By Ustad Abu Talha
This is explanation of the well known hadith, which all Muslims must know about. Its a brief explanation but a very useful one in understanding this precious gem. Hope you benefit from it.
On the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Abu Hafs Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying: “Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, [then] his migration was for Allah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for that which he migrated.”
This was related by the two Imams of the scholars of hadith, Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismaaeel ibn Ibraaheem ibn al-Mugheerah ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushairi al-Naisaboori in their collections of authentic hadith which are the most authentic works compiled.
This is one of the greatest hadith, although it is well known – it is only Umar who narrated it. The chain from Umar to Yahya Ibn Saeed [Ref: Zarabozo, 1/111] is the only authentic chain for this hadith. From Yahya Ibn Saeed, it becomes mutawatir.
Ali ibn al-Madani said: ‘No authentic chain except this chain.’
Many scholars start of their work by quoting this hadith first, this is what Imam Bukhari also did – this is to show that intension comes first, and it should not be for anyone other than Allah (SWT). Imam an-Nawawi starts three of his books by quoting this hadith first.
Abdur-Rahman Ibn Mahdi said: ‘If I wrote a book, I would put this hadith in every chapter.’
Imam ash-Shafi said: ‘This hadith is a third of knowledge. It comes in more than seventy chapters of fiqh.’ Meaning; all worship requires intension, to make wudu, to pray, to pay zakat – it comes in many areas of fiqh.
Imam Ahmad said: ‘The principles of Islam are based on three ahadith: Hadith Umar – “Actions are but by intensions…”; Hadith Aisha – “Whoever invents in this matter of ours what does not belong to it, then it will be rejected…”; and Hadith Numan bin Bashir – “The halal is clear and the haram is clear…”’
Why did Imam Ahmad say this? Looking at the Deen as a whole, it is about doing halal and keeping away from the haram and there are some ‘grey areas’. Doing the halal and keeping away from the haram is reported in Hadith Numan bin Bashir; but to do this, it has to be according to the Shar’iah, which is reported in Hadith Aisha. Furthermore an action is not accepted unless it is done for Allah (SWT), which is reported in Hadith Umar – and thus these three ahadith are the basis of the principles of Islam.
Allah (SWT) said: “Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” Surah al-Mulk, Verse 2
Fudayl bin Ayyad said that ‘best in deed’ means those of you who are most sincere and most correct in their actions.
If it is pure and not correct; it is not accepted. If it is correct and not pure; it is also not accepted. It has to be correct and sincere to be accepted by Allah (SWT).
“Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions…
There are two meanings given by the scholars:
- Action to be correct; intension must be correct. Restricts actions to worship only.
- The actions are caused by intensions. Intension is a reason for action. It is not restricted to worship only.
“…and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended…”
Meaning the result of that intension – example; a person make the intension for wudu and so he will have wudu. The consequence of that intension is what a person will get.
“…Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, [then] his migration was for Allah and His Messenger…”
Then, the Prophet (pbuh) gave this example. Meaning the cause for the person’s migration; that person will get that.
“…and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for that which he migrated.”
This case is something else – dunya – that person will get what he migrated for.
Zarabozo said: ‘The Prophet (pbuh) belittled the goal of the person who migrated for some worldly purpose by stating, ‘Then his migration is for it.’ With out explicitly stating what was being referred to.’
- Intension – an-Niya /al-Qasd /al-Iradah
Two different aspects:
- Fiqhi point of view
- Spiritual aspect
In the fiqhi aspect, it is further divided:
- Where one distinguished an act of worship from a natural act; example – wudu or just wash the limbs. Intension differentiates an act of worship from a normal act.
- Distinguish one act of worship to another act of worship.
In the spiritual aspect, it means: who the action is for; is it for Allah (SWT) or for someone other than Him? If it for Allah (SWT) – it is referred as Ikhlas. If it is for other than Allah (SWT) – it is referred as Shirk.
