Hadith 1 — Intentions: The Heart of Worship
[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. ]
Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
Part One: The Foundation of All Deeds
Brothers,
Last week we began this blessed journey—not only through hadith, but through the very roots of our religion. A journey of purification, of building the heart, and of anchoring our Islam in the very principles that made this ummah great.
Imam an-Nawawi (rahimahullah) chose these 40 hadith not at random, but with deliberate care. Each one is a principle. Each one contains oceans of knowledge. Today we begin with the hadith that lays the foundation for all others. The hadith of niyyah—intention.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Actions are judged by intentions. And every person will have only what they intended. So whoever migrated for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was to Allah and His Messenger. And whoever migrated for some worldly benefit or to marry a woman, then his migration is to what he migrated for."]
This is the complete narration from Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu). It is a hadith so powerful that Imam ash-Shafi'i said: It constitutes one-third of knowledge. Imam Ahmad said: The foundations of Islam are built on three hadith—and this is one of them. Imam Abu Dawud said: All of Islam revolves around four hadith—and this is the first.
Why did the scholars begin with this hadith? Why place it at the very front of their collections?
Because it teaches us that the heart is the source of all deeds. That what you do is not what matters most—it is why you do it. A person may spend their entire life in apparent obedience, but if the heart was corrupt, they have gained nothing. And another may do little, but with pure intention, and Allah multiplies it beyond measure.
[Quran,98:5,"And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, ˹being˺ sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion."]
Sincerity—ikhlas—is not optional. It is the very definition of correct religion. You can pray all five daily prayers on time, fast Ramadan, give charity, and perform Hajj—but if these actions are done to impress others rather than please Allah, they are worthless.
The early Muslims understood this deeply. They used to hide their good deeds just as we hide our sins. Why? Because they feared riyaa'—showing off. They feared doing good to impress others instead of pleasing Allah.
[Quote,Sufyan al-Thawri,,"I have never dealt with anything more difficult than my own intention—because it keeps changing."]
This is the struggle of every believer. You begin praying with sincerity, and then a thought creeps in: What if someone sees me? You begin giving charity secretly, and then you think: If people knew, they would respect me more. You memorize Quran for Allah, and then you find yourself wanting to recite in front of others just to hear their praise.
Sincerity is not a one-time thing. It is a constant struggle. Before every prayer, every word, every act—we must ask ourselves: Who is this really for?
Now understand: there is a difference between ritual intention and sincerity of the heart. When you stand to pray, you make the intention: I am praying Dhuhr, four rak'ahs, for Allah. This is the legal intention that makes the prayer valid. But sincerity is deeper. It is whether your heart is truly focused on Allah during that prayer, or whether your mind is wandering to what people think of you, or how you look, or what you will say after salah to impress someone.
The same action can earn reward or punishment depending on intention. Consider a man who gives charity. If he gives it secretly, seeking only Allah's pleasure, he will be among those who are shaded under the Throne on the Day of Judgment. But if he gives it publicly to be praised, Allah may give him praise in this world—but no reward in the Hereafter.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Seven types will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. Among them: a person who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."]
Two people give the same amount. One earns Paradise. The other earns nothing. What is the difference? Intention.
Two people pray in the front row. One stands there for Allah. The other stands there so people see him and think he is pious. Same row. Same prayer. Different outcomes. One is accepted, the other rejected.
[Quran,107:4-6,"So woe to those who pray, yet are unmindful of their prayers, those who ˹only˺ show off."]
Allah did not say: Woe to those who do not pray. He said: Woe to those who pray but show off. This is a severe warning. A person can be praying five times a day and still be doomed if the heart is rotten.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ began with this hadith. Because before prayer, before hijrah, before jihad, before anything else—comes the heart. If the heart is pure, the action is pure. If the heart is corrupted by ego or pride or desire for reputation, even the greatest action becomes worthless.
[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"The martyrs are three types: A man who fights seeking the pleasure of Allah, and is killed—he is in the highest level of Paradise. A man who fights to be seen and praised, and is killed—he is in the Fire. And a man who fights for wealth, and is killed—he is in the Fire."]
Same death. Same battlefield. Different intentions. Different outcomes. One is in the highest Paradise. Two are in Hell. The only difference is the heart.
Brothers, the scholars said that niyyah has two meanings. First, it distinguishes acts of worship from habits. When you wash your face, is it wudhu or just cleaning yourself? The intention determines this. When you give money to someone, is it charity or a loan or a payment? The intention determines this.
Second, it distinguishes between types of worship. Are you praying Fajr or Dhuhr? Are you fasting Ramadan or making up a missed day? Are you giving obligatory zakah or voluntary sadaqah? The intention clarifies this.
