Intention and Sincerity

This weeks khutba is on intention and sincerity. Dear brothers and sisters, there are scholars that state that the entire religion revolves around intention.

Allah SWT makes reference to intention and the nature of this life in Surat Albayinah , ayat 5 in which it is translated as saying:

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.

Dear brothers and sisters, whatever action or thought we have may be hidden from others but as Allah SWT points out in the 29th ayat of Sura Imran, it is not hidden from Him. It is translated to say:

Say, “Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it. And He knows that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth. And Allah is over all things competent.

Dear brothers and sisters, as we can see the intention and specifically the sincerity of intention is paramount to the success in this life and particularly the next. The Prophet SAWS also spoke of intention and there are many hadiths that report upon this. One of these is translated in which the Prophet SAWS said:

“The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for”.

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to be careful that we do not fall into the trap of doing good deeds but for the wrong intentions. We need to assess ourselves and perform a reset so that we can be rewarded for the good deeds that we are performing in this test called life.

However, before we can look at the steps to this reset, let’s summarize the concept of intention first.

Based on one’s intention, the end result of an action can be one of three things:

Reward. If the intention is to please Allah SWT then all good actions will be rewarded. For example, if you intend to read a book of knowledge because seeking knowledge is an obligation on all Muslims then insh’Allah one is rewarded for it, in this life and the next.

Another end result can be neutral. If one performs an action with the intention for other than Allah SWT, for example a business trip to another city, then the action will result in neither reward nor punishment. Incidentally, this action can be changed with intention to do it for the sake of Allah SWT such as an intention to feed your family or spend in the way of Allah SWT. Then this action becomes one of reward insh’Allah.

Thirdly, the outcome can be punishment. If the intention was to specifically disobey a command of Allah SWT, for example, if this was an intention to go Las Vegas to gamble, then the journey is haram and is subject to punishment.

Dear brothers and sisters, the greatest threat to our worship is the threat of insincerity. One can do the noblest of deeds and make the greatest of sacrifices, but if our intentions are not right then those deeds are in danger of being stripped of virtue and reward.

This, in turn, leaves that person in danger of being without good deeds on the Day of Judgement.

So, the issue then becomes one of removing insincerity from one’s intentions. By removing that one is able to make the good deeds matter because the intention becomes the right intention. It is reset to how it should be.

And how can one do this? The khutba concludes with three short tips on how to reset one’s intention through sincerity of intention.

Firstly, repent. Make a dua for forgiveness on being insincere in your repentance. Change comes from Allah SWT and so the journey begins with forgiveness. Ask for sincerity in your duas and insh’Allah it will come.

Secondly, fight the insincerity. Understand that the only person to impress is Allah SWT and not about this person or that person. On the day of judgement those people will not matter to you and so don’t leave it till then to make that realisation.

And lastly, renew your intentions. Remind yourself of the great reward that awaits insh’Allah and never despair because if you truly wish for pure intentions then Allah SWT will be watching out for you and if that is the case then what more does one need? Practically a starter for this point can be do begin every single action with saying or thinking “Bismillah”, translated to meaning “in the name of Allah”, thus cementing in the subconscious the intention with which you are performing the action.

May Allah SWT make us of those with pure intentions. May Allah SWT remove insincerity from our intentions and may Allah SWT reward us in the hereafter on our intentions.

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Intention

Dear brothers, our beloved Prophet SAWS has emphasised the importance of intention in faith.

There are numerous hadith’s in relation to this topic and the following demonstrates this topic well. The Prophet SAWS is reported to have said:

All actions are with intention, and each person will get what he or she intended for.

Dear brothers, there are scholars that state that the entire religion revolves around intention.

In the event of migration for example, if one does it for worldly benefits such as wealth or a woman to marry, then the benefit will be for that reason and no other.

The argument can be that the intention wasn’t for anything immoral or forbidden. However, one needs to be careful that the intention isn’t for the self but is for the pleasure of his Creator.

One must always be mindful of the fact that this life is a short life and that before we know it we will be experiencing the only certainty of this life and that is death. Speaking to the elders amongst our community, you become acutely aware of how fast life travels and how vital therefore our intentions are.

Allah SWT makes reference to intention and the nature of this life in sura al-israa, ayat 18 in which it is translated as saying:

If anyone desires only the fleeting life, We speed up whatever We will in it, for whoever We wish; in the end We have prepared Hell for him in which to burn, disgraced and rejected.

Dear brothers, this stark reminder of the potential outcome of our present should be enough of a driver to correct our intention and reset it to the correct intention for our hereafter.

Before we can look at the steps to this reset, let’s summarize the concept of intention first.

