Sun 30th Sep

Lesson 2: Indeed Actions are by Intentions (Parts 1+2)

  • It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu’minin, Abu Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) who said: “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]
  • For an action to occur it must have an intention behind it, otherwise this cannot be termed an action. For example, when a sleeping person or an insane person performs an act, then we do not say this is the same as what someone does who intends to do that act
  • Important aspects of an Action:
    • the intention itself
    • the one for whom you are doing the action for
  • The explanation by Shaykh Abdelmuhsin Al-Abbād can be divided into 9 parts

Part 1: The chain of narration

  • This hadith has been collected by Imam Al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim and the collectors of the Sunan,
    • Who are the collectors of the sunan?
  • Other collectors of hadith have also collected this hadith
  • This hadith was narrated through only Umar (at the level of the companions)
  • Who narrated it from Umar?
  • NOTE: when a narration has only one person at a specific level (e.g. at the level of the companions or the generations that followed them) then this type of hadith is called Ghareeb. This does not mean that it is unauthentic, it merely means that there is only one person at any level.
  • This is the very first hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari. Likewise the very last hadith of Sahih Al-Bukhari is also a ghareeb hadith
    • Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: ‘Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection]’.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Part 2: The great importance of this Hadith

  • Shaykh Abdelmuhsin Al-Abbād says that Imam An-Nawawi as well as a great amount of scholars have begun their books with this hadith.
    • Who are these Scholars?
  • Imam Nawawi quotes Imam Shaafi’i that “This hadith enters upon 70 different chapters of fiqh (Jurisprudence)”.
  • Imam Nawawi quotes Imam Shaafi’i that “This hadith is a third of knowledge”
  • This hadith is one of the hadith that Islam revolves around
  • Every muslim should have some level of understanding regarding this hadith
  • Imam Nawawi says that he began with this Hadith in order to follow the footsteps of Imam Al-Bukhari and cites the scholars who preceded him as to the importance of beginning with this hadith
  • Shaykh Abdelmuhsin Al-Abbād mentions that Ibn Rajab (who authored a comprehensive Explanation of the 40 Hadith if Imam Nawawi), that he says that Imam Bukhari places this hadith in the beginning of his book as though to indicate it as an introduction or preface and that any action one does without dedicating it to seeking the face of Allah, then such action has no fruit to it in this life nor in the hereafter