Intention in Islam

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وَالْحِكْمَةُ الرِّيَاضِيَّةُ فِيهَا حَقٌّ مِنْ طَبَائِعَ هِنْدَسِيَّةٍ وَحِسَابٍ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ

Mathematical wisdom contains truths from geometric and arithmetic concepts, and the like.

وَفِيهَا أَبَاطِيلُ وَتَنْجِيمٌ وَمَا أَشْبَهَهُ

It also contains falsehoods and astrology and similar things.

باطلها يؤذي المرء في دينه ويضلله،

Its falsehood harms a person in their religion and misleads them.

وَحَقُّهَا صَنْعَةٌ وَإِتْقَانٌ وَتَحْرِيرٌ مِمَّا لَا أَجْرَ فِيهِ وَلَا وِزْرَ

And its truth is skill and perfection without reward or punishment.

وَالْحِكْمَةُ الطَّبِيعِيَّةُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهَا

Natural philosophy is harmless.

لَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ مِنْ عُلُومِ الدِّينِ وَلَا مِمَّا يُتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا مِنْ زَادِ الْمَعَادِ

But it is not among the sciences of religion, nor is it something that brings one closer to Allah, nor is it provision for the hereafter.

بَلْ هِيَ صَنْعَةٌ بِلَا ثَوَابٍ وَلَا عِقَابٍ

Rather, it is a craft without reward or punishment.

إِذَا كَانَ صَاحِبُهَا سَلِيمَ الِاعْتِقَادِ عَادِلًا خَيِّرًا كَمَا رَأَيْنَا جَمَاعَةً مِنْهُمْ

If its adherent has sound belief, is just and kind, as we have seen in some of them.

وَقَدْ يُثَابُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِهَا بِالنِّيَّةِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

A person may be rewarded for teaching it with the right intention, if Allah wills.

الْحِسَابُ وَشَرْعُ الدِّيوَانِ هَذَا مِنْ عُلُومِ الْقِبْطِ وَالْفُرْسِ

Arithmetic and the system of the treasury are from the sciences of the Copts and Persians.

لَيْسَ مِنْ عُلُومِ الْإِسْلَامِ

Not from the sciences of Islam.

وَهُوَ صَنْعَةٌ وَمَعِيشَةٌ يَنَالُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ السَّعَادَةَ وَالدُّنْيَا

It is a craft and a livelihood through which a person attains happiness and worldly success.

وَكُلَّمَا كَانَ أَمْهَرَ كَانَ أَسْرَقَ

And the more skilled one is, the more likely they are to steal.

وَمَنْ اتَّقَى اللَّهَ فِيهَا وَكَتَبَ لِقُضَاةِ الْعَدْلِ وَبَاشَرَ الْأَيْتَامَ وَالصَّدَقَاتِ وَمَالَ الْأَوْقَافِ وَالْمَدَارِسِ وَلَزِمَ الْأَمَانَةَ وَاتَّقَى فِيهِ فَهَذَا مَحْمُودٌ مَأْجُورٌ بِنِيَّتِهِ

Whoever fears Allah in it, writes for just judges, handles the affairs of orphans and charities, manages endowment and school funds, and adheres to honesty, such a person is praised and rewarded for his intention.

فَقَدْ رَأَيْنَا جَمَاعَةً يَسِيرَةً عَلَى نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ

Indeed, we saw a small group acting in this way.

نَعَمْ وَرَأَيْنَا ذِئَابًا عَلَيْهِمُ الثِّيَابُ

Yes, and we have seen wolves wearing clothes.

وفاسق الكتبة إليه المنتهى في السرق وعاقبة أمرهم وبيلة من الضرب والمصادرة والفقر

And the dissolute scribes reach the pinnacle of theft, and their final outcome is disaster with beatings, confiscation, and poverty.

الشُّرُوطُ عِلْمٌ حَسَنٌ شَرْعِيٌّ

Contracts are an excellent legal science.

مَنْ بَرَعَ فِيهِ وَلَزِمَ الْعَدَالَةَ وَالْوَرَعَ عَاشَ حَمِيدًا وَمَاتَ فَقِيدًا

Whoever excels in it, adheres to justice and piety, lives with honor, and dies esteemed.

وَمَنْ عَاشَ فِيهِ بِالْحِيَلِ وَالْمَكْرِ وَالدَّهَاءِ فَلَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ خِزْيٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَقْتٍ فِي الْأُخْرَى وَإِنْ تَسَوَّدَ هَذَا

Whoever lives by deceit, trickery, and cunning will inevitably face disgrace in this world and contempt in the next, even if they gain prominence.

قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى

Say: The enjoyment of this world is little, and the hereafter is better for those who fear Allah.