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hidaayah
04-13-2006, 12:43 PM
Purity of Intentions*
Part I

By Dr. Jamal Badawi**



The Arabic term ikhlas literally means purity, which is used in the Qur’an to refer to various things. For example, a verse mentions the purity of milk: (We produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it) (An-Nahl 16:66). Purity in this verse refers to something that is natural, pure, wholesome, and not mixed with anything else.
The Qur’an also uses the term ikhlas to refer to the purity of faith and belief, where a short but crucial chapter in the Qur’an named Al-Ikhlas (purity), says what means:

[Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.] (Al-Ikhlas 112)

This chapter was named Al-Ikhlas to refer to the purification of the belief in God from any form of polytheism, whether by worshiping some other deity instead of God, worshiping a deity alongside God, or regarding objects or persons that God created as intercessors between God and man.
Another meaning of purity is the sincerity of intention behind any action or behavior. Islam regards the motives behind what people say or do as essential and that these motives should always be to pursue the pleasure, approval, and satisfaction of God.
People whom we encounter daily have certain motivations behind their actions. These motives determine their enthusiasm, quality and amount of effort, and even their tolerance and perseverance while working.
Some peoples’ intentions and motives may be detected easily through their behavior, which may reflect selfishness, love for money, or the need for prominence and pride.
Other times, these motives are subtle and not clearly discovered, even the individual himself may not be totally aware of what drives him to do or say certain things. Whether the individual himself or the people discover these motives or not, a person must acknowledge that God sees and knows what is in his heart at all times.
Lack of Pure Intentions
Islam does not just look at the superficial aspect of deeds irrespective of its motives. God evaluates peoples’ deeds according to the intentions behind them. This meaning is referred to in the Qur’an when it talks about animals which are sacrificed during the rites of pilgrimage, where it says what means:

[It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him.]
(Al-Hajj 22:37)

Another verse in the Qur’an states that it is the sincere intention behind our actions that is important, rather than the superficial or formalistic aspect:

[Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion. Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): “We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.] (Az-Zumar 39: 2-3).

The reward for deeds depends upon the intentions.
The term ikhlas in this verse refers to the purity of intention, which has also been emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) when he said, “Verily, Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your hearts and to your deeds” (Muslim).
In another hadith the Prophet said, “The reward for deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended” (Al-Bukhari).
The Prophet Muhammad was also asked about people who sacrificed their life and which of them really fought in the way of God: “(One who fights) for displaying his valor, (a man who) fights out of his family pride, or (a man who) fights for the sake of showing off, who amongst these fights in the way of Allah?” The Prophet said, “Who fights that the word of Allah be exalted fights in the way of Allah” (Muslim).

Is Ikhlas Restricted to Worship?
Ikhlas does not only relate to the pure acts of worship like prayer and fasting but it also relates to the customary activities that are done with a good intention, which can be transformed from just a customary act to an act of worship. One scholar said that a pure intention could change customary actions to the honor of worship, provided that the act is not forbidden or prohibited.
You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake.
For example, eating is a daily activity that is necessary for people to survive. However, if people thank God for providing them with food, and intend to eat in order to strengthen their bodies, in order to fulfill the mission for which they have been created, then it will be considered an act of worship.
Also, many people who are married or have children, feel responsible for feeding them, regardless of their faith or philosophy. This customary act was described by the Prophet Muhammad as an act of worship and charity, when he said, “You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake, even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth” (Al-Bukhari). He also said that whatever a person spends on himself, his wife, or his children is charity (Ahmad).
Concerning charity, the Prophet also said, “There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him” (Al-Bukhari).


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* Adapted from a lecture in Dr. Jamal Badawi’s Islamic Teachings series.
**Dr. Jamal Badawi is a professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada where he currently teaches in the areas of management and religious studies. He is the author of several works on various aspects of Islam.
http://www.islamonline.net/english/i...rticle14.shtml
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hidaayah
04-14-2006, 11:12 AM
Purity of Intentions*
Part 2

By Dr. Jamal Badawi**

The Arabic term riya' is roughly translated as "showing off," which means doing something to please others or to gain their approval and admiration, instead of focusing on receiving God's approval, satisfaction, and pleasure. Riya' is the opposite of the Arabic term ikhlas [purity of intention].
According to Islam, riya' could make a pure act of worship, such as prayer, void of any reward and could even result in God's punishment.
The Qur'an mentions this when describing the lazy state of the hypocrites as they go to prayer, dragging their feet, only so that people can see them performing prayers:
[Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them, and when they stand up to prayer they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little.] (An-Nisaa' 4:142)
The Qur'an also mentions riya' in respect to charity, as people sometimes pay charity to appear generous:

