The Importance of Intentions

Assalamualaikum,

Yesterday, another strong sermon was delivered by an invited khatib. It was about the importance of intentions in our lives. What I usually heard when people talk about pure intentions, they are always related to the individual actions that we do as optional actions such as giving donation, helping people, or more so in obligatory actions such as performing our prayer, fasting, paying zakat, and performing hajj. But yesterday, the pure intention that the khatib wanted to pass on is more cosmic and encompasses every little intention that we have made or we are going to make in our lives.

It is about our INTENTION OF LIFE. What are we living in this world for? Are we here to amass wealth and live in comfort, or are we here to sow our seeds and reap them later in the hereafter? Our current actions are the right answers to these important questions. Then, we need to ask ourselves if these answers are the answer that Allah wants to hear.

A story of Prophet Muhammad with a sheep carcass was brought up again. I (and you, of course) have listened to and read this hadith many times perhaps. But this time, I found that it was conveyed in a very appropriate context that made me fall into a deep thought.

The story is repeated here. One day Prophet Muhammad (saw) walked on a public street. Then, he stopped and looked at something on the side of the street. Man, women and kids started to gather around the prophet to see what was actually going on. They noticed that the prophet was looking at a rotten sheep carcass which has small ears. He then start asking the people if anyone of them want to buy the sheep for one dinar. No one wanted to buy it, as a matter of course. He offered it again for half a dinar, and then for free, but for sure nobody wanted to do anything with a rotten sheep carcass. Even the skin was useless. Among the people, there was one who involved in the cattle and sheep business. He replied to the prophet that even if the sheep was alive, it would be no value because the sheep ears were too small. It was in Arab culture that sheep were pulled by the ear, and if it were too small, the sheep could not even be pulled, thus no business value. (This was mentioned by the khatib, correct me if I am wrong).
The prophet then said, in the sight of Allah, this world worths much less than this rotten sheep carcass. [At-Tirmidhi].

The khatib again gave another hadith ;
Sahl bin Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Were this world worth a wing of mosquito, He would not have given a drink of water to an infidel.'' [At-Tirmidhi].

The first khutbah was closed with a story of a pious person fighting with Iblis to chop down a tree worshipped by the people in his village during Bani Israel time which reemphasized the importance of intention. I think we have heard about this story before. But, I will find the approppriate source that can give me the summarized version of the story.

---Here is the story copied from somewhere else, enjoy------------------------

In the tribe of Bani Israel, there once lived a pious worshipper. One day, the people informed him that at a certain location, there existed a tree that was being worshipped by a tribe. When he heard this, the man flew into a rage, picked up his axe and set out to cut down the tree.
Shaitan, appearing before him in the form of an old man, asked, "Where are you headed for?" Pious worshipper replied, "I intend to cut down the tree, which is being worshipped so that the people worship Allah (SWT) instead."
"Hold yourself till you hear what I have to say," said Shaitan to him.
The pious worshipper urged him to carry on. Shaitan continued, "Allah (SWT) has His own Prophets and if it had been essential to cut down the tree, He would have sent them to perform the task."
However, the pious worshipper did not agree with Shaitan and continued on his way.
"There is no way I shall let you do it," said Shaitan angrily, and he began to wrestle with the pious worshipper. In the ensuing contest, the pious worshipper hurled Shaitan onto the ground.
"Wait! I have something else to say to you", pleaded Shaitan.
"Listen! You are a poor man. If you could possess some wealth by means of which you could give alms to the other worshippers it would be much better than cutting the tree. If you refrain from cutting the tree, I shall place two dinars beneath your pillow everyday."
The pious worshipper said thoughtfully, "If you speak the truth, I shall give one dinar in charity while the other dinar I shall put to my use. This is better than cutting down the tree; in any case, I have neither been ordered to perform this task nor am I a Prophet to burden myself with unnecessary grief and anxiety."
Thus, pious worshipper acceded to the request of Shaitan who left him alone. For two days, he received the two dinars and utilized them, but on the third day, there was no sign of the dinars. Upset and distressed, he picked up his axe and set out to cut down the tree.
On the way, pious worshipper encountered Shaitan, who asked him: "Where are you headed for?"
"I am going to cut that tree." Replied pious worshipper
"There is no way you are going to do it," said Shaitan
Once again they began to contest, but this time Shaitan overcame him and hurling him to the ground, ordered, "Turn back or I shall sever your head from your body."
The pious worshipper said, "Leave me alone and I shall return, but tell me, how was it that I had managed to overcome you on the previous occasion?"
Shaitan answered, "On that occasion, you had set out only for Allah (SWT) and you were sincere in your intention as a result of which, Allah (SWT) subjugated me for you, but this time you were angry for your own self and for your dinars and so I could overpower you."
He (the Shaitan) said, 'By Your Glory, I shall seduce all of them (children of Adam) except Your sincere servants among them'. Noble Qur'an (38:82-3)

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In the second khutbah, he reminded us that the Palestine problem is not the Palestinian-only problem. It is a Muslim problem. He asked us about our role in trying to alleviate this problem. Current situation in Gaza was also highlighted.

With a corrected view of our life in this world, what will be our actions towards Palestine crisis?

Wallahu alam.