Its possible that someone is performing deeds purely to get praise from others or because of the position it gives them in society. There is no reason that the scholars and students must necessarily face trials, and tribulations, and hard times. Some people came to the Prophet to join his forces and offered themselves to be sacrificed in the cause of Allah. (Abu Daud), This is mentioned in the hadith - "Do not attain learning in order to express pride before the ulema, nor to learn to quarrel with foolish people, nor from it try to overwhelm meetings, for he who does so, his destination is fire" (Ibn Maja). But the observer can very easily decipher a person's motivations. One manifests itself in peoples' involvement with their work; while another motivation remains hidden in the interior recesses of the heart and cannot be discerned from the outside. You will need to follow the instructions in that message in order to gain full access to the site. Welcome to the world's oldest and most recognized Islamic Web site. Horrendous punishment is reserved for bad deeds; all the more so, if the act is made to appear righteous. Satisfaction to the sin of others is itself a sin, but what makes it equal to the sinners act in terms of degree, intensity and the deserved punishment, is if this satisfaction is indicative of the same inner realisation and inclination in the two individuals. The most accurate and effective way of presenting the different degrees of worshippers is what is observed in the Quran: to emphasise the importance of hope and fear as opposed to dismissing them. It is not separable from ones views and values, and that is why it is the source of ones actions and what gives value to ones deeds. If the kernel is rotten, beautiful outer skin will not be of any use. They do not understand, on account of their foolishness, what their sin means. Ustaz Imran holds a Bachelor's Degree in Syariah from the Islamic University of Madinah. Being able to endure hardships in this life with patience, 3. Their objective in worship stems from their level of religious experience, realisation and cognition. No one has the right to belittle those who seek Paradise and those who are apprehensive of Hell, because God has praised them with the loftiest of extolments in His Book. Many times people build high and lofty palaces, broad and spacious buildings, lay out beautiful gardens full of fruit. It is common among many Muslims, including the scholars, to look down upon the worship of God in hope of Paradise or in fear of Hell, as low levels of worship. It is when one reaches a state of certainty about Gods prevailing decree and His sure promises. An animal labors the whole day for its fodder. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. If this is the reward for honest intention, imagine the result of dishonest intention! The Quran has drawn a very fine picture of such a person, who is surrounded by adversities, who out of fear, has forgotten all his[her] mischief and is appealing to his/her Merciful Lord, so that He may lift him out of this mire:"Say - who is it that delivers you from the dark recesses of land and sea, when you call upon Him in meekness and silent terror; if He only delivers us from these (dangers), (we vow) we shall truly show our gratitude? The motivations and factors that prompt people to do a job in a better way, to strive hard and to bear trials and tribulations, the motivations that induce them to sacrifice their property and sometimes their lives, are many and varied. We prepared this quick tour to help you get familiar with the new design so you find your way around the new site much quicker. In fact, God has Himself invited His servants to trade and deal with Him (2:245, 9:111, 57:11, 61:10-13), for that is the most lucrative trade, as opposed to the transient gains in dealing with others or chasing this world. You have no share today. So whoever expects to encounter his Lord let him act righteously, and not associate anyone with the worship of his Lord (Quran 18:110). Achieving and maintaining a high degree of sincerity is what every Muslim should constantly strive to realise.
It is also called al-Shirk al-aghar (minor polytheism), but the person with such a reprehensible attribute is still a Muslim. The opinions expressed herein, through this post or comments, contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of IslamiCity. (b) Acting upon these threats and promises indicates that the person has accepted and recognised their validity. 
In reality, there can be a mix of both sincerity and Riy. Intention is the orientation of ones whole being. As we are expected to have blessed days ahead, may Allah s.w.t. A mouse fears a cat; that is its foe; / Would a mouse fear a lion? Thus, the rock slowly moved until they could eventually escape. It makes us a community. The first tradition in ahih al-Bukhari is: Acts are only by intentions, and for each person is only what he intends. This will gradually open new horizons to the worshipper, whereby he experiences such beauty and magnificence that will transform his motivation and elevate his ambition. Books on Islam, Muslims, Prophet Muhammad(s), Ahlul Bayt. show me the difference between jihad and battle.' This article offers us an introduction to the concept of Ikhlas in Islam. Excerpted from the book "Morals and Manners: An Islamic Perspective" by Aslam Abdullah, Related Suggestions They will be able to do nothing with anything they have earned." If ones whole being is transformed, such that his soul becomes congruent with Hell and inharmonious to Paradise, then his fitting abode will be Hell, to reside there for ages. For example, eating and drinking with the intention of gaining strength that enables us to perform more Ibdah (acts of worship). Every man will be rewarded only for what he intended.. So how can they realize that they have committed a sin? Only Allah SWT can gauge the sincerity of our intentions. As regards the general society, it is harmed more by the so called scholars and hypocrites than by the poor and needy. She particularly loves to write on Islam, her experiences as a Black Muslim Woman and Mental Health. In the eyes of God high courage and righteous intention are thus noble while poverty is of no fault. The importance of sincere intentions is continuously stressed in religious teachings and the first Hadith of Imam Nawawis Forty Hadith collection is on this issue. by the blessing of the past deeds they did sincerely for Allahs sake. Many times the performer of an act is him[her]self unaware of it, although s[he] is influenced by it, and the secret of his[her] acceptance or non-acceptance is hidden in that awareness. