Vanquishing Arrogance through Faith

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

The God says in Surah Faathir verse 43: "(Due to) arrogance in the earth and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of the God any change, and you will never find in the way of the God any alteration."

The God talks about some of those idolater Quraish Arab noblemen in Meccan period in which a messenger wasn't sent yet to them. They had loudly shouting in front of people, swearing in His Name that if a messenger was sent to them, they would immediately profess their faith to Him through the messenger and becoming the most obedient follower of the teachings transmitted by the messenger more than those earlier nations. 

But when Muhammad s.a.w was raised to them and decreed as a prophet and messenger of the God, with His Revelation descends upon him, they refused to accept him and his teaching. They refused to witness his prophethood and arrogantly rejecting the teachings and the Revelation which are His Mercy upon them. It is not enough with them who rejected the messenger, they plotted many evil things and tricks to prevent others from the faith toward Him and His messengers (in which Muhammad s.a.w is their seal).   

Their evil plot and doings will only return to them as they were waiting for the Sunnatullah or the way of the God  to happen. It was witnessed by previous nations before them where His torments and bad news will descend upon them. Arrogance is also the characteristic of the people who ridiculed others or demonizing them simply because they are Muslims in Europe and elsewhere while most of the people actually never harm them nor doing anything to them. They just read made-up news and listening to things exaggerated by medias and later judging others like they are the God. 

As the conclusion, arrogance, showing off, and excessively being proud of oneself are all disgraceful characteristics of creatures and they are evil. The God has grant everyone with the faculty of mind to think on good things and not on evil deeds and plotting evil things for example demonizing others to gain material comfort and praises from medias. This is to all human-being regardless faith, ideologies and beliefs. I also mean this to fellow brothers and sisters (Muslims).    

Sealed with prayers for mercy, love, and peace, amin!

Inner Secret of Fasting

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Just a reminder for myself and sharing to beloved brothers and sisters may everyone be blessed. I had been very sad when my classmate of Palestine talked about the importance for me to take food because I used to fast. I realize about that, I am tiny and skinny unlike other build-up men. Even if I do not live in Gazah, but poor people are everywhere. I was a poor kid from a poor family when I was a child where we were pressured by the life in a big city (Kuala Lumpur) if not as big as New York city but it is still a city and a capital of a country. I am used to skip my meals and sometimes just taking veggies. Lack source of protein from malnutrition where I didn't take fish too. I was traumatized to see blood from the fish when I was a young child, hahahaa. It develops to be a habit now. I tried to take fish especially those with scales but I just can't so I avoid meals which consist fish or other seafood if I could sense them.

I never recommend others to perform intense optional fasting except to some friends that I know whom are memorizing the Glorious Quran as it is a way to ask Him to pour down the wisdom. It is for their own benefit to protect the "Quran" in their heart because nowadays the bearer of the Quran is very hard to find. I am just concerned about their well-being and wishing them luck. Just fast every week, two days in Monday and Thursday "if free." And obligatory to fast full month in Ramadan if able. I am also trying to memorize the Glorious Quran again after I had left it. I just recommend everyone to perform middle path as Islam is the middle path, no less, no over the limit. We just be human-being, not angel and not demon.

Even when my mum tried to fast too because she saw me did that, I became very angry. I don't want her or anyone to feel exhausted. I did that because I wanted to slow-down my mind from negative thoughts and as an offering for Him wishing He forgives my sins and my grandparents because I think I had wronged them. I didn't have the chance to apologize to them except that I only saw "grandpa" in dream during quarter of Ramadan 2009. Now I also began to feel bad that I had wronged parents and burdening them because I am still stuck here and they would have to support me while I don't want them to worry... :'(

Virtue of Fasting

Indeed the fast is only virtuous due to two significant concepts:

1. It is a secret and a hidden action. No one from the creation should be able to see it. Showing off cannot enter into fasting.
2. It is a means to subjugate the enemies of the God. It is due to that, His enemies embark upon the son of Adam and misguiding them through desires.

Through the notes, we know that the fast is a special quality which is not found in anything else. And that, it makes people close to the God as what He says in the Quran: "The fast is (only) for Me and I will reawrd it."  This connection is enough to show the status of fasting in the view of the God. Similarly, the Ka'abah is highly dignified due to its close connection to Him as what had been stated by the God: "And sanctify My House."

