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Hadith number 1 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in faithful English translation.
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Updated on 07 October 2026 at 4:51 AM
📖 48 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
This hadith reaches us exclusively through Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi, from 'Alqama ibn Waqqas al-Laythi, from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). It has no other authentic chain, as 'Ali ibn al-Madini and others have affirmed. Al-Khattabi said: "I know of no disagreement among the hadith specialists on this point," even though it was also reported on the authority of Abu Sa'id and other companions. It has been said that it was reported through many channels, but none of them proves authentic according to the specialists of memorization. Then a multitude of transmitters reported it from al-Ansari: some said more than two hundred reporters, some said seven hundred reporters. Among the most eminent of them: Imam Malik, ath-Thawri, al-Awza'i, Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Layth ibn Sa'd, Hammad ibn Zayd, Shu'ba, Ibn 'Uyayna and others.
The scholars are unanimous on its authenticity and its reception by acceptance. Al-Bukhari opened his Sahih with it and set it as his programme, alluding to the fact that every deed in which the face of Allah is not sought is void, bearing no fruit either in this world or in the abode of the hereafter. That is why 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: "If I were to compose a book by chapters, I would place the hadith of 'Umar on deeds and intention in every chapter." He also said: "Whoever wishes to compose a book must begin with the hadith of deeds by intentions."
This hadith is among the hadiths upon which the entire religion revolves.
It is reported from ash-Shafi'i that he said: "This hadith constitutes a third of knowledge, and it enters into seventy chapters of fiqh."
Imam Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The foundations of Islam rest upon three hadiths: the hadith of 'Umar: 'Deeds are only by intentions'; the hadith of 'A'isha: 'Whoever introduces into this matter of ours what is not part of it, it is rejected'; and the hadith of an-Nu'man ibn Bashir: 'The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear.'"
Al-Hakim said: "It was reported to us, from 'Abdallah ibn Ahmad, from his father, that he mentioned the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'Deeds are only by intentions', his saying: 'The creation of each of you gathers in his mother's womb for forty days', and his saying: 'Whoever introduces into our religion what is not part of it, it is rejected'; then he said: one ought to begin with these hadiths in every composition, for they are the foundations of the hadiths."
Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: "Four hadiths are among the foundations of the religion: the hadith of 'Umar: 'Deeds are only by intentions'; the hadith: 'The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear'; the hadith: 'The creation of each of you gathers in his mother's womb for forty days'; and the hadith: 'Whoever introduces into our affair what is not part of it, it is rejected.'"
'Uthman ibn Sa'id reported from Abu 'Ubayd that he said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) summed up the whole affair of the hereafter in one sentence: 'Whoever introduces into our affair what is not part of it, it is rejected', and he summed up the whole affair of this world in one sentence: 'Deeds are only by intentions.' These two hadiths enter into every chapter."
Abu Dawud said: "I examined the musnad hadith: it amounts to four thousand hadiths. Then I looked again: those four thousand hadiths revolve around four hadiths: the hadith of an-Nu'man ibn Bashir: 'The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear'; the hadith of 'Umar: 'Deeds are only by intentions'; the hadith of Abu Hurayra: 'Allah is good and accepts only what is good, and Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers', to the end of the hadith; and the hadith: 'Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is his leaving what does not concern him.' He said: 'Each of these four hadiths is worth a quarter of knowledge.'"
Abu Dawud also said: "I transcribed from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) five hundred thousand hadiths, of which I selected what I included in this book, that is, the book of Sunan: four thousand eight hundred hadiths. Four hadiths suffice a man for his religion. The first: the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'Deeds are only by intentions.' The second: 'Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is his leaving what does not concern him.' The third: 'The believer is not truly a believer until he wishes for his brother only what he wishes for himself.' The fourth: 'The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear.'"
In another version reported from him, he said: "Fiqh revolves around five hadiths: 'The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear'; the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'No harm and no reciprocating harm'; his saying: 'Deeds are only by intentions'; his saying: 'Religion is sincere counsel'; and his saying: 'What I have forbidden you, shun it; what I have commanded you, do of it what you can.' And in yet another version: 'The foundations of the Sunan, in every discipline, rest upon four hadiths,' and he mentioned the hadith of 'Umar.
His saying "Deeds are only by intentions" appears in another version as "Deeds are by intentions". According to the correct view, both formulations express a restriction. Our purpose here is not to discuss this grammatical point nor to expand upon it.
The scholars differed over how to interpret his saying "Deeds are only by intentions". Many later scholars hold that the full meaning is: "Deeds are valid, considered and accepted, only by intentions." According to this view, the deeds meant here are the lawful deeds that require an intention.
