Get The “Why Question” Right

Most people seem to think life is all about The What Question. What is this, what is that, and so on.

And they are not wrong. 

But Islam introduces a whole new angle to this issue by admonishing people to get The Why Question right.

Meaning why are you doing what you are doing. 

Whatever it is.

So, prayers — Salaah — is good. And it is good to find out “What” it is.

How it is performed, how many Units — Rak’aat — it is, and all that.

Nothing better or more important or more urgent.

But, Hadith tells us, a more important question may really be “Why” is this person performing the prayers or Salaah?

What are the reasons and motivations?

Is that purely for God, or for showing off and impress people?

Same is true about everything else. 

Knowledge (‘Ilm) is good. And it is good to find out “What” it is. But equally important, if not more important, is the question “Why?” 

Why do you want to have this Knowledge?

Are you pursuing knowledge purely for God or to be called a great scholar?

Same way, Fighting Evil (Jihaad) is good. But Why? What motivated you to undertake this fight in the first place?

And nothing nobler or more glorious than Struggling for a Better and More Decent Life for Yourself, Your Community, Your Society and the Whole World (also Jihaad).

But, again, the question is why did you want to undertake this struggle?

What motivated you?

And the words of the Noble Hadith suggest that the “Why Question” may actually trump the “What Question” when it comes to all these things.

That means, if your “Why” — your Motivation — is not right, your “What?” — whatever it may be — may not really matter.

All this summed up most powerfully and beautifully in three words in the Noble Hadith: Innamal A’amaalu Binniyyaati.

Meaning: Actions Depend on Intentions.

And then there are all those Hadith that say that on the Day of Judgment all those people who had mastered their “What Question” will be presented before God.

But some of these same people will be thrown in Hell because they would fail the “Why Question.” 

Because their Motivations were flawed. 

Whatever good things they did, they did not do them purely for God. But did them, at least in part, for various reasons of their own.

So, all you Good People Out There, any reaction?