Matters Will Be Judged By Their Purposes (1/2)

This maxim emphasizes intention and purpose. Actions and activities are not done for their sake alone; it is not enough to “go through the motions.” Works must have direction and be carried out in a manner that is likely to achieve the rationales and objectives behind them. As mentioned above, the maxim’s wording is based on the Hadith: “Acts are judged only by intentions.” The wording of the maxim is broader. “Matters” (al-umur) includes intention-based personal actions, but the word also takes in general activities, institutions, policies, and the like, which are not based on intentions, but on purposes. The Arabic word for “purposes” (maqaṣid) applies to intentions as well as objectives and goals such as are pertinent to general activities, institutions, and policies.

The maxim emphasizes the importance of intentions in those human actions that require them. It immediately calls to mind acts of worship, because they are invalid without correct intentions.

Customary actions, on the other hand, are valid without intentions, but good intentions can transform them into ethical deeds and even devotional acts. Habitual behavior like eating, drinking, and sleeping is morally neutral but may become ethical or devotional if done with the appropriate intentions.

To rest is morally neutral; taking rest with the intent of renew one’s strength to earn a livelihood to support a family is an ethical act. Running a legitimate business is morally neutral; if it is done with the motive of helping to support a worthy spiritual end, it becomes an act of worship.

Bad intentions have the opposite effect. For example, it is praiseworthy to visit Mecca and Medina, but the intention to go there in order to beg or steal turns the outwardly commendable act into a deplorable one.

Some actions are ambiguous and can only be judged by the motives behind them. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people belongs to them...”[1] The Hadith uses the verb “tashabbaha” (to imitate) instead of a related verb from the same root but with a different vowel pattern, “tashabaha” (to resemble). The former verb, “to imitate,” stresses psychological motivation, especially the need to imitate a group other than one’s own in order to be acceptable in their eyes. It reflects lack of self-esteem, feelings of inferiority, and a confused sense of identity.

As scholars have observed, it is notable that the Hadith does not use the latter form of the verb, “to resemble,” because it would have fundamentally changed the meaning. The verb “to resemble” would have indicated that the mere act of being similar to others is disallowed, which is the mistaken interpretation that some Muslims give to the Hadith. By avoiding the latter verb, the Hadith shows that there is no harm in merely looking like others, as long as the act is not associated with the negative inward qualities indicated by the verb “to imitate.” If a Muslim is motivated to wear the clothing of another people and imitate their customs out of a sense of inferiority, it is reprehensible. It is a different matter altogether when one wears the same clothing with self-esteem and the intention of being a functional member of society.

For most human activities and undertakings, intentions are not essential but rationales and purposes are. When the maxim “matters will be judged by their purposes” is applied directly to actions that are not intention-based, it emphasizes the importance of the rationales, ultimate objectives, and even unintended consequences. Actions must be judged by the purposes they were meant to achieve. Any action, however well intended, falls short of what it ought to be if it is carried out incompetently or fails to meet its objective for some other reason; acts are stillborn when done as mere formalities.

As we have seen, good intentions transform mundane individual acts into ethical or devotional ones. Likewise, actions and activities may appear of little value but take on immense importance if they are directed toward beneficial ends. Simple amusements, like bowling parties and casual get-togethers to watch sporting events, might have been considered frivolous in certain traditional Islamic settings. In the American Muslim community today, however, they constitute positive alternative pastimes.

The maxim “matters will be judged by their purposes” does not signify that good ends justify evil means. According to Islamic law, the means and the ends must both be legitimate. It does emphasize, however, that laudable means are not laudable in and of themselves. They must be consciously directed toward their purposes.

Ibn Taymiyya indicates that the scope of this maxim includes the moral responsibility that persons and groups bear for the unintended consequences of potentially detrimental actions when those consequences are predictable and could have been avoided. The Companion Samura ibn Jundub had an obese son, who would not follow his advice to eat in moderation. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) indicated to Samura that if his son did not control his eating habits and died from obesity, his death would be tantamount to suicide.[2]

(Continued)