Reassessing the Position of the Ḥadīth “Innamā al-Aʿmāl bi’l-Niyyāt” in the Intellectual Framework of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb
Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Modir dakheli
2
پژوهشگر موسسه دارالاعلام لمدرسة اهل البیت
3
Assistant Professor of Law and Jurisprudence Department, University of Religions and Religions, Qom, Iran
Abstract
The ḥadīth “Innamā al-aʿmāl bi’l-niyyāt” (“Actions are judged by intentions”) is among the most renowned and authoritative narrations in Sunni sources, whose authenticity and broad acceptance have been firmly established. Despite its significance, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, the founder of the Wahhabi movement, does not maintain a consistent approach to this ḥadīth in his writings, distinguishing between juridical rulings and doctrinal issues. In jurisprudential rulings, he invokes this ḥadīth to establish niyyah (intention) as a condition for the validity of actions. However, in actions he regards as shirk or kufr (disbelief), he issues judgments of disbelief without reference to this ḥadīth and without considering intention as a decisive factor. This stance clearly conflicts with the implications of the ḥadīth itself. Such an approach further departs from the traditional methodology of the salaf, who emphasized the centrality of intention in human acts. This study examines this inconsistency and analyzes the consequences of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb’s neglect of this ḥadīth within his broader intellectual system.
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