Set your intentions correctly!‏

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Asalaam Wa Alykum Wa Rahmat Allah Hi Wa Barakat

The Prophet (PBUH) has said: “Actions are but by intention and each person will have but that which he intended.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1) and Muslim (1907). 

Imam al-Shaafa’i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Mahdi, Ibn al-Madeeni, Abu Dawood, al-Daaraqutni and other great scholars of Islam agree that this hadeeth forms one-third of the knowledge.

Intention (niyyah) is an important matter, as it is the spirit of deeds through which deeds become valid. The intention turns permissible deeds into acts or worship; hence we should pay attention to it and make it for the sake of Allah, free from any element of showing off. In fact, intentions are something that the imams and scholars also suffer from. Imam Sufyaan al-Thawri said: “I have never dealt with anything more difficult than my intention, because it keeps changing”

No act of worship will be accepted from a Muslim unless it meets two basic conditions: 

1 – Sincerity of intention towards Allah, may He be exalted. This means that the aims of the person in his words and deeds, both outward and inward, should be to seek the Countenance of Allah alone. 

2 – It should be in accordance with the ways in which Allah has ordained that He be worshipped only. That is achieved by following the Prophet (PBUH) and what he taught, and shunning anything that goes against that, and not introducing any new acts or forms of worship that have not been narrated in proven reports from him (PBUH).



Importance of intentions:

When doing acts of worship, they should be done sincerely and purely for the sake of Allah alone, as Allah says:

 

“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As‑Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaah) and give Zakaah, and that is the right religion” [al-Bayyinah 98:5--- interpretation of the meaning] 

 

“And who has (in mind) no favor from anyone to be paid back, except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High” [al-Layl 92:19-20--- interpretation of the meaning]

 

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah does not accept any deed except that which is done only for Him and to seek His Countenance.” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 3140; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 52) 

 

The Messenger (PBUH) also said, "People will be gathered upon their intentions" [Ibn Maajah, Saheeh al-Jaami no.7898] "Mankind will be resurrected upon their intentions" [Muslim]

 

Yahya bin Abu Katheer said, "Learn your intention for it is more serious than the action."

 

Yusuf bin Asbaat said, "purifying the intention from its corruption is harder upon the workers than long striving (i.e. in their work)"

 

Ibn 'Ijlaan said, "the action is not acceptable except by three: Taqwaa of Allah, and good intention, and correctness (i.e. conformity to the Sunnah)"

 

Some of the scholars have further said “Many small actions are made great by the intentions behind them. Many great actions, on the other hand, are made small because the intentions behind them are not sincere to Allah.”

 

After quoting from the Quran, Hadeeths and scholars, I feel there is no need for me to write anything else to further emphasize on the importance of good intentions.



Types of intentions:

It should be noted that intentions are of two types: 

1 – Obligatory intention, without which an act of worship is not valid, such as the intention in doing wudoo’, praying, paying zakaah, fasting and doing Hajj. This intention is something that no one can do without. If a person does wudoo’ to pray, touch the Mus-haf or in order to be pure (taahir), he has formed the intention. Intending to pray or intending to remove impurity is forming the intention when doing wudoo’. 

When a man stands to pray, knowing that this is Zuhr prayer, for example, and he intends to offer the prayer and gets up to do it, then he has formed the intention. It is not essential – and in fact it is not prescribed – to say out loud, “I intend to pray Zuhr prayer” etc, as some people do. This was not narrated from the Prophet (PBUH), and the place for the intention is in the heart. Similarly, if a person decides at night that he will fast on the following day, then he has formed the intention of fasting. In fact, his eating sahoor shows that he is intending to fast. Some scholars have categorized the saying out loud of intentions before praying or before any righteous act as bid’ah.




2 – The second type of intention is that which is mustahabb, in order to attain reward. This is what some people forget, which is to keep the intention in mind when doing permissible things, so that they will be acts of worship, such as eating, drinking and sleeping.



Throughout this mail, I have talked about the second type of intention, because majority is aware of the first type. But many do not know about the second type of intention.

