Written by: Fadilat Al-Sheikh Hafiz Abdul Sattar Al-Hammad (Hafizahullah)
[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Revelation: 1]
"Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will get what they intended. Whoever migrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, their migration will be for Allah and His Messenger. But whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, their migration is for what they migrated for."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith: 54]
However, with sincerity and good intention, even mundane activities can be transformed into acts of worship and become a source of reward. For example, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"When a man spends on his family, seeking reward for it, it becomes an act of charity for him."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith: 55]
Similarly, sleeping is a natural and habitual action. But if one sleeps with the intention of waking up early for Fajr prayer in congregation, then the sleep itself becomes a precursor to worship and is rewarded accordingly.
Hadith:
"Verily, actions are judged by intentions, and every person will get what they intended."[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Revelation: 1]
Explanation:
The complete wording of this hadith, narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), is as follows:"Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will get what they intended. Whoever migrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, their migration will be for Allah and His Messenger. But whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, their migration is for what they migrated for."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith: 54]
Meaning of Intention in Shariah:
In Shariah, intention (niyyah) means to have the purpose of performing an action for the sake of seeking Allah’s pleasure. This understanding of intention applies specifically to acts of worship, where sincerity is essential. For normal activities such as eating, drinking, or sleeping, there is no specific requirement for a sincere intention as these are natural, worldly needs. These actions do not need an intention to gain worldly benefits.However, with sincerity and good intention, even mundane activities can be transformed into acts of worship and become a source of reward. For example, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"When a man spends on his family, seeking reward for it, it becomes an act of charity for him."
[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith: 55]
Similarly, sleeping is a natural and habitual action. But if one sleeps with the intention of waking up early for Fajr prayer in congregation, then the sleep itself becomes a precursor to worship and is rewarded accordingly.
Conditions for Sincerity:
For an act to be considered sincere (ikhlas), it must fulfill one of the following three conditions:- The act should be done for the pleasure of Allah.
- The act should be done to seek Paradise.
- The act should be done out of fear of Hell.