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What is the ruling on deeds performed with the intention of serving people, without the intention of them being for the sake of Allah, and will the doer be rewarded for them? And what is the ruling on deeds performed solely for the sake of Allah for reward, or out of love and gratitude? And does each intention suffice on its own, or when combined?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

For a deed to be accepted, two conditions must be met: sincerity (ikhlas) and adherence [to the Sunnah] (mutaba'ah). If either of these is absent, the deed will not be accepted. It is permissible to hold multiple legitimate intentions for a single act, such as complying with a divine command, loving Allah, aspiring to His reward, and showing gratitude for His blessings. This is exemplified by Allah's praise for His servants who hasten to good deeds, calling upon Him with both hope and fear. It is advisable to strive to correct one's intention and to seek reward for one's actions.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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