Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, deeds are only with intentions and every person will have only what they intended…”
[Bukhari, 54]
The start of the new Hijri year may have been a little unproductive for some of us. Many of us set goals and resolutions for the new year, only to fall off the waggon in the first few days. We find it difficult to keep up with them, and as we struggle, the day of ‘Ashura arrives. We become preoccupied with making the most of this day by fasting and performing various acts of worship, and by the end of the day, we feel like we’ve accomplished enough and end up not returning to working on our goals.
This is pretty normal to happen and is not the end! Now that we’re in the blessed day of ‘Ashura, let us take this day as the starting point for working on our goals. But how?
Firstly, from the hadith above, we understand that our intentions are the basis for our actions. This hadith teaches us to have a balance between our internal and external states. When we are not clear with what’s within us, our external actions are affected. For example, what is the number #1 reason for us to rush through our prayers sometimes? We get distracted by our worldly affairs like work, family and so on that forces us to rush through them. This distraction causes a hindrance to our intentions and concentration, which is why it is important to renew our intentions and try to have our mind clear from all the other thoughts when praying.
So, if you haven’t planned or started working on your goals yet, use this day to make loads of Dua’ to Allah to help you achieve them and renew and build sincere intentions for successful results.
“But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer – it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah].”
[Qur’an 17:19]