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Chapter VII: Intention, Sincerity and Truth

great saint Sufiyan Saori was requested to say his funereal prayer. He said : Had I had the intention, I would have performed it. Once the great saint Taus was requested to pray for the people, He said : When I will, I shall do it. These saints knew that Niyyat is not the only expression by mouth but it is also a desire of mind, a flow of current from Allah. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it becomes difficult. It is true that the intention of the man in whose heart the affairs of the religion are easy becomes easy for doing good deeds, as his mind keeps inclined to good things for most part of the times, but the intention of the man whose mind keeps inclined to evil deeds does not become so easy for doing goods deeds, even the obligatory duties also become difficult to him.

Different intentions in God-worship. Man may have different intentions in divine service. Some do good deeds out of hope of getting happiness in Paradise. If they do these deeds with the sole intention of pleasing God and to declare His glory and majesty and with no other intention, their intention is said to be pure and unadulterated. If one does good deeds for satisfying carnal desire with Hurs, he will get it in Paradise. If he does this to meet with Allah, he will be blessed with His sight. The most honourable and glorious are they who do good deeds out of love for Him ^nd out of a desire to be blessed with His love and sight. The Quran praises them in the following words : Rather they call their Lord morning and evening only for His pleasure. They will get rewards according to their intentions. When they will be blessed with His sight, they will think the sight of the beautiful Hurs very little.

REWARDS OF PURE INTENTION

The Holy Quran says: They were not ordered except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him along. It again says : Behold, religion is only for Allah (39:5) He also says : Let one who hopes to meet his Lord do good works and do not associate anyone in the service of his Lord-18:110. The Prophet said : The heart of a Muslim does not play treachery in three things to work sincerely for Allah, to give admonition to the ruler and to remain united. 'He also said : Allah says : Ikhlas or to work sincerely for Allah is a Ridden treasure out of My hidden treasures. I put it in the heart of one whom I love. He also said : The fountain of wisdom flows in his heart who worships Allah sincerely for 40 days. The Holy

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Prophet said that three classes of persons who did not do good works sincerely for Him but for other purposes will go to Hell inspite of their ostensible good works a learned man, a benevolent man and a warrior.

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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