Sincerity and Intention

This subtopic gathers questions on sincerity, intention and riya, doing a good deed so people notice and praise it. It also holds presence of heart and its hardness, and renewing the intention in worship and daily deeds.

Questions readers ask here:

I fear nothing in the world, why is that? Has the heart died?
Is the spouses' mention to each other of their good deeds considered a form of showing off?
When is a servant's deed accepted, and what conditions make a righteous deed accepted by Allah?
Is a suitor's mention that he has memorized the Quran to his fiancée's father considered showing off?

Showing off asked as a question of creed belongs mainly under Oneness of God.

69 questions

Is it permissible for the sister supervising the daily litanies to view the schedules of the other sisters and comment on them for follow-up purposes?
Does a person get rewarded for good intentions they did not have beforehand, but are truthful that, had they known about them, they would have intended them before performing the deed?
Does showing off affect the Fajr prayer, and must the prayer be repeated after feeling remorse? And is uttering a word that shows disrespect towards Allah, followed by remorse, performing ablution, uttering the two testimonies, and performing the prayer considered correct?
Does the hadith: "Indeed, a servant may pray a prayer, and only half of it is recorded for him... Only what the servant comprehends of his prayer is recorded for him" mean that the prayer is never accepted in its entirety?
Is a reward accrued for an action performed without prior intention, then the intention was recalled during or after the completion of the action?
What is the ruling on absentmindedness in prayer, and does it entail sin, and how can it be avoided, and does the ruling on absentmindedness in prayer differ if it occurs in the Grand Mosque of Makkah?
Is informing a friend about not performing the Duha prayer or forgetting one's daily litany, out of remorse and regret, considered a form of public disclosure (mujahara) that is not forgivable?
Does the prayer of one who beautifies his prayer before people become invalid?
Is mentioning the reason for distributing prayer beads—that it is a charity for the souls of the grandfather and grandmother—considered showing off, and is the relatives' knowledge of this also considered showing off?
Does a Muslim receive a reward for his intention to do good if he forgets this act after resolving to do it, with evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah?
What is the way to maintain prayer and overcome excessive sleep and lack of devotion?
Will a Muslim be forgiven for excessive distraction and forgetfulness in prayer after repentance?
Is intention an act of worship, and is intention required for intention?
Is beginning to pray due to approaching exams, after a six-month cessation, considered hypocrisy or an act for personal gain?
What is the ruling on one who performs a charitable act or spends on their family spontaneously without prior intention, and is it necessary for them to form the intention before every act?
What is the ruling on someone who asks people in Ramadan, "How many times have you recited the entire Qur'an, and how many (extra) prayers have you offered?"
Does the Hadith "Deeds are by intentions" apply to someone who intended to pray Qiyam al-Layl during the last ten nights of Ramadan but woke up in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) and was unable to perform ghusl until morning?
What is the ruling on a contest on "Facebook" that requires commenting with the ذكر الله (remembrance of Allah) to win food meals from a restaurant, and is it permissible to use the ذكر الله to achieve worldly aims?
How can intention be located in the heart, and is it a present thought or something else?
How can one combine reverence and contemplation of the meanings of Al-Fatiha and the praises (Tasbihat) in prayer with keeping track of the number of its rak'ahs, in the event that focusing on one causes the other to be forgotten?
Is it permissible to perform the obligatory prayer with the intention of achieving success and prosperity in this worldly life alongside obedience to Allah?

Sincerity and Intention

Is it permissible for the sister supervising the daily litanies to view the schedules of the other sisters and comment on them for follow-up purposes?

Does a person get rewarded for good intentions they did not have beforehand, but are truthful that, had they known about them, they would have intended them before performing the deed?

Does showing off affect the Fajr prayer, and must the prayer be repeated after feeling remorse? And is uttering a word that shows disrespect towards Allah, followed by remorse, performing ablution, uttering the two testimonies, and performing the prayer considered correct?

Does the hadith: "Indeed, a servant may pray a prayer, and only half of it is recorded for him... Only what the servant comprehends of his prayer is recorded for him" mean that the prayer is never accepted in its entirety?

Is a reward accrued for an action performed without prior intention, then the intention was recalled during or after the completion of the action?

What is the ruling on absentmindedness in prayer, and does it entail sin, and how can it be avoided, and does the ruling on absentmindedness in prayer differ if it occurs in the Grand Mosque of Makkah?

Is informing a friend about not performing the Duha prayer or forgetting one's daily litany, out of remorse and regret, considered a form of public disclosure (mujahara) that is not forgivable?

Does the prayer of one who beautifies his prayer before people become invalid?

Is mentioning the reason for distributing prayer beads—that it is a charity for the souls of the grandfather and grandmother—considered showing off, and is the relatives' knowledge of this also considered showing off?

Does a Muslim receive a reward for his intention to do good if he forgets this act after resolving to do it, with evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah?

What is the way to maintain prayer and overcome excessive sleep and lack of devotion?

Will a Muslim be forgiven for excessive distraction and forgetfulness in prayer after repentance?

Is intention an act of worship, and is intention required for intention?

Is beginning to pray due to approaching exams, after a six-month cessation, considered hypocrisy or an act for personal gain?

What is the ruling on one who performs a charitable act or spends on their family spontaneously without prior intention, and is it necessary for them to form the intention before every act?

What is the ruling on someone who asks people in Ramadan, "How many times have you recited the entire Qur'an, and how many (extra) prayers have you offered?"

Does the Hadith "Deeds are by intentions" apply to someone who intended to pray Qiyam al-Layl during the last ten nights of Ramadan but woke up in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) and was unable to perform ghusl until morning?

What is the ruling on a contest on "Facebook" that requires commenting with the ذكر الله (remembrance of Allah) to win food meals from a restaurant, and is it permissible to use the ذكر الله to achieve worldly aims?

How can intention be located in the heart, and is it a present thought or something else?

How can one combine reverence and contemplation of the meanings of Al-Fatiha and the praises (Tasbihat) in prayer with keeping track of the number of its rak'ahs, in the event that focusing on one causes the other to be forgotten?

Is it permissible to perform the obligatory prayer with the intention of achieving success and prosperity in this worldly life alongside obedience to Allah?