Question:
I know that acts of worship and the righteous deeds we do should be for the sake of Allah only but if we do some deeds without thinking about it, is it haram/major sin? eg. if we help people, eat, drink, say ‘bismillah‘, do ghusl and etc just to do it.
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatu:
First, it’s a sign of piety to be worried about the acceptance of one’s deeds Alhamdulillah, so may Allah bless and increase you inshallah.
Inshallah it is not a major sin or haram to do these actions without a direct intention, since shari’ah and fiqh is concerned with actions of the body, not intentions of the heart. This of course is assuming that your actions are not transgressing the shari’ah, such as eating or drinking something that Allah has forbidden.
As for the intention in the heart, beyond halal and haram, this is a matter of ihsan (perfective beauty). It is important to maintain the presence of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His beloved allahumma salli alayhi wa ala alihi because it will envelop your actions with the light of the prophet salla allahu alayhi wa sallam, which in turn will grant you spiritual elevation, not only allow you to fulfill the bodily obligations for rewards.
Wa alaykum assalam,
Ali Hussain
