Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief 4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْقَاسِ٠ِنْقَرِيِّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِيَبْلُوَكُ٠َلاً قَالَ لَيْسَ يَعْنِي أَكْثَرَ عَ٠َلاً وَلَكِنْ أَصْوَبَكُ٠َا الإصَابَةُ خَشْيَةُ الله وَالنِّيَّةُ الصَّادِقَةُ وَالْحَسَنَةُ ثُ٠َّ قَالَ الإبْقَاءُ عَلَى الْعَ٠َلِ حَتَّى يَخْلُصَ أَشَدُّ ٠َلُ الْخَالِصُ الَّذِي لا تُرِيدُ أَنْ يَحْ٠َدَكَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ إِلا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالنِّيَّةُ أَفْضَلُ ٠َلِ أَلا وَإِنَّ النِّيَّةَ هِيَ الْعَ٠َّ تَلا قَوْلَهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قُلْ كُلٌّ يَعْ٠َلُ عَلى‏ شاكِلَتِهِ يَعْنِي عَلَى نِيَّتِهِ.

And correctness comes from having fear of Allah, a truthful intention, and good conduct." Then he (AS) said: "Preserving the deed until it becomes sincere is more difficult than performing the deed itself. A sincere deed is one for which you desire no praise from anyone except Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. And intention is superior to the deed.

Behold, intention itself is (the essence of) the deed." Then he recited the saying of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious: “Say: Everyone acts according to his own manner” (17:84), and said: "It means according to his intention." ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/77))