What strengthen the desires? Eating and drinking strengthen a wild desire. There are many reports indicating the merits of fasting and they are all well known by everyone.

Recommended Acts of Fasting

The pre-dawn meal and delaying in taking it is preferable as well as hastening to break the fast and doing so with dates. Be generous in giving during Ramadan Mubarak and try to increase charity according to the way of the messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w. Try to study the Quran while fasting and perform i'tikaf (meditating in masjid) during fasting. During Ramadan everyone could also perform this while free and increasing charity in the last 10 days.

In two valid hadiths, mother Aishah r.a reported: "When the last 10 days (of Ramadan) would come, Muhammad s.a.w would tighten his waist wrapper and he spend his night in worship, waking up his family for prayers." 

The scholars mentioned two views concerning the meaning of "tighten his waist-wrapper":

I. It means turn away from wife (or husband for sisters in faith).

II. It is an expression denoting prophet's eagerness and diligence in performing charity to offer to the God. 

During Ramadan, there is also special exertion in the last 10 nights where Muhammad s.a.w was seeking the Night of Power or Leylat al-Qadar as what is mentioned in Surah al-Qadar.  

Explanation of the Inner Secrets of Fasting

There are three levels of fasting...

1. General Fast

It is refraining of the stomach and private parts from fulfilling their desires through this discipline.  

2. Specific Fast

Refrain from one's gaze, tongue, hands, feet, hearing and eyes as well as the rest of the body from committing sinful acts. These acts of protecting parts of body is to protect the heart and mind from those which lead to negativity.

 

3. Further Specific Fast

Heart's abstention from its yearning after worldly affairs and thoughts which distance one away from the God as well as its abstention from all the things which associates the God with them.

Characteristics of Specific Fast

From the characteristics of the specific fast is that one lowers his gaze and safeguards his tongue from the repulsive speech that is forbidden, disliked, or which has no benefit as well as controlling the rest of body parts. 

A hadith reported by al-Bukhari mentioned: "Whoever doesn't abandon false speech and the acting which leads to it, the God is not in need of him leaving off his food and drink" (Saheeh Ibnu Dawud, Tirmidzi, Ibnu Majah). 

Another characteristic of the specific fast is that one doesn't overfill himself with food during the night after the breaking of fast. Instead, just eat in due measure, for the son of Adam doesn't fill a vessel more evil than his stomach. If a person were to eat his fill during the first part of the night, he would not make good use of himself for remembrance during the night. 

In the same manner, if he eats to his fill for pre-dawn meal, he does not make good use of himself until the noon. It is because excessiveness in eating for what is intended by the fast is that one savours the taste of hunger and becomes one who abandons desires. 

Characteristics of Further Specific Fast

Know that the one who has been given intellect, knows the objective of fasting. Therefore, he burdens himself to the extent that he will not be able to do that which is more beneficial than it. Ibnu Mas'ud would fast very little and it is reported he used to say that he would grow weak in prayer if he fast. So, he prefers the prayers over optional fasts. Some of the companions mentioned that fasting optional fast would weaken them in their recitation of the Quran if they perform optional fasting. So, they observe less optional fasts until they were able to balance their recitation. Every individual is knowledgeable of his condition and of what will rectify it. Choose to perform what is important first in optional acts of worship.

Recommended Fasts

Everyone should know the preference of fasting is established in certain virtuous days. Some of these virtuous days occur every year such as:

1. Fasting Six Days of Shawwal

2. Fasting during Arafah Day

3. Fasting during Ashura

4. Fasting during 10 days of Dzulhijjah and Muharram

Some occur every month such as:

1. Fasting during the first part of the month

2. Fasting during the middle part of the month

3. Fasting in the last part of the month

Some occur every week:

1. Monday

2. Thursday

The most virtuous recommended fasting is the fast of prophet Dawud a.s. He would fast one day and break his fast the next day. It serves the three objectives:

1. The soul is given its share on the day the fast is broken.

2. And on the day of fasting, it completes its worship in full.

3. The day of eating is the day to be thankful to the God. 

Fasting day is the day for patience. While our faith is divided into two halves that of the thankfulness and that of the patience. It is the most difficult struggle for the soul. It's due to that, every time the soul gets accustomed to a certain condition, it would transfer itself to that.

As for fasting everyday, there is a report by Muslim from the hadith narrated by Abu Qatadah which says, Umar r.a asked prophet Muhammad s.a.w: "What is the case if one were to fast everyday? So, prophet Muhammad s.a.w answered: "He did not fast nor did he break his fast."

