explain a hadith

Hadith is one source of Islamic law. But it doesn't mean every hadith automatically becomes law. The hadith above is indeed, about a man who performed hijrah from Makkah to Madinah, not because he followed Rasulullah (saw), but because the woman that he liked performed hijrah. He didn't want to lose opportunity to approach and get that woman.

But there is no prohibition for a man to move to another place with intention to get married or follow his wife.

format_quote Originally Posted by Lisa921

I as reading this hadith:
On the authority of ameer ul-mumineen (the commander of the faithful), abu hafs Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. Thus he whose migration (hijrah from Makkah to Madina) was for Allah and His Messenger,his migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.”

Does this imply that no muslim man should move to a nonmuslim country even if his wife resides there?? I don't mean to read into things without knowledge but it seems like its saying that its somehow frowned upon to move to a nonmuslim country for marriage. If that's the case then how do converts find a husband if there are not enough suitable matches where they live??

The hadith has a context:

After the Muslims established themselves in Madinah, it became a religious duty for all believers who were able to do so to leave their homelands and emigrate to Madinah. At that time, Madinah was the only Muslim city in the world and the only place on Earth where the Muslims had the freedom to practice their religion. Moreover, in Madinah, they benefited from the direct teachings and guidance of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). After the conquest of Mecca, it was no longer obligatory for Muslims to move to Madinah.

This emigration was a great act of worship worthy of a great reward with Allah. It is a great sacrifice for a person to leave his homeland and his family, but the Muslims did so for their love of Allah.

It is related that a man sought the hand of a woman called Umm Qays. She refused to marry him unless he undertook the emigration to Madinah. So he made the emigration and married her in Madinah. He became known as "the emigrant to Umm Qays".

Ibn Hajar al-``Asqalânî, in his commentary on Sahîh al-Bukhârî entitled Fath al-Bârî, asserts that the story of the "emigrant to Umm Qays" is authentic. In fact, its chain of transmission fulfills all of the conditions of authenticity set forth by al-Bukhârî and Muslim. However, Ibn Hajar also points out that there is no evidence to indicate that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was referring to this incident when he said "Actions are but by intentions…"

In any case, this hadîth is general in its meaning, vast in its scope, relating in some way to every action that has or should have an intention behind it.

For the rest,last paragraph deals with a similar issue..

The relationship between actions and intentions:
Scholars have differed as to the exact meaning of the words: "Actions are but by intentions." Some later scholars have advanced the opinion that it refers to actions that are correct, valid, and accepted in Islam. This opinion restricts the meaning of this hadîth to specific acts of devotion that require an intention to be acceptable and worthy of reward, like prayer, fasting, and the obligatory emigration to Madinah.

As for other activities like eating and drinking - or even virtuous acts like fulfilling one's trusts - would not fall under the meaning of this hadîth if we were to accept this view.

Others are of the opinion that this hadîth is talking about actions in general. This is the most correct opinion, and it is the view of the majority of scholars, especially the earlier ones. This was clearly what Ahmad b. Hanbal understood from the hadîth, because he said: "I prefer that when anyone does any deed - whether it be prayer, fasting, or charity, or whether it be any other kind of virtuous deed - he should have his intentions always precede his actions, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Actions are but by intentions…'."

According to this understanding, the hadîth is addressing all of our voluntary actions, since everything we do has some sort of intention behind it. When the Prophet said: "…and every man will have only what he intended", he was informing us of the implications of this in Islamic Law. If a person performs a good and correct deed with a good intention, then his action will be good and rewardable, and if he performs the same action with a bad motive, then his action will be bad and deserving of punishment.

Likewise, if a person performs a permissible action without an intention to do something good or bad, but merely with the intention of doing something permissible, then he will be deserving of neither a reward nor a punishment for doing so.

Deeds can be good and bad in and of themselves. However, a person will only be deserving of a reward for his good deeds if he performed them for the sake of Allah and not for some ulterior motive.

