Niyyah

So let’s tackle the first of the five parts of sincerity: Niyyah (intention).

Intention is an aim or plan, something one aspires to do or be. It is often done silently and only for one’s self. In Islam, intention plays an integral part in daily prayers and other aspects as well. Before praying salah, one is obligated to make the intention to pray whichever salah he/she is planning on praying. The same goes for fasting as well; every Muslim individual is required to make the intention of fasting the night before. Intention is the most important part of any action. If one has the right intention when doing something, they will heavily reap the rewards, however, if one’s intentions are not right, their actions go to waste. It is narrated by Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA):

I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

#niyyah #sincerity #intention #hadith