Sincerity of Intention in Islam (2-2)
In the
name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
It was
once said to one of the righteous: “Come, let us attend a funeral.” He replied
to his brother, “Wait.” After waiting for a long time, he was asked: “Why this
delay?” He answered: “So that I may renew my intention for the sake of Allah,
the Lord of the worlds.”
The Test of Intentions in Everyday
Actions
I
reflected deeply on this incident and realized that many people are entangled
in the same issue. When a famous person dies—someone widely praised, about whom
people say: “How great he was! How generous! How knowledgeable!”—while in
reality he may not be worth the wing of a mosquito before Allah!
People
rush toward his funeral and his grave. You see wealthy individuals glancing
left and right so that the family of the deceased notices their presence and
does not become upset with them. One of them smokes cigarettes while sitting on
graves. Another engages in buying and selling while neglecting prayer. Some may
even stand behind the funeral prayer and perform it without ablution!
On the
Day of Resurrection, these people will come forward, and the case of that
funeral will be brought forth. Allah will command that the records of that
funeral be opened: Who attended it? So-and-so, the son of so-and-so—a poor,
unknown man, barefoot, thin in body, tearful in eye, humble in heart.
The
Exalted Lord will say: “Place two qirats in his scale, each qirat like the
mountain of Uhud.”
And who
else attended? So-and-so, the son of so-and-so—the man of status, wealth, cars,
and properties.
Look at
his intention, and it is black. He did not come to the cemetery or the funeral
sincerely for the sake of Allah. Thus they find not a single good deed in his
scale.
We must
pay attention to this dangerous matter and treat our hearts
and souls, for the most difficult treatment is the treatment of the self.
When Good Actions Are Ruined by Corrupt
Intentions
Among the
strange things we often see are those who outwardly appear righteous
and write about national causes and patriotism. They write defending the rights
of others, with eloquent pens and published articles.
Yet you
see them attacking the hijab and the fundamentals of religion, and then at the
end of their words they sign off by saying: “And Allah is the One behind the
intention.”
The Danger of Showing Off (Riya’)
The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
warned his Ummah, saying: “The shirk
(associating anything with Allah) flows in a man like his blood.”
Showing off (riya’)
is minor shirk, and when shirk, riya’, and the devil come together, they
invalidate deeds on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah has
informed us about the terrifying outcome of this matter on the Day of Judgment:
{Then We will turn to whatever ˹good˺ deeds they did, reducing them to
scattered dust.} [Al-Furqan 25:23]
And He
says, {Do not let those
who rejoice in their misdeeds and love to take credit for what they have not
done think they will escape torment. They will suffer a painful punishment.} [Ali `Imran 3:188]
Many
people come with numerous deeds: some built mosques, some led people in prayer,
some remembered Allah frequently, some learned the Quran and taught it. Yet
they arrive to find all of it scattered dust.
Why? Because
they did not purify their intentions.
The
Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “The
first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of
Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will
make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will
say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died
a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said
[of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be
dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a
man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to
recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His
favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do
about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I
recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study
[religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you
recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it
was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is
cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to
whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make
known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say:
And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in
which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will
say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is
open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on
his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.”
(Narrated by Muslim)
This
shows that their outward actions appeared righteous, yet they were not accepted
because they were not done sincerely for Allah.
Rather, they were performed for show and reputation. Thus their destination
became the Fire.
In a Qudsi
hadith, Almighty Allah says, “I am the One Who
is most free from want of partners. He who does a thing for the sake of someone
else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.” (Narrated by Muslim)
A Sound Heart.. A Sound Worship
Allah
says in His Noble Book: {Indeed, We have
sent down the Book to you ˹O Prophet˺ in truth, so
worship Allah ˹alone˺, being sincerely devoted to Him.} [Az-Zumar 39:2]
And
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) teaches us the supplication: {And do not disgrace me on the Day all will be
resurrected— the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. Only those who come before Allah with a
pure heart ˹will be saved˺.”} [Ash-Shu`ara’ 26:87–89]
The
Prophet (peace
be upon him) used to say in his supplication: “O Allah, I ask You for a sound heart.” A
sound heart is one free from all diseases and harmful traits.
When
sincerity and truthfulness disappear from a person’s heart, he begins to watch
only people—their praise, their admiration, and their compliments. This becomes
his destruction.
Therefore,
when the Prophet (peace be upon him)
heard a man praising another excessively, he said: “You
have destroyed him! You have cut his neck. Throw dust in the faces of those who
praise others.” Because when a person is constantly praised, he
becomes accustomed to praise, grows upon the love of praise, and forgets the
reward of Allah and sincere deeds done purely for His sake.
If you
wish to know where you stand in this matter, then let the one who praises you
and the one who criticizes you be the same in your heart—whether in truth or
falsehood.
But if
someone praises you and you feel happy, and when someone advises you and you
become angry, then you must review your intention.
You May Also Read:
- 8 Ways to Build Certainty in Muslims' Hearts
- How Islam Defines and Treats Toxic Relationships
- 4 Ways to Protect Yourself from Shaytan (Satan) in Islam
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Taken from Sheikh Ahmed Al-Qattan’s Website