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This is what was clarified by the Prophet s.a.w. Section 107, and such (and all) material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Sincerity is the inner quality that triggers self-motivation to do good. In whatever place or valley we may camp, they will be with us. As such, it is crucial to set ones intention right due to the foundational role and great benefits of Ikhlas. (Q 39:3) The example of superior human nature is like that of a ripe fruit that requires to be protected from disease and mishaps in order to preserve its sweetness and cleanness. Its important that we give ourselves reminders to renew our intentions as it is something that we can easily forget while slipping into a monotonous religious routine. Intention is neither a verbal utterance nor a mental concept. And it is the right of the visitor to be honoured by the one being visited.. mentions how Prophet Yusuf a.s. was protected from committing indecent acts: , She advanced towards him (Ysf a.s.), and he would have done likewise, had he not seen a sign from his Lord. We created it for only one thing in mind; to create a peaceful corner that features just inspiring and uplifting material, focused around Universal Values to be reflect upon -- at a time never needed more desperately than now. People should give their due with honest and sincere intention, supported by good conduct. This is based on the Prophets saying: , Whoever sits in a mosque, he is indeed visiting Allah s.w.t. Amn. Allah's Messenger said: "When the last period comes, there will be three groups in my Umma. From them the acts performed for Allah will be separated. In its definition, sincerity is when intentions are free from impurities that deviate from the right purposes. In other words, sincerity grants one the strength to endure. Go and seek your reward from whom you acted for!2 In a sacred tradition (al-hadith al-qudsi) God says, I am the best of partners: whoever associates a partner with Me in his act, I will leave my share for my partner! At the same time, there are different modes and levels of serving God, according to ones knowledge and experience. (Ahmed). They consider their world and religion similarly limited, and they think that material expression is the axis of their happiness and sorrow, action and inaction, desire and ambition, and their lives revolve around it only. Life section is all about Society, Art, Culture, History, Sports, Food, Music and much more. Values section on the other hand is very special. That is why Allah's Messenger said: "When on the day of resurrection Allah gathers all the people who came first and last, a caller will give a call - 'Whoever has associated another with Allah should seek his reward from that (other) partner because Allah is more free from partnership than all partners."'(Tirmizi). }. They free themselves from the hardship and pleasure of this world in order to save themselves from eternal punishment and to enter Paradise, for Gods pleasure. No, never. Topics menu will always be here, always within reach. Being loved by the residents of the heavens and earth, , 6. All Rights Reserved, IslamiCity is a registered trademark of HADI, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. According to Imam Al-Ghazali, amongst the signs of sincerity is the ability to exercise strong determination. About eternal reward and punishment in the Hereafter, we read in hadith: The inhabitants of the Fire will stay there forever because their intention was to disobey God if they were to live forever; and the inhabitants of the Garden will stay there forever because their intention was to obey God if they were to live forever. When Allah gathers them on the day of judgment and says to the last group 'By My honor and grandeur, what did you expect to get from My worship?' Ah! These are offered as a means for IslamiCity to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of being an educational organization. This is where we should be more careful so that we do not deviate to such an extent. regarding actions based on intentions. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab relates that he heard the Prophet , say, Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended. For us, we have believed in our Lord; may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us; for Allah is Best and Most Abiding" (Q 20:72-73). The efforts and labor of a common person have the value of an animal's labor, and all his[her] work and labor are in proportion to his[her] salary, and that seems to him/her to be his[her] purpose and center of activity. Every other Friday, we try to feature a new theme which will uplift our spirituality. Responding to the incentives that God has set is an extension and application of glorifying God and acting for His sake. On the other hand, another person can continue to have a strong resolve because of their resolute sincerity. With every action, direct your intention towards Allah. Unrecognized Email or Password, please try again. They were deeply grieved for not being allowed to participate in jihad. Therefore, intention should be interpreted not as a mental concept or thought, but as an inner realisation and state of being. They returned with heavy and sorrowful hearts. knows the secrets of hearts, gives the person desirous of reform the honor of reform or the person desirous of striving in the cause of Allah the honor of a Mujahid (striver in the cause of Allah). and avoid any sinful acts while in the mosque. They should not make anything but selflessness and Allah's pleasure the ideals to follow in life. (Bukhari), Since their plans were earnest, these excused mujahideen became nonetheless recipients of the reward (sawab) of the jihad, because they had stayed in Madinah against the wishes of their hearts. Hence, both groups will stay in their abodes eternally because of their intentions.5, Allamah abaabai explains, This hadith refers to the rooting of traits and the strengthening of characteristics in the soul, to the point that the souls capacity for opposite traits is abolished.6. said: , Indeed, deeds are but by intentions. It is essentially the core element that needs to be developed first, followed by the actions manifested externally to bear the intended outcomes. Of them Allah's Messenger commended: "Anybody who, without subjecting another person to cruelty or aggression, builds a magnificent building or plants saplings without indulging in cruelty or rancor, will be getting reward for the fullness of the time in which Allah's creatures are benefited by these things."