NOSHADYLADY3
07-18-2007, 09:36 PM
To have Intentions(Niyyah)is to have a goal or focal point on what we wish to achieve in life. In order for us to move forward and keep the rememberance of Allah, start a chore, make prayer, come to a big decision, we must have intentions. It is imperative that we draw closer to Allah by making the intentions do carry out a decision. Hadith says:
"Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have
but that which he intended..."[Bukhari/Muslim]
If we make intentions, we must realize who the intended thing is for. Is it for our pride, our position, or for the sake of Allah? We must then understand why we wish to do a thing. This understanding comes with the aspects of worshipping, loving, obeying, and attaining Taqwa for the sake of Allah and our deen.
We must seek to purify our intentions by asking ourselves:
1. Are we sacraficing our souls,?
2. Are we wasting our efforts?
3. Are we striving for Deen or Dunyah?
4. Are we placing ourselves on a pedastal?
When we wake up in the morning, did we make intentions the night before to get up and make Fajr? If we practice improving on our remembering to make intentions, we will find that this may be one of the cores of worship. Making intentions sometimes helps to erase our forgetfulness.
SHORT STORY:[Taken from "Success from Living Iman"]
There was a man who always prayed his daily prayers in the Masjid(Mosque). In fact, he was so devoted that he always arrivedearly so that he would be in the first row at the time for prayer.
One day he was late, so he prayed in the second row. He felt embarrassed that people saw him in the second row. Then he realized that some of the satisfaction he felt when he prayed in the first row was due to the people seeing him in the first row and their admiring him for it!
[This is vey honest and exacting self-scrutiny on his part. Indeed, a pure intention is one which is free of even the most subtle or hidden expressions of self-importance and self-sufficiency.]
So, if we wish to purify our intentions, we must never exaggerate our impotance, become arrogant, or feel self- sufficient. Without our intentions, we will tend to feel like we do not need Allah, to have mercy on us, guide us, or forgive us for that matter. And this often times lead to our spiritual downfall. But if we have knowledge, it puts a light on our self-awareness of making intentions, performing and perfecting our
religious duties, and thus realizing just what our real purpose of life is.
Allah Knows Best
"Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have
but that which he intended..."[Bukhari/Muslim]
If we make intentions, we must realize who the intended thing is for. Is it for our pride, our position, or for the sake of Allah? We must then understand why we wish to do a thing. This understanding comes with the aspects of worshipping, loving, obeying, and attaining Taqwa for the sake of Allah and our deen.
We must seek to purify our intentions by asking ourselves:
1. Are we sacraficing our souls,?
2. Are we wasting our efforts?
3. Are we striving for Deen or Dunyah?
4. Are we placing ourselves on a pedastal?
When we wake up in the morning, did we make intentions the night before to get up and make Fajr? If we practice improving on our remembering to make intentions, we will find that this may be one of the cores of worship. Making intentions sometimes helps to erase our forgetfulness.
SHORT STORY:[Taken from "Success from Living Iman"]
There was a man who always prayed his daily prayers in the Masjid(Mosque). In fact, he was so devoted that he always arrivedearly so that he would be in the first row at the time for prayer.
One day he was late, so he prayed in the second row. He felt embarrassed that people saw him in the second row. Then he realized that some of the satisfaction he felt when he prayed in the first row was due to the people seeing him in the first row and their admiring him for it!
[This is vey honest and exacting self-scrutiny on his part. Indeed, a pure intention is one which is free of even the most subtle or hidden expressions of self-importance and self-sufficiency.]
So, if we wish to purify our intentions, we must never exaggerate our impotance, become arrogant, or feel self- sufficient. Without our intentions, we will tend to feel like we do not need Allah, to have mercy on us, guide us, or forgive us for that matter. And this often times lead to our spiritual downfall. But if we have knowledge, it puts a light on our self-awareness of making intentions, performing and perfecting our
religious duties, and thus realizing just what our real purpose of life is.
Allah Knows Best