Every person deserves what he intends.

One of the greatest features of the Islamic way of life is its inherent morality, which places importance not only on external behavior but also on the purity of the inner state and intention. “Every person will get what he intends” — this sentence, on the one hand, reveals the inherent subtlety of the Islamic legal system, on the other hand, it also sheds light on the deeper levels of our souls. This is not a general advice; rather, it is a fundamental principle described in the Hadith Sharif, the impact of which is not limited to the field of worship or religious activities, but extends to every level of life.

The main source of this great sentence is the saying of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is known as the ‘Hadith-e-Niyyat’. The Hadith establishes a fundamental principle on the basis of which the acceptability of every action and deed is determined. The full form of the Hadith is:

“Indeed, every deed depends on the intention, and for every person will be that which he intends.” (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)

This hadith tells us that worship, charity, education, and even worldly deeds are only virtuous if they are done for the sake of Allah, with pure intention.

Intention is an Arabic word meaning purpose, desire, intention. It is an internal mental state that determines the true purpose of an action. Although two actions may appear to be the same on the outside, their differences can be immense due to their intentions. For example, two people entered the mosque and prayed together. One’s intention is to please Allah, while the other’s intention is to show himself as a pious person in society. Externally, both of their actions are the same, but due to the difference in intention, the prayer of one may be accepted and the prayer of the other may be rejected.

The importance of intention is also indicated in many places in the Quran. For example, Allah says, “Say, ‘Indeed, I have dedicated my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death—all for Allah.’” (Surah An'am: 162)

Here, in addition to prayer, it is said to dedicate life and death to Allah, which indicates that every step, action and thought of a Muslim's life should be for the pleasure of Allah alone.

But in real life, it is not easy to maintain the purity of intention. Intention is such a subtle thing that is not visible to the external eye, but it is completely visible to Allah. Satan secretly infiltrates the intention - sometimes the tendency to show off may enter, sometimes worldly interests may rise to the fore. People then act, but it becomes a means to achieve worldly goals rather than for Allah. That is why it is very important to check the intention before every action. The hadith states, "Whoever shows off (worships for the sake of showing off), Allah will expose him before the people on the Day of Resurrection." (Muslim)

The effect of intention is not limited to worship. Even the ordinary actions of daily life can be transformed into worship through intention. If a mother feeds her child with the intention that she is fulfilling her duty to her child by carrying out the command of Allah, then that act also becomes an act of worship. If a farmer cultivates the land with the intention of earning a lawful income, then that too is praiseworthy in the sight of Allah. In this way, Islam has given us the opportunity to give spiritual meaning to every action, only through the purity of intention.

However, intention is not only a personal responsibility, but also a call to self-criticism. A believer constantly asks himself: “Why am I doing my work? For what purpose? Whom am I trying to please?” This self-analysis protects a person from self-deception and purifies his actions. If the intention is not pure, even jihad is wasted, whereas if the intention is pure, even ordinary laughter and joking are considered charity.

An amazing feature of intention is that it can also ensure reward for future actions. If someone intends to do a good deed but is unable to do it for some reason, Allah rewards him for his intention. As the Hadith says, “Whoever intends to do a good deed but is unable to do it, Allah will write for him the reward of the whole deed.” (Bukhari)

This Hadith assures us that the power of intention not only increases the quality of the overall worship, but it also often gives the status of perfection to our incomplete deeds.

Finally, people evaluate all the deeds of this world by looking at their external appearance, but Allah Almighty sees the depth of the heart, the purity of the intention. In the court of Allah, even a small deed can become great if the intention is to please Allah; on the other hand, a large donation can become empty if it is for the sake of showing off. This is why Islam calls upon people to purify the intention deep within the soul.

This saying—“Every person deserves what he intends”—gives us a moral sense that brings honesty and clarity to our character and behavior, not only in the Hereafter, but also in this worldly life. Keeping our intentions pure means not only worship, but also purifying ourselves, presenting our hearts pure in the court of Allah.

And that pure intention will one day be our path to Paradise, Insha Allah.