Based on one’s intention, the end result of an action can be one of three things:

  1. Reward. If the intention is to please Allah SWT then all good actions will be rewarded. For example, if you intend to read a book of knowledge because seeking knowledge is an obligation on all Muslims then insh’Allah one is rewarded for it, in this life and the next.
  2. Another end result can be neutral. If one performs an action with the intention for other than Allah SWT, for example a business trip to another city, then the action will result in neither reward nor punishment. Incidentally, this action can be changed with intention to do it for the sake of Allah SWT such as an intention to feed your family or spend in the way of Allah SWT. Then this action becomes one of reward insh’Allah.
  3. Thirdly, the outcome can be punishment. If the intention was to specifically disobey a command of Allah SWT, for example, if this was an intention to go Las Vegas to gamble, then the journey is haram and is subject to punishment.

Dear brothers, the greatest threat to our worship is the threat of insincerity. One can do the noblest of deeds and make the greatest of sacrifices, but if our intentions are not right then those deeds are in danger of being stripped of virtue and reward.

This, in turn, leaves that person in danger of being without good deeds on the Day of Judgement.

So, the issue then becomes one of removing insincerity from one’s intentions. By removing that one is able to make the good deeds matter because the intention becomes the right intention. It is reset to how it should be.

And how can one do this? The khutba concludes with three short tips on how to reset one’s intention through sincerity of intention.

Firstly, repent. Make a dua for forgiveness on being insincere in your repentance. Change comes from Allah SWT and so the journey begins with forgiveness. Ask for sincerity in your duas and insh’Allah it will come.

Secondly, fight the insincerity. Understand that the only person to impress is Allah SWT and not about this person or that person. On the day of judgement those people will not matter to you and so don’t leave it till then to make that realisation.

And lastly, renew your intentions. Remind yourself of the great reward that awaits insh’Allah and never despair because if you truly wish for pure intentions then Allah SWT will be watching out for you and if that is the case then what more does one need?

May Allah SWT make us of those with pure intentions. May Allah SWT remove insincerity from our intentions and may Allah SWT reward us in the hereafter on our intentions.

Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.

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A Muslims Journey towards Islam

The greatest blessing that Allah SWT can bestow upon us is that of faith or Imaan.

However, as we are all only too aware, Imaan is not a constant with us throughout life. Imaan is of levels. It is of degrees and forever fluctuating.

Dear brothers, Imaan is such a thing that when one reflects upon their own self they will recognize times when they are active and obedient; one recognizes in those times a feeling of strength towards Imaan.

Equally so, one is also able to recall times when one is falling short of the mark and feeling a weak sense of Imaan.

Imaan is illustrated by Allah SWT in the glorious Quran when one reflects on the verses within. An example is found in Sura Tahaa, ayat 17 to 21:

And what is in your right hand O Musa?

He said: “This is my stick, whereon I lean, and wherewith I beat down branches for my sheep and wherein I find other uses”

Allah said: “Cast it down O Musa”

He cast it down and behold it was a snake, moving quickly.

Allah said: “Grasp it, and fear not. We shall return it to it’s former state.”

Dear brothers, if one reflect upon these verses there are many wisdoms to be found. However, in times of low Imaan it is important to have at one’s disposal, key steps that one can take to lift their imaan again.

Firstly, it is to have the will to start again:

Every action begins with the intention to perform that action. Make the conscious decision not to surrender to temptations or distractions and make dua to Allah SWT to help stick the decision to improve.

Next, it is to not neglect the prayers:

It’s alright to take a break every now and again from other productive activities to renew energy or enthusiasm but take care to guard the compulsory obligations. These can never slip as it makes for a harder path back to strong Imaan.

 

Another step is to open the Quran and see what Allah wants to convey to you:

My brothers, it is one thing reading and reciting the Quran and this has many rewards of it’s own. In a previous Khutba it was mentioned that there is multiple rewards allocated to each letter recited in the Quran.

However, on top of that one way to increase Imaan is to read the words from your Lord and understand them. In other words, read the translation if Arabic isn’t a first language and reflect upon what is there.

Remember, even if a random place is opened in the Quran and recited, there is a wisdom and lesson in each and every line for one to learn and ponder upon.

Finally, one can take the step of associating with religious and knowledgeable people in order to increase their Imaan. This is often an overlooked point but very important especially in the society in which we live. Dear brothers, let’s make the masjid a focal point for the community with like-minded people once more InshAllah.

Even if it is for the congregational prayers and to hear the Imam recite the words of our Lord, it will serve to increase one’s Imaan as mentioned in Sura Al-Anfal ayat 2:

The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when his verses are recited to them , it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely.

 

May Allah SWT make us yearn for greater Imaan. May Allah SWT instil Imaan into our hearts. And May Allah SWT guide us towards those deeds which increase our Imaan.

 

Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.

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