The intention is the foundation of every action

The Messenger of Allaah said: "Verily actions are by intentions, and
for every person is what he intended. So the one whose 'hijrah'
(migration) was to Allaah and His Messenger, then his 'hijrah' was to
Allaah and His Messenger. And the one whose 'hijrah' was for the world
to gain from it, or a woman to marry her, then his 'hijrah' was for
what he made 'hijrah' for." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Many scholars began books with this Hadeeth. Imaam Al-Bukhaari
commences his book of Hadeeth (Saheeh Al-Bukhaari) with this Hadeeth
and explains that every action that is done without seeking Allaah's
pleasureis invalid and devoid of reward.
It can be said that the entire religion revolves around this Hadeeth.
Imaam Ash-Shaafi'i said, "this Hadeeth constitutes a third of all
knowledge."
Muslim scholars differ in opinion as to the limits of the Prophet's
saying: ' actions are by intentions' . Many of the later scholars are
of the opinion that the limit is that the action is made correct or
acceptable with the intention. What is meant by this is that a
legislated action needs an intention. As for habitual actions such as
eating, drinking, dressing, etc., they are not in need of an
intention.
Some say 'actions' here is to be understood in its generality;
therefore, nothing is exempt from it. Others relate this as the saying
of the majority, meaning the majority of the early scholars.This
occurs in the words of Ibn Jareer At-Tabari, Abu Taalib Al-Makki, and
others from the early scholars . Imaam Ahmad said: "I like that for
every action, from prayer, fasting or charity or any action of
righteousness that there be an intention preceding the action. The
Prophet said: 'actions are by intentions' , and this is taken for
every matter."
Fadl Ibn Ziyaad said: "I asked Abu Abdullaah (i.e. Imaam Ahmad ) about
the intention in action, how should it be? He said: 'One should
concentrate on himself when he intends to do an action, not doing it
for the sake of people (i.e. showing off).'"
It is possible that the limits of the saying, 'actions are by
intention' , are that the action is good, corrupt, acceptable,
rejected, rewarded, or not rewarded according to the intention.
Therefore, this statement informs us of the Islamic ruling concerning
this: the correctness or incorrectness of the action is in accordance
with the correctness or incorrectness of the intention.
The saying of the Prophet after this: 'and for everyone is what he
intended' informs that one can not gain anything from his action
except what he intended. So if he intended good, he gets good. If he
intended evil then he gets evil. This second statement (of the
Hadeeth) is notmerely reiterating the first, because the first
statement points to the fact that the goodness or corruptness of the
action is according to the intention necessary for that action to
exist. The second statement points to the fact that the reward of a
person for his action is according to his good intention, and that the
punishment for his action is according to his evil intention.
Scholarly definition of the word 'Intention':
1. To distinguish different types of worship, one from the other. Like
distinguishing Noon (Thuhr) Prayer from Afternoon ('Asr) Prayer, or
distinguishing the fast of Ramadhaan from other fasts, or
distinguishing actions of worship from actions of habit: like
distinguishing bathing from impurity from bathing for the purpose of
cleanliness.
2. To distinguish for who or whatthe action is done: is it for Allaah
only, for other than Allaah, or for Allaah and others than Him?
The meaning of 'intention' in the speech of the Prophet and the Salaf
(righteous predecessors) was used generallyto carry the meaning of
'desire'. In the Quran, the word 'desire' is often used to describe an
intention, as in Allaah's saying (which means): "… Among you are some
who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter
…" [Quran 3: 152]
Also (what means): " Whoever desires the life of this world and its
adornments …" [Quran 11: 15] And (what means): " And keep yourself
patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning
and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass
beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life... " [Quran 18:
28]
Sometimes intention is describedwith the word 'seeking' as in Allaah's
saying (which means): " But only seeking the countenanceof his Lord,
Most High ." [Quran 92: 20] And (which means): "…andyou do not spend
except seeking the countenance of Allaah…" [Quran 2: 272]
Regarding the second meaning ofintention, there are numerous examples
from the 'Sunnah' and the statements of the 'Salaf'. To mention a few:
The Messenger said: "People will be gathered upon their intentions."
[Ibn Maajah] He also said: " Mankind will be resurrected upon their
intentions." [Muslim] Another Hadeeth says: " Verily those slain on
the battlefield will be resurrected upon their intentions." [Ibn Abi
Ad-Dunyaa]
The Prophet also said: "For the ones whose concern is this world,
Allaah will scatter his affair, and place poverty betweenhis two eyes.
He will not get fromthe world except what is written for him. For the
one whose intention is the Hereafter, Allaah will gather for him his
affair and place contentment in his heart, and the world will come to
him willingly." [Ibn Maajah]
Zayd Ash-Shaami said: "VerilyI like to make an intention for
everything I do even if it is eating and drinking."
Sufyaan Ath-Thawri said: "I have not treated anything more difficult
than my intention, because it keeps changing."
Ibn Al-Mubaarak said: "Maybea small action is made great by its
intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention."
The three above-mentioned sayings were reported by Ibn Abi Ad-Dunyaa
in his book 'The Sincerity and the Intention'.
Imaam Ahmad said that the foundation of the religion is uponthree Hadeeths:
1. "Verily actions are by intention." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
2. "Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not
part of it then it is rejected." [Muslim]
3. " The Halaal (lawful) is clear andthe Haraam (prohibited) is
clear." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
Islam teaches us to perform good actions, stay away from theforbidden
actions and stop at thedoubtful matters. All of this is perfected upon
two matters:
Actions must be done correctly, according to the teachings of Islam,
and seeking the Pleasure of Allaah, Almighty.
Fudayl Ibn `Iyaadh said about the saying of Allaah (whichmeans): " He
who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in
deed ." [Quran 67:2]
Who is sincere and correct in it? If the action is sincere and
incorrect, then it is not accepted. Likewise if it is correct and not
sincere then it is not accepted. It is only accepted when it is both
sincere and correct. It is sincere when it is for the sake of Allaah,
and correct when it is done according to the teachings of Islam.

