Running Head: INTENTION REGARDING WORSHIP AND FASTING 1

Islamic Online University

Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies

Hadeeth-201 Assignment (Spring 2019)

Attempt Count: (1)

Full Name: Halima Qaderi Student ID: [10077432]

Topic

2. Discuss the importance of the niyyah (intention) in connection to Ibadah

(acts of worship) with specific reference to Fasting.

Word limit: 1000 to 1200

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Intention Regarding Worship and Fasting

Halima Qaderi

Islamic Online University

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Intention Regarding Worship and Fasting

Glory and Praise be to Allah, the Almighty. In the name of Allah, the Most High, The Most Wise

Niyyah (Intention) is the act of aiming to do something for a specific reason. We do

everything for a reason, even the smallest acts which we may consider random are in a broader

sense related to a work which we do for a specific purpose. The reason for the things which we

do is usually for us to achieve some benefit. However, the real benefit we will gain is through

intending to do things for the sake of Allah (SWT) alone. We need to know that Allah (SWT)

will guard us and our affairs if we do the things that He ordered us to do and because He ordered

us to do them. In fact one of the conditions for the acceptance of good deeds is our intention

being solely for Allah’s sake and seeking his pleasure.

Generally, humans are most of the time busy with some kind of work - be it related to our

worship, our personal work, or our professional work at job. When it comes to our Ibadat (acts

of worship) there are two aspects that makes them acceptable and worthy of reward, namely –

the intention behind the acts being solely for Allah’s pleasure and reward, and the acts being in

accordance with the way of the prophet (pbuh). The prophet (pbuh) said, “deeds are but by

intentions, and each person will have but that which he intended.”(Agreed upon) So as for the

intention, we can say that the soundness of an act of worship is related to the intention behind it.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Allah has made devotion of worship to Him alone and following the

Sunnah the means of deeds being accepted; if these conditions are not met, then deeds are

unacceptable.” (Al-Rooh, 1/135, as cited in islamqa.info, q. 14258) 

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Firstly, the intention behind Ibadah must be solely for Allah’s sake without associating any

other reasons or partners with Allah (SWT). The more the intention is pure and sincere for Allah

alone, the more the act is valuable in the sight of Allah (SWT). The act of worship is deemed

correct if it is done only for Allah and the fact that the reward being more or less depends upon

the sincerity of the intention does not change the fact that associating someone else with Allah

(SWT) in doing the act for will destroy it. The messenger (pbuh) said, “Allah, may He be blessed

and Exalted, says: I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having any associate. Thus he

who does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by

Me to him whom he associated with me.”(Muslim, as cited in islamqa.info, q. 14258)

Likewise, fasting is a great act of Ibadah which is one of the pillars of Islam and the intention

is an essential part of it. Nowadays, we have come to know through science the many benefits of

fasting to a person’s health. Knowing all that, however, when a person fasts not because of

improving his health or for it to be a means of losing weight rather because his Lord has

commanded him, then that is what makes him deserving of Allah’s reward and pleasure.

Nonetheless, if a fasting person wants to keep his good health and fitness because in Islam it is

encouraged, and thus fasts for that reason as well, then his fast will be rewarded in sha Allah. As

long as the reason for what a person does of worship relates back to Islam and him wanting to do

it because Allah (SWT) has ordained it, then he accomplishes the virtue from it.

Thus, any act of worship must be devoted to Allah (SWT) alone as He deserves it alone.

Allah (SWT) says, “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and

worship none but Him alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him).” (Quran, 98:5). As the

real essence of any act of worship lies in its intention, for it to be of high quality we have to have

beautiful intention of getting close to Allah (SWT) for it. We have to have high hopes with
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regard to our deeds of worship by directing them to our lord and seeking His appraisal and

reward alone as Allah (SWT) is the most bountiful and best in reward.

Besides, there is a type of intention which specifies certain acts of worship from other types

of worship, for example: if we intend to do Morning Prayer the intention should be of Morning

Prayer. This intention has a different point to it and that is for us to know which act of Ibadah we

are doing at a specific time and to focus on it. This intention should keep us focused on our

specific Ibadah as well as whom we are doing it for. Whereas, by mere intending and specifying

to do a certain act of worship, one does not get the rewards, rather one must combine this

intention to do a certain act with the intention which is to do all Ibadat only for Allah in order to

achieve real nearness to Him. “The Ibadat, such as praying five times, fasting, Zakah, and Hajj,

demand a pure — devoted — Niyyah from a Muslim to achieve the condition of a

valid ‘Ibadah.”(German, 2018)

Yet, whether the intention needs to be uttered by tongue before doing certain acts of Ibadah

including fasting or it does not? “The Standing Committee was asked: How should a person

intend to fast Ramadhan? They replied: The intention is done by resolving to fast. It is essential

that the intention to fast Ramadhan be made every night.” (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,

10/246, as cited in Islamqa.info, q. 37643) Likewise, for every individual act of worship there is

an intention preceding it. However, the intention does not need to be uttered by the tongue rather

intention is in the heart and by resolving to do something we make the intention for it. Regarding

fasting Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Ikhtiyaaraat (p. 191): If it crosses a person’s

mind that he is going to fast tomorrow, then he has made the intention. (As cited in islamqa.info,

q. 37643)
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In brief, intention is one of the two conditions for validity of an act of worship. Most

importantly, our intention and reason for doing an act should be merely for Allah’s sake and

seeking His pleasure. When an act is done for Allah’s sake then the amount of effort put in it, the

willingness for it, and the extent to which a person desires his/her Lord’s pleasure determines the

pleasure of Allah (SWT) and the reward earned from it. In fact any act done in the right way,

prescribed for us by the divine guidance, and also with a pure intention for Allah’s pleasure will

make it an act of Ibadah. Besides, when it comes to the way we make intention, the very thought

in our mind that we are going to do a certain act of worship that makes us take a step towards it

can be counted as the intention for it. However, it should remind us of our aim behind doing that

specific Ibadah.
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References

Al-Munajjid, S. M. (Feb 2, 2009). Condition Acceptability of Deeds by Allah. Islam Question and

Answer. Question no. 14258. Retrieved from

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/14258/conditions-acceptability-of-deeds-by-allah

Al-Munajjid, S. M. (July 19, 2012). Uttering the intention to fast out loud is an innovation

(bid’ah). Islam Question and Answer. Question no. 37643. Retrieved from

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/37643/uttering-the-intention-to-fast-out-loud-is-an-

innovation-bidah

German, H. (Jun 14, 2018). The Power of Intention in Islam; The Niyyah. Retrieved from

https://medium.com/@harungerman/the-power-of-intention-in-islam-the-niyyah-

74da038449d9