Perfect my intention so that I can worship Allaah

It is of Shirk to perform a (righteous) deed for worldly reasons

 

Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) said:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لاَ يُبْخَسُونَ

"Whosoever desires the life of the world & its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein & they will have no diminution therein."

(Hud 11:15)

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلاَّ النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُواْ فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; & vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.

(Hud 11:16)

Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

"Let the slave of Dinar & Dirham, & Khamisa (i.e. money and luxurious clothes) perish as he is pleased if these things are given to him, & if not, he is displeased. Let such a person perish & relapse, & if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him. Tuba (all kinds of happiness, or a tree in Paradise) is for him who holds the reins of his horse to strive in Allaah's Cause, with his hair unkempt & feet covered with dust: if he is appointed in the vanguard, he is perfectly satisfied with his post of guarding, & if he is appointed in the rearguard, he accepts his post with satisfaction; (he is so simple and unambitious that) if he asks for permission (before a ruler) he is not permitted, & if he intercedes, his intercession is not accepted (because of his simplicity)."

Important issues of the Chapter

1.  Man's desire for the worldly gains on the pretext of the acting for the Hereafter.

2.    Explanation of the verses in Surah Hud (11:15,16).

3.  Naming the Muslim the slave of Dinar & Dirham & Khamisa (i.e. money & luxurious clothes).

4.  The explanation of that by the fact that "he is pleased if these things are given to him, and if not, he is displeased."

5.  Meaning of the words: "Let such a person perish & relapse." (Ta'isa, Intakasa).

6.  Meaning of the words: "and if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him."

7. The praise upon the Mujahid who can be attributed with the characterization (in the Hadith).