0.01. Sincerity and significance of Intentions and all actions, apparent and hidden

٠.٠١۔ باب الإخلاصِ وإحضار النيَّة في جميع الأعمال والأقوال والأحوال البارزة والخفيَّة

Allah ﷻ says, "And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion. (Bayyinah 5)" And he ﷻ says, "Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. (Ḥajj 37)" And he ﷻ says, "Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it. (Āl ʿImran 29)"

قالَ اللهُ تَعالى: ﴿وما أُمِرُوا إلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفاءَ ويُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ ويُؤْتُوا الزَّكاةَ وذَلِكَ دِينُ القَيِّمَةِ﴾ [البينة ٥] وقالَ تَعالى: ﴿لَنْ يَنالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُها ولا دِماؤُها ولَكِنْ يَنالُهُ التَّقْوى مِنكُمْ﴾ [الحج ٣٧] وقالَ تَعالى: ﴿قُلْ إنْ تُخْفُوا ما فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ﴾ [آل عمران ٢٩]

The value of deeds is based on the intentions behind them

(1) bukhari:1al-Ḥumaydī ʿAbdullāh b. al-Zubayr > Sufyān > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd al-Anṣārī > Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Taymī > ʿAlqamah b. Waqqāṣ al-Laythī > ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb ؓ

I heard ˹ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb ؓ˺ on the minbar (pulpit) and he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "Deeds are ˹judged based˺ upon ˹their˺ intentions, and every person ˹is granted the due˺ for what they intended. So whoever had emigrated for ˹the sake of˺ worldly benefits or for ˹the sake of˺ marrying a woman, then the ˹due˺ of his emigration ˹is earned for˺ or what he emigrated for."  

(١) البخاري:١حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ؛ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ؛ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ قَالَ؛ أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيُّ؛ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ وَقَّاصٍ اللَّيْثِيَّ يَقُولُ؛ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى۔ فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ۔»  

People will be resurrected upon their intentions

(2) bukhari:2118Muḥammad b. al-Ṣabbāḥ > Ismāʿīl b. Zakariyyāʾ > Muḥammad b. Sūqah > Nāfiʿ b. Jubayr b. Muṭʿim > ʿĀʾishah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "An army will invade the Kaʿba and when the invaders reach al-Baidāʾ, all the ground will sink and swallow the whole army." I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! How will they sink into the ground while amongst them will be their markets (the people who worked in business and not invaders) and the people not belonging to them?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "all of those people will sink but they will be resurrected and judged according to their intentions."  

(٢) البخاري:٢١١٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُوقَةَ عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ ؓ قَالَتْ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَغْزُو جَيْشٌ الْكَعْبَةَ فَإِذَا كَانُوا بِبَيْدَاءَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ، يُخْسَفُ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ۔» قَالَتْ قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُخْسَفُ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ وَفِيهِمْ أَسْوَاقُهُمْ؟ وَمَنْ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ؟ قَالَ: «يُخْسَفُ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ ثُمَّ يُبْعَثُونَ عَلَى نِيَّاتِهِمْ۔»  

Jihād and intention are what matter now after migration from Makkah

(3) muslim:1864Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr from my father > ʿAbdullāh b. Ḥabīb b. Abū Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Ḥusayn > ʿAṭāʾ > ʿĀʾishah

There is no migration after the Conquest (of Mecca), but Jihad and sincere intention. When you are asked to set out (for the cause of Islam), you should set out,  

(٣) مسلم:١٨٦٤وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْهِجْرَةِ فَقَالَ: «لاَ هِجْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ، وَلَكِنْ جِهَادٌ وَنِيَّةٌ، وَإِذَا اسْتُنْفِرْتُمْ فَانْفِرُوا۔»  

If one intends to do good but is unable, he is counted among the ones able to do it in spirit

(4) muslim:1911aʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Jarīr > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

We were with the Prophet ﷺ on an expedition. He said: There are some people in Medina. They are with you whenever you cover a distance or cross a valley. They have been detained by illness.  

(٤) مسلم:١٩١١aحَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَزَاةٍ فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ لَرِجَالاً مَا سِرْتُمْ مَسِيرًا وَلاَ قَطَعْتُمْ وَادِيًا إِلاَّ كَانُوا مَعَكُمْ۔ حَبَسَهُمُ الْمَرَضُ۔»  

A person is rewarded for what they intended even when the unintended happens

(5) bukhari:1422Muḥammad b. Yūsuf > Isrāʾīl > Abū al-Jūwayriyah > Maʿn b. Yazīd

My grandfather, my father and I gave the pledge of allegiance to Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ got me engaged and then got me married.

