them that He might try you; and He has certainly pardoned you, and Allah is Gracious to the believers." Quran 3:152. So what is it that you desire when you do good? Is it to prove yourself to others or is it for the sake of Allah? "To make them walk in the right way is not incumbent on you, but Allah guides aright whom He pleases; and whatever good thing you spend, it is to your own good; and you do not spend but to seek Allah's pleasure; and whatever good things you spend shall be paid back to you in full, and you shall not be wronged." (Quran 2:272). Showing off or making display of your actions is called Riyaa. "And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster;" Quran 31:18. 

There are two kinds of Riyaa as explained in the book Actions are by intentions by Sheikh Faisul Abdur-Razzak. The first kind of Riyaa is someone who seeks the attention from people; the second of which is someone who seeks the attention of people and of Allah. Both kinds of Riyaa result in zero reward (Allah knows best). Some scholars (one being Imam Al-fudayl ibn 'Iyad) have adduced the second kind to be associating partners with Allah because you do an action without thinking of Allah above all. Making a display of your actions in such ways could be the same as an omission of an action. When the intention of your action (albeit a good deed) for the purpose of showing off means you're doing it for the sake of people and not for Allah. "He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him." Quran 59:23.

“Whoever desires this world's life and its finery, We will pay them in full their deeds therein, and they shall not be made to suffer loss in respect of them. These are they for whom there is nothing but fire in the hereafter, and what they wrought in it shall go for nothing, and vain is what they do." Quran 11:15-16

Ikhlas (Sincerity)

So that moves me unto sincerity in action. Sincerity in your intention means you will free your mind from all other benefits purely for the action to be only to please Allah. A sincere pure intention would mean you have forgotten the creation and are thinking only about the creator. Sincerity in action for the sake of Allah is a part of Islam. “and they were not enjoined anything except they should serve Allah, being sincere to him in obedience, upright, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and that is the right religion” Quran 98:5

Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 431: Narrated 'Utban bin Malik Al-Ansari: who was one of the men of the tribe of Bani Salim: Allah's Apostle came to me and said, "If anybody comes on the Day of Resurrection who has said: La ilaha illal-lah, sincerely, with the intention to win Allah's Pleasure, Allah will make the Hell-Fire forbidden for him."

Being sincere in your intention can be reiterated as your intention being pure. Pure meaning there is no mixture of intentions but just the intention to please Allah in the act you do. If I were to say I started this blog to please Allah and to please myself it means my intentions may be to do good but they are not pure; they are not sincere. “And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.” Quran 16:66. Pure because it isn’t mixed with excretion or blood, with a mixture it would not be pure. A servant of Allah can only free himself from Shaytaan through sincere devotion as Allah tells us in the Quran “(Iblis) said: “then, by thy power, I will put them all in the wrong, Except the servants amongst them, sincere and purified (by thy grace)”” Quran 38:82-83

So Ikhlas (sincerity) can also mean purity and is necessary in your intentions for your ibaadah to be accepted. I found a useful post on SunnahOnline Taken from the book Al-Ikhlasby Abu Muhammad ibn Sa'id al- Baylaw which I want to share giving some other definitions of ikhlas:

“There are some other useful definitions of ikhlas:

1.      It is the freedom of the desire for nearness to Allah from every blemish or impurity;

2.      It is singling out Allah with one's intention in all acts of worship;

3.      It is forgetting the sight of the creation by continual observance of the Creator; and

4.      It is to hide your good deeds just like you would hide your evil deeds.”

Worldly things can distract us in prayer, in our good actions, and in our other forms of devotion to Allah. It’s hard not to get distracted, we are human after all; we allow desires, fortune, and other forms of comfort to ourselves consume us and distract us from remembering that this life is temporary. We should be more organised, more focused, and purposeful with our actions. We need to be good to ourselves and unto others, be positive, stay humble, devote in our religion, show respect and be patient, and express many other characteristics our prophet PBUH demonstrated. But with all these distractions and desires if we are able to secure at least one sincere moment of pure devotion to Allah each day I am sure we will benefit so greatly from it in this world and in the hereafter because sincere exclusive devotion to the almighty can be rare but it is precious, rewarding, and cleansing.

How sincere are we in day to day comments in conversations; are we even sincere with our promises?  In Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 Book 52 number 61: Anas ibn Malik reported about his uncle 

“My uncle Anas bin An-Nadr was absent from the Battle of Badr. He said, "O Allah's Apostle (SAW)! I was absent from the first battle you fought against the Mushrikun (Pagans). (By Allah) if Allah gives me a chance to fight the Mushrikun (pagans), no doubt. Allah will see how (bravely) I will fight." On the day of Uhud when the Muslims turned their backs and fled, he said, "O Allah! I apologize to You for what these (i.e. his companions) have done, and I denounce what these Mushrikun (i.e. the pagans) have done." Then he advanced and Sad bin Muadh met him. He said "O Sad bin Muadh! By the Lord of An-Nadr, Paradise! I am smelling its aroma coming from before (the mountain of) Uhud," Later on Sad said, "O Allah's Apostle (SAW)! I cannot achieve or do what he (i.e. Anas bin An-Nadr) did. We found more than eighty wounds by swords and arrows on his body. We found him dead and his body was mutilated so badly that none except his sister could recognize him by his fingers." We used to think that the following Verse was revealed concerning him and other men of his sort: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah . Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration” Quran 33:23 His sister Ar-Rubai broke a front tooth of a woman and Allah's Apostle (SAW) ordered for retaliation. On that Anas (bin An-Nadr) said, "O Allah's Apostle (SAW)! By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, my sister's tooth shall not be broken." Then the opponents of Anas's sister accepted the compensation and gave up the claim of retaliation. So Allah's Apostle (SAW) said, "There are some people amongst Allah's slaves whose oaths are fulfilled by Allah when they take them."

