Hadith 1: Deeds are by intentions إنما الأعمال بالنيات

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ

Verily, deeds are only with intentions. Verily, every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to Allah and his messenger, his emigration is for Allah and his messenger. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated. Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 54, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Introduction – Commentary on hadith – by Dr. Jamal Badawi

This ḥadīth is considered to be one of the greatest ḥadīth in Islām. According to Al-Imām al-Shāfiʼī;, this ḥadīth is one third of the knowledge of Islām being related to over seventy topics of fiqh. This ḥadīth was expressed by the Prophet (pbuh) at the time when a man migrated from Makkah to Madīnah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying a woman.
Niyyah or intention has two meanings:
1. The intention before performing an ʼibādah (an act of worship such as prayer, fasting, etc.)
2. The willingness of performing an action
In this ḥadīth, the Prophet (pbuh) starts with the principle “Actions are judged by intentions,” and then gives three practical examples. This is a methodology used by the Prophet (pbuh) when conveying certain Islāmic principles. Examples help illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand it, and so that they can apply it to other situations. The three examples consist of: (1) a single good intention (migration for the sake of Allah and His Messenger) and (2) two inferior intentions (migration for the sake of worldly gains or marriage).

Lessons

A. Ikhlāṣ – Sincerity to Allah (SWT)

This ḥadīth emphasizes the importance of ikhlāṣ, or sincerity. This is to be truthful and honest with Allah (SWT), performing an act solely for His sake whereby no other entity or thing is sought. Ikhlāṣ is the major condition for the acceptance of good deeds. This ḥadīth is therefore a criterion to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say “as an ʼibādah” in their daily lives. The other condition is that actions must be done in accordance with the Sharīʼah (Islāmic Law) as is explained in Ḥadīth 5 [“Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (Islām) something that does not belong to it is to be rejected” (Al-Bukhārī & Muslim)].

Ikhlās, or sincerity is to be truthful and honest with Allah (SWT), performing an act solely for His sake whereby no other entity or thing is sought. Ikhlās is the major condition for the acceptance of good deeds

Hadith 1 – Actions are Judged by Intentions

#Deeds #Intentions #hadith; #Marriage; #Purpose; #Sincerity/ Ikhlas;