Purity and Sincerity of Intention

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Purity and Sincerity of Intention
`Ali Hasan `Ali `Abdul Hamid

`Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:

“Actions are but by intentions and there is for every person only that which he intended. So he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to attain some worldly goal or to take a woman in marriage, then his migration was for that which he migrated.”
So, the pillar of actions is pure and sincere intention, and through purity of intention the hearts become upright and at rest, and through it the person comes to know the right way in his Religion, thus he does everything in the proper manner.
Through purity of intention alone he shall know the obligations incumbent upon him and the rights due to him.
Through purity he will behave justly in all affairs and will give everything its due right, not going beyond bounds or falling short of the mark.
So, this Hadith is one of the Hadiths which form the pillars of correct understanding of our upright and true religion.

When a Muslim servant clearly realizes the above-mentioned points, it becomes incumbent on him to devote his intention to Allah in order to be a barrier between him and hypocrisy, and to be rewarded.