As for what requires no intention, such as the habits of life: eating, drinking, dressing and the like, or such as restoring trusts and guaranteed goods, none of that needs any intention. All of this is therefore excluded from the generality of the deeds mentioned here.
Other scholars said: deeds are meant here in their full generality, without any exception. Some attributed this to the majority, meaning the majority of the early scholars. This interpretation is found in the words of Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, Abu Talib al-Makki and others among the early ones. It is also the apparent sense of Imam Ahmad's words. In Hanbal's version, he said: "I love that whoever performs a deed, prayer, fasting, charity or any kind of righteousness, should have the intention preceding the act, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Deeds are only by intentions.' That applies to every single thing."
Al-Fadl ibn Ziyad reported: "I asked Abu 'Abdallah, meaning Ahmad, about intention in deeds. I said: how does one form the intention? He replied: one disciplines his soul: when he wants to perform a deed, it is not for the people."
Ahmad ibn Dawud al-Harbi reported: "Yazid ibn Harun reported the hadith of 'Umar: 'Deeds are only by intentions', while Ahmad was sitting. Ahmad said to Yazid: 'O Abu Khalid! This is the clinch!'" alluding to a decisive hold.
According to this view, the sentence is read as: "Deeds occur and come about by intentions." The hadith would then be information about voluntary deeds: they occur only through the doer's purpose, which is the cause of their existence. And his subsequent saying, "and each person obtains only what he intended", would be information about a legal ruling: the servant's share of his deed is his intention. If it is sound, his deed is sound and he will have its reward; if it is corrupt, his deed is corrupt and he will bear its burden.
It is also possible to understand: "Deeds, whether sound or corrupt, accepted or rejected, rewarded or not, are so by intentions." The hadith would then be information about a legal ruling: the soundness of deeds and their corruption depend on the soundness of intentions and their corruption, like his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Deeds are only by their endings", meaning their soundness, corruption, acceptance or rejection depend on the conclusion.
His following saying, "and each person obtains only what he intended", announces that the servant obtains from his deed only what he aimed at in performing it: if he aimed at good, he obtains good; if he aimed at evil, he obtains evil. This is not a mere repetition of the first sentence: the first sentence indicates that the soundness of the deed and its corruption depend on the intention that brings it into being, while the second indicates that the doer's reward for his deed depends on his sound intention, and that his punishment depends on his corrupt intention. His intention may also be permissible: the deed is then permissible, with neither reward nor punishment. Thus the deed in itself, its soundness, corruption or permissibility, depends on the intention that carries it and brings it into being; and the doer's reward, punishment or neutrality depend on the intention by which the deed became sound, corrupt or permissible.
Know that intention, in language, is a kind of aim and will, even though these terms have been distinguished by nuances that this is not the place to develop.
In the scholars' vocabulary, intention carries two meanings. The first: distinguishing acts of worship from one another, such as distinguishing the noon prayer from the afternoon prayer, or distinguishing the fast of Ramadan from another fast, or distinguishing acts of worship from habits, such as distinguishing the major ritual ablution from a bath for cleanliness. This is the intention frequently found among the jurists in their books.
The second meaning: distinguishing the purpose of the deed: is it Allah alone, without partner, or Allah and other than Him? This is the intention the knowers of the heart discuss in their books on sincerity and its consequences, and it is the one most frequently found in the words of the early generation of this community.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi ad-Dunya compiled a collection titled "The Book of Sincerity and Intention": it is this second intention that he meant. It is the one that recurs constantly in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), sometimes with the word intention, sometimes with the word will, sometimes with a close wording. It also appears often in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, under other similar terms.
Those who distinguished intention from will and aim did so because they assumed that intention is restricted to the first meaning, that of the jurists. Some said: intention relates specifically to the act of the one who holds it, whereas will is not so limited: a man may ask Allah to forgive him, he wills it, but he does not intend it.
We have said that intention, in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and of the early generation of this community, most often denotes this second meaning: it is then equivalent to will. This is why the Quran often expresses it with the verb "to desire", as in His saying: "Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the hereafter"; and His saying: "You desire the fleeting gain of this world, while Allah desires the hereafter"; and His saying: "Whoever desires the harvest of the hereafter, We increase for him his harvest; and whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him a share of it, but he will have no share in the hereafter"; and His saying: "Whoever desires the immediate gain, We hasten to give him thereof what We will, to whom We will; then We appoint for him Hell, in which he will burn, blamed and rejected.