One day I went to the Prophet ﷺ with a complaint. My father Yazid had taken some gold coins for charity and kept them with a man in the mosque (to give them to the poor) But I went and took them and brought them to him (my father). My father said, "By Allah! I did not intend to give them to you. " I took (the case) to Messenger of Allah ﷺ . On that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Yazid, you will be rewarded for what you intended. O Ma'n, whatever you have taken is yours."  

(٥) البخاري:١٤٢٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْجُوَيْرِيَةِ أَنَّ مَعْنَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ ؓ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ

بَايَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَا وَأَبِي وَجَدِّي، وَخَطَبَ عَلَىَّ، فَأَنْكَحَنِي۔ وَخَاصَمْتُ إِلَيْهِ۔

وَكَانَ أَبِي يَزِيدُ أَخْرَجَ دَنَانِيرَ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِهَا، فَوَضَعَهَا عِنْدَ رَجُلٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ۔ فَجِئْتُ فَأَخَذْتُهَا فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا۔ فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا إِيَّاكَ أَرَدْتُ فَخَاصَمْتُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «لَكَ مَا نَوَيْتَ يَا يَزِيدُ وَلَكَ مَا أَخَذْتَ يَا مَعْنُ۔»  

God raises one's station for every good deed done for His sake; It is better to leave your heirs well-off than to leave them poor

(6) bukhari:1295ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd b. Abū Waqqāṣ from his father

That his father said, "In the year of the last Hajj of the Prophet ﷺ I became seriously ill and the Prophet ﷺ used to visit me inquiring about my health. I told him, 'I am reduced to this state because of illness and I am wealthy and have no inheritors except a daughter. Should I give two-thirds of my property in charity?' He said, 'No.' I asked, 'Half?' He said, 'No.' then he added, 'One-third, and even one-third is much. You'd better leave your inheritors wealthy rather than leaving them poor, begging others. You will get a reward for whatever you spend for Allah's sake, even for what you put in your wife's mouth.'

I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Will I be left alone after my companions have gone?' He said, 'If you are left behind, whatever good deeds you will do will upgrade you and raise you high. And perhaps you will have a long life so that some people will be benefited by you while others will be harmed by you. O Allah! Complete the emigration of my companions and do not cause them to turn on their heels.' Saʿd b. Khaulah ˹another companion˺ was unfortunate and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lamented his death as he died in Makkah." ˹but Saʿd b. Abū Waqqas lived long after the Prophet ﷺ.˺  

(٦) البخاري:١٢٩٥حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي عَامَ حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ مِنْ وَجَعٍ اشْتَدَّ بِي فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي قَدْ بَلَغَ بِي مِنَ الْوَجَعِ وَأَنَا ذُو مَالٍ وَلاَ يَرِثُنِي إِلاَّ ابْنَةٌ، أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي؟ قَالَ: «لاَ۔» فَقُلْتُ: بِالشَّطْرِ؟ فَقَالَ: «لاَ۔» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «الثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلْثُ كَبِيرٌ۔» أَوْ «كَثِيرٌ۔ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَذَرَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَذَرَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ، وَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تُنْفِقَ نَفَقَةً تَبْتَغِي بِهَا وَجْهَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ أُجِرْتَ بِهَا حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فِي امْرَأَتِكَ۔»

فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أُخَلَّفُ بَعْدَ أَصْحَابِي؟ قَالَ: «إِنَّكَ لَنْ تُخَلَّفَ، فَتَعْمَلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا إِلاَّ ازْدَدْتَ بِهِ دَرَجَةً وَرِفْعَةً ثُمَّ لَعَلَّكَ أَنْ تُخَلَّفَ حَتَّى يَنْتَفِعَ بِكَ أَقْوَامٌ وَيُضَرَّ بِكَ آخَرُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَمْضِ لأَصْحَابِي هِجْرَتَهُمْ وَلاَ تَرُدَّهُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ۔» لَكِنِ الْبَائِسُ سَعْدُ ابْنُ خَوْلَةَ يَرْثِي لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ مَاتَ بِمَكَّةَ  

What is inside one's heart is what matters

(7) muslim:2564bAbū al-Ṭāhir Aḥmad b. ʿAmr b. Sarḥ > Ibn Wahb > Usāmah Wahū Ibn Zayd > Abū Saʿīd a freed slave of ʿAbdullāh b. ʿĀmir b. Kurayz > Abū Hurayrah

" Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts," and he pointed towards the heart with his fingers.  

