What is the Ruling of Doing Something With Ill Intentions?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
What’s ruling on doing things with the wrong intention? Like, there’s an art contest, and someone I’m not on good terms with submitted something, and now I have the urge to submit something just because I want to be better.
Also, there’s a program, and I wanted to be the gatekeeper of it from someone, but I eventually have her the program, but I usually gatekeeper it for myself.
What’s the ruling on it? Can I still submit my art piece even though I have bad intentions? I try to get rid of the purpose, but I can’t, like the intention is still in me. Is this haram? If I submit the art piece with bad intentions, can I change my intention, or is it too late?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Go ahead and submit your art piece as long as the work does not contravene the sharia, like having to draw and sketch human facial features, etc.
Sometimes, we may have insincere intentions at the beginning, but we can change and be sincere about it later, get it off your chest, and accept fate. This can be a twofold lesson about inculcating sincerity and believing and accepting destiny.
Intentions Can Change
Mujahid (Allah have mercy on him) said, We sought knowledge, we never had a significant intention, then Allah Most High granted us a proper intention [Darimi]
Accept Destiny
It was narrated that Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) said, The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive for that which will benefit you, seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say, “f only I had done such and such,” rather say, “Qaddara Allahu wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allah has decreed and whatever he wills, He does).” For (saying) ‘If’ opens (the door) to the deeds of Shaytan.'” [Ibn Maja]
Go ahead with your art piece, if possible. Please take this as a lesson in destiny and something for you to work on and accept the result of.
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey.
He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His personal interest is the love of books and gardening.
