Q.1. A Hadith states that actions are but by intentions. What happens when a person makes a verbal intention to do something for a particular purpose but deep at heart he has some other idea?
Q.2. A Muslim tries to keep himself always pure, performing ablution whenever needed. What should he do if he has to shake hands with a non-Muslim, or with someone who is Muslim only in name? Should he refrain from doing so to maintain purity?
Q.3. Is it possible for a Muslim who does not practice Islam to persuade non-Muslims to adopt Islam?
M.T. Khan
A.1. The Hadith in full says: “Actions are but by intentions; and everyone shall have what he has intended. Whoever immigrates for the sake of God and His Messenger will be rewarded accordingly; and whoever immigrates in the hope of achieving some worldly purpose or to marry a particular woman, then his immigration is counted for that purpose only.”
The meaning of the Hadith is very clear. It is the intention that determines the value of an action, and God’s reward takes intention into account. All good actions must be dedicated purely to God in order to earn maximum reward. In the early years of the Islamic state in Madinah, immigration was one of the most important acts a Muslim did, because he would be leaving his homeland, family and clan in order to join the Muslim community. Hence, the Prophet cites this action to say that even immigration would count for nothing unless it is done purely for God’s sake, in support of His cause. Someone at that time immigrated to Madinah, but he said at the time that he hoped to marry a certain woman. Although his action is the same as that of the Prophet and his companions, in the sense that they all left their own homeland and settled in Madinah, their intentions were different. When that man married the woman he sought, he got all he wanted. God would not reward his immigration, even though he later became a good fighter for Islam.
A.2. The purity that ablution gives is a mental one, to allow a Muslim to offer prayers and do some other acts of worship. It is not physical purity that removes anything tangible. The Prophet was asked whether a believer gets impure, and he said that no believer, man or woman, becomes impure. If you have had your ablutions and needed to shake hands with a non-Muslim or with a Muslim who is not in the purity state, your ablution remains valid and you can go ahead and offer your prayer in the normal way.
A.3. There is an Arabic proverb that says: “A person lacking something cannot give it to others.” If someone is miserly, he cannot impart to his children the quality of generosity; if he is a coward, he cannot make them brave. A person who does not abide by Islamic standards cannot make non-Muslims see the benefit of Islam in their lives.