06-21-2003, 09:52 PM
Hadeeth 1
Indeed all Actions are but by their intentions...
From the Leader of the Believers, Abu Hafs Umar bin Al-Khattaab (radiyAllaahu anhu) that I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying,
"Indeed all actions are but by their intentions and each individual will get what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger then his migration will be for Allaah and His Messenger; and whoever migrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry then his migration would be for what he migrated."
Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Documentation of the Hadeeth
Reported by al-Bukhaaree [1/9 of al-Fath] and Muslim [no. 1907]
The reports from the Imaams concerning the greatness of this hadeeth reach the level of mutawaatir, [they mentioned] that there is nothing from the narrations of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that is as concise, self-sufficient and full of so many benefits as this hadeeth because it is from those ahaadeeth around which the whole religion revolves.
Difficult words of the Hadeeth
Al-Hafs: the lion, it is nicknamed Abu Hafs because its cubs are known hafs. It is with this name that the Leader of the Believers, Umar al-Faarooq (radiyAllaahu anhu) was named.
An-Niyyah: the intent to do something adjoined with his enacting it.
Al-Hijrah: Linguistically it means to abandon something. In the Sharee`ah it refers to leaving that which Allaah prohibited. In Islaam, Hijrah occurred in two aspects:
Moving from a land in which one lives in fear to a land in which one lives in safety as in the case of the two hijrahs to Abysinnia and the first part of the hijrahto Madeenah.
Moving from the land of disbelief to the land of Islaam as occurred after the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) became established in Madeenah.
Yuseebuhaa: to acquire or attain it.
Fiqh of the Hadeeth
It is necessary for the niyyah to exist in all actions regardless of whether they be those that fulfil ones goal in and of themselves (maqaasid), such as prayer, or they lead to fulfilling other actions (wasaa`il), such as tahaarah, or purity. This is because sincerity cannot be imagined to exist except with the existence of the niyyah.
I do not know of any difference concerning this amongst the People of Knowledge except when it comes to those actions that lead to fulfilling others. There is also a difference concerning the niyyah as to whether [it has to be present] at the beginning of the action [or not]. The place of the niyyah is the heart and not the tongue by agreement of the Muslim Imaams for all the actions of worship such as tahaarah (purity), salaah (ritual prayer), zakaah (obligatory charity), siyaam (fasting), hajj (pilgrimage), `itq (manumitting slaves), jihaad (fighting in the Way of Allaah) and others. To articulate the intention is a misguiding bid`ah.
As for the one who thinks that [the articulation of the intention] is permissible only for hajj has erred because he has not differentiated between the talbiyyah and the niyyah [and hence believed that the talbiyyah is the niyyah.
Shaykh al-Islaam [ibn Taymiyyah] (rahimahullaah) has explained at length the rules and regulations of niyyah in an individual treatise. I too have a detailed work concerning this and it is called, ad-Durar al-Madiyyah fee Ahkaam al-Ikhlaas wa an-Niyyah.
Actions are only righteous when adjoined to a righteous intention but know that a good intention does not make the evil, good or the bid`ah, a Sunnah. Indeed how many are those who intend good but do not attain it!
Sincerity to Allaah is a condition for the acceptance of the action for Allaah does not accept an action unless it be sincere and correct. As for its being sincere then this means that it be done for Allaah Alone, and as for its being correct then this means that it be done in accordance to the Authentic Sunnah.
Hadeeth 2
From Aa`ishah (radiyAllaahu anhaa) that The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "an army will set out against the Ka`bah and when it reaches a smooth, desolate land, the first of them to the last of them will be swallowed up by the earth." She asked, O Messenger of Allaah! Why will all of them be swallowed up when amongst them there will be market places and those who are not from them He answered, "the first of them to the last of them will be swallowed by the earth and then they will be resurrected in accordance to their intentions."
Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Documentation of the Hadeeth:
Reported by al-Bukhaaree [4/338 of al-Fath] and Muslim [no. 2884]
Difficult words of the Hadeeth:
Jaysh: Army. Allaah knows best as to the identity of this army, however the literal sense of the ahaadeeth [concerning this] determines that it is an army sent to fight the Mahdee (AS) when he retreats to the House in order to take refuge. This army is from amongst this nation as is clearly mentioned in the report of Muslim and they are not the ones who will destroy the Ka`bah for they will be from Abysinnia. This is further proven by the fact that the Abysinnians will gain a foothold in the House whereas this army will be swallowed [by the earth] before it reaches the House.
