Verily, Actions Depend Upon Their Intentions

Lessons learnt from this Hadith:

1. What intention we have made before doing any action will decide whether we will be rewarded for that action or not.

2. We should always do things to please Allah  alone, then only will Allah  reward us.

3. Before, after and whilst doing any action we should always check our intentions.

4. If shaytaan spoils our intentions we should ask forgiveness from Allah  and correct our intention

Story.

Hadhrat Ali  while fighting with a non-Muslim managed to overpower him and was sitting on top   of him ready to kill him with his sword. The non-Muslim spat on Hadhrat Ali’s face. This angered Hadhrat Ali  However he got off the non-Muslim and placed the sword back into its sheath.

As Hadhrat Ali D was leaving, the non-Muslim asked,”What is this? After spitting on your face you should have killed me immediately. What stopped you from killing me?” Hadhrat Ali  said, “I had the intention of killing you solely for the pleasure of Allah . When you spat on my face, I became angry. If I had killed you then, it would not have been solely for Allah . It would have been to vent my anger. Allah  only accepts those actions which are done solely for Him. Therefore I refrained from killing you.” Hearing this from Hadhrat Ali , the non-Muslim was astonished and Imaan entered his heart. He said, “I consider it my good fortune to accept such a Deen which so
greatly emphasises sincerity. This Deen is definitely the  true Deen.”

Story.

There was a man from the Bani Israeel who used to be engaged in the Ibaadah of Allah  all the time. A group of people once came to him and told him that the people of a nearby tribe were worshipping a tree. This news upset him,thus he took an axe and set off to cut the tree. On the way, shaytaan met him in the form of an old man and asked him where he was going. The man told shaytaan that he was going to cut down the tree. Shaytaan said, “The tree has nothing to do with you. Do not leave your Ibaadah for something that does not concern you.” “This is also Ibaadah.” said the man and continued on his way. Shaytaan tried to stop him by wrestling with him but the man overpowered shaytaan. Shaytaan begged him to get off him and when the man got off, shaytaan said, “Allah
has not made it Fardh to cut this tree. If you do not cut this tree, it will not harm you in anyway. If cutting the tree was Fardh, Allah  would have told one of His Prophets to cut it.” The man still insisted on going to cut the tree and shaytaan tried to stop him again. For the second time, the
man overpowered shaytaan. Shaytaan then said to the man,
“You are a poor man. If you do not cut this tree, I will give you three gold coins everyday which you will find under your pillow. With this money you can fulfil your needs, help your relatives, help the poor and do many other good deeds.
Cutting the tree is only one good deed but with the money you can do many good deeds.” The man accepted this suggestion and went back home without cutting the tree.
For two days he found the money. However, on the third day he found nothing. He got angry, picked up his axe and set off to cut the tree. On the way, shaytaan met him and asked where he was going. The man replied that he was going to cut the tree. Shaytaan said, “I will not let you cut
the tree.” This time, when they had a fight, shaytaan overpowered the man. The man was surprised at this and asked shaytaan why he had won the fight this time.
Shaytaan said, “The first time you were going to cut the tree only for the sake of Allah . Thus, Allah helped you to overpower me. This time you were going to cut the tree because you did not get the money. Thus, I overpowered you.”