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Allaah The Almighty LovesDeliberation - II

We should be deliberate and not hasty in our speech. What makes us act
hastily in any matter, without giving it careful consideration? As
long as we are in the process of thinking and have not uttered any
words or done an action, we still have the privilege of choice .
However, once we have uttered the words or done the action, then we
have no choice but to wait for the results.
Do you not see how many people are in prison and if you asked them,
they would all say in one voice: " We were hasty."
Try to have strong determination in controlling your own self and
restraining it from taking any step without careful consideration, as
taking a step after careful thinking and knowledge is praiseworthy,
especially when it comes to matters related to the Hereafter. Hence,
do not be hesitant or reluctant regarding doing good deeds, but try to
hasten to do them. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas said, " The Prophet said :
'Deliberation should be in every matter except matters that pertain to
the Hereafter.'" [Abu Daawood] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh [
Imaam An-Nawawi differentiated between deliberation and solemnity and
said, "Deliberation in movements and the avoidance of frivolity is the
praised deliberation, but lowering the gaze and the voice is
solemnity."
Practically, it is proved that the one who is hasty and realizes
thiscan train himself to be deliberate and when he reaps the fruits of
deliberation, he continues to remain as such.
Haste is one of the qualities of the youth and may result in dangerous
consequences for their deeds. Thus, it is a good idea to bring up the
youth so that they are used to meditation and careful thinking, and to
avoidhastening towards darkness before having the light of knowledge
as the negative effects of their deeds will not only affect them, but
also their families and societies.
Dear brothers and sisters, the devil deceives humans by means of their
temper to prevent them from even thinking about altering or improving
their tempers. Some of us believe that we have been created with the
innate quality of being hasty, to the extent that we cannot conceive
of abandoning it and excuse ourselves regarding many of our mistakes
or hasty actions.
We should remember that being deliberate is achieved through training,
so train yourself to thinkcarefully before making any decision and
before speaking. Do not cause yourself to apologize frequently because
of your haste and remember that sometimes the consequences could be
very bad.
Do you know that the Prophet, , was very strict with those who were
hasty, especially when the negative effects of their behavior could be
fatal?
Usaamah ibn Zayd said, "The Messenger of Allaah sent us towards
Al-Huraqah, and in the morning we attacked them and defeated them. I,
and a man of the Ansaar followed a man from among them and when we
took him over, he said, 'La ilaaha illallaah.' On hearing that, the
Ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing him with my spear.
When we returned, the Prophet came to know about that and he said: 'O
Usaamah! Did you kill him after he had said, "La ilaaha illallaah?"' I
said, 'But he said so only to save himself.' The Prophet kept on
repeating that so often that I wished I had not embraced Islam before
that day."
The Prophet, , reproached thehasty people in the Hadeeth (narration)
by Jaabir who said, "We were travelling and a man among us was injured
by a stone and his head was woundedthen he had a wet dream and asked
his companions if he could have permission to perform Tayammum (dry
ablution). They told him that he could not be excused as he had water.
Thus, the man performed Ghusl and he died. When we returned to the
Prophet and told him he said: 'They killed him. May Allaah kill them!
Why did they not ask whenthey did not know, as the remedyof ignorance
is asking. It was sufficient for him to perform Tayammum and wrap a
piece of cloth over the wound then wipe over it and wash the rest of
his body.' " [Abu Daawood]
Taste the sweetness of deliberation in all your matters asyou will not
aspire to something except that which Allaah The Almighty has decreed
and nothing will afflict you except that which Allaah The Almighty has
decreed, so why are you hasty?

