It is narrated on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab who said: I
heard the Messenger of God say:
"All actions are judged by motives, and each person will be rewarded
according to their intention. Thus, he whose migration was to God and
His Messenger, his migration is to God and His Messenger; but he whose
migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he
might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." (Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
In Islam, there are two realms to a person's life, the religious and
the mundane. Although there is a clear separation between the two in
regards to religious jurisprudence, they are in fact inseparable, as
Islam is a religion which legislates in matter family,society and
politics as wellas the belief and worship of God. Thus, although
thissaying of the Prophet appears to apply to the religious aspect of
a persons' life, it actually applies to both.
Purity of Intention in the Religious Realm
As mentioned earlier, this hadeeth sets the first principle for one's
deeds tobe accepted by God, whichis that they should be done purely
for God. In regards to those deeds which have been commanded as a form
of religious devotion, known as worship, one must do them for God
Alone, for it is God who commanded the service or deed to be done and
loves it. These deeds include the likes of prayer, (Salah), Fasting,
theoffering of the CompulsoryCharity (Zakah), the performance of the
Lesser or Grater Pilgrimage to Mecca (Umrah and Hajj), and all other
service whichhave been ordained in the religion. Even though the deeds
may appear outwardly, as in this hadeeth, to be one accepted, of
pivotal importance is the intention which the person has when
performing them.
A person who directs any of these or other religious service to other
deities other than or alongside God will never be accepted, and one
who commits this heresy is deemed as committing thegreatest sin
against God, polytheism: to associate others with God in those things
which are specific to Him. Islam is a religion which believes and
practices true and strict monotheism. This monotheism not only entails
that that there is only One Sole God and Creator, but also that this
God has the right that all worship and acts of deed be done solely for
His sakeand none else. This concept is once which God ordered all His
Prophets topreach, as He says in the Quran:
"And they were not commanded except that they should worship God,
keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship nonebut Him Alone, and
establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the
upright religion." (Quran 98:5)
Here we see that even though a person may seem to be performing acts
of devotion and worship to God outwardly,if they associate any other
being in this worship, whether they be angels, prophets, or righteous
people, then this deed is not accepted by God. Moreover, they fall in
to the great sin of polytheism.
Another aspect of this purity of intention is that aperson should
never seek any worldly gains throughreligious service and acts of
worship, even if that worldly gain be somethingpermissible. In the
hadeeth mentioned above,the second person did not perform this
religious obligation of migration forother deities besides or
alongside God, nor did he intend something intrinsically evil. Rather
hisintention was something deemed permissible in thereligion. Still,
however, theact was not accepted by God, and the person may or may not
have received what he intended from this worldly life. Thus, if a
person seeks any permissible worldly gain though an action, the reward
of the deed diminishes.
If a person desires something deemed as impermissible by Islam from
religious service and worship, this is considered as a sin. Islam is a
religion which encourages humbleness and selflessness, reprimanding
those who seek praise of others and status in this worldly life. Thus,
if one seeks the praise of others through religious service and
worship, not only is it not accepted by God, but the person is deemed
liable for punishment in the afterlife. The Prophet mentioned the
first peopleto be sentenced to the Hellfire in the afterlife, andfrom
them is the following:
"A person learned [religious] knowledge and taught it [to others], as
well as reciting the Quran. He will be brought [to the presence of
God], and God will mention to him all thefavors he granted him, andhe
recognized them. God will ask him, 'What did you do with them?'
He will answer, 'I learned [religious] knowledge and taught it [to
others], and I recited the Quran purely for Your sake.' :->
