The Value of Sincere Intentions

One of the very first questions we were asked when I began my 3alimah course was a simple one:

"Why are you here?"

The classroom would often fill with smiles because there wasn't just one answer. Some of us had been encouraged by our parents. Some wanted to spend their time doing something beneficial. Others had always longed to study but had never been given the opportunity before.

But beneath that lighthearted moment was a lesson I don't think I'll ever forget.

Why are you really here?

Not because our reasons were wrong. In fact, many of them were good.

The problem is that we often think intention is something we decide on the first day and never think about again.

In reality, intention is something that must be renewed.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى

"Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended."

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari: 1

This hadith is one of the foundations. It reminds us that Allah does not merely look at what we do, but at why we do it.

As time passes, our hearts can slowly drift. We may begin seeking the pleasure of Allah, but later find ourselves caring more about praise, recognition, or what people think of us. Sometimes the change is so subtle that we hardly notice it.

That is why we shouldn't only ask ourselves, "Why did I begin?" We should also ask, "Why am I still doing this?"

Of course, a single action can have more than one intention. Wanting something worldly isn't necessarily wrong, as long as seeking Allah's pleasure remains at the heart of what we do.

You might feel hot and decide to take a shower. Before stepping in, you remember that it's Friday, so you intend the Sunnah ghusl. The shower still cools you down, but with the right intention, it also becomes an act of worship.

You might go to work because you hope for a good career. At the same time, you can intend to earn lawful income, fulfil your responsibilities, and seek Allah's pleasure through honest work.

You might exercise because you want to become healthier or stronger. Along with that, you can intend to care for the body Allah has entrusted to you so that you have the strength to worship Him, serve others, and fulfil your duties.

You might cook dinner simply because your family is hungry. Yet you can also intend to care for those Allah has placed under your responsibility and hope for His reward through serving them.

Even something as ordinary as sleeping can become an act of worship if you intend to rest so that you wake up with the strength to pray Fajr and carry out acts of obedience.

The actions may look ordinary to everyone else.

But Allah sees the intention hidden within them.

This reminder is for anyone who is striving to become a better Muslim, pause every now and then and ask yourself:

Why am I doing this?

If your answer has changed, don't despair.

Renew your intention.

Turn your heart back to Allah.

A sincere intention can transform the most ordinary moments into acts of worship, while even the most beautiful deed can lose much of its worth if the heart forgets Who it was truly meant to be for.

May Allah purify our intentions, keep our hearts firm upon sincerity, and make every deed we perform solely for His pleasure.

Ameen