Everyday actions can be a form of worship: sermon

Having good intentions is crucial, worshippers will be told in the Friday sermon.

One's intentions (neyya) can make ordinary actions into a form of worship, Muslims will be told in today's sermon.

The sermon points to a hadith by the Prophet Mohammed that says actions are defined by intentions - a hadith so rich in meaning it is said to make up one-third of Islam.

A Muslim can learn from this hadith to gain rewards and credit from many everyday actions by attending to their neyya.

If one made it his or her intention to go to school to become a useful, successful Muslim, studying would be considered a form of worship.

"If you eat or drink or sleep with the neyya of becoming stronger in obeying Allah, you are rewarded for that," explains the sermon. "And if you go to work intending to earn halal money and serve your country and family, you are rewarded."

The concept even includes people playing with their children and treating their families well, if they are doing so with the intention of keeping the family stable and healthy.

The sermon notes that the Prophet Mohammed once said that if one went to sleep with the intention of waking up to pray but then failed to wake up, he would still be rewarded and his sleep would count as a gift from Allah.