Sincerity of Intention

The value of all good deeds boils down to why we do them. If we perform the tiniest of good deeds purely for the pleasure of Allah, the deed is like a beautiful bird that immediately soars to Allah’s acceptance and returns with unimaginable rewards.

If we perform the most noble of good deeds for selfish reasons, the reality of the deed is ugly and deprives us of its reward. As the Holy Prophet clearly states:

Verily actions are judged by the intentions [behind them].’

So the way to make our worship worth the effort is by purifying our intention from all selfish desires - whether it is for the praise of other people or preserving our reputation or even escaping the scolding of our parents! It is not whether we help a dog or a king, or whether we pray two rak’ah of recommended prayers or fifty that matters as much as whether we are doing it sincerely for Allah.

As the Holy Prophet states:

The intention of a believer is better than his action.’