Picture Perfect : According to Intentions

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“Actions are only according to intentions, and a person receives only what he has intended. Therefore, whoever’s emigration is for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is [truly] for Allah and His Messenger. And whoever’s emigration is for any worldly gain or a woman he is to wed, then his emigration is for what he emigrated.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

This hadith addresses one of the most important aspects of Islam — sincere intention in one’s worship. The general meaning of the hadith is that a person should set aright his intention at the beginning of every action. The entitlement of reward for an action depends on a person’s intention for performing that action. If an action is carried out with sincerity, it is rewarded by Allah, otherwise it is done in vain.

Niyyat, which means to intend, desire, or will something, is a function of the heart, not the tongue. Through niyyat, a person distinguishes the nature of the action he is to perform (i.e., an obligatory or supererogatory prayer; an optional or make-up fast, etc.), as well as its purpose (i.e., spending to show off to others or spending to please Allah and spread His religion). Scholars have explained the first segment of the hadith, “Actions are only according to intentions,” as referring to how an action can only be considered religiously valid if done with a sound intention. For instance, a person’s fast, which includes abstaining from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, will only be considered valid if he had intended to fast for the sake of fasting and not, for instance, because he did not have the time to eat during a busy work day. The second portion of the hadith, “a person receives only what he has intended,” refers to the reward a person will gain for a soundly intended action. Another explanation of the two statements is that the first portion refers to the entitlement of reward and the second serves to emphasize and further clarify the first.