And whoever desires the hereafter and strives for it with the striving it deserves, while being a believer: those are the ones whose striving will be appreciated"; and His saying: "Whoever desires the immediate life and its adornment, We repay them fully for their deeds therein, and they will not be shortchanged therein: those will have no share in the hereafter except the Fire, and what they did therein will come to nothing, and void will be what they used to do"; and His saying: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face"; and His saying: "And restrain yourself together with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face, and let not your eyes turn away from them, desiring the adornment of the immediate life"; and His saying: "That is best for those who desire the face of Allah: those are the ones who prosper"; and His saying: "Whatever you give in usury, that it may increase within the wealth of people, does not increase with Allah; but what you give in zakat, desiring the face of Allah: those are the ones whose reward is multiplied."
The Quran also expresses intention by the word "seeking", as in His saying: "Except the seeking of the face of his Lord, the Most High"; and His saying: "The example of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's pleasure and firmness from themselves is that of a garden on a hill: a downpour strikes it and it doubles its yield, and if no downpour strikes it, dew suffices; and Allah sees what you do"; and His saying: "You spend only seeking the face of Allah"; and His saying: "There is no good in much of their secret talk, except one who commands charity, kindness or reconciliation between people; whoever does that, seeking Allah's pleasure, We will soon give him a great reward."
This last verse denies goodness in most of people's secret talks, except when they call to good; among its instances it cites charity and reconciliation between people, because of the breadth of their benefit. This shows that secret talk in that framework is good; as for the reward from Allah, it belongs exclusively to the one who did it seeking Allah's pleasure. If the call to good, charity and reconciliation are good even without the face of Allah being sought, it is because of the good that rebounds to people: it results in a favour and a good for them. As for the one who calls to good: if he aims at the face of Allah and seeks His pleasure thereby, it is good for him and he will be rewarded; if he does not aim at that, it is not good for him and he has no reward. It is otherwise with the one who fasts, prays and mentions Allah aiming thereby at a gain of this world: there is no good in it for him at all, for there is benefit neither for him, because of the sin it entails, nor for anyone else, since its benefit extends to no one; unless someone follows his example in it.
What came in the Sunna and in the words of the early generation naming this meaning "intention" is extremely abundant; we mention part of it. Imam Ahmad and an-Nasa'i extracted, on the authority of 'Ubada ibn as-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever goes on campaign in the path of Allah intending nothing but a strap, he shall have only what he intended."
Imam Ahmad extracted, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Most of the martyrs of my community are the people of beds (the pious sick), and many a slain between the two ranks: Allah knows best his intention."
Ibn Majah extracted, on the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdallah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Mankind will be resurrected upon their intentions", and on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): "Mankind will only be sent forth on the Day of Resurrection upon their intentions." Ibn Abi ad-Dunya extracted on the authority of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "Those who fight one another will only be resurrected upon their intentions."
In Muslim's Sahih, on the authority of Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "A man will come seeking refuge at the House; an expedition will be sent against him; when they are in a plain of the earth, the earth will swallow them. I said: O Messenger of Allah, what of the one among them who was unwilling? He said: He will be swallowed with them, but he will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection upon his intention." And in a similar version, on the authority of 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her): "They will perish a single death and set out toward differing destinations: Allah will resurrect them upon their intentions."
Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reported, through a broken chain, the saying of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "No deed for one who has no intention, and no reward for one who seeks no reward." That is: no reward for one who does not count on obtaining the recompense of his deed from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. And through a weak chain, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "A saying does not avail without the deed, and a saying and a deed do not avail without the intention, and a saying, a deed and an intention do not avail without conformity to the Sunna."
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: "Learn the intention, for it outweighs the deed." Zubayd al-Yami said: "I love to have an intention in everything, even in my food and my drink," and he also said: "Intend good in everything you want, even in your going out to the dunghill." Dawud at-Ta'i said: "I saw that all good, in truth, is gathered by the beauty of intention; it suffices you as good even without striving." And he said: "Righteousness is the aspiration of the pious; and if all his limbs clung to the love of this world, his intention would return him one day to his origin." Sufyan ath-Thawri said: "I have had to master nothing harder for me than my intention, for it keeps turning upon me." Yusuf ibn Asbat said: "Purifying the intention from its corruption is harder upon those who act than lengthy striving." It was said to Nafi' ibn Jubayr: "Will you not attend the funeral? He said: stay as you are until I form my intention.
He reflected a moment, then said: go." Mutraf ibn 'Abdallah said: "The soundness of the heart is in the soundness of the deed, and the soundness of the deed is in the soundness of the intention." One of the early generation said: "Whoever wishes his deed to be perfected for him, let him beautify his intention, for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, rewards the servant when his intention is good, even for a morsel." Ibn al-Mubarak said: "Many a small deed the intention magnifies, and many a great deed the intention diminishes."