This is concerning the one who fast continuously, even during the days in which fasting is forbidden. So beware with this. Check the calender and ask the guided teachers. Don't do anything without consulting nor getting the knowledge because we have Quran and Sunnah. If we have no knowledge, we must acquire ones and don't just blindly follow people without evidence. 

In South East Asia and South Asia, there are many spiritual movements which do not come from Quran and Sunnah basis but from Hindu-Buddhism roots as they try comply within local customs and traditions but they had forgotten that religion and custom have a thin line which differentiate them. Just be careful of who are the teachers, it means don't simply follow without further researches. And the God knows everything better than others.

Source: Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasideen
Translator: Isma'eel bin al-Arkan
Editor: Abu Khaliyl

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad... Sealed with prayer for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Cure for Heart: First Book on Seven Parts

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 It is divided into seven sections... 

First Section on Eyes

Be known to you, your eyes are created for you by the God. They are created for you on both worldly and hereafter purposes. The purpose of eyes which is related to the hereafter is by using them to look at the heaven and sun and moon and stars and the universe. It is as for you to find proofs on His Oneness and His Dominion. Other than that, eyes are beneficial for human to read scriptures, looking at the way to His houses of worship or to lead human to the way to learning institutions.

The purpose and the benefit of eyes for worldly matters are to look at your works and jobs, to release you from whatever will hurt you such as falling into holes or from accidents. Beginning the gratefulness is to protect eyes from looking at what are prohibited and illegal such as looking at others' genital for purpose of pleasure and desire, looking at others' wife or husband and looking at others who are not of your family members. Make it your habit to protect your eyes from unnecessary things.

Says the God in His revelation: "Say (o messenger) to every believers from your views (of unnecessary matters), protect them, and from your genitals, protect them (from illegal acts related to genitals). Protecting eyes and genitals is better for them, indeed the God is very discreet with their acts and deeds." (surah an-Nur verse 30)

The God knows whatever visible or invisible of mortal eyes. He will pay everything being done by His slaves and servants regardless rank or status. So, those in Turkey and Mediterranean areas who kill their daughters or women and consider it as honor killing, be very careful. Those in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan who treat their women like animal and refuse to educate them with religious, scripture and academic education, be very careful! He will pay you people for tyrannizing others without any right, proper judgement and truth or reference to Quran and Sunnah but claiming it as coming from revelation (slandering the God) if you have faith in the God.

This verse teaches the conduct of a noble person and threatening those people who fear not the God with His torments and consequences that will come due to their acts. In teaching morality, the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w was commanded by the God to teach morality and manner and He said to the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, say to those who believe in the God to close their eyes from those which are illegal according to moral and noble conducts and the God orders His servants and creatures to be attached to good conducts and virtues. It is obligatory on every sane servants and creatures who possess mind and thoughts to uphold the virtues of the God and those who do not uphold this virtues are evil in their manner and deserve to receive punishments, isolation and torments. 

The God commanded His command being heralded to others that beginning good conducts and virtues is to close eyes toward anything illegal, evil and bestial desire and protecting genitals. It is better for you and His blessings will descend upon you. The God ordered us to close our eyes toward illegal matters and protecting genitals from adultery as it is to protect our heart from diseases and sins. It is in order to open up the way for charities and chastity. 

And the God does not threaten people for people to be afraid of Him but it is to protect the civilized human society with His true promises. He knows everything that happen in the universe and He will pay whatever crimes and sins that we had done with torments. If we perform good conducts and virtues, He will reward us with blessings and mercy.

to be continued...

Lecture on Mukhtasar: External Purification is Followed by Internal Purification

In the Name of the God the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful

Firstly, we pray to the God the Most Merciful to guide us with His Mercy and Love. Guide us and lead us toward the straight path. Our Lord, open up for us the portals of wisdom and gather to us from the treasure of Your blessings, O the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful! 

Mukhtasar Manhaj al-Qasideen lecture notes and documents

The book begins with the chapter of purification. This is the first series on the book of the secret which could be learned in it the purification for the prayer service. It is about purification and the God had obliged it upon us. Whatever that we had done with our salat service, the development of salat service before the God. If it is viewed within the shari'ah (divine way) of the God, it touched the issue on how we understand things as a faithful Muslim.

