Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that theMessenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“Actions are based on intentions, and everyone will have what they have intended. Whoever‟s migration was to Allaahand His Messenger, then their migration is to Allaah and HisMessenger, but whoever‟s migration was for some parts of worldly life that they wished to acquire, or for a woman to marry, then their migration was for whatever they migrated for.”1This is a narration that only Yahya ibn Sa`eed Al-Ansaari, may Allaah have mercy on him, reported fromMuhammad ibnIbraaheem At-Taymi, may Allaah have mercy on him, who reported by `Alqamah ibn Waqqaas Al-Laythi, may Allaah have mercy on him, who reported from `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him. There is no other authentic chain of narration for this Hadeeth besides this one, as `Ali ibn Al-Madeeni, may Allaah have mercy on him,and others tated. Al-Khattaabi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “I do not know of a difference of opinion among the scholars of Hadeeth regarding this matter, even though it has been reported via Abu Sa`eed and others.”
It has been said that it has been reported via many routes; however, none of those routes are authentic according to the scholars of Hadeeth. Many individuals narrated it from Al-Ansaari, may Allaah have mercy on him, and it has been stated that more than 200 narrators reported from him.Others have stated that 700 narrators reported from him, and the most prominent among them are Maalik, may Allaah have mercy on him, Ath-Thawri, may Allaah have mercy on him, Al-Awzaa`i, may Allaah have mercy on him, Ibn Al-Mubaarak, may Allaah have mercy on him, Al-Layth ibn Sa`d,may Allaah have mercy on him, Hammaad ibn Zayd, may Allaah have mercy on him, Shu`bah, may Allaah have mercy on him, Ibn `Uyaynah, may Allaah have mercy on him, and others.
The scholars have unanimously agreed that it is authentic,and have accepted it fully. Al-Bukhaari, may Alla ah have mercy on him, initiated his book with this Hadeeth, and
made it similar to an introduction, showing that any action that is not for the sake of Allaah the Exalted is invalid and has no benefit or fruit in this life or the next. That is why `Abd Ar-Rahmaan ibn Mahdi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:“If I were to author the various chapters and subjects of knowledge, I would place the Hadeeth of `Umar regarding actions being judged by tentions in each chapter.” He,may Allaah have mercy on him, also said: “Whoever wishes to write a book should begin with the Hadeeth of the intentions.”1The reason for the Hadeeth:There is no doubt that the cause of the revelation of the verse is helpful in understanding the verse, just as the reason for the Hadeeth is helpful in understanding the Hadeeth.The crucial factor in texts lies in the generality of wording,not in the specificity of the reason behind the text, meaning,the crucial factor in understanding texts is the generality of the wording, and not the story wherefore it was mentioned.However, with that said, it would undoubtedly benefit us to know that the Hadeeth of intentions had a cause and occasion, and this was reported from Ibn Mas`ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: “Whoever migrates seeking anything will earn it. A man migrated to marry awoman named Umm Qays, and he was henceforth known as„The Migrant of Umm Qays.‟”
1However, Al-Haafith Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:“It is well-known that „The Migrant of Umm Qays‟ was the cause behind the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,saying:
„Whoever‟s migration was for some parts of worldly life that they wished to acquire, or for a woman to marry,‟and this is stated by many latter day scholars in their books,but we have not seen any root for that claim through authentic chains of narration, and Allaah knows best.”Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:“The story of „The Migrant of Umm Qays‟ has been reported by Sa`eed ibn Mansoor […] and At-Tabaraani via another route, from Al-A`mash, who stated: „There was a man who engaged a woman named Umm Qays, but she refused to
marry him until he migrated. So, he migrated and married her, so we called him „The Migrant of Umm Qays.‟ This chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions stipulated by Al
-Bukhaari and Muslim; however, it does not mention that the Hadeeth of [intentions] was stated due to this story. I have not seen anything via the various routes that would necessitate explicitly s
tating that the cause of this Hadeeth was this particular story.”1Therefore, the correct view is to state that the story of the„Migrant of Umm Qays‟ is an application of the Hadeeth, not the cause behind the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,stating the Hadeeth.The Hadeeth of intentions has a great position with the scholars, and has a great position within legislation.Righteous actions have two conditions: sincerity, and following of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. This Hadeeth speaks of the first condition, which is sincerity.Based on the status of this Hadeeth, the scholars have praised it, and there is unanimous agreement that the scholars honor and give preference to this Hadeeth, because it is one of the Ahaadeeth whereon Islaam revolves. It isreported that Ash-Shaafi`i, may Allaah have mercy on him,stated: “This Hadeeth is a third of knowledge, and it is related to seventy chapters of jurisprudence.” Imaam Ahmad,may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “The fundamentals of Islaam revolve around three Ahaadeeth: The Hadeeth of`Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, regarding intentions, the Hadeeth of `Aa‟ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, which states:„Whoever introduces something into our religion which is not a part of it , then it is rejected,‟and the Hadeeth of An-Nu`maan, may Allaah be pleased with
him, which states:The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear.‟”Al-Haakim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “It was reported to us from `Abdullaah ibn Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, from Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him,that he mentioned the statement of the Prophet, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam:„Actions are based on intentions,‟and:„The creation of one of you is gathered in their mother‟s womb for forty days,‟and:„Whoever introduces something into our religion which is not a part of it, then it is rejected,‟and he said: „It is appropriate that these Ahaadeeth be at the beginning of every authorship, because among Hadeeth,these are the fundamental ones.‟”Is-haaq ibn Raahawayh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:“There are four Ahaadeeth which are the funda mentals of the religion: The Hadeeth of `Umar regarding intentions, the Hadeeth of:„The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear,‟the Hadeeth of:„The creation of one of you is gathered in their mother‟s womb for forty days,‟and the Hadeeth of:„Whoever introduces something into our religion which is not a part of it, then it is rejected.‟”1The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“Actions are based on intentions.”
