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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
الإخلاص فى النية والعملSincerity in Intention and Action
بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي النِيَّةِChapter on what has been narrated regarding intention
Hadith 8884
اُردوEn
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ وَلِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ
Narrated from Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended. So whoever's migration is for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is for Allah and His Messenger. And whoever's migration is for the world, which he will attain, or for a woman whom he will marry, then his migration is for that for which he migrated. (In short), the migration of the emigrant is for that for which (with the intention of which) he migrated.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … This is an extremely important and comprehensive hadith, and this blessed hadith plays a role in performing every good deed and in abstaining from every evil. There are two types of intention (niyyah): one type of intention distinguishes righteous acts from one another, for example, the four units (rak‘ahs) of Zuhr, the four units of ‘Asr, the four units of Sunnah before each of these, obligatory fasts, voluntary fasts, etc. At the beginning of each act, it is to be distinguished from other acts.
The second type of intention determines the purpose of the doer: whether the act is being done sincerely for Allah Ta‘ala, or whether its aim and objective is ostentation, showing off, or fear of someone other than Allah.
In this chapter, it is the clarification of the second type of intention that is sought. It can be claimed that the most difficult act is to maintain sincerity (ikhlas) in intention and resolve. Priceless acts such as jihad, generosity, and Hajj are destroyed due to corruption in intention.
Imam Sufyan al-Thawri rahimahullah said: "Mā ‘ālaǧtu shay’an ashaddu ‘alayya min niyyatī, li-annahā tatakallabu ‘alayya." … I have not treated anything more difficult for me than my intention, for it keeps turning upon me.
Imam ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak rahimahullah said: "Rubba ‘amalin ṣaghīrin tu‘aẓẓimuhu al-niyyah wa rubba ‘amalin kabīrin tuṣaghghiruhu al-niyyah." … How many small acts there are that intention makes great, and how many great acts there are that intention makes small.
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: "Ta‘allamū al-niyyah fa-innahā ablaghu min al-‘amal." … Learn (the science of) intention, for it is more important than the act itself.
Someone said to Nafi‘ ibn Habib: "Will you not attend such-and-such funeral?" He replied: "Wait a moment, let me make my intention." Then he thought for a while and said: "Yes, let us go." (For these statements, see: Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam: 1/13)
The second type of intention determines the purpose of the doer: whether the act is being done sincerely for Allah Ta‘ala, or whether its aim and objective is ostentation, showing off, or fear of someone other than Allah.
In this chapter, it is the clarification of the second type of intention that is sought. It can be claimed that the most difficult act is to maintain sincerity (ikhlas) in intention and resolve. Priceless acts such as jihad, generosity, and Hajj are destroyed due to corruption in intention.
Imam Sufyan al-Thawri rahimahullah said: "Mā ‘ālaǧtu shay’an ashaddu ‘alayya min niyyatī, li-annahā tatakallabu ‘alayya." … I have not treated anything more difficult for me than my intention, for it keeps turning upon me.
Imam ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak rahimahullah said: "Rubba ‘amalin ṣaghīrin tu‘aẓẓimuhu al-niyyah wa rubba ‘amalin kabīrin tuṣaghghiruhu al-niyyah." … How many small acts there are that intention makes great, and how many great acts there are that intention makes small.
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: "Ta‘allamū al-niyyah fa-innahā ablaghu min al-‘amal." … Learn (the science of) intention, for it is more important than the act itself.
Someone said to Nafi‘ ibn Habib: "Will you not attend such-and-such funeral?" He replied: "Wait a moment, let me make my intention." Then he thought for a while and said: "Yes, let us go." (For these statements, see: Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam: 1/13)
