It is narrated on the authority of Amir al-Mu’minin (Leader of the Believers), Abu Hafs Umar bin al-Khattab رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, who said: I heard the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ say:

"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for." - Bukhari & Muslim

In this hadith the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلِّم is bringing a very important principle, not everything is about what we do but why we do it? It’s easy to focus on the actions, but Allah looks at what is in the heart.

Another thing is how merciful this hadith is. Even everyday mundane actions can become worship if the intention is right. For example, things like studying, exercising, helping others, going to work or even sleeping can be a source of reward for us if it is to better ourselves for the sake of Allah, then whatever good actions we do will be rewarded and blessed. This shows that Islam isn’t just limited to specific acts of worship, but our entire day to day lives.

At the same time, this hadith is also a warning. A good action could lose it’s reward if the intention is wrong and it is not done for the sake of Allah. Riya, showing off deeds publicly for people’s approval can ruin the sincerity of our actions. For example, giving money in charity to show off to others.

This hadith should help us to pause and ask ourselves “why am I doing this?” before we carry any act, understanding the purpose of our actions. Therefore, everything we do has to be intended for the sake of Allah. A good action with the wrong intention will not get us any reward.