Below are translated excerpts from the beautiful work by Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (rh) entitled 'Jaami Al-Uloom wal Hikm' in which he has a detailed commentary on 50 ahaadeeth of the Messenger, (pbuh). (Basically an-Nawawee's 42 ahaadeeth with 8 added on)

Umar bin al-Khattaab relates that: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, (pbuh), saying, "verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended. So the one whose hijra was to Allah and His Messenger, then his hijrah was to Allah and His Messenger. And the one whose hijrah was for the world to gain from it, or a woman to marry her, then his hijrah was to what he made hijrah for.

Related by Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Al-Khattaabee said, 'I do not know of a difference on this amongst the Ahlul Hadeeth.' This despite the fact that it has been reported from the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed and others – and it is said that it is reported via many routes – but none of them are authentic according to the Hadeeth Masters.

Then from al-Ansaaree a huge group of people reports this hadeeth and it is said that the number is more than two hundred, and it is also said that the number is more than seven hundred. From the most notable of these is: Imaam Maalik, ath-Thawree. Al-Awzaa'ee, ibn al-Mubaarak, Layth bin Sa'd, Hammaad bin Zayd, Shu'bah, ibn Uyaynah and others. The scholars have agreed to its authenticity and have unanimously accepted it.

And Imaam Bukhaaree commences his Saheeh with this hadeeth and gives it the place of an opening lecture from him thereby indicating that every action that is done not desiring the Face of Allah is invalid bearing no fruits in this world and in the Hereafter.

This is why Abdurrahmaan al-Mahdee said, "If I were to write a book composed of chapters, I would place in every chapter the hadeeth of Umar bin al-Khattaab to do with 'actions are by intentions'."

And from him that he said, "whosoever desires to author a book then let him start with the hadeeth to do with 'actions are by intentions.'"

This hadeeth is one of the hadeeth around which the whole religion revolves, and it is related from Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee that he said, "this hadeeth constitutes a third of all knowledge."

Abu Ubaid said, "the Prophet, (pbuh), collected all the affairs of the hereafter in one statement, 'whosoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not part of it, then it is rejected.' And all the affairs of this world in one statement, 'verily actions are by intentions.' Place them in every chapter."

3: Constraint sometimes dictates an unrestricted constraint (al-Hasr al-Mutlaq) and sometimes a specified/restricted constraint (Hasr Makhsoos) – which it is, can be understood from the context and secondary evidences. For example the saying of Allah, 'innama anta mundhir' (indeed you are only a warner) 13:7. The literal sense of this verse confines the Messenger's, (pbuh), duties only to warning, but the Messenger is not merely confined to this rather he has many beautiful descriptions such as giving glad tidings and others. But the understanding of the (context) of the words dictates that he is constrained to giving warnings only to those who believe and negates his ability to have descend (from the heavens) the Signs that the disbelievers wish. (This then is an example of restricted constraint)

Similar to this is his, (pbuh), saying, 'indeed I am only a man (innama ana bashr) and when you fall into a dispute and come to me…' Its meaning: his being constrained to (normal) human qualities with respect to his inability to examine what is inside the disputants (i.e. see into their hearts and minds) not with respect to every quality for indeed the Messenger, (pbuh), has many other qualities (which are better than the normal human qualities)….

And others say, rather 'actions' here is to be understood in its generality, and nothing is exempt from it. And some of them relate this as the saying of the majority, meaning the majority of the early people. And this occurs in the words of ibn Jareer at-Tabaree and Abu Taalib al-Makki and others from the early Muslims. And it is clear from the words of Imaam Ahmad, he said in a narration, 'I like that for every action, from prayer or fast or charity or any action of righteousness that there be an intention preceding the action. The Prophet, (pbuh), said, "actions are by intentions", and this is taken for every matter.'

Fadl bin Ziyaad said, 'I asked Abu Abdullaah (i.e. Ahmad) about the intention in action, how should it be? He said, "one should treat his self when he intends to do an action, not desiring by it the people (i.e. showing off)."'

…And it is possible that the limits of his, (pbuh), saying, 'actions are by intention' (is that the action is made) good, or corrupt, or acceptable, or rejected, or rewarded, or not rewarded according to the intention. Therefore this statement informs us of the Islamic ruling concerning this- and that is that the correctness or incorrectness of the action is in accordance to the correctness or incorrectness of the intention, and its acceptance and rejection is according to its conclusion.

And his saying after this, 'and for everyone is what he intended' is informing that he will not gain anything from his action except what he intended. So if he intended good, he gets good. And if he intended evil then he gets evil. And this second statement (of the hadeeth) is not merely reiterating the first, for the first statement points to the fact that the goodness or corruptness of the action is according to the intention necessary for that action to exist. The second statement points to the fact that the reward of the actor for his action is in accordance to his good intention, and that the punishment for his action is in accordance to his evil intention. And if the intention is permissible (mubah), then the action is permissible (mubah), and there is not for it any reward or punishment.

Therefore the action in itself is good, or bad, or permissible according to the intention behind it necessary for that action to exist. And the reward of the person or his punishment is according to the intention upon which the action became righteous, or bad or permissible.

Know that Niyyah (intention) in the language is a type of purpose (qasd) and desire (iraadah). And Niyyah in the speech of the scholars occurs in two meanings (or contexts):

1) To distinguish different types of worship, one from the other. Like distinguishing Dhuhr prayer from Asr prayer, or distinguishing the fast of Ramadaan from other fasts. Or distinguishing actions of worship from actions of habit, like distinguishing the bath from impurity from the baths simply to get clean. And this meaning of Niyyah you will commonly find in many of the works of the Legal Jurists.

2) To distinguish the intended object of the action - is it for Allah only and for no other, or for Allah and other than him? And this is the meaning of intention you will find in the works of the Gnostics (aarifoon), in their discussions on sincerity and those things that it is dependant on. And this (meaning) you will often find in the statements of the Salaf.

And Abu Bakr ibn Abee Dunya wrote a book, calling it, 'Sincerity and intention', and he meant this (second meaning) of intention. And it is the meaning of intention which is repeatedly mentioned in the speech of the Prophet, (pbuh), sometimes with the word niyyah, other times with the word iraadah, and sometimes with words close in meaning to the above two. And the mention of intention occurs in the Qur'aan many times, by the use of words other then niyyah but with similar meaning…

And in the Qur'aan often it describes intention with the word iraadah as in His saying,

The Messenger, (pbuh), said, "People will be gathered upon their intentions" [Ibn Maajah, Saheeh al-Jaami no.7898] "Mankind will be resurrected upon their intentions" [Muslim]

And he also said, "have intention for everything, desiring the good, even if it be leaving for the toilet"

Sufyaan ath-Thawree said, "I have not treated anything more difficult then my intention, because it keeps changing."

Yusuf bin Asbaat said, "purifying the intention from its corruption is harder upon the workers than long striving (i.e. in their work)"

Ibn al-Mubaarak said, "maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention"

Ibn 'Ijlaan said, "the action is not acceptable except by three: Taqwaa of Allah, and good intention, and correctness (i.e. conformity to the Sunnah)"

Fudayl bin Iyaadh said, "Allah wishes from you only your intentions and desires (iraadah)"

[I have not quoted all the verses, ahaadeeth and narrations here].