A Muslim who accepts Islam as their nature, it is different from what others are up to. Maybe for others, it is enough with certain rituals. The first thing that we Muslim should understand, our faith is closely related to the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The basis of our faith is tawheed, the Oneness of the God in every aspect. The right for the Divinity for the God, it only belongs to the God. None others have the right for worship except Him. We are confident and faithful that noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the messenger of the God is the seal of prophethood a sign of His Mercy to all of creatures. Everything which is transmitted through the messenger must be obeyed and accepted by us.

We accept Islam as our deen, law of life. Being a Muslim is not only about meditating and chanting holy words, performing salat service, and then we go to night club and being a General Relation Officer (GRO). Bukan kita menjadi Muslim beriman itu dengan meratib, sembahyang, selepas itu kita pergi ke kelab malam menjadi pegawai perhubungan awam, saudara-saudari kita. A Muslim is a person who accept the Islamic system, the Divine law which regulates ones life. Kita menerima nidzam perundangan kita, hukum kita yang diturunkan oleh Allah 'Azza wa Jalla.

Although the topic which is discussed is a little topic, but it shows how discreet must we be in order to be a faithful Muslim. We are Muslim in the entire place, not in certain place.

I had read few Jews forum and they also talked about this. But unfortunately, they also have many classifications of Jews like secular, orthodox, modern orthodox, ultra-orthodox, karaite-samaritan, nosrim and others.

There is no other way of life for a Muslim except for the Divine law is regulating his or her life. Try to understand Islam through the eyes of a Muslim. When we try to understand Islam through the view of other religion, way of life, or ideologies, we would have the separation of religion and daily life or what we call as secularism. We have to understand it just like a Muslim understood his or her religion.  When we separate life, we get the Heaven for the God, and earth for men society.

My humble opinion, Heaven and earth are both belongings of the God. The universe belongs to Him. The West have had been controlled by religious groups whom are dirty in their heart. They had tyrannized people but in the case of other continents, they should not see it within their view because Europeans or Westerners are not gods. Asia has long been a region which produces philosophy and different from aggressive Western world or Western Europe whom recently proposing for peace and claim it as their greatest invention, hehe. I do not blame Christianity which had been deeply rooted in Europe until it became an 'ancestral custom' with European features although most people today do not actually believe in the Christ. I know it was the fault of those people in the religious body or the Church. I am not blind. I can think like a Christian although I am not one. This is not about pluralism; we ourselves know and determine what our faith is. Not our mum or dad. Apart of it of course the God’s guidance and mercy Who determined what we are.

A faithful Muslim accepts the God’s system so everything must be based from the reference of the Quran and prophetic line traditions. Bukan sesuka hati menurut hawa nafsu. Not as what we like according to our own desire. 

As to say, Jesus Christ, David a.s, and others are also a prophets of Islam so their tradition is also counted as prophetic tradition. Tradition like anointing our head with olive oil while performing penance is also sunnah for me. So the term Christ is not special at all for me because it is a Greek corruption in English rusty tongue for Hristos which means the Anointed one, haha. Fasting in alternate days is also a sunnah where David a.s performed that kind of fasting. I had received a flier from Christian organization based in Kuala Lumpur at my hostel and they are trying to proselytize even in the mosque. Quite aggressive I guess, because one of them had even approached me in the mosque. I know he is a proselytizer although he's just wearing normal cloth, pretending that he had previously know me but I am not angry. I just kept my silence and sat down for dzikr. I don't need their money and I do not even accept anything given by brethren in Islam except for those whom I know, like family. I would had myself baptized in church last time when I had some misunderstandings regarding Islam and Muslims but I didn't go for church. I went for Buddhist temples after listening to spiritual teachings before repenting myself and accepting the covenant of father Abraham a.s for his grandchildren. In simple word, I am not interested with those Christian organizations no matter how big money they have, haha. Money, big car, beautiful houses, western sounding names, 'friends' and many things actually do not attract me at all, sorry. I know about Christ teachings more than them. I have contacts with churches of eastern rites and frequently visiting churches though I think that many of my Malay compatriots would curse my face with accusations such as "tak beragama." This had been proven with some tests regarding people opinion, hehe.

