Intention
Intention - a requirement for actions
aL .uMooRu Bi MaQaaSiDiHaa
Actions are judged by their intention.
Why do we need to have intentions?
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- Intention is a condition for Allaah accepting or rejecting ones actions.
- It is also a condition to separate the actions that are similar. e.g. intention to pray the different prayers.
- To distinguish worship from habit.
For the boxes in blue these thoughts would have no sins or rewards attached to them.
What can we learn from this?
- If we intend to do a good deed we will be rewarded for our intention even if we don't get to do them.
- If we do the good deed we intended to do we will have ten good deeds or much more recorded for us.
- If we intend to do something bad but we don't do it for the sake of Allah then we will still get the reward for avoiding it (not if you did not do it because you were not able e.g. You couldn't steal because someone is watching you).
- Allah is very merciful and generous, He multiplies our good deeds many times but He does not multiply our sins.
Will any good deeds or bad deeds be recorded for these thoughts?
I will write with my blue pen
I'm going to pray Maghrib and then I prayed
I want to punch the boy that I don't like
If my mum finds out that I lied, I'll get in so much trouble.
I will help my mum clean the house today but then I felt lazy and didn't do it.
I wanted to give charity and I then gave charity
I want to buy some sweets for my sister.
I wanted to steal some money but then felt bad about it and didn't steal.
I wanted to give some food to a homeless person but then I forgot to.
I don't have any evidence but I think that person stole my pen.
Did I do my wudhu properly?
I wish I could have a chocolate cake right now.
A conversation about intentions
Mum: Did you know that you can turn your entire life into an act of worship by seeking Allah’s pleasure in everything that you do from waking up until going back to bed again?
Mum: In fact you can seek reward for sleeping too.
Son: Really mum? How can we do that?
Mum: Let me tell you about one Sahabi by the name of Mu’adh (RA), He 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. [Bukhari,4088].
So 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 can relate everything we do as a habit back to pleasing Allah then even acts that doesn't normally bring rewards can bring about rewards too!. For example when you wake up and go to brush your teeth, you don’t get any reward for that but if you intend that you’re brushing your teeth because Allah likes cleanliness so you want be clean to please Him,then you’ll be rewarded for your intention and your action. This also applies to everything you do.
Son: Wow SubhanAllah that really awesome, that means I can collect so many rewards for the things that I always do if I have the intention for doing it to please Allah!
Mum: Yes! that absolutely correct.
Even when you put your shoes on you do it with right foot first right my son?
Son: Yes Mum I do.
Mum: Then set the intention that your following the sunnah so you’ll be rewarded for that too because Allah asked us to follow our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Son: I'm so glad your telling me this Mum. JazakAllahu khair, Now I don’t want to miss out on all the rewards I could get everyday!
Collecting rewards for our daily routines
Think and write down which daily things you could do for the sake of Allaah to gain rewards.
