Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the hereafter.” [Quran, Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ayat 152] “So whosoever hopes for the meeting with His Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of His Lord.” [Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 110]
An action is good and acceptable in Allah’s sight when it is done out of the consciousness (Taqwa) of Allah with a good intention and it conforms to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam. Purifying one’s intention and keeping it free from corruption is harder upon those who try to do good than the actual work itself is. The desire for people’s praise, recognition, fame, glory, money, or some other worldly benefit creeps in quietly and quickly. That is why Imam Ibn Kathir said, “Learn your intention for it is more serious than the action” and Imam Sufyan ath-Thawri said, “I have not treated anything more difficult than my intention, because it keeps changing.” Ibn al-Mubarak said, “Maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention.” Zayd ash-Shami said, “Verily I like that I have an intention for everything even if it be eating and drinking.” And he also said, “Make an intention for everything, desiring the good, even if it be leaving for the toilet.” [Ibn Abi ad-Dunya in “Al-Ikhlas wan-Niyyah”]
