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Lecture to staff of Kampung Baru Medical Center Kuala Lumpur on 18th July 2003 by Prof Omar Hasan Kasule Sr
Commitment, ikhlaas, was described in the Qur’an in several verses[i]. Ikhlaas is expressed in the intention, Ikhlaas al niyyat[ii]. Work is the consequence of the intention. Every work is rewarded according to the intention behind it, innama al a’amaal bi al niyaat[iii]. Every person is rewarded according to his/her niyyat, li kulli imri ma nawa[iv]. The amount of reward is commensurate with the intention, iqaau al ajr ;ala qadr al niyyat[v]. The reward is given for the niyyat even if the work is not performed. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that if a person intends to do a good and but fails to carry out his intention, he gets the reward for one act. If on the other hand he manages to do only part of the work he gets the reward for the whole work. On the day of resurrection people will be resurrected with their intentions, yukhsharu al naas ‘ala niyyatihim[vi]. Any work without niyyat is not recognized[vii].
The niyyat must be constant and consistent throughout the whole period of performance until completion. Start must be early and serious, baadiru bi al ‘amal[viii]. Work is best judged by its last stages, al ‘amal bi al khawatiim[ix]. The best of work is that which is consistent and continuous, khayr al ‘amal adwamuha[x]. In all performance, the human performs that which he is capable of even if the niyyat envisaged more[xi]. Al Fadhail bin ‘Iyaadh said that work for the sake of humans is shirk and also no working for fear of people is riyaa, Ikhlaas is when Allah saves you from shirk and riyaa[xii]. Work is a test for the human, ibtilaau al insan bi al ‘amal[xiii].
Work is responsibility[xiv]. The Qur’an emphasizes the importance of work, al hath ‘ala al ‘amal[xv]. There is reward, good or bad, for work done, jazaau al ‘amal[xvi].
Humans have freedom to choice in the work that they do, hurriyat al insaan fi al ‘amal[xvii]. Work can be good, ‘amal hasan[xviii]. Work can also be bad, ‘amal sayyi[xix]. Bad work can be decorated to make it appear good, tazyiin al ‘amal al sayyi[xx]. Bad work is condemned, dhammu al ‘amal al sayyi[xxi]. The reward for bad work is a bad one, jazau al ‘amal al sayyi[xxii]. Humans must repent from bad work, al taubat min al ‘amal al sayyi[xxiii].
Good work reflects underlying faith, al ‘amal al saalih min al imaan[xxiv]. Good work is rewarded in the hereafter, thawaab al ‘amal al saalih al ukhrawi[xxv]. It is also rewarded on earth, thawab al ‘amal al saalih fi al duniya[xxvi].
Work must be performed with the purest of intentions. Everything including the various organs of the body bear testimony to good work, shahaadat al a’adha ‘ala al ‘amal[xxvii]. Allah knows all the work done[xxviii]. Any form of showing off must be avoided. Riyaa is a type of minor shirk[xxix]. Working for the purposes of showing off, riyaa, is frowned upon[xxx]. The Qur’an condemns those who want to be praised for work they did not do[xxxi].
REFERENCES
