No. 1 – Bite Size Ramadan 1444 AH -2023
Actions are but by Intentions
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَال بِالنِّيَّاتِ
Translated
by
Abbas Abu Yahya
AUDIO MP3
From Ameerul-Mu’mineen Abu HafsUmar bin Al-Khattab, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- say:
«إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَال بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لكل امْرِئ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَنكِحُها فَهجرَته إِلَى مَا هَاجر إِلَيْهِ»
‘Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, then his migration was for that which he migrated.’
Collected by Bukhari and Muslim
An Explanation
Righteous Intention for a Righteous action
Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddeen al-Albaani said:
‘Actions are but by Intentions
The meaning is that the person will have what he intended of the righteous intention or evil and corrupt intention for an action from the Sharia’.
Meaning that an action according to the Sharia’ will not be accepted by Allaah except if the intention for that action was a righteous intention, in contrast if the intention was evil and corrupt. For example, a person intended the action for other than the Face of Allaah Ta’ala, then here his action will not be accepted. This is the intent of what is indicated to in the complete Hadeeth, which is: ‘Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have that which he intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allah and His Messenger – [and this is the righteous intention], and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage [and this is the evil and corrupt intention] then his migration was for that which he migrated.’
In summary, the Hadeeth indicates to the righteous actions whose permissibility has been established in the Sharia’, and that is if a righteous intention is connected to it. As for this Hadeeth indicating to the permissibility of performing any action (presumed to be good), and that just because the action has a good intention, – and they use this as a proof that this action is allowed- then here we say there is no evidence what so ever to prove that. This is very clear and not hidden.’
[From ‘Tamam al-Minna p.126]
Arabic
قال الشيخ محمد ناصر الدين الألباني:
إذ المعنى: له ما نوى من النية الصالحة أو الفاسدة في العمل المشروع بمعنى أن العمل المشروع لا يكون مقبولا عند الله إلا إذا كانت النية فيه صالحة بخلاف ما إذا كانت النية فاسدة. مثل أن يقصد به غير وجه الله تعالى فحينئذ لا يقبل عمله ويدلك على أن هذا هو المراد من الحديث تمامه وهو: “إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى فمن كانت هجرته إلى الله ورسوله فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله وهذه هي النية الصالحة ومن كانت هجرته إلى دنيا يصيبها أو امرأة ينكحها وهذه هي النية الفاسدة فهجرته إلى ما هاجر إليه”.
وخلاصة القول أن الحديث إنما يدل على صلاح العمل الذي ثبت في
الشرع جوازه إذا اقترنت به النية الصالحة وأما أنه يدل على صلاح ما لم يثبت جوازه بدليل خاص لمجرد اقترانه بالنية الصالحة فلا دليل فيه البتة وهذا بين لا يخفى.
الكتاب: تمام المنة في التعليق على فقه السنة
المؤلف: أبو عبد الرحمن محمد ناصر الدين، الألباني (ت ١٤٢٠هـ)