Sincerity

The companion of the Prophet, Umar Ibn al-Khttab, may Allah be pleased with him narrated that the Prophet Peace be upon him said:

إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل إمرء ما نوى، فمن كانت هجرته لله ورسوله فهجرته لله ورسوله ومن كانت هجرته لدنيا يصيبها أو إمرأة ينكحها فهجرته إلى ما هاجر إليه
Indeed, all actions are [done] by intentions, and for each individual is that which he intended for. So, whoever migrates for Allah and His messenger, then his migration is for Allah and His messenger, and whoever migrates to gain worldly matters or to marry a woman, then his migration is for that which he migrates for

Before explaining this teaching it is essential to clarify three key concepts:
1- al-niyyaat, is the plural of niyah, which means different motives, and intentions behind doing anything. In other words, it is what we deliberately intend in our hearts, either good or bad.

2- al-a'maal, is the plural of the Arabic word 'amal, which means any act in general. From the Islamic point of view, acts can be broadly classified into three categories:

• Wrong-doings or sins which incur punishment, if people meet Allah without repenting.
  
• Good deeds; include obligatory deeds of worship which one gets rewards for doing them and earns sins for ignoring them, and recommended deeds, which one earns rewards for doing them and no sins for not doing them
  
• Permissible acts such as habits or acts like eating, sleeping, having rest etc. Doing or ignoring these acts earns the individual no rewards or sins.

However, good and sincere intention can transform permissible acts into good deeds. On the other side, good intention cannot in any way transform wrongdoings or sins into good deeds.


3- al-ikhlas, means sincerity, which implies purifying one's intention for Allah's sake. So, al-ikhlas or sincerity in Islamic understanding means that one does things purely to please Allah and in accordance to what He the all-Mighty ordains.

Explanation of the previous hadith
Indeed, all actions are [done] by intentions,
This sentence implies lots of meanings;

• all actions of mature rational persons are done according to different motives or intentions. In other words, people have different intentions behind their actions.
• The accountability before Allah will be on actions that are founded by intentions. This is confirmed in the Qur'an in surah 2 verse 225:

لا يؤاخذكم الله باللغو فى أيمانكم ولكن يؤاخذكم بما كسبت قلوبكم والله غفور حليم
"Allah will not call you to account for oath you uttered unintentionally, but He will call you to account for what you mean in your hearts. Allah is most forgiving and forbearing."

and in surah 33, verse 5

ليس عليكم جناح فيما أخطأتم به ولكن ما تعمدت قلوبكم
"...You will not be blamed if you make a mistake, only for what your hearts deliberately intend"

• Allah's acceptance of any action depends on the intention and motive behind doing it, not just the nature or the category of that act.

'and for each individual is that which he intends for'
This sentence is not a repetition of the previous sentence. Rather it refers to the rewards for one's actions:

• This sentence implies that each individual should expect to get what he intends for by his actions. So, if he intends to please Allah by his actions, he expects to gain Allah's pleasure and consequently Paradise, provided that his actions are in accordance to Islamic rules and laws. But, if the person intends by his actions worldly gains, he should expect to get what he intends for. He should not expect to gain Paradise, which he did not work for. For example, if someone planted daffodil bulbs, logically he expects to get daffodils, not roses. Logically, if one studies at the school of medicine, he expects to graduate as a medical doctor not a lawyer or an engineer.

• It also implies that Allah's acceptance of deeds depends on the intention behind them not just their nature or classification. The good deeds that are done for reasons other than pleasing Allah do not count as good deeds in the hereafter. This meaning is reflected clearly in the previous verse 114 in surah 4. This fact is also confirmed in another teaching by the Prophet, who said:

إن الله لا يقبل من العمل إلا ما كان خالصا لوجهه
"Indeed, Allah accepts only the deeds that are done purely for seeking His pleasure"

In the other half of this hadith, the Prophet may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, confirms the meanings of the previous two sentences by giving us an example of the same act (migrating), which is done for different motives. The individual who migrated to please Allah and follow His messenger, he should expect to be rewarded by Allah. But the individual who migrated to earn worldly gains, or to marry a woman he should expect to get what he worked for. So, it is not sensible to work for your own worldly gain and expect to be rewarded paradise for it.

Thus, in order to be successful in our life and make the most of it we need to purify our intention and be sure that everything we do is purely done to please Allah. Then, we expect to be drawn nearer to the King of the Worlds, the owner of the Heavens and Earth, and the Owner of Paradise.