Named hadith
حديث إنما الأعمال بالنيات
Hadith “Innama al-A'malu bil-Niyyat”: Actions Are by Intentions
9 hadith in the six books
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
Umar ibn al-Khattab narrates from the pulpit that the Prophet said actions are judged by intentions and every person will have what he intended; whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger, and whoever emigrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman, his emigration is for what he emigrated for.
Bukhari opens his Sahih with it, and it is recorded in all six books, placed in chapters on intention in faith, oaths, divorce, ablution and fighting for worldly ends.
Narrations
Bukhari · 1إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِI heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to m6 narratorsBukhari · 6689إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا ، أَI heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The (reward of) deeds, depend upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for the sake of Allah and His Apostle,6 narratorsBukhari · 6953يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'O people! The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So, whoever emigrated for Allah and His Apostle, then his emigrati6 narratorsMuslim · 4927إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْIt has been narrated on the authority of Umar b. al-Khattab that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:(The value of) an action depends on the intention behind it. A man will be rewarded only for what he intended. The emigrati6 narratorsAbu Dawud · 2201إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوUmar bin Al Khattab reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying “Actions are to be judged only by intentions and a man will have only what he intended. When one’s emigration is to Allaah and His Messenger, his emigration6 narratorsTirmidhi · 1647إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ ، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصNarrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Deeds are but with intentions, and for the man is only what he intended. So one whose emigration was to Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration w6 narratorsNasa'i · 75إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى ، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُIt was narrated that 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Actions are only done with intentions, and every man shall have what he intended. Thus he whose emigration was11 narrators·parallel chainNasa'i · 3825إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ , وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى , فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ , وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَIt was narrated from 'Umar bin Al-Khattab that the Prophet said:"Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose emigration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger,6 narratorsIbn Majah · 4227إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ , وَلِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى , فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ , فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ , وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَ‘Alqamah bin Waqqas (said) that he heard ‘Umar bin Khattab, when he was addressing the people, saying:“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Actions are but by the intention and every man will have but that which he i8 narrators·parallel chain
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