The Intention

2. Ali has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The intention of the believer is better than his deeds, and the intention of the unbeliever is more wicked than his deeds. Everyone acts according to his intention.’”

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The poor believing servant (of Allah) says, ‘O Lord bestow upon me such and such so that I can do so and so good deeds. If Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, finds that his intention is true He will write down for him a reward (just for his intention) equal to the degree of good deeds had his intention materialized; Allah is vastly generous.’”

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ali ibn Asbat from Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn al-Husayn from Amr from Hassan ibn Aban from abu Basir who has said the following: “I asked Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام about worship, ‘What kind of worshipping sets the worshipper free from obligations.’ The Imam said, ‘It is obedience with good intention and in good faith.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-Minqari from Ahmad ibn Yunus from abu Hashim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام has said, ‘People of hell will remain in hell for ever because of their intention in this world to disobey Allah even if they lived here forever. People of paradise will live therein forever because of their intention in this world to worship Allah even if they lived here forever. Because of intentions these and those will remain therein forever. The Imam then recited the words of Allah, “Say, everyone does as he intends (shakilah). . . . ,” (17:84) the Imam said, ‘It (Shakilah) means intention.’”