Ikhlas al-Niyyah fil-Kasb
Definition
Ikhlas al-niyyah fil-kasb is the teaching that even worldly work — earning a livelihood — can be an act of worship when performed with sincere intention. Al-Ghazali presents this as a crucial teaching for those who might misunderstand zuhd as requiring complete withdrawal from economic life. The person who earns in order to be independent of others (so as not to beg), to support their family, to give in charity, or to free their time for worship and knowledge — this person is earning with sincere intention, and their work is worship. The intention transforms the act. Zuhd is not about what one does in the world but why — and the why is visible only to God.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Ikhlas al-Niyyah fil-Kasb.
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"Salim who is a subject of differing opinions. Another hadith says, Of the sins there are those that are only expiated by concern for earning a livelihood. This is extracted by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, Abu Nuwaym in al-Hilya, and al-Khatib in al-Talihu al-Mutashabi from the hadith of Abu Hurairah with a weak chain of narration. A hadith states, Whoever has three daughters and spends on them and treats them well until Allah makes them independent of him, Allah has guaranteed paradise for him, except if he commits a sin that is unforgivable."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 12: Book of Marriage
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"it is better to awaken before noon to be ready for prayer with ablution and to be present in the mosque before the prayer time begins, as this is among the merits of deeds. If a person does not sleep and is not busy earning a livelihood but instead engages in prayer and remembrance, it is considered the best act of the day. This is because it is a time when people are often heedless of Allah and preoccupied with worldly matters."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 10: The Mysteries of Regular Divisions
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"This is an appropriate approach for the active scholar who is committed to external knowledge and actions and does not engage in internal contemplation, as earning a livelihood prevents deep inner reflection. Therefore, being devoted to God and accepting from those who seek God’s proximity through what they give is preferable, as it allows for devotion to God Almighty and assists the giver in obtaining reward."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 35: The Book of Divine Unity and Trust in God
Appears in
1 book in the library
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