[i] (p80 2:139, 4:146, 7:29, 10:22, 12:24, 15:40, 19:51, 29:65, 31:32, 37:40-49, 37:74, 37:128, 37:160, 37:169, 38:2-3, 38:83, 39:11, 39:14, 40:14, 40:65, 98:5)
[ii] (KS66 Ahmad 3:225)
[iii] (K552 Bukhari K1 B1, Bukhari K1 B41, Bukhari K49 B6, Bukhari K63 B45, Bukhari K67 B5, Bukhari K83 B23, Bukhari K89 intro, Bukhari K90 B1, Muslim K33 H155, Abudaud K13 B10, Tirmidhi K20 B16, Nisai K1 B59, Nisai K25 B23, Nisai K27 B24, Nisai K35 B19, Ibn Majah K37 B26, Darimi K16 B23, Ahmad 1:25, Ahmad 1:43, Ahmad 2:321, Ahmad 2:373, Ahmad 2:380, Ahmad 5:134, Ahmad 5:183, Ahmad 5:315, Ahmad 5:320, Ahmad 5:329, Ahmad 5:446, Ahmad 6:72)
[iv] (KS552 Bukhari K1 B1, Bukhari K1 B41, Bukhari K49 B6, Bukhari K63 B45, Bukhari K67 B5, Bukhari K83 B23, Bukhari K89 intro, Bukhari K90 B1, Muslim K33 H155, Abudaud K13 B10, Tirmidhi K20 B16, Nisai K1 B59, Nisai K25 B23, Nisai K27 B24, Nisai K35 B19, Ibn Majah K37 B26, Darimi K16 B23, Ahmad 1:25, Ahmad 1:43, Ahmad 2:321, Ahmad 2:373, Ahmad 2:380, Ahmad 5:134, Ahmad 5:183, Ahmad 5:315, Ahmad 5:320, Ahmad 5:329, Ahmad 5:446, Ahmad 6:72)
[v] (KS552 Bukhari K24 B15, Abudaud K20 B1, 10, Abudaud K40 B82, Tirmidhi K38 B14, Nisai K21 H14, Muwatta K16 H36, Ahmad 1:279, Ahmad 1:310, Ahmad 1:360, Ahmad 1:428, Ahmad 2:234, Ahmad 2:315, 411, Ahmad 3:148)
[vi] (KS553 Ibn Majah K37 B26, Ahmad 2:392)
[vii] (KS553 Darimi K20, B12)
[viii] (KS93 Muslim K1 H186) (KS93 Muslim K1 H186)
[ix] (K93 Bukhari K81 B33, Bukhari K82 B5, Muslim K46 H11, Abudaud K39 B16, Tirmidhi K30 B4, Ahmad 2:167, Ahmad 2:278, Ahmad 2:484, Ahmad 3:120, Ahmad 3:223, Ahmad 3:230, Ahmad 3:257, Ahmad 4:135, Ahmad 4:146, Ahmad 4:200, Ahmad 6:19, Ahmad 6:20)
[x] (KS94 Bukhari K2 B32, Bukhari K19 B7, Bukjari K30 B52, 64, Muslim K77 B43, Muslim K81 B18, Abudaud K5 B27, Tirmidhi K41 B73, Nisai K9 B13, Nisai K20 B8, Ibn Majah K37 B28, Muwatta K9 H90, Ibn Sa’ad J1 Q2 p103, Ahmad 2:350, Ahmad 6:32, Ahmad 6:46, Ahmad 6:51, Ahmad 6:61, Ahmad 6:84, Ahmad 6:94, Ahmad 6:113, Ahmad 6:125, Ahmad 6:128, Ahmad 6:147, Ahmad 6:165, Ahmad 6:176, Ahmad 6:180, Ahmad 6:189, Ahmad 6:199, Ahmad 6:203, Ahmad 6:231, Ahmad 6:233, Ahmad 6:241, Ahmad 6:244, Ahmad 6:249, Ahmad 6:250, Ahmad 6:267, Ahmad 6:273, Ahmad 6:289, Ahmad 6:304, Ahmad 6:305, Ahmad 6:319, Ahmad 6:320, Ahmad 6:321, Ahmad 6:322, Tayalisi H1398, Tayalisi H 1407, Tayalisi H 1479, Tayalisi H 1609)
[xi] (KS94 Bukhari K19 B18, 20, Bukhari K30 B20, Bukhari K30 B48, Bukhari K30 B49, Bukhari K30 B50, Bukhari K30 B51, Bukhari K30 B55, Bukhari K30 B56, Bukhari K30 B57, Muslim K6 H219, Muslim K6 H220, Muslim K6 H221, Muslim K6 H222, Muslim K6 H223, Muslim K13 H181, Muslim K13 H182, Abudaud K5 B29, Abudaud K14 B54, Nisai K9 B13, Nisai K22 B76, Nisai K2277, Nisai K2278, Muwatta K7 H4, Ahmad 2: Ahmad 2:165, Ahmad 2:173, Ahmad 2:188, Ahmad 2:350, Ahmad 6:40, Ahmad 6:51, Ahmad 6:61, Ahmad 6:84, Ahmad 6:94, Ahmad 6:122, Ahmad 6:128, Ahmad 6:176, Ahmad 6:180, Ahmad 6:189, Ahmad 6:199, Ahmad 6:212, Ahmad 6:231, Ahmad 6:241, Ahmad 6:244, Ahmad 6:247, Ahmad 6:249, Tayalisi H1480, 1497, 2351)
[xii] (Al Durur al Sunniyyat fi al Ajwibat al Najdiyyat Vol 4 page 376)
[xiii] (p839 7:129, 10:14, 11:7, 18:7, 67:2)
