Benefits From The Explanation of Hadeeth Actions are By Intentions

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“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhaaree (1) and Muslim (1907)]

Shaykh Sa’d bin Naasir ash-Shithree [May Allaah Preserve him] said:

 

Former Member of Permanent Committee of Major Scholars, Saudi Arabia

This Hadeeth highlights the importance in having firm resolve in doing an act of worship, once a resolve is established then this counts as an intention. For example, if Zakaat is due and he has firm resolve to give in Zakaah in his heart, then the intention has formed.

Another way of forming an intention, added to having resolve, is having the ability in wanting to do something. This has been mentioned by some of the Usooliyeen who say fall under a terminology called Dalaalah al-Iqtidaa’, meaning if someone intends to do something and has the ability to do it then when he stands to do it, having resolve and ability, his intention has formed.

This hadeeth also sets out another important principle that actions without intentions have not reward. Therefore, it highlights the importance of having intentions when doing good deeds. Others from the scholars stated that the doing a good deed without having the intention means that the deed is accepted however it may not be rewarded, this is the view of Hanafees. They argued that having an intention before setting out to do a good deed makes the good deed more perfect, but without an intention the deed is accepted but your reward is nullified. Their reasoning was based on the fact that intention may exist or not but the command has been fulfilled, therefore intention in the linguistic sense to complete the command has been completed.

However, the most correct view is that the action being correct depends on the intention, so the action is not valid and not rewarded if one doesn’t have an intention. This is the most correct view because we are looking at the technical terminology within the Shariah and not what the intention means in the linguistic sense, therefore forming an intention is necessary in attaining the reward as well have the good deed accepted, this is the view of the majority of the scholars.

The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said in the Hadeeth:

‘Li-kulli’: meaning for all, the laam here can either mean for specific or for belonging. So for all those who intend, the reward is specific to them or it belongs only to them.

‘Maa nawaa’: meaning what they intended, this wording is general, so all those who intend will have the reward.

Intentions can be made for various reasons:

1) That we intend to do a particular action e.g. I am praying the Salaah for Fajr

2) That we are doing something for a particular reason e.g. I am wearing Ihraam for Hajj

3) That we are doing it for Allaah Alone 

4) To gain reward in the Hereafter

‘Mun’: means those whoever, again this is general, so whoever intends…

‘Hijrah’: this is to move from the land of Kufr to land of Eemaan, this type of Hijrah valid and present until the Last Day as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said “There is no Hijrah after al-Fath (i.e. conquering of Makkah)” meaning, there is no Hijrah to Makkah after this day and thus no-one can be called a Muhaajir after this day.

[Taken from the Explanation of Nawawee’s Forty Hadeeth]

Shaykh ‘Abdul-Kareem ibn ‘Abdullah al-Khudayr [May Allaah Preserve him]

Member of Permanent Committee of Major Scholars, Saudi Arabia

The Hadeeth of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab [May Allaah be Pleased with him] has always been placed at the beginning of the book of the scholars because it reinforces the fact that sincerity and Ikhlaas comes before we do any act of worship.

The meaning of the Hadeeth is that there is no action that is accepted unless if one intends in his heart to do it, having Ikhlaas for Allaah, and does the deed without negligence. Sometimes negligence is there and the deed is accepted however the reward is decreased.

E.g. the Hanafees say that Wudhoo is not an act of worship so we don’t need a Niyyah for it, but the correct view is that any deed that is intended to get close to Allaah, the Most High, needs a Niyyah otherwise the act is fruitless.

Majority of the scholars say that an act that is a means to fulfilling a command or an obligation is also an act of worship, so this needs an intention too, however Imaam Abu Haneefah [May Allaah have Mercy on him] held the opinion that Wudhoo is not a means to fulfilling the command, which in this case is Salaah.

[Taken from Sharh Taqreeb Takhreej al-ahaadeeth wa Taqreeb al-Asaneed wa Tarteeb al-Maasneed]