(٧) مسلم:٢٥٦٤bحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ أُسَامَةَ وَهُوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ مَوْلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ كُرَيْزٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ دَاوُدَ وَزَادَ وَنَقَصَ وَمِمَّا زَادَ فِيهِ، «إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَجْسَادِكُمْ وَلاَ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ۔» وَأَشَارَ بِأَصَابِعِهِ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ  

Fighting to elevate the Word of God is what is considered for His sake

(8) bukhari:7458Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > Abū Mūsá

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "A man fights for pride and haughtiness another fights for bravery, and another fights for showing off; which of these (cases) is in Allah's Cause?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "The one who fights that Allah's Word (Islam) should be superior, fights in Allah's Cause."  

(٨) البخاري:٧٤٥٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: الرَّجُلُ يُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً وَيُقَاتِلُ شَجَاعَةً وَيُقَاتِلُ رِيَاءً، فَأَىُّ ذَلِكَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهْوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ۔»  

One enters Hellfire if he dies while intending to kill the other

(9) bukhari:31ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. al-Mubārak > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Ayyūb And Yūnus > al-Ḥasan > al-Aḥnaf b. Qays

While I was going to help this man ('Ali Ibn Abi Talib), Abu Bakra met me and asked, "Where are you going?" I replied, "I am going to help that person." He said, "Go back for I have heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'When two Muslims fight (meet) each other with their swords, both the murderer as well as the murdered will go to the Hell-fire.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! It is all right for the murderer but what about the murdered one?' Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, "He surely had the intention to kill his companion."  

(٩) البخاري:٣١حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ وَيُونُسُ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ

ذَهَبْتُ لأَنْصُرَ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَلَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرَةَ، فَقَالَ: أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ؟ قُلْتُ: أَنْصُرُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ۔ قَالَ: ارْجِعْ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «إِذَا الْتَقَى الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَالْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ۔» فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، هَذَا الْقَاتِلُ، فَمَا بَالُ الْمَقْتُولِ؟ قَالَ: «إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَرِيصًا عَلَى قَتْلِ صَاحِبِهِ۔»  

Congregational prayer for the sake of God elevates one by degrees, and for whom Angels continue to supplicate

(10) muslim:649fAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And ʾAbū Kurayb > Abū Muʿāwiyah > Abū Kurayb > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The reward for prayer performed by a person in congregation is more than twenty times greater than that of the prayer performed in one’s house or the marketplace. When one performs wuḍūʾ perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing prayer, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque."

"And when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing prayer as long as it is the prayer which stops him ˹from leaving the mosque˺; and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: ‘O Allah! Have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance.' ˹This continues, so long as he does cause harm ˹upon anyone˺ in it, or pass wind in it ˹breaking his wuḍūʾ˺ (in a different wording: or speak ˹to anyone˺).”  

(١٠) مسلم:٦٤٩fحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَصَلاَتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ بِضْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ، ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لاَ يَنْهَزُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لاَ يُرِيدُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ، فَلَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رُفِعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةٌ وَحُطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ، حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْمَسْجِدَ۔»

«فَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ كَانَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ مَا كَانَتِ الصَّلاَةُ هِيَ تَحْبِسُهُ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مَا دَامَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ الَّذِي صَلَّى فِيهِ، يَقُولُونَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ، اللَّهُمَّ تُبْ عَلَيْهِ، مَا لَمْ يُؤْذِ فِيهِ مَا لَمْ يُحْدِثْ فِيهِ۔»  

A good deed is rewarded manifold while a bad deed is counted only as one

(11) bukhari:6491Abū Maʿmar > ʿAbd al-Wārith > Jaʿd Abū ʿUthmān > Abū Rajāʾ al-ʿUṭāridī > Ibn ʿAbbās

from the Prophet ﷺ narrating from his Lord said, "Allah has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down, and He then explained how ˹they be written down˺: (1) He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed, (2) but if he carries out his intention, then Allah ﷻ writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundredfolds, and even more. (3) But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a full good deed, (4) but if he intends it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed."  

