How Can One Have Good Intentions in Everything He Does?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yakti

Question

How can one have good intentions in everything he does?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and all praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Master of the Messengers, and upon his family and all his companions, and thereafter:

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) guided us on how to maintain good intentions in every action through the great hadith, “Actions are by intentions, so each man will have what he intended…” Scholars have deduced significant rules and regulations concerning intentions and how to maintain them in all actions from this noble hadith. Among these great derived rules is their saying: “Intentions can transform habits into acts of worship.”

Detail and Explanation:

To answer this question, it is essential to study and understand the hadith “Actions are by intentions” and its guidance on how to act upon it, as it is the foundation of this topic.

The Text of the Hadith

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) reports that he heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say: “Indeed, actions are by intentions, every man shall have what he intends. So whoever’s migration was to Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was to Allah and His Messenger, and whoever’s migration was for some worldly gain or to take a woman in marriage, then his migration was to whatever he migrated to.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

The Central Importance of this Hadith

This Hadith is one around which the entire religion of Islam revolves. Imam Ahmad and Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on them) said, “The hadith of actions are by intentions comprises a third of all knowledge.” The reason is that a person carries out his deeds with his heart, his tongue, and his limbs, and the intention is one of these three categories.

It is narrated that Imam Shafi’i (Allah be pleased with him) said that this hadith enters into seventy chapters of Fiqh, and a group of scholars stated: “This hadith constitutes a third of Islam.”

Beginning with this Hadith

Scholars recommended that all written works begin with this hadith to remind the students of the importance of correcting their intentions. Among those who began their book with it is Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Bukhari (Allah have mercy on him).

The Intention is the Basis for Any Deed’s Acceptance

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) shows us in this hadith that the basis for the acceptance of deeds by Allah Almighty and their validity from the person performing them is that they must be done with a sincere, good intention.

– As he (Allah bless him and give him peace) says: “Actions are by intentions,” meaning: actions are not valid, nor are they legally considered, nor accepted, and the doer does not receive reward and blessings except with good purpose and sincerity to Allah (The Most High) in the action.

– “And every man shall have only that which he intended,” that is, every person will be rewarded according to their intention and will be rewarded based on their purpose. Whoever intends with their action to please Allah Almighty and to obtain His forgiveness and the reward of His paradise will achieve that, and Allah will reward them for it. Those who intended to please people, gain their approval, or achieve material worldly benefit will get what they sought in this world and will have no share or reward with Allah (The Most High).

Doing Everything with a Good Intention

Returning to the question: How can one have a good intention in everything they do? This is achieved by knowing and applying the following matters derived from this noble Hadith, whether in worship or habits, as mentioned by scholars [Ibn Rajab, Jami’ al-Ulum wal-Hikam]:

Actions are not Valid without Intentions

1. The actions of the believing individuals who are responsible for worship, whether they are words or deeds, obligatory or voluntary, are not considered valid in Sacred Law without an intention.

The intention is a Pillar of Worship

2. Intention is necessary in worship – like prayer, Hajj, and fasting – as it is a pillar of each action, meaning the action is not valid without it.

Timing of the Intentions:

3. The intention (niyya) should be made directly at the beginning of the act of worship, such as at the Takbirat al-Ihram in prayer. However, for some acts of worship like fasting, it is sufficient to make the intention beforehand, known as “pre-dawn intention” (tabyit al-niyya). It is also required to maintain this intention until the end of the act of worship.

The Intention’s Location

4. The place of intention is the heart. It is, however, recommended to utter it with the tongue to assist the heart in maintaining it.

Specification in the Intention:

5. In acts of worship, the intention must specify and distinguish the particular act being performed. It is not sufficient, for example, to merely intend to pray; one must specify whether it is the Dhuhr prayer, ‘Asr prayer, or any other.

Turning Habits into Worship

6. Ordinary actions that are not worship will not merit reward unless the doer intends by them to draw closer to Allah (Most High). If so, it becomes an act of worship and is rewarded for it, such as intending to strengthen oneself for obedience through eating and drinking or intending to refresh one’s body through sleep to be energetic for worship.

Attaining Reward in the Afterlife

7. The Hadith also guides us to sincerity in action and to have a good intention in everything we do so that we can achieve reward and blessing in the Hereafter.

The Intention Alone is Worthy of Reward

8. The Hadith also indicates that if one intends a good deed but is prevented from performing it due to an excuse like illness, death, or similar, they will be rewarded for it. We understand this from the phrase, “and every man shall have only that which he intended.” Thus, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “If a servant of Allah is ill or on a journey, he will be credited with the same rewards for good deeds that he used to do when he was healthy or at home” [Bukhari].

Sincerity in Our Intention:

9. The hadith indicates the importance of sincerity in our intentions towards people, honesty with them, thinking well of them, and wishing good for them while refraining from harming them. Our interactions with others should be with the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allah (Most High). There are numerous hadiths emphasizing this principle.

Conclusion:

Advice from Shaykh Nur al-Din Itr

I shall remind you of the guidance of Dr. Nur al-Din ‘Itr, may Allah have mercy on him, and I convey it to you as I heard it from him.

He said: “A Muslim should pay attention to correcting the direction of the heart in the actions they perform. Business transactions, skillwork, and the workplace where one works, all of these are places of worship, as earning a lawful income is obligatory upon a Muslim.

The reward for an obligation is great, but actions are judged by intentions, so do not earn or perform your worldly work mindlessly, as any created being in the world would act instinctively. Instead, purify your intention in them.

There are several ways to purify intention, and there is a detailed way, which is to make an intention with every action we do.

Supplications for Intentions

This may be cumbersome at first, but there is an easier way: to say every morning this reported supplication: “O Allah, our Lord, and Lord of everything, make me sincere to You and my family at every hour of the night or day,” which is based on a sound Hadith. There is also the specific supplication in the Shafi’i school, which includes: “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.” This supplication includes everything and encompasses all things. It is a comprehensive intention. Say it verbally and mean it with a sincere resolve, and it will cover all movements and stillness. (The shaykh mentioned this advice in his speech during my wedding ceremony, which is available in its entirety on my Facebook page for those who wish to view it)

Allah ultimately knows best.

[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yakti