Allah (SWT) also uses iradah – [want] in the Qur’an: “Among you are those who want the dunya and among you are those want the akhirah.” Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 152
It means to move lands of the disbelievers to the lands of Islam. It can be wajib or mustahab.
It is wajib when you can not practice your Deen; when you can not do your fard ‘ayn duties – one must leave.
It is mustahab when one can leave a bad place for better place where the person can worship Allah (SWT) – as this was the case with the man who killed a 100 people; Hadith Sa’id al-Khudri, found in Bukhari and Muslim.
Hijrah is till the end of time.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “There is no hijrah after the Conquest of Makkah but there remains jihad and intension.”
Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim
The meaning of the hadith is, there is no hijrah from Makkah to Medina because Makkah had become part of the Islamic state – but there is other hijrah till the end of time.
There were three aspects in the migration from Makkah to Medina:
1.Migrate from Kufr to Islam
2.Migrate from fear to safety
3.Migrate from sin to obedience
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “The Muhajir is the one who avoids what Allah has prohibited.”
Recorded by al-Bukhari
The Prophet (pbuh) gave the example of migration in Hadith Umar although it can apply to any other act, [such as jihad, seeking knowledge, and giving charity.]
[The well know hadith of Abu Hurairah about the first three people to be thrown into the Hell-Fire shows one must have the correct intentions.]
The intension for seeking knowledge is to remove ignorance; worship Allah (SWT) with certainty. Allah (SWT) will make the path of Jannah easy, bless your efforts and make easy for you to learn.
Learning for riya – is the first to enter the Fire; Hadith Abu Hurairah, found in Muslim and an-Nasa’i.
- Riya – the action is invalid, not accepted
- Action is for Allah (SWT) and for others – this is rejected, one can’t do it partly.
Abu Hurairah narrated: ‘The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah, Blessed and Glorified be He said, ‘I am the One Who is not in need of any partner. If anyone carries out an action in which he associates with Me someone else, I will leave him with what he has associated with Me.’”
Recorded by Muslim
- The original intension was for Allah (SWT), the Satan come to that person inspiring it to be beautified for someone. If a person repels it, it is ok. If the person allows it to continue, it is negated.
It takes it years of ‘Jihaad of the Nafs’ because the Satan is always there. ‘Jihaad of the Nafs’ is not the greater of the Jihaads.
Signs of Ikhlaas –
‘Al-Mukhlis is the one who hides his good deeds just as he hides his bad deeds.’
Whether people praise or dispraise you, it is the same – this is a sign of sincerity as the action is done only for the Pleasure of Allah.
Sahl ibn Abdullah said: ‘There is nothing more difficult on the soul than ikhlaas because the nafs has no share in it.’
The one who thinks he is sincere needs sincerity. ‘Al-Ikhlass needs ikhlaas…’ – one can not think that he is sincere.
Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Layla – when he used to do his night prayers – and if someone would come he would pretend to sleep. Another Salaf said that he fasted over twenty years and even his own family did not know!
People used to go out of their ways to make their deeds private; now we go out of our ways to get people to know about our good deeds.
Imam ash-Shafi said: ‘I wish people had taken this knowledge and people did not ascribe it to me.’
- Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim
Their book of Hadith is the most authentic source after the Qur’an. Majority say that Sahih al-Bukhari is more authentic then Sahih Muslim – although some say Sahih Muslim; in term of arrangement it is better. The strongest ahadith is when they both agree upon a hadith, the Sahih al-Bukhari followed by Sahih Muslim. Imam an-Nawawi said that the scholars agree upon this.
Why is Sahih al-Bukhari better in level?
It is because the condition the Imam laid out – if two narrators did not meet, he would not narrate from them and this is not the case with Imam Muslim.
Narrating from al-Khawarij is ok – as they don’t lie. The Shia’s are the worst to narrate from as lying is part of their religion.
This is the end of the explanation; may Allah (SWT) make us from amongst His sincere slaves.
No comments:
Post a Comment