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A person will only be rewarded if he seeks and anticipates reward

What is the authenticity of the following Hadith and what is the meaning of ‘الاحتساب‘?

Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“There is no reward for the one who does not anticipate reward”

Answer

This Hadith is suitable to quote and is recorded in the following Hadith collections:

1) Kitabuz Zuhd War Raqaiq of Imam ‘Abdullah ibn Al Mubarak, through a sound chain, mursalan. (Hadith: 152)

2) As Sunanul Kubra of Imam Bayhaqi, with a weak chain. (vol. 1 pg. 41. Refer: Talkhisul Habir, vol. 1 pg. 405)

The Hadith in question in further corroborated by the famous Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, wherein Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Certainly actions are based/rewarded according to their intention.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1, Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1907)

Meaning

Hafiz Ibn Rajab (rahimahullah) says, the word ‘ihtisab‘ used in the Hadith means, ‘anticipating and seeking reward’. i.e. The person who does not anticipate and seek reward, will not be rewarded.

(Jami’ul Ulumi Wal Hikam, vol. 1 pg. 31)

‘Allamah Munawi (rahimahullah) explains, ‘There will be no reward for that person who does not make the intention that he is carrying out the order of Allah Ta’ala, and he is seeking the closeness of Allah Ta’ala.

(Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 9695. Also see: An Nihayah of ‘Allamah Ibnul Athir, vol. 1 pg. 373/374)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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