An Introduction to the famous hadith of Intention. This hadith is reagarded as one of the foundations of all actions, as the actions are dependant on the Intention. A breif commentary on this hadith is given below. Taken from Zad al-Muslim which is a compilation that gathers all the Ahadith that is found both in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, known as Mutafaq Alay [Agreed Upon]. Also a commentary is given on all the Ahadith.
In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: ” إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ”. رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدِّثِينَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيل بن إِبْرَاهِيم بن الْمُغِيرَة بن بَرْدِزبَه الْبُخَارِيُّ الْجُعْفِيُّ [رقم:1]، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمٌ بنُ الْحَجَّاج بن مُسْلِم الْقُشَيْرِيُّ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ [رقم:1907] رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي “صَحِيحَيْهِمَا” اللذَينِ هُمَا أَصَحُّ الْكُتُبِ الْمُصَنَّفَةِ.
It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu’minin, Abu Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
[Narrated by both Imam al-Bukhari and Imam al-Muslim [Allah bless them] in their authentic book compilation, regarding which it is said that they are both the most authentic books to be compiled after the Quran]
Imam al-Bukhari [Allah bless him] narrates this hadith in the chapter of ‘How revelation started’.
Imam Nawawi [676 HJ] states regarding this hadith: The Muslims are unanimous on the lofty position of this hadith, abundant benefits and its authenticity. Imam ash-Shafi [204 HJ] and others say: ‘It is a third [⅓ of ] Islam’. He further states: ‘It enters 70 chapters of Fiqh’. Some others state: ‘It is a fourth [¼ of] Islam.’
Abdur-Rahman Ibn Mahdi and others [Allah bless them] say: ‘It is appropriate for the one who authors a book that he starts with this hadith, warning the seeker of knowledge upon having the correct intention.’ Imam al-Khatabi has transmitted this from the scholars and this is what Imam al-Bukhari and others have done – started their books with this hadith [before anything]. In fact Imam al-Bukhari narrates this hadith in six [6] places in his book, as mentioned before.
Hafidh Ibn Hajar says: ‘This hadith is not authentic from the Prophet [Allah bless him] except from the narration of Umar [Allah bless him]. Then this hadith is not authentic from Umar [Allah bless him] except from the narration of Alqamah Bin Waqas [Allah bless him].
Then this hadith is not authentic from Alqamah [Allah bless him] except from the narration of Muhammad Bin Ibrahim at-Taymi [Allah bless him]. Then this hadith is not authentic from Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi [Allah bless him] except from the narration of Yahya Ibn Saeed al-Ansari [Allah bless him]. Then from Yahya Ibn Saeed it spread and narrated from him more than 200 people, majority of them scholars. [A diagram of the chain can be seen below]:
Diagram: Only authentic chain regarding this narration
Yahya Ibn Saeed al-Ansari [Allah bless him]
↓
Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi [Allah bless him]
↓
Alqamah Ibn Waqas [Allah bless him]
↓
Umar [Allah be pleased with him]
This is why the scholars state: This hadith is not mutawatir, even though it is famous by the scholars and the general people. This is because the condition of tawatur is from the beginning [of the chain], and in this there is curiosity from the way of the chain. The hadith has been narrated from 3 successors [Tabioon] from each other: Yahya Ibn Saeed al-Ansari, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi and Alqamah Ibn Waqas.
The majority of the scholars of arabic [language], Usul and others say: the word: ‘إِنَّمَا’ is for making exclusive, emphasizing what is mentioned and negating everything else. This hadith thus can be assumed: Surely deeds are considered by the intention and are not considered without intention. Similarly is the case of Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj, Itikaf’ and all the acts of worship.
As for removing impurity, then what is famous according to us is that, it does not need an intention. This is because it comes under the category of ‘abstaining’ and abstaining is not in need of an intention. Our scholars have transmitted consensus on this issue. Some of our scholars have erred by making it obligatory [in abstaining] and this is incorrect.
Intention enters in divorce, emancipating [slaves] and slander. The meaning of it entering is: If it [these actions] is attached to an intention then it becomes clear and if someone enacts a clear divorce and intends two or three, then what he intended will occur. If he intends explicitly, that is not required, it is a debt between him and Almighty Allah, what is apparent is not accepted.
More content to follow Insha Allah
– Extracted from Zad al-Muslim