(١١) البخاري:٦٤٩١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْدٌ أَبُو عُثْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو رَجَاءٍ الْعُطَارِدِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ ﷻ، قَالَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ: (١) فَمَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، (٢) فَإِنْ هُوَ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، (٣) وَمَنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، (٤) فَإِنْ هُوَ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً۔»  

Three men trapped in a cave find an exit based on prior good deeds done sincerely for the sake of God

(12) bukhari:2272Abū al-Yamān > Shuʿayb > al-Zuhrī > Sālim b. ʿAbdullāh > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "Three men from among those who were before you, set out together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to the righteous deed which you have done (for Allah's sake only).'"

"So, one of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and I never provided my family (wife, children, etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I came late (at night) while they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I disliked providing my family with the milk before them. I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from our critical situation caused by this rock.' So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out."

The Prophet ﷺ added, "The second man said, 'O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused. Later she had a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one-hundred-and-twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desire, she said: It is illegal for you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate marriage. So, I thought it a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her though she was the dearest of all the people to me, and also I left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.' So, the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there."

The Prophet ﷺ added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: O Allah's slave! Pay me my wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allah's slave! Don't mock me. I said: I am not mocking you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.' So, that rock shifted completely and they got out walking."  

(١٢) البخاري:٢٢٧٢حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ حَدَّثَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ ؓ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «انْطَلَقَ ثَلاَثَةُ رَهْطٍ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَتَّى أَوَوُا الْمَبِيتَ إِلَى غَارٍ فَدَخَلُوهُ فَانْحَدَرَتْ صَخْرَةٌ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ فَسَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَارَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ لاَ يُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَدْعُوا اللَّهَ بِصَالِحِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ۔»

«فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمُ: اللَّهُمَّ كَانَ لِي أَبَوَانِ شَيْخَانِ كَبِيرَانِ وَكُنْتُ لاَ أَغْبِقُ قَبْلَهُمَا أَهْلاً وَلاَ مَالاً فَنَأَى بِي فِي طَلَبِ شَىْءٍ يَوْمًا فَلَمْ أُرِحْ عَلَيْهِمَا حَتَّى نَامَا فَحَلَبْتُ لَهُمَا غَبُوقَهُمَا فَوَجَدْتُهُمَا نَائِمَيْنِ وَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَغْبِقَ قَبْلَهُمَا أَهْلاً أَوْ مَالاً فَلَبِثْتُ وَالْقَدَحُ عَلَى يَدَىَّ أَنْتَظِرُ اسْتِيقَاظَهُمَا حَتَّى بَرَقَ الْفَجْرُ فَاسْتَيْقَظَا فَشَرِبَا غَبُوقَهُمَا۔ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَفَرِّجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ۔ فَانْفَرَجَتْ شَيْئًا لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ۔»

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «وَقَالَ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ كَانَتْ لِي بِنْتُ عَمٍّ كَانَتْ أَحَبَّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ فَأَرَدْتُهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهَا فَامْتَنَعَتْ مِنِّي حَتَّى أَلَمَّتْ بِهَا سَنَةٌ مِنَ السِّنِينَ فَجَاءَتْنِي فَأَعْطَيْتُهَا عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةَ دِينَارٍ عَلَى أَنْ تُخَلِّيَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ نَفْسِهَا فَفَعَلَتْ حَتَّى إِذَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَيْهَا قَالَتْ لاَ أُحِلُّ لَكَ أَنْ تَفُضَّ الْخَاتَمَ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهِ فَتَحَرَّجْتُ مِنَ الْوُقُوعِ عَلَيْهَا فَانْصَرَفْتُ عَنْهَا وَهْىَ أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ وَتَرَكْتُ الذَّهَبَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتُهَا۔ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ۔ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْهَا۔»

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «وَقَالَ الثَّالِثُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اسْتَأْجَرْتُ أُجَرَاءَ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ غَيْرَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ تَرَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ وَذَهَبَ فَثَمَّرْتُ أَجْرَهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَتْ مِنْهُ الأَمْوَالُ فَجَاءَنِي بَعْدَ حِينٍ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَدِّ إِلَىَّ أَجْرِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كُلُّ مَا تَرَى مِنْ أَجْرِكَ مِنَ الإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ وَالرَّقِيقِ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لاَ تَسْتَهْزِئْ بِي فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لاَ أَسْتَهْزِئُ بِكَ فَأَخَذَهُ كُلَّهُ فَاسْتَاقَهُ فَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ فَخَرَجُوا يَمْشُونَ۔»