This explains what is reported from Imam Ahmad: the foundations of Islam rest upon three hadiths: "Deeds are only by intentions"; "Whoever introduces into our affair what is not part of it, it is rejected"; and "The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear". The entire religion indeed returns to performing what is commanded, leaving what is forbidden and holding back before what is doubtful: all of that is contained in the hadith of an-Nu'man ibn Bashir. And it is completed only by two conditions. The first: that the deed be, outwardly, in conformity with the Sunna, which is what the hadith of 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) contains: "Whoever introduces into our affair what is not part of it, it is rejected." The second: that the deed be, inwardly, done for the face of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, which is what the hadith of 'Umar contains: "Deeds are only by intentions."
Al-Fudayl said, regarding His saying: "To test you: which of you is best in deed": "The most sincere and the most correct." And he said: "When the deed is sincere but not correct, it is not accepted; and when it is correct but not sincere, it is not accepted; until it is sincere and correct. Sincere: when it is for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; correct: when it is upon the Sunna."
What al-Fudayl said is attested by His saying, the Mighty and Majestic: "Whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do a righteous deed and associate no one in the worship of his Lord." One of the knowers said: "People were distinguished by their wills, not by fasting and prayer."
Then comes his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever's emigration was for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever's emigration was for a worldly gain he seeks, or for a woman he wishes to marry, his emigration is toward whatever he emigrated for."
When he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had stated that deeds depend on intentions, and that the doer's share of his deed is his intention, for good or for evil, two encompassing formulas and two universal principles from which nothing escapes, he then gave an example among the deeds: one deed identical in outward form, whose soundness and corruption vary according to intentions, as though he said: all deeds follow the pattern of this example.
Emigration, originally, is the forsaking of the land of idolatry and departure from it to the land of Islam, as the emigrants did before the conquest of Mecca: they emigrated to the city of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and some had earlier emigrated to the land of Abyssinia, to an-Najashi. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed that this emigration differs according to the intentions and aims that motivate it.
Whoever emigrates to the land of Islam out of love for Allah and His Messenger, desiring to learn the religion of Islam and to manifest it where he was unable to in the land of idolatry: that one is truly the emigrant toward Allah and His Messenger, and it suffices him as honour and pride that he obtained what he aimed at by his emigration toward Allah and His Messenger.
It is for this meaning that, in the answer to this condition, he contented himself with repeating it verbatim: for obtaining what one aims at by one's emigration toward Allah and His Messenger is the utmost of what is sought, in this world and in the hereafter.
As for the one whose emigration from the land of idolatry to the land of Islam aimed at a gain of this world or a woman to marry in the land of Islam: his emigration is toward whatever he emigrated for. The first is a merchant, the second a suitor, and neither is an emigrant.
In his saying "toward whatever he emigrated for" there is a belittling of what he sought of the affairs of this world, and disdain for it, since he designates it only by a paraphrase, without naming it.
Moreover, emigration toward Allah and His Messenger is one, without multiplicity: that is why the answer there repeats the wording of the condition. Emigration for the affairs of this world, by contrast, is countless: one may emigrate for a permissible gain or for a forbidden one, and the cases aimed at by emigration among the affairs of this world cannot be numbered; that is why he said: "his emigration is toward whatever he emigrated for", meaning: whatever it may be.
It is reported from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), regarding His saying: "O you who believe: when believing women come to you as emigrants, test them; Allah knows best their faith", that he said: "When a woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he would make her swear by Allah: she had not left out of aversion to her husband; by Allah: she had not left preferring one land to another; by Allah: she had not left seeking a gain of this world; by Allah: she had left only out of love for Allah and His Messenger." Reported by Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir and al-Bazzar in his Musnad; at-Tirmidhi reported it in abridged form in some versions of his book.
Waki' reported in his book, from al-A'mash, from Shaqiq, that is Abu Wa'il: "A bedouin of the tribe asked in marriage a woman named Umm Qays; she refused to marry him unless he emigrated; he emigrated and married her; we called him the emigrant of Umm Qays. 'Abdallah, meaning Ibn Mas'ud, then said: whoever emigrates to obtain a thing, obtains it." This version suggests the affair did not occur in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but in the time of Ibn Mas'ud. However, it is reported by the route of Sufyan ath-Thawri, from al-A'mash, from Abu Wa'il, from Ibn Mas'ud: "There was among us a man who asked in marriage a woman named Umm Qays; she refused to marry him unless he emigrated; he emigrated and married her, and we called him the emigrant of Umm Qays. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: whoever emigrates for a thing, it is his."
It became famous that the story of the emigrant of Umm Qays was the cause of the Prophet's saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "and whoever's emigration was for a worldly gain he seeks or for a woman he wishes to marry"; many later writers mentioned it in their books, but we have seen no basis for it through an authentic chain, and Allah knows best.
