The Hierarchy of Intentions
Listen to Today's Lesson
The Concept
Not all intentions are created equal. There is a ladder. 1. **Level 1 (Lowest):** Doing it for worldly gain (Money, Fame, Praise). Result: You might get the dunya, but no Barakah. 2. **Level 2:** Doing it out of fear of Hell or desire for Paradise. Result: Reward and Barakah. 3. **Level 3 (Highest):** Doing it for **Ridwan Allah** (The Pleasure/Love of Allah). You do it simply because He is worthy of being served. Barakah flows most torrentially when the intention is at Level 3. When you aim for the stars (Allah's Pleasure), you get the moon (Dunya) as a byproduct. But if you aim for the moon, you might miss both.
Imam Malik's Book
Imam Malik, the great scholar of Medina, spent years compiling his famous book of Hadith, 'Al-Muwatta.' It was a masterpiece. However, during his time, many other scholars started writing similar books. People came to Imam Malik and said, 'O Imam, why are you working so hard? There are already so many Muwattas being written. Yours will just be one of many.' Imam Malik didn't get discouraged. He didn't worry about 'market saturation' or 'competition.' He pointed to his book and said a famous sentence: **'Whatever is for Allah will remain.'** He then (according to some narrations) threw the pages into water to test his own sincerity. The ink did not run. Today, 1,200 years later, where are those other books? Forgotten. Dust. But 'Al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik is found in almost every Islamic library in the world. It is studied by millions. Why? Because the intention was purely for Allah. Allah put **Baqa** (Permanence/Barakah) in it. The other books were perhaps for fame, so they vanished with their authors.
Today's Action
Check your intention for a major goal you are pursuing (e.g., a promotion, a degree, a fitness goal). Ask 'Why?' three times to get to the root. - 'I want a promotion.' Why? - 'To get more money.' Why? - 'To buy a bigger house.' Why? - 'To provide a safe, halal environment for my family to worship Allah and host guests.' THERE IT IS! You found the Level 3 intention. Hold onto THAT one. Make that your driving force, and the money will come with Barakah.
Journaling Reflection
"Is my deepest 'Why' connected to Allah, or does it stop at the Dunya? Will my work 'remain' after I am gone?"