مشكوة المصابيح
Mishkat al-Masabih
كتاب الجهاد
The Book of Jihad
(كَمَا تَكُونُ النِّيَّةُ يَكُونُ الثَّوَابُ)
(As the intention is, so is the reward)
Hadith 3850
وَعَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ غَزَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَنْوِ إِلَّا عِقَالًا فَلَهُ مَا نَوَى» . رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيّ
‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who fights in God’s path with no intention but getting a tethering rope will have what he intended.”* * This saying advocates the necessity of having proper motives. If all one wants is some material gain that is all he will get, for he will not deserve any eternal reward. Nasa’i transmitted it.