All other deeds are like emigration in this meaning: their soundness and their corruption depend on the intention that gives rise to them, like jihad and others. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the diversity of people's intentions in jihad, about those who aim at ostentation, the display of courage or clan zealotry: which of these fights is in the path of Allah? He said: "Whoever fights so that the word of Allah be the highest, he is in the path of Allah." By this, all the worldly aims they asked him about are excluded.
In the two Sahihs, on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him): a bedouin came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! One man fights for booty, another fights for renown, another fights to be seen in his place: which of them is in the path of Allah? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered: Whoever fights so that the word of Allah be the highest, he is in the path of Allah." In a version of Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the man who fights out of courage, fights out of clan zealotry, fights out of ostentation: which of these fights is in the path of Allah? And he mentioned the hadith. In another version: the man who fights out of anger and fights out of clan zealotry.
An-Nasa'i extracted, on the authority of Abu Umama: a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "What do you think of a man who goes on campaign seeking reward and renown, what will he have? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered: He will have nothing. Then he said: Allah accepts no deed but that which is sincere and by which His face is sought."
Abu Dawud extracted, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! A man wants to go on jihad while he seeks a gain of this world? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered: No reward for him. He repeated it three times."
Muslim extracted, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: The first of people judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man killed in battle: he will be brought, His favours will be made known to him, and he will recognize them. He will say: What did you do with them? He will say: I fought for You until I was killed. He will say: You lie: you fought so it be said of you that he is brave, and that was said. Then it will be ordered that he be dragged on his face until he is thrown into the Fire. A man who learned knowledge, taught it and recited the Quran: he will be brought, His favours will be made known to him, and he will recognize them. He will say: What did you do with them? He will say: I learned knowledge and taught it, and I recited the Quran for You. He will say: You lie: you learned knowledge so it be said of you that he is learned, and you recited the Quran so it be said that he is a reciter, and that was said.
Then it will be ordered that he be dragged on his face until he is thrown into the Fire. A man whom Allah enriched and to whom He gave of every kind of wealth: he will be brought, His favours will be made known to him, and he will recognize them. He will say: What did you do with them? He will say: I left no way You love in which spending is done but I spent in it for You. He will say: You lie: you did that so it be said of you that he is generous, and that was said. Then it will be ordered that he be dragged on his face until he is thrown into the Fire."
The hadith reports that when this hadith reached Mu'awiya, he wept until he lost consciousness; when he came to, he said: The Messenger of Allah spoke the truth: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: "Whoever desires the immediate life and its adornment, We repay them fully for their deeds therein and they will not be shortchanged therein: those will have no share in the hereafter except the Fire."
A warning has come against learning knowledge for other than the face of Allah, as Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah extracted, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever learns a knowledge by which the face of Allah is sought, but learns it only to obtain thereby a gain of this world, will not find the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection", meaning its scent.
At-Tirmidhi extracted, on the authority of Ka'b ibn Malik, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever seeks knowledge to contend with the foolish, or to vie with the scholars, or to turn people's faces toward himself, Allah will cause him to enter the Fire." Ibn Majah extracted to the same effect on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, Hudhayfa and Jabir (may Allah be pleased with them); Jabir's wording is: "Do not learn knowledge to boast before the scholars, nor to contend with the foolish, nor to choose the best seats in assemblies: whoever does that, the Fire, the Fire!"
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not learn for three things: to contend with the foolish, to debate with the jurists, or to turn people's faces toward you. Seek, by your word and your deed, what is with Allah: for that remains, and all else passes away."
A warning has also come against deeds for other than Allah in general. Imam Ahmad extracted, on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Announce to this community the loftiness of its religion... " and the hadith continues: "... and nothing of this world remains but like the remainder of water at the bottom of a vessel: Allah will not look at their deed on the Day of Resurrection, for they will have worked for this world while forgetting the hereafter; they are the people of this world, forgetful of the hereafter."
Know that deeds for other than Allah fall into categories.
Sometimes the deed is pure ostentation: nothing is aimed at in it but being seen by creatures for a worldly purpose, like the state of the hypocrites in their prayer; Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: "When they rise for prayer, they rise lazily, to be seen by people, and they remember Allah but little." And He said: "So woe to those who pray, heedless of their prayer, who act out of ostentation and refuse the smallest aid." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, likewise described the disbelievers by pure ostentation: "Do not be like those who went out of their homes in arrogance and to be seen by people." This pure ostentation almost never comes from a believer in the obligatory prayer and fasting; it may occur in the obligatory charity, the pilgrimage and other outward deeds, or deeds whose benefit extends to others, for sincerity therein is rare. No Muslim doubts that such a deed is void and that its author merits Allah's disdain and punishment.