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Allaah The Almighty LovesDeliberation - I

Dear brothers and sisters, if you think about the negative results of
many of our deeds, you would find that rashness and lack of
deliberation are the main reasonsbehind losing what we want.
Deliberation means not being hasty in seeking anything and acting
purposefully to gain it. Consider how Allaah The Almighty disapproves
of haste. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } O you who have
believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information,
investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over
what you have done, regretful. { [Quran 46:6]
The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam , praised the delegation of
'Abd Al-Qays from the Hajar region for their deliberation and
tolerance, as he said to Ashajj 'Abd Al-Qays: "You have two
characteristics that Allaah and HisMessenger like: forbearance and
deliberation." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Those who are deliberate enjoy the love of Allaah The Almighty and the
praise of the Prophet, . This is because the Prophet, , attributed
deliberation to Allaah The Almighty and attributed hastiness to Satan.
TheProphet, , said: "Deliberation is from Allaah and hastiness is from
the devil. Allaah is the one who pardons His slaves most andthe thing
that Allaah likes most ispraising Him." [Abu Ya'la: Narrators of
Saheeh Hadeeth [
Fadhaalah bin 'Ubayd narrated, "Once, while we were sitting with the
Prophet a man entered the mosque and performed prayer and invoked
Allaah The Almighty without praising Him and without asking Him to
confer His blessing on the Prophet . The Prophet said to him: 'You
have been hasty in your supplication.'
The Prophet, , taught his Companions to first praise Allaah The
Exalted duly, as He deserves, then ask Him to send His blessings upon
him (the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam ) and to grant him
peace, then to supplicate Him. Then the Prophet, , heard a man praying
and praising Allaah The Almighty and asking Him to send peace and
blessings upon the Prophet, , so, he, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam ,
said: 'Invoke Allaah and He will answer your invocation and give you
what youask Him for." [An-Nasaa'i], [Al-Albaani: in As-Saheehah [
How good is patience and deliberation, as it brings good qualities
that reassure a person and enable him to avoid any harm that might
afflict someone who is hasty. Patience and deliberation brings peace
of mindduring the night and inner peace during the day. Abu Haatim
said, "The hasty person cannot be caught, while the patient,
deliberate one cannot be preceded. The silent person can never regret,
while the one who speaks can is never be safe of from making mistakes.
The hasty person usually speaks before he is sure; answers before he
understands and praises before he tries."
Dear honorable brothers and sisters, how much will the merchant lose
if he buys merchandise that he does not know? How much will the
spouses regret, if they get married without careful consideration or
consultation? How great is the regret of the husband if he hastens to
divorce his wife without talking to her politely or submitting the
issue to two wise arbitrators? How much will the student regret if
heis hasty during an exam and doesnot think carefully about his
answer? How much will the friend feel sorry when accusing his friend
without having any proof of this accusation? Will the judge be just if
he is hasty with his sentence?
Great was the wisdom of the Prophet, , which Allaah The Almighty
granted him. 'Ali said , The Prophet sent me to Yemen as a judge so I
asked him, 'Will you send me as a judge and I am still young and do
not know about judging?' The Prophet replied: 'Allaah will guide your
heart and fix your tongue (on thetruth). When two parties come toyou,
you must not say your judgment unless you listen to each one of them
as this would make the issue clearer to you.' 'Ali said, 'Since then I
became a good judge or was never in doubt regarding any judgment.'"
[Abu Daawood and Ahmad] [Ahmad Shaakir: Saheeh [
The Prophet, , disapproved of those who are hasty with their
invocations and considered hasteone of the reasons that render
aninvocation unaccepted. The Prophet, , said: "The supplication of any
of you is answered unless he is hasty with it and says, 'I invoked my
Lord, but He did not answer my invocation.'" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Deliberation is part of the personality of a confident person,as a
deliberate person is usually more likely to evaluate his status and
position. He is characteristically self-confident, decisive and not
hesitant, as he does not accept failure. He is aware of what he
intends to do and scrutinizes it well by studying (its implications)
and consulting others until he decides to do it, while relying on
Allaah The Almighty. If he makes a mistake, he quickly repents without
blaming himself or despairing of the mercy of Allaah The Almighty. The
Prophet, , said: "Good morals, deliberation and moderation are one
part of the twenty-four parts of Prophethood." [At-Tirmithi: Hasan