Respective brothers and sisters in universities, just ignore proselytizer if you do not want to accept anything. Everything actually depends on our own choice not determined by others. I would like to express thanks to Pusat Islam USM for the herald before Friday sermon too though I had already been approached by a proselytizer. I won't report them and they do not have to worry. They are not even a threat to me because I have the God as my Friend. Just stop bringing shame to Jesus Christ. He is a noble figure for me. I will kick the ass of those who dare to bring disgrace to him and claiming that it is from him. I don’t care whether he is a god or not for others but he is one of my prophets which I have faith in through the seal of prophethood, Muhammad s.a.w.

So, how is taharah or purification is discussed in the Mukhtasar Manhaj al-Qaasideen? Sheikh Ahmad bin Abdul Rahman bin Quddaamah al-Muqaddis who is the writer of the book said, purification is divided into four levels...

I. Zaahir or External Purification which could be seen from physical filth anything which comes out from our body or from other. There are practices like ghusl or bathing, wudhu' or ablution, istinja’ or cleaning oneself from feces and others.

II. Our body parts are free from sins, errors, and vices, trying to avoid our body parts from committing vices and criminals. The honorable Imam al-Ghazali said that: "there is no greater ingratitude toward His Grace than using His grants to us to disobey Him and go against Him." For example of this kind of attitude, watching porn or what we called as eyes adultery. Noble prophet, Jesus Christ had also said that those who had seen such obscene thing should pluck out his eyes for it is better than all of body parts being tormented in the hell. I'm sorry, I can't remember the source for the notion. I read it somewhere. Maybe I should try to check it because Jesus Christ is a noble prophet and messenger of the God. He must be respected too.

III. Purification of the heart from disgusting matters. This is related to our characteristics.

IV. For those who are longing His Divine Love, purification of soul is important. We must purify ourselves and souls from whatever association to Him. The benchmark for this is the soul. Everything that we are worried of is only because of Him. Not because anything else. He is the Lord and Master of all creatures and universe. Our heart is only longing for His pleasure. So, this is what I always talk regarding polytheism. It is not really difficult to determine if we try to understand this part. Daily life always makes me afraid that I would associate Him with my carnal and worldly affairs.

A person who looks at things with his heart would understand all of the levels mentioned above. If we only purify ourselves at the first level, we would only take care about small matters. That makes doubt comes to our heart due to that, our understanding regarding purification is shallow. The religion is actually an easy matter for a faithful person because he or she lives with it. It becomes difficult because human character who only sees little things so he dwells only in physical matters. For example, a person only assumes that proper istinja’ is the only dimension of religion. From the report of ‘Umar r.a, there was the issue about people performing ablution with a vessel of a Nasraniyyah (Christian) lady and the issue had been prolonged into purification issue. So, people becoming so doubtful until they performed purifications more than what had been prescribed. They could only see physical matters but ignores the character. Human character becomes so foul and they had fallen into madzmumah characteristics.

According to what is called as rabbaniyah consideration, whatever that we physically look as clean could also be dirty inside. It is almost close to, 'don't judge a book by its cover' in English. Worship must be based from sound knowledge. It is not based from desire or whatever that we like to do. Some people perhaps view zuhud or modesty as marginalized behind while dirtiness and vices being regarded as beneficial or good. Munkar (evil) is viewed as ma'ruf (goodness), while ma'aruf being perceived by physical eyes based from nafs (carnal desire) as munkar. This era what can I say, urmm...   

continue....

Purification: What are Impurities?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

The salat (proper prayer) is invalid without purification, thus our Path requires taharah as a pre-condition for the validation of salat no matter whether it is in the purification of body, clothes, or the places of ritual.

Ok, this is technical, but this is some portions of religious science. What is طهارة taharah? Taharah basically means cleaning or purification. Terminologically it refers to an act of purifying ourselves, our clothes, and places from حدث hadath and نجس najas. To purify ourselves from hadath, we would have to perform ritual washing like ghusl, wudhu', and tayammum which involves certain body parts or whole external body parts where water could reach. To purify ourselves from najas, we purify ourselves by eliminating filth at our body, clothes, and related places.

Before that, let me explain what does hadath and najas mean according to my understanding. If I am wrong please knowledgeable brothers and sisters who pass by help me correcting them.  I am here learning with dearly brothers and sisters too. May Allah grants everyone wisdom, insyaallah.