Sometimes the deed is for Allah, and ostentation shares in it. If ostentation accompanies it from its origin, the authentic texts indicate that it is invalid and void likewise. In Muslim's Sahih, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: I am the richest of partners in partnership: whoever does a deed in which he associates with Me other than Me, I abandon him and his partner." Ibn Majah reported it in these words: "I disown it, and it belongs to the one he associated with Me."
Imam Ahmad reported, on the authority of Shaddad ibn Aws, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever prays out of ostentation has associated; whoever fasts out of ostentation has associated; whoever gives charity out of ostentation has associated; for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: I am the best of apportioners for whoever associates anything with Me: his deed, its little and its much, belongs to the partner he set up with Me; and I am independent of him."
Imam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah extracted, on the authority of Abu Sa'd ibn Abi Fadala, who was one of the companions, the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When Allah gathers the first and the last on the Day of no doubt, a caller will call: whoever associated in a deed he did for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, let him seek its reward from other than Allah, for Allah is the richest of partners in partnership."
Al-Bazzar reported in his Musnad, on the authority of ad-Dahhak ibn Qays, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: I am the best of apportioners..." to the end of the hadith, to the same effect.
If the intention of jihad is mixed with an intention that is not ostentation, such as receiving a wage for a service, or taking a share of the spoils or of trade, the reward of the jihad is diminished without being annulled altogether. In Muslim's Sahih, on the authority of 'Abdallah ibn 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The combatants, when they gain spoils, have two thirds of their reward hastened to them; if they gain nothing, their reward is complete."
We cited above hadiths indicating that whoever aims by his jihad at a gain of this world has no reward: they apply to one who had no aim in jihad but this world. Imam Ahmad said: the merchant, the hired worker and the lessor have a reward proportionate to what remains sincere of their intention during their campaign; they are not like the one who strove with his person and his wealth without mixing anything into it. He also said, about one who receives payment for jihad: "If he does not go out for the money, there is no harm in his taking it: it is as if he went out for his religion, and if he is given something, let him take it."
Likewise it is reported from 'Abdallah ibn 'Amr: "If one of you resolves to go on campaign and Allah grants him provision thereby, there is no harm in it; but that one of you should go on campaign for a dirham and stay behind if he is not given it, there is no good in that." Al-Awza'i said likewise: if the fighter's intention is the fighting, I see no harm in it. The same applies to one who receives something to perform the pilgrimage, for himself or for another. It is reported from Mujahid, regarding the pilgrimage of the camel-driver, the hired man and the merchant: it is complete, nothing of their reward is deducted; this applies where their original aim was the pilgrimage, not earning.
If the origin of the deed was for Allah, then the intention of ostentation arises: if it is a passing thought he repels, it does him no harm, without disagreement. If he indulges it, is his deed voided, or does it not harm him and he is recompensed according to his original intention? On this the scholars among the early generation differed; Imam Ahmad and Ibn Jarir at-Tabari reported it and preferred: his deed is not annulled, and he is recompensed according to his first intention; this is reported from al-Hasan al-Basri and others. This view is supported by what Abu Dawud extracted in his Mursal, from 'Ata al-Khorasani: a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! The Banu Salima all fight: among them are some who fight for this world, some out of bravery, some seeking the face of Allah: which of them is the martyr? He said: All of them, if the foundation of their purpose is that the word of Allah be the highest."
Ibn Jarir specified that this divergence concerns a deed whose end is tied to its beginning, like prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. As for what has no such tie, like recitation, the mention of Allah, spending wealth and spreading knowledge: it is cut off by the arising intention of ostentation, and requires a renewal of intention. Likewise it is reported from Sulayman ibn Dawud al-Hashimi: "It happens that I relate a hadith while having an intention in it; when I reach part of it, my intention changes: thus a single hadith requires several intentions." Jihad does not escape this rule, as in the mursal report of 'Ata al-Khorasani: jihad becomes binding upon taking one's place in the rank, and it is not permitted to leave it then; it becomes like the pilgrimage.
As for one who does a deed sincerely for Allah, then Allah casts good repute for it into the hearts of the believers, and he rejoices at Allah's grace and mercy: that does him no harm. In this sense comes the hadith of Abu Dharr: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the man who does a deed of good and people praise him for it; he said: "That is the glad tiding given to the believer in advance," reported by Muslim; Ibn Majah reported it with: "A man does the deed for Allah, and people love him for it." It is by this meaning that Imam Ahmad, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, Ibn Jarir at-Tabari and others explained it. Likewise the hadith extracted by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! A man does a deed in secret; when it is discovered, it pleases him? He said: That is the glad tiding given to the believer in advance."