[xiv] (p849-850 2:134, 2:139, 2:141, 2:240, 2:281, 2:286, 3:25, 3:161, 4:111, 6:164, 7:155, 7:173, 10:41, 14:51, 21:23, 24:11, 26:112, 26:168-169, 26:216, 28:55, 34:25, 40:12, 42:15, 45:22, 52:21, 74:38)
[xv] (p840 6:135, 9:105, 11:93, 11:121, 18:110, 34:11, 34:13, 39:39, 41:5, 41:40, 67:15)
[xvi] (p840 2:85, 3:30, 6:132, 11:15, 11:111, 16:93, 16:111, 18:49, 21:59, 23:63, 24:64, 36:54, 37:39, 39:70, 41:46, 45:15, 45:28, 46:19, 47:33, 47:35, 49:14, 52:16, 52:21, 58:6-7, 64:7, 99:7-8, 6:135, 9:105, 11:93, 18:110)
[xvii] (p841 4:66, 17:18-19, 17:84, 41:40, 73:19, 74:37, 76:29, 78:39, 81:28, 92:4-10)
[xviii] (p841 9:121, 16:96-97, 24:38, 29:7, 39:35, 46:16)
[xix] (p841 3:30, 5:90, 7:28, 11:78, 12:10, 12:32, 12:69, 21:68, 21:74, 26:74, 85:7)
[xx] (p842 6:43, 6:108, 6:12, 8:48, 9:37, 10:12, 16:63, 18:103-104, 27:4, 27:24, 29:38, 35:8, 40:37, 47:14)
[xxi] (p843 2:282, 5:62, 5:66, 5:79, 9:9, 28:15, 29:4, 58:15, 60:1, 63:2, 63:9)
[xxii] (p842 2:231, 3:30, 4:30, 4:123, 7:147, 7:180, 10:106, 16:28, 16:33-35, 25:68, 27:84, 27:90, 28:84, 29:55, 30:41, 31:23, 32:14, 34:33, 40:40, 41:50, 45:33, 53:31, 66:7, 83:36, 99:8)
[xxiii] (p842 3:135, 4:17-18, 4:110, 6:54, 7:153, 9:102, 16:119, 39:35)
[xxiv] (p174-176 2:25, 2:82, 2:277, 3:57, 4:57, 4:122, 4:173, 5:9, 7:42, 9:99, 10:4, 10:9, 11:23, 13:29, 14:23, 17:9, 18:2, 18:30, 19:60, 19:96, 20:75, 20:112, 21:94, 22:14, 22:23, 22:50, 23:56, 26:227, 28:68, 29:7, 29:58, 30:15, 30:45, 31:8, 32:19, 32:119, 34:4, 35:7, 41:8, 42:22-23, 42:26, 45:14, 45:30, 47:30, 47:2, 47:12, 48:29, 49:6, 49:11, 64:9, 65:11, 84:25, 85:11, 90:17, 95:6, 98:5, 103:2-3)
[xxv] (p844-846 2:25, 2:62, 2:82, 2:277, 3:57, 3:136, 3:195, 4:57, 4:114, 4:122, 4:124, 4:173, 5:9, 5:69, 6:127, 7:42-43, 9:120, 10:4, 10:9, 11:11, 11:2, 13:29, 14:23, 16:32, 17:9, 18:2, 18:30-31, 18:107, 19:60, 20:75, 20:112, 21:94, 22:14, 22:23, 22:50, 22:56, 29:7, 29:9, 29:58, 30:15, 30:44-45, 31:8, 32:17, 32:19, 33:31, 34:4, 34:37, 35:7, 37:60-61, 39:74, 40:40, 41:8, 42:22-23, 43:72, 45:30, 46:14, 47:2, 47:12, 48:29, 52:19, 56:23, 64:9, 65:11, 84:25, 85:11, 95:6, 99:7)
[xxvi] (p 846-7 16:97, 18:88, 19:96, 24:55
[xxvii] (p843 24;24, 36:65, 41:20)
[xxviii] (p847-848 2:74, 2:74, 2:85, 2:96, 2:110, 2:140, 2:149, 2:197, 2:215, 2:233, 2:234, 2:237, 2:265, 2:271, 2:283, 3:98-99, 3:120, 3:153, 3:163, 3:180, 4:94, 4:108, 4:127-128, 4:135, 5:8, 5:71, 5:105, 6:60, 6:108, 6:132, 6:159, 8:39, 8:47, 8:72, 9:16, 9:94, 9:105, 9:120, 10:23, 10:36, 10:46, 10:61, 11:92, 11:111-112, 11:123, 12:19, 14:42, 16:28, 16:91, 18:30, 22:68, 23:51, 24:24, 24:28, 24:41, 24:53, 24:64, 26:188, 27:88, 27:93, 29:8, 31:15, 31:23, 31:29, 33:2, 33:9, 34:11, 35:10, 39:7, 39:70, 41:22, 41:40, 42:25, 45:29, 47:30, 48:11, 48:24, 49:18, 54:152-153, 57:4, 57:10, 58:3, 58:6-7, 58:11, 58:13, 59:18, 60:3, 62:8, 63:11, 64:2, 64:8, 99:6)
[xxix] (KS256 Ahmad 5:428, Ahmad 5:429)
[xxx] (KS93 Ahmad 2:162, Ahmad 2:195, Ahmad 2:212, Ahmad 4:123, Ahmad 4:125, Ahmad 4:398, Tayalisi H2430; KS256 Bukhari K81 B36, Muslim K53 H47, Tirmidhi K34 B48, Ibn Majah K37 B21, Darimi K20 B35, Ahmad 4:313, Ahmad 5:45, Ahmad 5:270, Tayalisi H1120)
[xxxi] (3:188)