al-Ikhlas wa al-Niyya li-Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Author died
- 281 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Bashā’ir
al-Ikhlas wa al-Niyya (Sincerity and Intention) is a treatise by the Baghdad-based hadith scholar and tutor Abu Bakr Ibn Abi al-Dunya (208–281 AH / 823–894 CE) dedicated to religious devotion, pure intent, and inner rectitude in Islamic practice.
Subject Matter and Scope
The work focuses on the spiritual and theological dimensions of intention (niyya) and sincerity (ikhlas). As noted by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, scholars address intention in two primary ways: the jurisprudential sense of distinguishing one ritual or habit from another (such as distinguishing noon prayer from afternoon prayer, or obligatory purification from bathing for cooling), and the devotional sense of distinguishing the ultimate purpose of an action—whether it is directed toward God alone without partners or toward something else. Ibn Abi al-Dunya compiled the work specifically on this second meaning, which reflects the recurring Quranic and Prophetic expressions regarding intention (niyya) and divine purpose (irada), as well as the discussions of early spiritual figures.
Content and Method
The book is structured around transmitted prophetic traditions, narrations, and maxims of early authorities (salaf). It includes reports and sayings addressing the purification of inner motives and the pitfalls of ostentation, such as:
- Narrations attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab on the supremacy of sincere intention before God alongside performing obligations and avoiding prohibitions.
- A report traced to Ibn Mas'ud stating that speech and deed are invalid without intention, and intention is invalid unless aligned with the prophetic tradition (Sunna).
- A prophetic report transmitted through Damrah ibn Habib concerning angels presenting a servant's deeds and God evaluating the underlying sincerity of the heart.
- Aphorisms and reflections from figures such as Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, Zubayd al-Yami, Dawud al-Ta'i, Sufyan al-Thawri, Yusuf ibn Asbat, Nafi' ibn Jubayr, Mutarrif ibn 'Abdullah, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Muhammad ibn 'Ajlan, and al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad concerning the difficulty of purifying intentions and the primacy of internal orientation over sheer volume of action.
Transmission and Reception
The book was documented among Ibn Abi al-Dunya's writings by bibliographers such as Ibn al-Nadim in al-Fihrist. Later scholars preserved transmission lineages (isnad) for the text; Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti recorded an authorized chain of transmission ascending from Kamal al-Din Abu al-Fadl Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Uqayli through Abu al-Faraj al-Ghazzi, Abu al-'Abbas al-Hajjar, Abu al-Munajja ibn al-Latti, Mas'ud ibn al-Hasan al-Thaqafi, Abu 'Amr ibn Abi 'Abdullah ibn Manda, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Yuh, and Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Lanbani to Ibn Abi al-Dunya. The text has served as a reference for classical authors writing on heart-softening traditions (raqa'iq) and intention, prominently cited in Ibn Rajab's commentary Jami' al-'Ulum wa al-Hikam.
A printed edition was edited by Iyad Khalid al-Tabba' and published by Dar al-Basa'ir in Damascus.
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