Intention-less Action is Like a Corpse
For an act of worship or kindness to gain value in Islamic morality, it is only possible with the purity of intention (sincerity). Abdülkadir Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) strongly reminds us that intention comes before action and that no work done without intention yields any benefit: “The works of a man who does not know his intention before the deed are deficient. You sin whether you speak or remain silent; because your intention is corrupt.” Intention is the soul of an act; the act (action) is its body. Without sincerity, prayers, fasts, or good deeds performed merely in form are no different from carrying a dead corpse. The ostentatious acts of someone with a flawed inner self are nothing more than empty noise in the sight of Allah.
The Failure of Doing Deeds for People
The greatest ailment of people is to do their acts of worship or kindness so that others see them, like, or appreciate them (to say “look at him/her”). Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) says that this hypocrisy leads to a spiritual bankruptcy, stating: “Wanting people is the end of an action that does not reach Allah… Woe unto you, your deed is for the people! How do you hope to reach Him with it?” Performing acts of worship for show (hidden shirk) is forgetting the reality that Allah sees his servant every moment and attaching value to the gaze of distant, helpless servants. The saying, “Woe, you are drawing back behind a curtain so that the servants don’t see you. But you have no awareness of the Creator,” reveals how insidious and foolish this hidden shirk is.
Laying a Solid Foundation and Targeting Only Allah
For a building to stand, its foundation must be solid. The foundation of the spiritual building is also the “pure intention” laid solely for the sake of Allah. “Have you raised the upper stories upon a foundation of weakness? Surely every edifice founded on sand will collapse.” A believer should remove his ego even in the smallest act of kindness, set aside people’s praise, and lock himself directly onto Allah’s pleasure. Those who tie their intentions to Allah and take every step with the awareness of “O my Lord, I ran so that You may be pleased” escape from the prison of ostentation and enter the bright square of True Tawhid.