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The First Condition: Sincerity

Posted by: bb  Catagory: General


The First Condition: Sincerity


The Messenger of Allaah (SAAWS) said: "Every action is accepted (or not) based on the intention behind it, and every person will be rewarded in accordance with his intention.  So, whoever immigrates to Allaah and His Messenger, then he will be rewarded for immigrating to Allaah and His Messenger, and whoever immigrates for a worldly affair or to get married to a woman, then his immigration is for whatever he immigrated for” [narrated by Bukharee and Muslim, on the authority of Umar ibn Al-Khattaab].


The Messenger (SAAWS) explains in this authentic Hadeeth the importance of the intention.
[Hadeeth = text narrated from the Messenger of Allaah;
authentic = correct = the Messenger (SAAWS) said it].


First, the acceptance of any deed depends on the intention behind it.  If it was done for the sake of Allaah, it is accepted.


Doing an act for the sake of Allaah means that performing this action pleases Allaah; either because Allaah ordered us to do it, or because He recommended that we do it.


For example, if someone prays the Isha (night) prayer because Allaah ordered us to do it, then it is for the sake of Allaah.  If he performs it because he is afraid of Allaah’s punishment if he misses it (because it is mandatory), then it is for the sake of Allaah.  If he performs it because he wants the reward from Allaah for it, then it is for the sake of Allaah.


Also, if someone performs a prayer that is not obligatory (it was recommended for us to perform it for extra reward, but not ordered; also called: naafilah) because he wants to please Allaah, or he wants extra reward, or he wants to make up for a sin he committed, then this is for the sake of Allaah.


If, however, a person performs any prayer (whether mandatory or optional) so that other people see him pray so he is looked upon as righteous, or more people do business with him, or to impress certain people, or any reason other than for the sake of Allaah, then it is not accepted.


The second point made in this Hadeeth is that the reward for any action is based on the intention behind it.  And, in this respect, people differ tremendously.


For example, imagine a person performing Wodoo (= washing for the prayer) before performing the prayer because it is mandatory (we cannot pray if we are not in a state of purity).  He is rewarded for his intention and his action.


Imagine another person performing Wodoo before performing the prayer. His intention is that he is washing for the following reasons: 1) because it is mandatory, 2) because he wants the reward from Allaah for obeying Allaah’s orders (the Aayah odering the believers to do so), and 3) because he wants the reward from Allaah for following the actions of the Messenger (SAAWS).


For both of them, the Wodoo is accepted, but the second person has more reward because his intention is better.


This can even extend into any action a person does, turning what looks like a ‘habit’ into a ‘worship’ for which he is rewarded.


Example 1: a person sleeps early because he is tired, while another is sleeping early because he wants to wake up for the Fajr prayer. The second person’s intention turned his action (sleeping) into an act of obedience for which he will be rewarded.


Example 2: a person eats because he is hungry, while another is eating because he wants to strengthen himself so he can perform the prayer without being tired.  The second person’s intention turned his action (eating) into an act of obedience for which he will be rewarded.


This is how powerful and important our intention is; with the correct intention, you can turn any ordinary habit into an act of worship.


The intention, though, is something in the heart.  Two important consequences of this are:


1) No one can know what any other person’s intention is.  This is something that only Allaah knows.  A person can claim he is doing something for the sake of Allaah (while he has other intentions) and maybe fool everyone in this life into believing him, but Allaah will expose him on the Last Day.


Allaah said: {Does he (man) not know that when what is in the graves is brought out (people are resurrected, on the Last Day), and what’s inside their chests (their intention) is brought out (made known), surely, their Lord is Well-Acquainted with them (and their deeds)} [Surat Al-Aadiyaat (No. 100), Aayaat 9–11].


2) Stating the intention before any worship (loudly or silently) does not count.  What counts is what’s in the heart.  Actually, stating the intention with the tongue is an innovation and should never be done; the Messenger (SAAWS) and his companions never did this.  It doesn’t even make sense; the intention is what’s inside the heart, not what’s on the tongue.


To be continued, if Allaah wills


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