But beyond these technical matters is the deeper reality: is this action for Allah alone, or is it mixed with other motives? This is where most people fail. Not in making the basic intention, but in keeping the heart pure throughout the act.
[Hadith,Ibn Majah,"The thing I fear most for my ummah is minor shirk." They asked: "What is minor shirk, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Showing off."]
The Prophet ﷺ feared this for us more than major sins. Why? Because major sins are obvious. You know when you have committed zina or stolen or murdered. But riyaa' is hidden. It sneaks into the heart. You think you are doing good, but really you are worshiping your reputation, not your Lord.
Part Two: Purifying the Heart
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه ومن والاه.
To proceed:
Allah has created us to test us—to see which of us has the best deeds, not the most.
[Quran,67:2,"˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving."]
The scholars said: The best deeds are those that are most sincere and most correct. That is: done for Allah, and done upon the Sunnah. If you do something sincerely but it contradicts the Sunnah, it is rejected. If you do something correctly according to Sunnah but without sincerity, it is also rejected. Both must be present.
But what happens when there is no sincerity?
[Hadith,Muslim,"The first to be judged on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forth, and Allah will remind him of His favors, and he will acknowledge them. Then Allah will say: 'What did you do with them?' He will say: 'I fought for You until I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'You lied. Rather, you fought so it would be said that you are brave—and it was said.' Then he will be commanded to be dragged on his face and thrown into the Fire. Then a scholar will be brought. Allah will remind him of His favors, and he will acknowledge them. Then Allah will say: 'What did you do with them?' He will say: 'I learned knowledge and taught it, and I recited the Quran for Your sake.' Allah will say: 'You lied. Rather, you learned so it would be said: he is a scholar, and you recited so it would be said: he is a reciter—and it was said.' Then he will be commanded to be dragged on his face into the Fire. Then a wealthy man will be brought. Allah will remind him of His favors, and he will acknowledge them. Then Allah will say: 'What did you do with them?' He will say: 'I spent wealth in every cause You love.' Allah will say: 'You lied. Rather, you spent so it would be said: he is generous—and it was said.' Then he will be commanded to be dragged on his face into the Fire."]
Brothers, pause and reflect. These were not wicked people. These were not people who worshiped idols or rejected Islam. These were a shaheed, an aalim, and a generous donor. People we would honor and respect. People we would consider righteous. But they will be the first to enter Hell. Why? Because they did great deeds for the wrong reasons. They sought praise from creation instead of reward from the Creator. And their reward ended in this world.
[Hadith,Muslim,"Allah says: I am the One most free of need for any partner. Whoever does a deed for Me and associates anyone else with Me in it, I leave him to the one he associated with Me."]
Think about this carefully. Allah is not in need of our worship. He does not benefit from our prayers or fasting or charity. We are the ones who need Him. So when we do an act of worship and mix it with showing off or seeking praise, Allah essentially says: Go get your reward from the people you were trying to impress. I have no need for this.
Brothers, this should terrify us. Not because we fear doing good—but because we fear doing good with the wrong heart.
[Quote,Ibn al-Qayyim,,"Actions without sincerity and following the Sunnah are like a traveler who carries dirt in his luggage instead of provisions—it only weighs him down, and brings no benefit."]
So how do we protect ourselves? How do we purify our intentions?
First, we must understand that checking our intentions is a continuous process. Before you pray, ask: Am I praying for Allah? If you feel the urge to pray only when someone is watching, or the urge to skip prayer when no one is watching—that is a sign your intention needs work.
Before you give charity, ask: Do I want people to know about this? If you find yourself telling others about what you gave, or feeling disappointed when no one praises you—that is a sign of riyaa'.
Before you teach or give advice, ask: Am I saying this to benefit them or to look knowledgeable? If you find yourself speaking more when there is an audience, or remaining silent when there is benefit but no recognition—that is a sign your intention is corrupt.
Here is the prison application, brothers: You are here serving time. You did not choose this place. But you can choose your intention for how you spend this time. Are you doing your time with the intention of drawing closer to Allah, using this trial as a means of repentance and purification? Or are you just counting days, bitter and angry, wishing it away?
Two men in the same cell. Both serving the same sentence. One sees it as wasted years. The other sees it as a gift from Allah—time to memorize Quran, time to pray without distraction, time to rebuild his relationship with his Creator. Same environment. Different intentions. One leaves worse than he entered. The other leaves transformed.
[Hadith,Bukhari,"Whoever Allah wishes good for, He afflicts with trials."]