Al-Baydaa`: every smooth, desolate piece of land is called baydaa`. Some of the narrators of this hadeeth in Muslim explained to it to be the baydaa` of Madeenah and this is a well-known place falling between Mecca and Madeenah, an elevated place in front of Dhul Haleefah towards the direction of Mecca.
Al-Khasf: disappearance into the earth. In this respect are the sayings of Allaah, the Exalted,
"And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home." [Al-Qasas (28): 81]
"And among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow." [Al-Ankaboot (29): 40]
Aswaaquhum: the plural of sooq, or marketplace [adjoined with the possessive pronoun hum, their]. Meaning the people of the marketplaces or the rabble amongst them i.e. all those other than the leaders/rulers.
Yub`athoona `alaa niyyaatihim: Allaah will raise them from their graves and judge them upon their goals and intentions and they will be requited in accordance to them. Hence the one who disliked [what was happening], the one who was coerced, the onlooker and the one who just happened to be passing by will all be differentiated.
Fiqh of the Hadeeth:
Keeping distant from the people who commit wrong and warning from sitting with them, and from the gatherings of those who have transgressed and their likes so that one does not fall into the risk of being afflicted with their punishment.
Whosoever frequently [mixes] with a people who are submerged in sin out of his own volition will find the sin and punishment being meted to him also.
Actions are considered by the intention of the enactor.
The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) informing us of the unseen affairs that Allaah has granted him cognisance of. Such matters form part of the issues of faith that are obligatory to believe in and this is not affected or diminished by the fact that they reached us by way of an authentic, individually narrated tradition (khabr al-waahid as-saheeh). In our opinion such reports constitute proof in both matters of belief and legislative law as I have explained in my book, Al-Adillah wa ash-Shawaahid fee Wujoob al-Akhdh bi Khabr al-Waahid fee al-Ahkaam wal Aqaa`id.
This hadeeth contains a delicate point, which is the point that caused some difficulty in understanding for the Mother of the Believers, Aa`ishah (radiyAllaahu anhaa) that the punishment afflict even those who had no intention of fighting since the intent of fighting was the cause of the punishment.
Many different methods have emerged in attempting to answer this problem and for example it is said, the punishment occurred such that it encompassed all of them because their decreed life-spans were over and then they would be resurrected upon their intentions. Other opinions have also been mentioned.
What is apparent to me is that the punishment befell generally such that it included the one who disliked what was happening, the onlooker and the passer by because they did not try to save themselves from a tribulation (fitna) that was not to affect only those who committed wrong. Rather the tide of oppression and wrongdoing carried them along with it even though they themselves did not desire it and for this reason they met the same fate as the wrongdoers.
This is what is proven by [a number] of verses and ahaadeeth - that when the punishment occurs, it includes those righteous people whose faces did not change colour out of anger for the sake of Allaah [at the wrongdoing around them], that it is those who try to correct and rectify the affairs who are the ones saved. Allaah, the Exalted said,
"So why were there not among the generations before you those of enduring discrimination forbidding corruption on earth excepting a few of those whom We saved from among them But the wrongdoers pursued what luxury they were given therein, and they were criminals. And your Lord would not have destroyed the cities unjustly while their people were reformers." [Hud (11): 116-117]
The meaning of this verse unveils a Sunnah from the Sunnahs of Allaah with respect to the nations. Therefore a nation in which corruption occurs by them worshipping other than Allaah in whatever form or fashion, and there is found amongst them those who move to repress and remove this, then this is one of the saved nations, it will not be beset with punishment or destruction. As for the nations in which people sin and spread corruption and yet no one moves to repress and remove it, or there are those from amongst them who reject the situation but are not able to change anything then indeed the Sunnah of Allaah become applicable to the nation and it is destroyed. This is done either by total destruction, or by diminution and being conquered. Both cases lead to the loss or change [of the good that the nation had].
At this point the importance and great weight attached to calling to Allaah and purifying the earth from corruption can be understood because this is the course to security for the nations, tribes and their members. Such people [who rectify the affairs] not only fulfil their duties to their Lord and religion but also stand between the people and the Anger of Allaah, and their deserving His exemplary punishment and losing out [on good].