1781 - نِيَّةُ المُؤمِنِ خَيرٌ مِن عَمَلِهِ‏

1781. THE INTENTION OF THE BELIEVER IS BETTER THAN HIS ACTION

6315.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : نِيَّةُ المُؤمنِ خَيرٌ مِن عَمَلِهِ ، ونِيَّةُ الكافِرِ شَرٌّ مِن عَمَلِهِ، وكُلُّ عامِلٍ يَعمَلُ على‏ نِيَّتِهِ .¹

6315.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The intention of the believer is better than his action, and the intention of the disbeliever is worse than his action, and every doer does according to his intention.' ²

6316.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : نِيَّةُ المُؤمنِ أبلَغُ مِن عَمَلِهِ ، وكذلكَ الفاجِرُ .³

6316.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The intention of a believer is more effective than his action, and same with the evildoer.' ⁴

6317.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : نِيَّةُ المُؤمنِ أفضَلُ مِن عَمَلِهِ ؛ وذلكَ لأ نّهُ يَنوي مِن الخَيرِ ما لا يُدرِكُهُ ، ونِيَّةُ الكافِرِ شَرٌّ مِن عَمَلِهِ ؛ وذلكَ لأنَّ الكافِرَ يَنوي الشَّرَّ ويأمَلُ مِن الشَّرِّ ما لا يُدرِكُهُ .⁵

6317.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'The intention of a believer is better than his action, that is because he intends good that he cannot perform, and the intention of the disbeliever is worse than his action because he intends evil and he wishes in evil what he cannot perform.' ⁶

6318.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - في الجَوابِ عَن عِلَّةِ فَضلِ نِيَّةِ المُؤمنِ على‏ عَملِهِ - : لأنَّ العَمَلَ رُبَّما كانَ‏رِياءً لِلمَخلوقينَ، والنِّيَّةُ خالِصَةٌ لرَبِّ العالَمينَ، فيُعطي تَعالى‏ علَى النِّيَّةِ ما لا يُعطي علَى العَمَلِ .⁷

6318. Imam al-Sadiq (AS), in answer to the reason behind the superiority of a believer's intention over his action, 'Because an action could be done as an act of showing-off, but the intention is solely and sincerely for the Lord of the worlds, so He Almighty gives according to the intention what He does not give for the action.' ⁸