Need Hadith Commentary :)

 

The Status of the Hadeeth

 

The scholars held this Hadeeth in such a high position that they would usually start their books by mentioning it, in order for those who seek knowledge of the religion to start their mission by correcting their Niyyah.

Imam al-Bukhari started his book Sahih al-Bukhari with this Hadeeth. 

 

The Meaning of this Hadeeth

1 -- This Hadeeth entails all types of actions and speech.

Also abandoning an action is considered an action itself, because it is voluntary and therefore it is also tied to the intention behind it.

For example, abandoning doing evil for the sake of Allah will bring about His reward. On the other hand if one abandons an obligation, he will be punished.

 

What further supports and proves this meaning is the saying of Allah, in a Qudsi Hadeeth (the meaning is from Allah but the wordings is from the Prophet), what translated means:

 

�If My slave wants to commit an evil deed�� and �if he abandons it for My Sake, then write it (for him) a good deed.� {Bukhari}

 

This Hadeeth implies that if one abandons an evil deed, but not for the sake of Allah, he will not gain the reward. And if he abandons it for fear from creation and not from Allah, he will also gain an evil deed. The reward varies according to the intention that leads to the action.

 

2 --- The Prophet said: �The actions are Innama (only, certainty) tied to the intentions�� ... Indicates that it is essential for the acceptance of the action that it is preceded by a good intention. The acceptance or rejection of the deed is what desired, and not only the perfection of the deed.

3 -- The Prophet said  �...every person will earn that which he intended��

Means that whoever intends an action his gain will be at the same level as his intention. Yet if one intends to work righteousness and was prevented for a reason that the religion considers valid, such as illness or death, etc., then this person will gain a credit for what he has intended, although he did not perform it.

 

To support this meaning there is a hadeeth that reads: 

 

�And a man whom Allah gave wealth and knowledge, so he implements his knowledge using his wealth which he spends righteously. And a man who Allah gave knowledge but no wealth, so he says, �If I had the same wealth like that (wealthy and knowledgeable man), I would do just like what he does. Both of them will gain a similar reward.�

[Ibn Majah and Ahmad]

 

In short, the actions itself contains what leads to its acceptance or rejection, according to the intention behind it. Also the reward or punishment that will follow an action is tied to the intention that led such an action to be good and accepted, or evil and rejected.

 

4 -- The Prophet said  ��He whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly gain or to take a woman in marriage, then his migration will be for that for which he migrated.�

Good and evil are unique terms that entail all actions. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) mentioned some types of actions as the examples of the actions that are accepted or rejected according to the intention behind them. As if saying, �All types of actions are treated the same way as in the example.�

 

Hijrah (migration) involves abandoning an action or a place to another action or a place instead. Leaving a Kuffar country to a Muslim country is Hijrah. Whoever performs Hijrah for the sake of Allah, the love of His Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), to seek knowledge of the religion, or to establish the religion on firm grounds, whereas, he could not do that where he was staying then this is the true Hijrah to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). As for those who migrate for the sake of worldly gain of women, wealth or position, they will only gain what they have migrated for, that is this worldly life.

 

5 -- The actions are treated according to some rules.

 

a) Matters of worship are treated differently than the matters of habits. An act of worship requires an intention to distinguish from habits.

For Example� One may want to stop eating because he wants to follow a strict diet. (i.e. habit) Or, one may choose not to eat for the sake of Allah, such as fasting for the sake of Allah. (i.e. worship)

 

Also washing up for purity (ghusl) requires an intention, if it is to be distinguished from washing just to cool off or clean the body.

All types of worship vary according to the intention behind performing them. The prayer for example needs the relevant intention in all cases, but this intention varies according to the type of prayer, whether voluntary or obligatory. Likewise, fasting, charity, etc.

 

b) The actions are also distinguished accordingly to the sincerity of the intention behind it, whether it is for the sake of Allah alone or for the sake of Allah and others.

 

The intention should be purely for the sake of Allah, in order to gain reward in the Hereafter.