PURITY OF INTENTION
Bismillah Ar- Rahman Ar-Rahim
Praise be to Allah, the most Compassionate to man. We bless His holy nam for witnessing yet another month of the lunar calendar, Jumada al Ula, 1445. As we move gradually towards try the period of fasting which usually depict almost 80 percent of the Deen, there is need to on examine the genuineness of individual's intention. The motive behind any act in Islam is a capable ground for deserving reward on the long run. This leads us to the topic of the week, 'purity of intention'.
'The intention of a man is better than his act', bothers on genuineness of a motive behind a worthy endeavour. This defines most acts in Islam as worship. The two conundrums of goodness i.e both vertical and horizontal as affecting man-Creator and man-man relationship are virile areas of goodness.
To this end, Allah declares in the glorious Qur'an 98:5: "And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being True (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to give Zakat; and that is the Religion right and straight." The main thrust of this Ayah is to centralize worship towards Allah without recourse to mentioning before the beneficiary. Just that doing so amount to licking the yoke of an egg without breaking.
In the similar token, the Sunnah of the Messenger Muhammad (SAW) bears on the matter of intention. On the authority of the leader of the faithful, Abi Hafs, Umar bn l Khattab, (R. A) who said he heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "Action indeed shall be rewarded according to the intention, and that for every man is the reward of his intention. Whoever migrates because of Allah and His Messenger; shall he be rewarded as such, and whoever migrates for any worldly attainment or a wife to be married shall be given the same (commensurate) reward."
This popular Hadith is a gateway to the study of several collections of Hadith.
From the above tradition of the noble Messenger it is evident that Muslims stand some advantage part of which include but not limited to:
i. Condition of intention is pertinent to a rewarding endeavour. It amounts to disproportional focus to begin something before aiming at doing it.
ii. Niyyah (intention) is an integral part of an endeavour. Salat, Zakat, Sawm etc are done sequel to the intention and that the intention cannot be separated from the entire act. While Imam Hanafiy offered that intention is a completing condition of a rewarding endeavour Imam Shafi'iy went for its being the condition for perfection.
iii. Timing of Niyyah is the beginning of a deed.
iv. Place of Niyyah is the mind of a man though, contemporanial discourse offer that it can be verbalized in order to bring the mind back to the current action.
v. Specifying Niyyah for certain endeavour is important as it dignifies same from mixing with others and prevents it from possible interpolation.
vi. It must be mentioned as beauty of good intention that a rewarding deed intended but was prevented from its accomplishment unforeseen circumstances attracts full reward.
vii. A pure intention intention harbingers genuine deed and vice versa.
viii. All intended good deeds stands in the position of worship (Ibaadah).
From the above narrative, it is clear that none of the human action would go unnoticed. It is either noted for good reward or otherwise if it is a result of evil intention. The main import of Qur'an 16:90 often elucidated upon every Friday is a cogent summary of the above Hadith. The only extension appears not only in the motive behind the six main points of the Ayah but also the manner of discharge in all ramifications.
This is where to draw the curtain till we meet again during the next edition of Voice on the Minbarr. Happy reading and stay abundantly blessed.
Dr. Razaq Bolawaye Uthman Imam Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Ipaja Branch Lagos State.
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