Hadath

Hadath means impurity caused by certain events. Hadaths are divided into two which are:

Hadath al-Akbar

حدث الأكبر hadath al-akbar means that the impurity is of major events and need extra care. It requires such act like غسل ghusl. For ghusl, we have many types of ghusl. Some are سنة sunnah (optional) while some are واجب wajib (obligatory). Obligatory ghusl for example is required for a woman who had finished her menstrual term. It is also required for both male and female after intimate intercourse with or without ejaculation and others. Without performing this obligatory ghusl, a person could not be in contact with holy verses and could not perform salat.   

Hadath al-Asghar

حدث الأصغر hadath al-asghar means impurity caused by minor events. It needs only minor ghusl which is وضوء wudhu' or ablution. Before we perform salat, we are required to perform wudhu' too. Such impurity in this event is like farting. We will talk more about this in wudhu' section if Allah permits us, His Will.

Najas

We have few classifications on this matter. This ritual impurity also need us to perform specific cleaning according to our schools of jurisprudence. We could not perform salat or touching scripture without removing these ritual impurities from our body, clothes, or places to perform ritual like salat. There are three kinds of najas. We may divide it to another post too as not to make it haywire as some school of jurisprudence may differ with the other in non-principal matters. This is as to make sure that we emphasize only our school of jurisprudence is right will others are wrong without checking the basis of others' reliance.

---------------------

So, these are some terminologies that we use in our everyday life. Sometimes, non-Arabic speaking people could not understand them. So, we try to translate them as possible as we can according to what we understood from our previous learning. Anything to add please kindly suggest it here.

If we could translate everything since the past, we would certainly do that even into Greek or Latin though it may take time to learn those languages as to learn a language is also to learn the philosophies of life and languages' worldview which are of course varies from a region to another.

Just to make sure that some who could not understand get better understanding in term of diversity in the world since world is divided to West and East and standard of the world is always being tagged to the West. I also mean diversity to our faithful brothers and sisters, not only to non-believers. Don't just nod our head when we heard about something. But do investigation and further studies. Just like our brother in soul, Salman al-Farisi from the land of Persia who searched for something that he heard of. May Allah bless his soul.

Let us set up again our own standard from the smallest ones for example hygiene to the biggest one with sincerity toward Allah the Most Highest in our daily life. Not only emphasizing on physical hygiene but also spiritual hygiene with good conducts such as avoiding bribery, integrity, checking the quality of our family life through scriptural and prophetic tradition prescriptions, concern about others' soul through services like business and etc. If we just say that Islam will dominate this and that, we do not really perform any service to the God. Instead, that is not true at all. Allah asks us to spread mercy, love, peace, and brotherhood to every creature regardless they are visible or invincible.

How could we dominate others while the dominion of the universe is with Him? Service to the God part of it is through علوم 'uluum (sciences and knowledge), تمدن tamaddun (civilization), and آداب adaab (manner and art). This is also a reminder for me. Hope it helps me to rise up again :' 

Thus I end this humble post with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Matan Arba'in Hadith: First Hadith

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Today we learn about the matan hadith arba'in or the forty root hadiths. This is the first hadith of the matan (source) where I still can recall its original Arabic. It is a very interesting hadith and it is related to tasawwuf dimension of Islam. I'm not going to put the Arabic text nor sound but only the meaning in English.  I would like to apologize if the explanation is a bit clumsy because the source text is in classical Malay.

This is for our beloved brethren in faith who are interested to learn some basic hadiths for Islamic jurisprudence or daily life but finding it hard to check the Arabic text.  It would be best for brethren to check it with teachers who speaks in English for better understanding. If you have teachers speaking in your mother tongues, it would be better for you.

I assure brothers and sisters that this is also important and we are lucky if we can memorize these hadiths in any language that we understand because they could be useful in our daily life. Important thing is not in our certificates but the faith in our heart, understanding and its implementation in our daily life. May everyone receives salvation from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. 

We would just share with anyone who are willing to learn in order to please our beloved Lord, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and I also need to remind myself to only be devoted to Him because He is my beloved Friend may He not leaves me. If He leaves me, it would be the real death for me :'(

Reported by 'Umar b. al-Khattab may the God be pleased with him: "I heard that the messenger of the God, Muhammad peace be upon him had said; indeed that the act is determined by your intention. And indeed for all of the matters done by a person is based on his or her intention. Whomever migrate to other place for the sake of the God and His messenger, his migration is counted because of the God and His messenger. And those who migrate for the sake of worldly matters or the woman that they want to marry, thus his migration is for the sake of what he is pursuing for. - narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim

Explanation of the Hadith:

1. This hadith shows on the importance of intention in the validity of certain act (religious or worldly). 

2. If the intention for certain act or practice are good, then the act and the practice performed are also good.

3. If the intention for certain act or practice are evil, then the act and practice performed are also evil.

For the practices or the act of worship accompanied with intention there are few categories:

1. The act of worship performed by a person due to his fear to the God the Most Highest is counted as the worship of every slave.  

