The Worthless and Sinful Action

Taken from The Righteous Action
Shaykh Muhammad Nasirud-Din al-Albani - al-Hijra magazine (vol.4 no.2)Al-Ibaanah Magazine Issue No.1 - Dhul-Qa’dah 1415H / April 1995

So these arc the two conditions for every action to be a righteous action. If one of these conditions is not present, the action does not become a righteous action, rather, it becomes an evil one. Had the person not done this action, it would have been better for him.

If a man prays two rak’ât of prayer at night, while others sleep, then even if he prays them according to the Sunnah - without addition or deletion - but he does this so that people may talk about him and say: “This Person is a righteous man. He prays at night when the people are asleep,” then his action becomes bâtil (null and void), since he did not sincerely seek the Face of Allâh alone, but rather he sought the praises of people, thus becoming sinful by associating partners with Allâh in his action.

However, if his action only became null and void, then the following hadîth would apply to him; and he would not be punished for this action: “How many fasting people obtain nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst. And how many people who stay up at night (praying), obtain nothing from their being awake except sleeplessness and tiredness.” [11]

But this is not the case, for this person’s action has changed into a sin. The two rak’ât that this person performed without intending to seek only the Face of Allâh - the Exalted and Sublime - are the same as if he had disobeyed Him, that is to say: He will be punished for these two rak’ât because he associated others along with Allâh - the Exalted and Sublime - in his action.

If a man prays eleven rak’ât at night with the intention, in this worship, that his brothers would say about him: “This man is correctly following the Prophet; he does not add to the Sunnah,” his action becomes null and void; and his action changes to a sin against him. Rather, he must pray according to the Sunnah but sincerely seeking only the Face of Allâh - the Most High. He must be absolutely free of seeking the pleasure of others along with Him in this worship.

This has been but a summary about the action that does not leave the person but enters the grave with him - whether the action was good or bad - and that what is of benefit is the person’s righteous action. What is a righteous action and what are its conditions? The two conditions are:- Muwwâfaqah (compliance) with the Sunnah; and Ikhlâs (sincerity and purity of intention) to Allâh. Therefore, one must remember these two conditions and act upon them so that one may become righteous and pious.

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11. Sahîh: Related by Ibn Mâjah (1/539) and Ahmad (2/441) - from Ibn ‘Umar radiallâhu ’anhu