[O you who believe! do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his property to be seen of men and does not believe in Allah and the last day; so his parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then a heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare; they shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and Allah does not guide the unbelieving people.] (Al-Baqarah 2:264)


This means that if the intention is not sincerely to please God, then the reward for charity could be washed away just like rain washes away soil off a smooth rock, thus stopping any chance of plantation on it.
Once Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was describing some of the signs of the Day of Judgment, one of which was the false messiah. Then he said that there was something he feared more than the false messiah, which was "hidden polytheism." Hidden polytheism is due to actions which are done for the purpose of showing off, like a person who lengthens his prayer so that people see him (As-Suyuti).
Mentioning the attitude of riya' and how ridiculous and pompous those who have it are, the Muslim scholar Ibn Al-Jawzi related a story in one of his books. Once a man was praying in what appeared to be a devoted manner, so people praised him and commented on how righteous and sincere he was. On hearing them the man felt so proud that while he was praying he turned to them and informed them that he was also fasting.
Satisfaction When Seen Doing Good
When people are seen performing a good deed, they often cannot but feel good if they are praised for it. Islam does not consider this to be riya', as long as the person originally intended the deed for the sake of God, without wanting to be praised by people. A person must also have the feeling of humbleness and thankfulness to God that He helped him or her perform this good deed.
This means that if a person intends to secretly do a good deed without anybody knowing and by chance somebody sees him or her, then he or she gets a double reward: one for doing a good deed and another for not feeling vain. This was mentioned when the Prophet was asked his opinion about a person who had done a good deed and then people had praised him for it. So he said, "It is glad tidings for a believer (which he has received in this mortal world)" (Muslim).
Good and Evil Intentions
Sometimes people may have a sincere intention to do good, but due to uncontrollable or unexpected circumstances, they may not be able to fulfill this act. According to Islam, although this action was not actually done, they are still rewarded for it due to their sincere intention.
This was clear when the Prophet was leaving Madinah on one of his campaigns and some people asked him to accommodate them so they could go with him. However, the Prophet did not have the means to accommodate them all, so they were left behind. After leaving Madinah, the Prophet said that there were some men who were left behind but who were still with them though they were not physically present. Prophet Muhammad said that wherever they would go or whatever they would do, these people would share the same reward as those who were able to join him. This was due to their sincere intentions and because they were detained because of a legitimate excuse. This story was mentioned in the Qur'an:
[Nor unto those whom, when they came to thee (asking) that thou shouldst mount them, thou didst tell: I cannot find whereon to mount you. They turned back with eyes flowing with tears, for sorrow that they could not find the means to spend.] (At-Tawbah 9:92)
God's pleasure is not achieved only by peoples' efforts; they also need God's generosity and grace in order to receive His divine reward. God's generosity is assured by the Prophet, who said,
If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed in his account with Him; and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him in his account with Him, from ten to seven hundred times to many more times its reward. And if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write a full good deed in his account with Him; and if he intended to do a bad deed and actually did it, then Allah will write one bad deed in his account." (Al-Bukhari)
Improving the Quality of Ikhlas
The first step to improve the quality of ikhlas is to make sure that your action is not prohibited by God. For example, a person cannot drink wine or rob a bank and say that he or she is doing it with a good intention. According to Islam, ends do not justify means; if a person has a noble objective then his or her intentions must also be noble.
Second is being conscious of God by realizing that God is present at all times and that He is aware of all your inner thoughts and motives. The Qur'an refers to this by saying what means:
[Say: "Whether ye hide what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it all: He knows what is in the heavens, and what is on earth. And Allah has power over all things.] (Aal `Imran 3:29)
Third is to develop the habit of giving some thought to any action before actually doing it. This includes, for example, seeking God's approval and pleasure when giving charity and not intending to impress people by it. The Qur'an makes reference to this by saying what means:
[(Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you.] (Al-Insan 76:9)
Similarly, it is wrong for a person to seek knowledge with the intention of showing off, as the Prophetic saying clarifies that it is only the person who seeks knowledge to please God and to achieve his or her mission on earth who gets rewarded (As-Suyuti).
In particular, people engaged in religious education should remember Prophet Muhammad's warning about people who appear to be pious but at the same time have insincere intentions (Muslim).
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