Prof. Wahbah Az Zuhaili specifically discusses the issue of intention from its nature, definition to law in the Book of Fiqhul Islam wa Adillatuhu, Part I. According to the term syara, intention is defined as the determination of the heart to perform obligatory or other practices.
“On this basis, every action carried out by a reasonable person, in a state of consciousness and on his own initiative, must be accompanied by intention,”
Law of Intention
In the Book of Ad Dardir, Ash-Syarhul Kabir, the first volume, it is written that the majority of jurists, -except for the Hanafi school-, state that the law of intention is obligatory if it is a valid requirement for an action. For example: ablution, obligatory bath, tayammum, prayer, fasting, hajj, zakat and others.
The law of intention becomes sunnah if the validity of the action to be performed does not depend on the intention.
The evidence that states that the law of intention is obligatory is found in the Quran, Surat al Bayyinah, verse 5
وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ
Meaning: “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, purifying their obedience to Him in the straight religion, and that they establish prayer and pay zakat; and that is the straight religion.” (al-Baiyinah: 5).
Another proof is a hadith whose authenticity was agreed upon by Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Imam Ahmad. This hadith comes from Umar bin Khattab r.a.
Umar said he had heard Rasulullah SAW say:
“Indeed (valid) deeds only depend on their intentions, and indeed each person will only get what he intended. Whoever migrates for the sake of Allah SWT and His Messenger, then his migration will be recorded by Allah SWT and His Messenger. And whoever his migration because to obtain the world or (marry) a woman, his hijrah is (recorded) according to the purpose of his hijrah.”
As mentioned by Sheikh Mahmud Al-Mishri ‘Encyclopedia of the Ethics of the Prophet Muhammad Volume 1’, Imam An-Nawawi said “Intention is the measure of the validity of deeds. If the intention is right, the deeds are definitely right but if the intention is bad, the deeds are also bad.”
Here are the advantages of intention:
1. Secret Intention and Spirit of Worship
Allah SWT said:
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Meaning: “The meat of camels and their blood will never reach (the pleasure of) Allah, but it is your piety that will reach it. Thus Allah has subjected them to you so that you may magnify Allah for His guidance to you. And give good tidings to the doers of good.” (Al-Hajj: 37).
Abdullah bin Mas’ud explained, “Speech will not be beneficial unless accompanied by action. Speech and action will not be beneficial unless accompanied by intention. Speech, action and intention will not be beneficial except with practice according to the Sunnah.” (Al-‘Iddah (11/8)).
2. A Person’s Intention is More Perfect than His Deeds
Tsabit Al-Banani said that a person’s intention is more perfect than his deeds. A believer intends to perform worship at night, fast during the day and donate some of his wealth but he does not follow all of that. So, his intention is perfected from his deeds. (Hilyah Al-Auliya (2/326)).
3. Happiness in the World and the Hereafter
“Whoever desires the life of this world, We hasten for him in this world what We will for whom We will. Then We have prepared for him (in the Hereafter) Hell, he will enter it disgraced and expelled. And whoever desires the life of the Hereafter and strives for it earnestly, while he is a believer, then those are the ones whose efforts will be rewarded well.” (Al-Isra: 18-19).
source : etik.com
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