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Dought - clear - There is nothing wrongwith making up missed Ramadaan fasts in the second half of Sha’baan.

I had many days owing of Ramadaan fasts because of pregnancy and
giving birth, which coincided with the time of Ramadaan. I have made
them up, praise beto Allaah, with the exception of the last seven
days.
I fasted three of them in the second half of Sha'baan, and I want to
do the rest before Ramadaan begins.
But I read on your site that it is not permissible to fast in the
second halfof Sha'baan, except for aperson who habitually fasts.
Please advise me, may Allaah reward you. Iwant to know whether I
should fast the rest of these days that I owe, or not. If the answer
is no, then what is the ruling on the three days that I have already
fasted – do I have to make them up again or not?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "When Sha'baan is halfway through, do not fast." Narrated
by Abu Dawood (3237); Ibn Hibaan (1651); classed assaheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
There are some exceptions from this prohibition, as follows:
1 –One who has a habit of fasting, such as a man who habitually fasts
on Mondays and Thursdays, which he may do even after halfway through
Sha'baan. The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Do not anticipate Ramadaan by
fasting one or two days before it, except a man who fasts regularly,
whoshould observe his usual fast." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1914;
Muslim, 1082.
2 – A person who startedfasting before halfway through Sha'baan, and
connects what comes after the halfway point to what came before. This
is not included in the prohibition either. The evidence for that is
the words of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said:
"TheMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to fast all of Sha'baan and fast all of Sha'baan except a
little."Narrated by al-Bukhaari,1970; Muslim, 1165. This version
narrated by Muslim.
Al-Nawawi said: "He used to fast all of Sha'baan and fast all of
Sha'baan except a little."The second phrase is an explanation of the
first, pointing out that by "all"what is meant is "most".
This hadeeth indicates that it is permissible to fast after halfway
through Sha'baan, but only for one who joins that to what came before
the halfway point.
3 – An exception from this prohibition is also made for one who is
making up missed Ramadaan fasts.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (6/399):
Our companions said: it is not correct to fast on the "day of doubt"
just before Ramadaan, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion
on thispoint … But if a person fasts it to make up a missed day or to
fulfil a vow, or as an expiation, that is acceptable, because if it is
permissible to observe a voluntary fast on that day, it is more likely
to be permissible to observe an obligatory fast… and if a person hasto
make up a day from Ramadaan, then he has to fast it, because the time
left for him to makeit up has become very short.
The "day of doubt" is thethirtieth of Sha'baan if ithas not been
possible to sight the moon of the thirtieth because of cloud, fog,
etc. It is calledthe "day of doubt" because there is some doubt
concerning it – is it the last day of Sha'baan or the first day of
Ramadaan?
In conclusion:
There is nothing wrong with making up a missedRamadaan fast in the
lasthalf of Sha'baan. This is not included in the prohibition of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on fasting after
halfway through Sha'baan.
So your fasting of those three days is valid, and you have to fast the
remaining days before Ramadaan begins.
And Allaah knows best.

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