Allah says: "There is no good in much of their secret talk save (in) him who enjoins almsgiving and goodness and peace-making among the people. Whoever does this seeking the good pleasure of Allah, We shall bestow on him a vast reward." [Sûrah al-Nisâ': 114]

Ibn Rajab comments on this verse that Allah describes enjoining almsgiving, goodness, and reconciliation as good deeds in and of themselves. This is because such deeds benefit the people. However, Allah only promises a reward to those who carry out these deeds "seeking the good pleasure of Allah". Therefore, if a person performs these good and beneficial deeds for the sake of Allah, then the deeds will be good for him as well as for those who benefit from his deeds. If he had other ulterior motives, then these deeds will be of no good for him. [Jâmi` al-`Ulûm wa al-Hikam]

Ibn Rajab further observes that a person who prays, fasts, and recites Allah's name with some ulterior motive is performing deeds that have no good in them whatsoever. The person who performs such deed in such a manner is earning sin for doing so. At the same time, his deeds do not bring the least benefit to anybody else.

Bad deeds and good intentions:
In the previous installment, we mentioned that Ahmad b. Hanbal said: "The principles of Islam are covered by three hadîth: the hadîth related by `Umar that actions are but by intentions, the hadîth related by `A'ishah that states whoever innovates a matter in this matter of ours will have it rejected, and the hadîth related by al-Nu`mân b. Bashîr which states that what is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear."

His choice of these hadîth is very insightful. The first hadîth ('Actions are but by intentions') shows us that any deed we do in Islam will only be of value if it has a pure intention behind it. We must sincerely be performing the deed for the sake of Allah alone. The second hadîth ('Whoever innovates a matter in this matter of ours will have it rejected') presents us with the other condition that needs to be fulfilled before a deed is acceptable in Islam. The deed has to be in accordance with the Qur'ân and Sunnah. It cannot be something unlawful in itself, and if it is a formal matter of worship, it must be prescribed for us by Allah and His Messenger.

If a person performs a deed with the best of intentions, but that deed is contrary to the teachings of Islam, it will still be rejected. A good intention is absolutely necessary for a deed to be accepted, but it is not enough. The deed also has to be correct in and of itself.

A good intention joined to a bad deed is a very dangerous combination. A person doing something wrong, like a heretical innovation in worship, believes he is doing something good. Therefore, he continues in what he is doing and never feels the need to repent for it. On the other hand, a sinner who knows he is doing something wrong has the advantage of being able to repent in the future for his mistakes. He has no illusions about what he is doing.

"So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger…"

After stating the principle that a person's actions are only as good as the intentions behind them, the Prophet (peace be upon him) goes on to give a concrete example. It is an example of a deed that on the surface is the same for all those who perform it. However, people can have very different reasons for doing so.

The emigration from Mecca to Madinah was an emigration from the land of unbelief to the land of Islam. Whoever undertakes such a migration, then or now, out of his love of Islam and his desire to put Islam into practice and please Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), is performing a great act of devotion worthy of a great reward.

However, if his emigration from the land of the unbelievers to the land of Islam was for business or some other worldly gain, then his deed will not be an act of worship. It will merely be a business move. There are many reasons why people leave there homelands and settle somewhere else. Some of these are lawful, while others are unlawful. Some may be worthy of reward in and of themselves. This is why Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "…then his emigration was for whatever reason he emigrated."

If a person travels to another country so he can engage in indecent and sinful acts that are not accessible to him in his country, then his travel is sinful from the moment he embarks on his journey. Likewise, if a person goes to another land with the intention of cheating its gullible inhabitants, then he is a sinner from the start.

On the other hand, if a person relocates to a place where he feels business will be more profitable, then he is neither performing an act of worship nor committing a sin. He is merely looking after his worldly interests. The same can be said for a man who travels to another land to marry his beloved.

We can even conceive of reasons for emigrating that are virtuous and worthy of reward, even though the reason is not to attain greater freedom to practice Islam or to live in a Muslim land. Consider a man who lives in a country - possibly even a Muslim country - where he has freedom to practice Islam and is perfectly happy. However, he has one major problem. He cannot find a good Muslim girl to marry and he is a young man who fears falling into sin. He knows that if he moves to a certain Muslim country, marriage will become easy for him. Therefore, he leaves his homeland to live where he can get married and safeguard himself from sin. He is under no pretension as to why he is emigrating. He is doing so to get married. Though we can imagine that his reward will not be the same as that of someone who emigrated to learn his faith and to live among the Muslims, what he is doing is a virtuous and rewardable on its own merits.

Taken from the articles below:
http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow-426-3207.htm
http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow-426-3208.htm

it seems to me that the Hadith was meant for the hijrat to medina . It is possible that some had made the trip not primarily for religious purposes