Niyyah

The Shari’ah has attached great importance to Niyyah. This is because Niyyah is indispensable and necessary for essential Ibaadaat such as Salaah, Roza, Zakaat to be accepted. A person receives Sawaab and recompense based on the extent of his Niyyah. At times, he can receive Sawaab by merely making Niyyah without doing anything. In a Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"Whoever asks Allah sincerely to be Shaheed, Allah Ta’ala will grant him the rank of the Shaheed even if he dies on his bed."

That is, just as a person receives the reward of an action by performing that action, in the same way he can also receive it by merely making Niyyah without performing it. Allah Ta’ala knows what is in the heart and He also knows the degree of sincerity that there is in the Niyah of a person. Therefore, He grants him according to what he has in his heart. A person who cannot even do this much is unfortunate.

[English version of "Niyyat" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.8]