Sharh al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyya by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح الأربعين النووية) — Page 15

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ.

Actions are judged solely by intentions.

وَالصَّوَابُ : أَنَّ الثَّانِيَةَ غَيْرُ الْأُولَى،

The correct view is that the second mention differs from the first.

فَالْأُولَى بِاعْتِبَارِ الْمَنْوِيِّ وَهُوَ الْعَمَلُ.

The first refers to the object of the intention, which is the act itself.

وَالثَّانِيَةُ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْمَنْوِيِّ لَهُ وَهُوَ الْمَعْمُولُ لَهُ

The second refers to the recipient of the intention, or the one for whom the act is performed.

هَلْ أَنْتَ عَمِلْتَ لِلَّهِ أَوْ عَمِلْتَ لِلدُّنْيَا.

Did you act for the sake of Allah, or for the sake of the world?

وَيَدُلُّ لِهَذَا مَا فَرَّعَهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي قَوْلِهِ : فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ

This is illustrated by the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) elaboration: 'Whoever migrates for Allah and His Messenger, his migration is indeed for Allah and His Messenger.'

وَعَلَى هَذَا يَبْقَى الْكَلَامُ لَا تَكْرَارَ فِيهِ.

Under this interpretation, the statement contains no redundancy.

وَالْمَقْصُودُ مِنْ هَذِهِ النِّيَّةِ تَمْيِيزُ الْعَادَاتِ مِنَ الْعِبَادَاتِ، وَتَمْيِيزُ الْعِبَادَاتِ بَعْضِهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

The purpose of this intention is to distinguish habits from acts of worship, and to differentiate one act of worship from another.

الْعَادَاتِ مِنَ الْعِبَادَاتِ مِثَالُهُ : أَوَّلًا : الرَّجُلُ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ شَهْوَةً فَقَطْ،

To distinguish habits from worship, consider this: a man eats food simply because he desires it.

وَالرَّجُلُ الْآخَرُ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ امْتِثَالًا لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي قَوْلِهِ : ﴿ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا

Another man eats in obedience to the command of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, in His words: 'Eat and drink.'

أكلُ الثَّانِي عِبَادَةٌ، وَأَكْلُ الْأَوَّلِ عَادَةٌ.

The second man’s eating is an act of worship, while the first man’s is merely a habit.

ثَانِيًا : الرَّجُلُ يَغْتَسِلُ بِالْمَاءِ تَبَرُّدًا، وَالثَّانِي يَغْتَسِلُ بِالْمَاءِ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ،

Secondly, a man may bathe to cool off, while another bathes to purify himself from major ritual impurity.

فَالْأَوَّلُ عَادَةٌ، وَالثَّانِي : عِبَادَةٌ،

The first is a habit, whereas the second is an act of worship.

وَلِهَذَا لَوْ كَانَ عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ جَنَابَةٌ ثُمَّ انْغَمَسَ فِي الْبَحْرِ لِلتَّبَرُّدِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَلَا يُجْزِئُهُ ذَلِكَ،

Consequently, if someone in a state of impurity dives into the sea just to cool off and then prays, his prayer is invalid.

لِأَنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ مِنَ النِّيَّةِ، وَهُوَ لَمْ يَنْوِ التَّعَبُّدَ وَإِنَّمَا نَوَى التَّبَرُّدَ.

Intention is required, and he intended cooling off, not worship.

وَلِهَذَا قَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ : عِبَادَاتُ أَهْلِ الْغَفْلَةِ عَادَاتٌ، وَعَادَاتُ أَهْلِ الْيَقَظَةِ عِبَادَاتٌ.

Some scholars have noted: The acts of worship of the heedless are mere habits, while the habits of the alert are acts of worship.

مِثَالُهُ : مَنْ يَقُومُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي وَيَذْهَبُ عَلَى الْعَادَةِ.

An example of the former is one who rises, performs ablution, and prays simply out of routine.

وَعَادَاتُ أَهْلِ الْيَقَظَةِ عِبَادَاتٌ مِثَالُهُ : مَنْ يَأْكُلُ امْتِثَالًا لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، يُرِيدُ إِبْقَاءَ نَفْسِهِ، وَيُرِيدُ التَّكَفُّفَ عَنِ النَّاسِ، فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ عِبَادَةً.

An example of the latter is one who eats in obedience to Allah, intending to sustain his health and avoid needing help from others; this becomes an act of worship.

وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ لَبِسَ ثَوْبًا جَدِيدًا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَرَفَّعَ بِثِيَابِهِ، فَهَذَا لَا يُؤْجَرُ،

A man who wears new clothes to show off and feel superior receives no reward.

وَآخَرُ لَبِسَ ثَوْبًا جَدِيدًا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ النَّاسُ قَدْرَ نِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَّهُ غَنِيٌّ، فَهَذَا يُؤْجَرُ.

Another wears new clothes so that people may recognize the blessing Allah has bestowed upon him and acknowledge His bounty; he is rewarded.

وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ لَبِسَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَحْسَنَ ثِيَابِهِ لِأَنَّهُ يَوْمُ جُمُعَةٍ هَذِهِ عَادَةٌ،

A man who wears his best clothes on Friday simply because it is Friday is merely following a habit.

Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 40 nouns)

• عَمِلَ — to work
• دَلَّ — to indicate
• فَرَّعَ — to derive
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• أَكَلَ — to eat
• اِغْتَسَلَ — to wash oneself
• اِنْغَمَسَ — to submerge
• صَلَّى — to pray
• أَجْزَأَ — to suffice
• نَوَى — to intend
• قَالَ — to say
• قَامَ — to stand
• تَوَضَّأَ — to perform ablution
• ذَهَبَ — to go
• أَرَادَ — to want
• كَانَ — to be
• لَبِسَ — to wear
• تَرَفَّعَ — to exalt oneself
• أَجَرَ — to reward
• عَرَفَ — to know
• حَسُنَ — to be good
• حَدِيث — narration
• عَمَل — deed
• نِيَّة — intention
• صَوَاب — correctness
• دُنْيَا — world
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• قَوْل — saying
• هِجْرَة — migration
• كَلَام — speech
• تَكْرَار — repetition
• مَقْصُود — intended
• تَمْيِيز — distinction
• عَادَة — habit
• عِبَادَة — Acts of worship
• بَعْض — part
• مِثَال — an example
• رَجُل — man
• طَعَام — food
• شَهْوَة — desire
• امْتِثَال — compliance
• أَمْر — command
• مَاء — water
• تَبَرُّد — cooling
• جَنَابَة — major ritual impurity
• بَحْر — sea
• تَعَبُّد — worship
• عِلْم — knowledge
• غَفْلَة — heedlessness
• يَقَظَة — alertness
• إِبْقَاء — preservation
• نَفْس — self
• تَكَفُّف — begging
• نَاس — people
• ثَوْب — a garment
• جَدِيد — new
• قَدْر — value
• نِعْمَة — blessing
• غَنِيّ — rich man
• يَوْم — day
• جُمُعَة — Friday