Upon this basis are built legal rules concerning intention, among the following.
It follows: one who missed a prayer of a day and a night and forgot which one it was must make up three prayers: dawn, sunset, and one four-rak'a prayer.
Likewise, a group of scholars held that the fast of Ramadan does not require an intention distinguishing it: the general intention to fast suffices, for its season admits no other fast. This is also one narration from Imam Ahmad. Some even reported that the fast of Ramadan requires no intention at all, for it is determined by itself, like restoring deposits.
It is reported from al-Awza'i that zakat follows the same rule; some interpreted his words as meaning that it is valid with the general intention of charity, as with pilgrimage. Likewise Abu Hanifa said: if he gives the entire nisab in charity without intention, it suffices for his zakat.
It is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he heard a man pronounce the talbiya of a pilgrimage on behalf of another man and said to him: "Have you performed the pilgrimage for yourself? He said: no. He said: Perform it for yourself, then perform the pilgrimage for this man." The authenticity of this hadith has been discussed, but it is authentic on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas and others. Ash-Shafi'i and Ahmad, in the best-known view, and others relied upon it: the pilgrimage of Islam is fulfilled by the general intention to perform pilgrimage, whether he intends the voluntary act or otherwise; a distinguishing intention is not required for pilgrimage: whoever performs the pilgrimage for another without having done it for himself, his pilgrimage counts for himself; likewise if he performs it for a vow or voluntarily without having performed the pilgrimage of Islam, the latter takes the place of his intention.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that, during the farewell pilgrimage, after his companions had entered the state of ihram with him, performed the circumambulation and the walking, he ordered them to turn their pilgrimage into an umra; among them were some who combined both and some who performed the pilgrimage alone; yet their arrival circumambulation was not an obligation, and he ordered them to make it the circumambulation of the umra, which is an obligation. Imam Ahmad relied upon this for turning the pilgrimage into an umra and acted by it; this is questionable according to his own principle, for it requires distinguishing by intention the obligatory circumambulation of the pilgrimage and of the umra; most of the jurists contradicted him on this: Malik, ash-Shafi'i and Abu Hanifa. Imam Ahmad may distinguish the case where the circumambulation stands within a state of ihram that is being transformed, like the state one turns into an umra: the circumambulation is then transformed following the transformation of the state of ihram.
As for purification, the disagreement over requiring intention for it is well known; it turns on whether purification for prayer is an independent act of worship or a condition of prayer, like removing impurity and covering the private parts. Those who do not require intention treat it like the other conditions of prayer; those who require it consider it an independent act of worship. If it is an act of worship in itself, it is not valid without intention: this is the view of the majority of scholars. The many authentic texts from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) attest to it: the ablutions erase sins and misdeeds, and whoever performs ablutions as he was commanded, they are an expiation for his sins.
This shows that the ablution commanded in the Quran is an independent act of worship, since expiation of sins results from it. Now ablutions without intention expiate no sin, by consensus: they are therefore not the commanded ones, and prayer is not valid through them. This is why nothing concerning the other conditions of prayer, such as removing impurity or covering the private parts, carries reward, unlike ablution.
If one joins the intention of ablution with the purpose of cooling off or removing impurity or dirt, it suffices according to ash-Shafi'i's stated position, and it is the view of most of Ahmad's companions, for that purpose is neither forbidden nor disliked. Hence if he aims, along with lifting the state of impurity, at teaching the ablution, it does him no harm. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sometimes aimed, by his prayer, at teaching it to the people, and likewise for the pilgrimage, as he said: "Take your rites from me."
Among the chapters where intention plays a part are the questions of oaths. The inadvertent oath requires no expiation: it is what escapes the tongue without the heart intending it, like saying "no by Allah" or "yes by Allah" in the course of conversation; Allah said: "Allah will not hold you accountable for what is vain in your oaths, but He will hold you accountable for what your hearts have earned." Likewise, in oaths one reverts to the intention of the swearer and the aim of his oath: if he swears by divorce or emancipation and then claims he intended something other than the apparent sense of his wording, he is believed in his inner conscience, between him and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; as to whether he is believed in the outward ruling, there are two well-known views among the scholars, which are two narrations from Ahmad.
