Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago

Question:

Actions are but by intentions

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

What is the opinion of the Hanafi Madhhab about this Hadith, 3 questions:

1.The first question regarding this hadith is whether it refers to all actions, or only those actions whose validity requires an niyya?

2.If an action might be partially for the sake of Allah and partially to display one’s self in front of the people.? If the desire to display one’s self arose at the origin of the action, then the action is vain?

3.As for an action whose origin is for Allah, then it subsequently becomes corrupted by a desire to display one’s self,such an act is vain?

Jazak Allah Khayran

Answer:

Wa Alaikum As Salaam,

It refers to only those actions whose validity requires an intention. Hence, such actions will not be valid except there is niyya for them. As for others which can occur without a formal intention, then one should also have an intention for these since he will get blessings for the good intentions he has.

If the desire to display one’s self arose at the time of the action, then the action will be in vain. If however, it was there before, but, at the time of doing the action it changed into Ikhlas, then it will not go in vain.

The action which must be done for Allah, if this is corrupted by a desire to display one’s self, then such and act will be in vain.
In the above mentioned answers where it states that an action is in ‘vain’, it means that one will not receive blessings for such actions and these will not be accepted by Allah. This however, does not mean that one has to make Qadha of such actions.

And Allah knows best,
Mufti Waseem Khan

22/1/2013