 

What are the benefits of making intentions?

If a person utters something by mistake that goes against what is in his heart, then what counts is what he intended, not what he said. So he is saved from sinning. Plus, by just having good intentions, you get the reward.

 

It was narrated from Abu'l-Darda' that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever goes to his bed intending to get up and pray at night, then his eyes overwhelm him and (he sleeps) until morning, the (reward for) that which he intended will be written for him, and his sleep is a charity for him given by his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted." (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1787; Ibn Maajah, 1344; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 601) 

It was narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever sincerely asks Allah for martyrdom will attain the status of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed." (Narrated by Muslim, 1909) 




And these are just two Hadeeths which outline that if one has definite intention to do well or obey Allah, then is prevented from doing that deed, Allah will decree the reward for him. When you intend a good deed and carry it out, you will get the reward. When you intend a good deed and do not carry it out, Allah will still give you a hasana. When you intend a bad deed and carry it out, you will get only one bad deed. When you intend a bad deed and not carry it out, Allah will give you a hasana. Such is the mercy and greatness of Allah, the Most Generous and the Most Gracious.



When shall we make intentions?

Intention is connected to knowledge. If a person knows what he is doing then he has obviously made an intention.

 

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “You will never spend anything that you spend for the sake of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it, even the morsel of food that you put in your wife’s mouth.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari (56)) 

 

Mu’aadh, a great scholar, said: ‘I sleep and I get up (to pray at night), and I seek reward for my sleep as I seek reward for my getting up’ (Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4088)). He sought reward for his sleep just as he sought reward for his getting up to pray at night, because he intended by sleeping to gain strength to do acts of worship. 

 

If we have the intention to do everything for the sake of Allah and just to please Him, we’ll be getting the reward. Once your intentions are for Allah and Him alone, you get the reward even while doing small necessities of life. When you sleep, intend that you are sleeping for energy to worship Allah. When you eat, eat so that the hunger will leave you alone so that you can worship Allah, or praise Allah.

 

A scholar said “The smart Muslim is he who plays business with hasanat. He is the one who thinks of all ways to get multiples.”

 

Let me elaborate this point by giving you a practical example. Say a man gives $200 in charity and leaves. He gets his reward based on his intentions. However, another man donates $200 with smart intentions. $50 on the mom, $50 on the dad, $50 on etc. He keeps intending on and on….donate so they will be rewarded, donate to please Allah, donate to confirm faith, donate to help others,  donate…on and on. Do the math>>>action times the intentions! Allah will give us equal reward multiplied by the good intentions.

 

What helps to keep this intention in mind is deliberating, thinking and not being hasty. So you should think about what you are intending to do, take stock of yourself before acting, think about whether it is halaal or haraam, and then look at your intention: what do you want from this? Every time you take stock of yourself and think before acting, this will remind you about forming the intention, until it becomes second nature and a habit that you adopt, so that you will not enter or exit, eat or drink, give or withhold, without having an intention in doing so, thus most of your time will become times of worship. 

 
So whatever good deed you do, be it writing Islamic mails, passing wisdom/knowledge, or memorizing Quran, do it in attempt to please Allah and Him alone. Do not do actions for the people. If you gain religious knowledge and start spreading it so that others think high/good of you and to gain praises, then that is surely a mistake! If one tells his/her good deeds to others with the intention to inspire them then it is good. However, if one spread around his/her good deeds without that intention then I see no point in telling it to others. In this case its better to hide your good deeds to protect yourself from riyaa (showing off) and other such sins. Remember, everywhere and anywhere you go, set your intentions.

May Allah make our intentions pure and allow us to set our intentions in ways that reap great rewards---Ameen!


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References:
Ibn Abee ad-Dunyaa, ‘al-Ikhlaas wa an-Niyyah’.
Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee, 'Jaami Al-Uloom wal Hikm'
www.islamqa.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXN5ZNQ23uo


Wa-alykum Assalaam Wa Rahmat Allah Hi Wa Barakat!