# Ep. 19: Good Intentions With Wrong Actions | Road to Return

**Author:** Yahya Ibrahim
**Series:** Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin
**Published:** 2021-07-02
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/wizukBKyzwE
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-19-good-intentions-with-wrong-actions-road-to-return
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia

## Description
We know that completing a good action with the wrong intention is a transgression, but what about the reverse? What if we do something wrong but have good intentions?

## Transcript
**[0:00]** Having good intentions but doing the wrong thing. That's just as big as a transgression as doing good deeds with bad intentions, if not more. SubhanAllah, for us as Muslims, that concept of by any means necessary is unacceptable.

**[0:30]** For us, the ends are as important but lesser than the means. The means are what are really important because you may not ever accomplish the goal. You may not ever get to that final line. You might not

**[0:45]** ever achieve what you were intending and planning on achieving. And that's not what you will be judged by Allah on. Did you get there or not? But you will be judged on the process to get there. For us as Muslims, it's not the ends will justify the means. For us as Muslims, the means are what

**[1:05]** make the ends legitimate. Is it even worth setting out with that as a goal in mind? And therefore, the Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam, Allah cautions him in the Qur'an by saying, your only job is to transmit and to inform people. Whether people accept or not has nothing to do

**[1:22]** with you, O Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam. Your job is to call and to invite and to represent the truth. It's not about how many you can get at the end of the day. For us, it's about quality and it's not about quantity. For us, it's not about doing the wrong just because I got a good

**[1:40]** intent. You can't rob someone to give to the poor. We don't have a Robin Hood culture in Islam. You cannot fake it till you make it. From the beginning, you have to do what's right, be ethical, have the good intent, but also have the right actions. And therefore, those are the

**[1:59]** two principles of any deed being accepted by Allah. You have Ikhlas, good intentions, but it must also be suitable action conforming to the tradition of the Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam. Either way, if it doesn't meet those conditions, it is considered an act of extremism. And that's

**[2:18]** where extremists kind of took away the true spirit of Islam. They may have a good intent. They may want to defend their homeland. They may want to stand up for oppressed Muslims. But if you do it the wrong way, it's an unacceptable abomination and a transgression against Allah and the Sunnah

**[2:36]** of the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam. May Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la protect you and I from both of those two transgressions, from having bad or wrong intentions for seeking the pleasure of others more than Allah, even if we're doing good deeds. And may Allah also protect us from

**[2:55]** doing evil deeds with good noble intentions. Both of them are transgressions against our Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la and the Sunnah of his Nabi Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam.

## Other Episodes in "Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin"
- [Ep. 40: Fake News | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-40-fake-news-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 39: It's Just a Joke | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-39-its-just-a-joke-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 38: Friday Prayer Is Not Practical | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-38-friday-prayer-is-not-practical-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 37: What Happens Online Stays Online | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-37-what-happens-online-stays-online-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 36: I'm Not A Racist, But... | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-36-im-not-a-racist-but-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 35: I Will Never Forgive Them | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-35-i-will-never-forgive-them-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 34: Isn't Zakat Like Sadaqah? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-34-isnt-zakat-like-sadaqah-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 33: The Most Important Thing is Love | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-33-the-most-important-thing-is-love-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 32: Everyone is Doing It | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-32-everyone-is-doing-it-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 31: It’s Just a Video | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-31-its-just-a-video-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep: 30 Always Put Yourself First | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-30-always-put-yourself-first-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep 29: Marijuana is Not a Drug | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-29-marijuana-is-not-a-drug-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 28: God Knows my Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-28-god-knows-my-intention-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 27: I Do Pray...Just Not Often | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-27-i-do-pray-just-not-often-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 26: Did You Hear? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-26-did-you-hear-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 25: Does God Really Care? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-25-does-god-really-care-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 24: Just say Bismillah | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-24-just-say-bismillah-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 23: Parents Just Don't Understand | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-23-parents-just-dont-understand-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 22: Why Do They Have It So Easy? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-22-why-do-they-have-it-so-easy-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 21: Going Against The Flow | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-21-going-against-the-flow-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 20: Hoping For The Best Without Doing Your Best | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-20-hoping-for-the-best-without-doing-your-best-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 18: Good Actions With The Wrong Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-18-good-actions-with-the-wrong-intention-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 17:  Letting The Qur'an Slip | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-17-letting-the-quran-slip-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 16: Resisting the Teachings of Muhammad ﷺ | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-16-resisting-the-teachings-of-muhammad-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 15: Deprioritizing God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-15-deprioritizing-god-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 14: Resistance & Resilience | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-14-resistance-resilience-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 13: Shaytan's 6-Step Plan  | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-13-shaytans-6-step-plan-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 12: No Good Without Evil | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/no-good-without-evil-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 11: Mastering Self-Control | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-11-mastering-self-control-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 10: The World And Its Splendor | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-10-the-world-and-its-splendor-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 9: An Enemy Within | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-9-an-enemy-within-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 8: Your Inner Voice | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-8-your-inner-voice-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 7: Four Dangers: Causes of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-7-four-dangers-causes-of-sin-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 6: Different Types of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-6-different-types-of-sin-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 5: Are All Sins Equal? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-5-are-all-sins-equal-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 4: What Are Sins? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-4-what-are-sins-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 3: Content with God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-3-content-with-god-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 2: Finding Peace | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-2-finding-peace-road-to-return.md)
- [Ep. 1: Submitting to God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-1-submitting-to-god-road-to-return.md)
- [Trailer: Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/road-to-return-trailer.md)