Purity of Intention in Everyday Activities

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), Since the wording of the Hadith is general, it is understood that a person may even be rewarded for their everyday normal activity which they perform, as long as their intention is correct and that act is not prohibited by the religion. This aspect of intention allows one's entire life to become an act of worship, as long as the objective of that life is the pleasure of Allah, Whose pleasure is achieved by doing good and refraining from evil. A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and sincerely seeking Allah's pleasure through these activities. Allah's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Helping a person or his belongings onto his mount is an act of charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity." [Sahih Al-Bukhari] Earning a living can be rewarded as well. The Companions saw a man and were astonished by his hard work and industry. They lamented: "If he were only doing this much work for the sake of Allah..." Allah's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "If he is working to support his small children, then it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to support his elderly parents, then it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to occupy himself and keep his desires in check, then it is for the sake of Allah. If, on the other hand, he is doing so to show off and earn fame, then he is working for the sake of Shaytan." [Al-Mundthiri, As-Suyuti] In order for these everyday actions to be deserving of divine reward, the following conditions must be met: A. The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrator deserves punishment. Allah's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is pure and good, and He accepts only what is pure and good." [Sahih Muslim] B. The dictates of Islamic Law must be completely observed. Deception, oppression, and iniquity must be avoided. Allah's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who deceives us is not one of us." [Sahih Muslim] C. The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. Allah says: "O you, who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of Allah..." [Noble Quran 63:9] From this discussion, we can see the greatness of this Hadith and how important it is in forming the concept of the acceptability of deeds and reward from Allah. We also see from this Hadith that the concept of worship and service in Islam is not limited to performing certain legislated ritual acts, but rather encompasses the whole life of the Muslim, making him a true slave to Allah.

Khadejah Jones Share Islam Team ShareIslam.com