Arabic Text
English Translation
— ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (RA) (Bukhari & Muslim)
Commentary
Imam ash-Shafi‘i said this hadith enters into seventy chapters of fiqh. Every act of worship requires niyyah — intention purely for Allah. Without it, the act is rejected; with it, even mundane acts become worship.
Extended Explanation
This is one of the most foundational hadiths in Islam — Imam ash-Shāfi‘ī, Imam Aḥmad, and Imam al-Bukhārī all opened their books with it. Imam al-Bukhārī placed it as the very first hadith in his Ṣaḥīḥ as a signal: every chapter that follows is to be read in its light.
‘Umar (RA) narrated it from the minbar in Madīnah, indicating its public, communal importance. The lesson is twofold: (1) actions without intention are lifeless husks, and (2) actions with corrupted intention are worse than no action at all. The same prayer can take one person to Jannah and another to the Fire — only the niyyah differentiates them.
Ibn Rajab notes that the hadith establishes the inward dimension of every act, while Hadith 5 (‘Whoever introduces…’) establishes the outward dimension. Together they form the two scales by which any deed is judged: ikhlāṣ (sincerity) and mutāba‘ah (following the Sunnah).
From the Scholars
"This hadith enters into seventy chapters of fiqh — there is no chapter of jurisprudence that does not depend on it."
"It is one of the three hadiths around which the entire religion revolves — this hadith for inward acts, Hadith 5 for outward acts, and Hadith 6 (‘the halal is clear…’) for that which is between them."
"Niyyah has two meanings: the intention of the act of worship (distinguishing ẓuhr from ‘aṣr), and the intention for whom the act is done (Allah alone). Both must be present for the deed to be accepted."
Fiqh & Rulings
- •An act of worship without niyyah is invalid — wuḍū', ṣalāh, ṣawm, zakāh, ḥajj all require it.
- •Habitual or permissible acts (eating, sleeping, working) become rewarded worship when done with the intention of strengthening oneself for obedience.
- •Niyyah is in the heart — pronouncing it aloud (‘nawaytu an uṣalliya…’) is an innovation according to the majority of the Salaf.
- •If a person intends an act for both Allah and showing off, scholars detail: if the original intention was riyā', the act is rejected; if riyā' entered later and was repelled, it does not harm.
Qur'ān Cross-References
Key Arabic Vocabulary
‘Only’ — a particle of restriction (ḥaṣr); it limits the validity of actions to those done with intention.
actions (plural of ‘amal)
intentions (plural of niyyah)
he intended
Today's Reflection
Audit one routine act today (eating, working, resting). Renew your intention to do it for Allah's sake.
Key Benefits
- 1Niyyah is the engine of every deed.
- 2The same outward action may be worship for one person and meaningless for another.
Common Mistakes & Warnings
- ⚠Pronouncing the niyyah aloud is not Sunnah — the niyyah is in the heart.
- ⚠Combining sincerity with showing off corrupts the entire act; ikhlāṣ must be exclusive.
Related Hadiths
Memorization Progress