It is reported from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man was brought to him whose wife had said to him: "Compare me!" He said: "You are like a gazelle, you are like a dove!" She said: "I will not be satisfied until you say: you are free, divorced!" And he said it. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Take her by the hand, she is your wife." Abu 'Ubayd reported it and said: "He meant the she-camel that is tethered then released from its tether and let loose: it is released from the tether and 'set free', for it has departed from it; the man meant that, and 'Umar annulled the divorce because of his intention. And this is a principle for whoever utters a wording resembling divorce or emancipation while intending something else: his word prevails between him and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and in the ruling, according to the interpretation of the school of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)."
It is reported from as-Sumayt as-Sadusi: "I asked for a woman in marriage; they said: we will not give her to you until you divorce your wife. I said: I have already divorced her three times, and they married me to her; then they looked: my wife was still with me... I brought the matter before 'Umar, who struck my name off the register of the Muslims... until I explained; then he sent me back and judged according to my intention."
Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah extracted, on the authority of Suwayd ibn Hanthala: "We went out intending the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); with us was Wa'il ibn Hujr; an enemy of his seized him; the people shrank from swearing; I swore that he was my brother, and he was released. We came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I informed him that the people shrank from swearing and that I had sworn he was my brother. He said: You spoke the truth: the Muslim is the brother of the Muslim."
Likewise, intention enters into divorce and emancipation: if he utters one of the ambiguous wordings that may imply divorce or emancipation, intention is indispensable. And whether the indication of circumstance, such as anger or a demand for divorce and the like, stands in place of intention is a well-known disagreement among the scholars. Likewise: does divorce thereby actually occur in the inward realm as though he had intended it, or is he bound by it only in the outward ruling? Here too there is a well-known disagreement.
If he pronounces divorce with an explicit wording, like "finally" and the like, does it fall as three or as one? Two views are known. The apparent sense of Ahmad's school: it falls as three if the intention is left unrestricted; if he intends fewer than three, it falls according to what he intended; another narration from him reports that the three bind him regardless.
If he sees a woman, believes her to be his wife and divorces her, then she proves to be a stranger: his wife is divorced, for he intended only the divorce of his wife. Ahmad said so explicitly; another narration from him reports she is not divorced, which is ash-Shafi'i's view.
In the reverse case: he sees a woman, believes her a stranger and divorces her, then she proves to be his wife: is she divorced? Two views, which are two narrations from Ahmad; the known view of the school of ash-Shafi'i and others: she is divorced.
Suppose he has two wives, forbids one of them to go out, then sees a woman going out, believes her to be the forbidden one, and says to her: "So-and-so, you went out? You are divorced!" The scholars differed: al-Hasan said: the forbidden one is divorced, for she is the one he intended. Ibrahim said: both are divorced. 'Ata said: neither is divorced. Ahmad's school, in one narration: the forbidden one is divorced, for he intended her divorce. As to whether the one he addressed is divorced, there are two narrations from him, and the companions differed on this point.
Support has been drawn from his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Deeds are only by intentions, and each person obtains only what he intended", for the idea that contracts whose secret purpose is to reach what is forbidden are not valid, like sale contracts aimed in reality at the meaning of usury and the like: this is the school of Malik, Ahmad and others; for such a contract intended usury, not sale, and each person obtains only what he intended. The questions of intention related to fiqh are very many, and what we have mentioned suffices. We cited above the saying of ash-Shafi'i: this hadith enters into seventy chapters of fiqh, and Allah knows best.
Intention is the heart's purpose; it is not required to utter aloud what is in the heart, in none of the acts of worship. One of ash-Shafi'i's companions attributed to him a view requiring the utterance of the intention for prayer; the verifiers of his school refuted him. The later jurists differed over uttering the intention in prayer and elsewhere: some recommended it, others disliked it.
No specific transmission is known from the early generation or the imams on these questions, except for pilgrimage alone: Mujahid said: "When he wants to perform the pilgrimage, let him name the rite by which he enters the state of ihram", and it is reported from him: "Let him name it during the talbiya." That does not concern our topic, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would mention his rite in his talbiya, saying: "Here I am for the umra and the pilgrimage." Our discussion concerns saying, when contracting the state of ihram: "O Allah, I intend the pilgrimage and the umra", as many jurists recommended; and Mujahid's wording is not explicit on that.
Most of the early generation, among them 'Ata, Tawus, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and an-Nakha'i, said: "The intention at the moment of entering ihram suffices him." It is authenticated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard a man say, during his ihram: "O Allah, I intend the pilgrimage and the umra", and say to him: "Are you informing the people? Does Allah not know what is within you?" Malik explicitly held the same: it is not recommended to name the rite by which one enters ihram; his companion, the author of Tahdhib al-Mudawwana, reported it from him. And Abu Dawud said: "I said to Ahmad: do you say anything before the takbir (meaning in prayer)? He said: no." And that may include not uttering the intention; and Allah, the Most High, knows best.