If you are here, know that Allah can use this for your benefit—if you intend it correctly. If you see this as your wake-up call, your chance to turn back to Allah before death comes, then even this trial becomes a mercy.
[Quran,42:30,"Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed. And He pardons much."]
You can spend these years in bitterness, blaming everyone else, angry at the system, angry at Allah. Or you can spend these years in repentance, grateful that Allah gave you time to change before meeting Him. Same sentence. Different intentions. Different outcomes.
Now, how do we practically purify our intentions?
First: Perform acts of worship in secret. The Prophet ﷺ praised the man whose charity is so hidden that even his own left hand does not know what the right hand gave. When you give, give privately. When you pray voluntary prayers, pray them at home, not in the masjid where everyone can see. When you make dhikr, make it quietly. Build a relationship with Allah that no one knows about except Him.
[Hadith,Muslim,"The best prayer is the prayer in one's house, except the obligatory prayers."]
Second: Be wary of praising yourself or seeking praise from others. If someone praises you for a good deed, feel worried, not happy. The salaf used to say: If someone praises you, check your heart. If you feel joy, be concerned—that is a sign of hidden shirk.
[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"Whoever loves that people stand for him out of reverence, let him prepare his seat in the Fire."]
Third: When you catch yourself doing something for people's approval, stop and renew your intention. If you are praying and realize you are doing it to be seen, stop and renew your intention right there. Say in your heart: O Allah, I am doing this for You alone. Make me sincere. Do not let Shaytan ruin your deed by making you give up entirely. Just renew your intention and continue.
Fourth: Make du'a constantly for sincerity. This is one of the most important du'as a Muslim can make.
[Dua,اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ,Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a'lamu wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lamu,O Allah I seek refuge in You from knowingly associating partners with You and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do not know.]
Fifth: Remember death often. When you remember that you will soon be in the grave, alone, with nothing but your deeds, it becomes easier to focus on pleasing Allah rather than pleasing people. People cannot help you in the grave. Their praise means nothing there. Only your sincere deeds will speak for you.
[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"Remember often the destroyer of pleasures: death."]
Sixth: Understand that even if you fool people, you cannot fool Allah. People may see your outward actions and praise you. They may think you are righteous. But Allah sees the heart. He knows whether you prayed for Him or for reputation. He knows whether you gave charity to please Him or to be called generous. You may deceive everyone in this world, but you will not deceive Him on the Day of Judgment.
[Quran,6:3,"And He is Allah ˹Who alone deserves to be worshipped˺ in the heavens and the earth. He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and knows whatever ˹reward˺ you deserve."]
[Quote,Ibn Rajab,,"The sincere one hides his good deeds like he hides his sins."]
And do not despair when intentions slip. This is a jihad—a constant struggle. Sufyan al-Thawri, one of the great scholars of the salaf, said he struggled with his intention more than anything else because it kept changing. If someone of his caliber struggled, what about us?
The point is not to reach perfection immediately. The point is to keep trying. Keep checking. Keep renewing. Keep asking Allah for help.
[Hadith,Ahmad,"Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him. And whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him."]
The one who loves to meet Allah is the one whose deeds are for Allah. He looks forward to standing before his Lord because he knows his record is clean. But the one whose deeds are for show, for reputation, for people—he fears meeting Allah. He knows his record is full of wasted effort.
Brothers, sincerity is the seed from which all worship grows. Without it, nothing lasts. With it, even a smile becomes an act of worship. The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Muslim,"Smiling at your brother is charity."]
But only if you smile for Allah. If you smile to manipulate, to deceive, to gain favor—it is not charity. It is hypocrisy.
So before every act—pause and ask: Is this for Allah? And if the answer is no—change it. If the answer is yes—ask Allah to accept it and to keep it sincere until you meet Him.
[Hadith,Bayhaqi,"Verily, Allah loves that when you do a deed, you perfect it."]
And perfection is not only in form—but in niyyah. In doing it for Allah, sincerely, lovingly, humbly, and without showing off.
Let us start small. Let us start with our most private deeds—Qiyam al-Layl in the darkness of the night, secret charity that only Allah knows about, even small du'a that no one hears but Him. Build a secret record with Allah—a bank of sincerity, known only to the One who judges hearts.
This is the beginning of all goodness. This is the foundation upon which the rest of the 40 hadith will build. If we do not master this, nothing else will benefit us. But if we get this right, everything else will follow.
We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us. We ask Him to purify our hearts and make our intentions sincere for Him alone. We ask Him to accept our deeds and to make them purely for His face. We ask Him to protect us from showing off, from seeking praise, and from the hidden shirk of riyaa'. We ask Him to make us among those who love to meet Him and whom He loves to meet.
Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.
I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ. ]