Is it a condition to have the intention of seeking reward for every good deed – such as reading the Quran, glorifying Allah, supplicating for others, offering advice, speaking kindly, smiling, helping the distressed, and loving the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) – in order to attain its reward, or is it sufficient merely to perform the good deed with a pure intention for Allah Almighty? And to what extent does forgetting this intention affect the reward of the deed?

The intention (niyyah) resides in the heart; it is simply a person's aim and knowledge of something. Every action performed by a rational person must involve an intention. Whoever knows what they intend to do, intends it without conscious choice. Seeking reward from God (ihtisab) is not difficult; any act a servant performs with the intention of obeying God's command is considered ihtisab. "There is no reward for one who has no ihtisab" means: there is no reward for one who did not intend, through their action, to obey God's command and draw closer to Him. A person is rewarded for acts that involve kindness to creation or supplication for them, but seeking God's pleasure through such an act garners immense reward. Secret counsel for good is virtuous, but the reward for it is specific to those who perform it seeking God's pleasure. Remembering God with presence of heart yields great reward, and the one who remembers God receives a reward even if heedless, because their tongue is engaged in obedience. The movement of the tongue in seeking forgiveness out of heedlessness is better than backbiting or idle talk; indeed, it is better than silence. Intention is a condition for acts of worship that are not distinct in themselves, whereas adhkar (remembrances), du'a (supplications), and recitation do not waver between being acts of worship and habits. If the remembrance is intended as an act of drawing closer to God Almighty, it yields greater reward.