Difficulty in action

Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 459: Narrated Aisha: The Prophet said, "Such a person as recites the Quran and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward."

Although this hadith is related to the recitation of the Quran it goes to show things we try to do for the sake of Allah when we find that particular thing difficult to do so can result in more reward. Allah knows best. Scholars agree that with good actions along with good intentions increase reward further than that of doing a good action with no intention although Imam Ghazzali has written in his works that a pious action without good intention results in zero reward. To get closer to Allah it is said to have intention to please Allah in every lawful act even when eating and applying a fragrance on yourself. Another scholar, as written in Imam Ghazzali’s ihya ulum al din, said a person who asks another if they want some of their food when their intention is for that person to say no because they don’t really want to give it could be classed as a hypocrite. It's clear with scholars that all actions should be done with good intention no matter how big or small.

Someone so absorbed with the goal of the highest rank of jannah will be so captured in devotion that their heart will contain no attachment or love for this world. It’s greed that attaches us to this world. If we can free ourselves from it even on just occasions it will surely lift our moods and increase us in happiness.  Sheikh Faizal abdur-razak wrote in his book ‘actions are by intentions’ that people said “to be devout for a short while is to survive forever, but devotion is rare”. Sometimes we believe we are doing good but in reality deluding ourselves for that action is for something other than Allah’s pleasure. For example a story Sheikh Faizal abdur-razak wrote about in his book actions are by intentions about a man who was used to praying in the front row once turned up late to prayer and prayed in the second but felt embarrassed which made him realise that his devotion to praying in the front row was not because he sought reward but because he loved the admiration he got when people saw him always praying in the first row. “Say: “shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought they were acquiring good by their works” Quran 18:103-104

A haram thing with good intentions is still a haram thing

Another thing we are to be careful about is allowing ourselves to do bad deeds or continue to do bad deeds even though our intention is good. A haram thing would always be haram and would result in zero reward no matter how sincere you feel that what you are doing will benefit you or someone else in a positive way.

It is also written in the book Actions are by intentions by Sheikh Faisul Abdur-Razzak that talking about the good actions you've done in seclusion can void the reward associated with that action. Allah knows best. Furthermore Sheikh Muhammed Ibn 'Umran Ibn Musa Ibn Sa'id Ibn 'Ubaydullah Al-Marzubaani a Hadith scholar stated "there is no sincerity in a forbidden action nor a disliked one" for example doing a bad action for the intention of something good contains no sincerity in it. "There is no drawing near to Allah in it whatsoever".

We should not allow ourselves to be ignorant and allow us to believe our bad deeds are for good reason, hadiths that mention intention are in relation to permissible acts. Furthermore scholars say that a permissible action could result in a bad deed because of the intention behind it. When you do haram do you really think it will benefit your akhira or is it really for this world? because nothing made forbidden will benefit your afterlife “And a soul will not die but with the permission of Allah the term is fixed; and whoever desires the reward of this world, I shall give him of it, and whoever desires the reward of the hereafter I shall give him of it, and I will reward the grateful.” Quran 3:145

The shaytan may blur your intentions. Remind yourself. 

I had to question myself several times on why I started this blog as a reminder to myself because intention is an important thing. With the wrong intention whether I am helping people or not it is no benefit for me at all. Right now would be a good point to remind yourself on what your intention is when visiting this very blog, and what your intention is when you follow these various Islamic blogs, YouTube accounts and Instagram pages. Think about it and use it as a reminder in the future if you ever feel like giving up seeking knowledge to improve your Deen.

May Allah make us all amongst the guided.

Sometimes you have to reflect and think ‘Allah knows me better than I do ‘and make sure everything you do has a valid purpose and to carry out my purpose with sincere good intentions. In regards to Islamic work especially because if you are not doing it for the sake of Allah and it's just to look good or to impress someone then the reward for your good actions may not be valid.

 "And remember the favor of Allah on you and His covenant with which He bound you firmly, when you said: We have heard and we obey, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah knows what is in the breasts." Quran 5:7;  "O Prophet! say to those of the captives who are in your hands: If Allah knows anything good in your hearts, He will give to you better than that which has been taken away from you and will forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." Quran 8:70

Intention should start in the heart and mind and end there too. There is no need to verbally express what you intend to do. We've all heard the expression actions speak louder than words which in most cases is true but once you intend to do something and tell others you immediately put pressure on yourself and create expectations. Expectations can be good and bad depending on the situation. Any righteous deed for it to be free of any boasting, to truly be sincere; if it's for the sake of Allah, you shouldn't feel the slightest to express it to anyone. As quoted above and insincerity or doing a deed in vain may very well not be accepted by Allah.  

So I would like to end this long yet very important post with this hadith: Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 51: Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: Allah's Apostle said, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. "

Jazak’Allah for taking your time to read this. May Allah reward us for our efforts in seeking and spreading knowledge; and may Allah forgive me if I have written anything misleading or wrong. Ameen

______________________________________________________________________

Reminder of the day : Quran 18:23

 وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا

“And do not say of anything: Surely I will do it tomorrow”