2. A person who performed a certain act of worship due to the merits and paradise promised by the God is counted as the worship of merchants.

3. A person who performed the act of worship because he is shy to the God and fulfilling the rites of slaves and the servants of the God or being a thankful slaves. He realizes that he could be reckless in his worship or not sure that his act of worship is accepted by the God so he performs it with sincerity and with all of his heart and soul devoted only to the God. This act of worship is counted as the act of worship of the people who are free from the worldly slavery. He is not a slave of anyone but only the slave and the servant of the God. A life of a Muslim is a life of a worshiper of the God.

Further explanations:

We have to avoid feeling that we are holier than others only because we had done certain act of worship more than others, while in the same time we only perform that to show off to others. We are not doing the same act while we are alone and vice versa. That is not the act of worship to the God, but counted as the act of worship to others. This is what we call as riyaa'. It means showing off. The act of worship is performed because of human. Not because of the God. 

From a report of the mother of the faithfuls, 'Aisyah may the God be pleased with her, she saw that the messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w stands up for prayer service until his two legs shivering because of he stands too long. She later asked the messenger of the God. "O messenger of the God, why are you burdening yourself with this long prayer service while the God had already promised you that your sins in the past or in the future had already be forgiven by Him?" He answered: "I just wanted to be a grateful slave of the God the Most Highest." The answer spontaneously popped out implies that the worship is done because of the devotion to the God and it comes out of sincerity to Him.

According to some scholars' fatawa (guides), when a person who does his act of worship with the intention for worldly matters and the hereafter, his acts of worship will be rejected by the God and will not be accepted. They have this fatawa based on a Hadith Qudsi (announcement from the God), where the God says: "I am richer than all of the gods (taken by human to be their god). Those who perform their act of worship while associating me with others, I will leave them to what they are eager to take as their gods!!!"

From the Hadith Qudsi, al-Harith al-Muhasibiy in his book, ar-Ri'ayaat had issued a guideline that the sincerity begins with the obedience is performed solely for His sake and not because of others. In relation to showing off, it implies that the intention for the act of worship and obedience must be purely because of the God. Never mix the intention because of the God with other intentions.

Says as-Samarqandi may the God be merciful to him: "as many as the obedience of a slave for the sake of the God being accepted  and as many obedience done because of human will be rejected." For example, a man who performed prayers because it is his responsibility, but he bows and stands nicely in front of others because he feels shy to others if his prayers is incomplete. Thus his prayer service is initially accepted by the God but the acts such as bowing and standing because of other fellow human are rejected because he is doing it because of his fellow human and not because of the God. So, it is important to check the intention when we do something even in prayers as to make sure that we are devoted only to the God and not to other gods.  

How about leaving the acts of worship because afraid of being accused as showing off? Says al-Fadheel: "Whoever leaves the act of worship because of human is counted as showing off and whoever performs the act of worship because of human is counted as a polytheist. Beginning sincerity is when the God cures you from both of those diseases."

There are many other explanations for this hadith regarding sincerity. It is important for us to understand that we have to be devoted only to the God the Most Highest in obedience and services to Him. How is it? It is through our intention or niyyah. Everything that we do in our life is counted as the worship to the God if it is good. Thus, when we do that, we must be sincere to Him. When we are doing our job, we must begin with the intention because of Him and with His holiest Name. Our life is only because of Him as what we recite in our prayer services, "indeed our life and death is only because of the God, the Lord of the Universe." 

This hadith applies in every aspect of our life as a Muslim and a faithful servant of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. It also could be applied to determine criminal cases. Please help me brothers and sisters if you come across this humble sharing in this post, please chant salawat to prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions and his nation of this period of near resurrection, may you be blessed by Allah 'Azza wa Jalla.

May Allah be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family. May Allah cure us from evil diseases and purify our heart and soul. May Allah bless my brothers and sisters in faith with His love and always be with my brothers and sisters. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith, amin!!!