Salmaan Al-Farasi (رضي الله عنه) said: I expect Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to reward me in my sleep as he rewards me in my tahajjud.
Why would he expect that? Because he unlocked the secret: Allah rewards all normal deeds, if done with the intention to please Him, the same as acts of ‘ibaadah. Why? Because the right intention upgrades it to the next level!
“So,” you might ask, “what kind of intentions might someone have to reap this reward in their sleep?” Allahu ‘alim, you can try these on for size, and see which one fits you best:
- … in order to rest your body (thereby giving it its right)
- … so you can be fresh and work harder once you wake up
- … to follow the sunnah of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), who suggested we pray some of the night and sleep some of the night
And be creative! Invent your own great intentions! (And of course, sincerity is the key that unlocks the doors of deeds–without it, all deeds are in vain.)
So how can you use this to recurringly reap reward, day after day?
Check this out–you already perform these actions daily. A slight change of intention, and CHA-CHING, instant reward!
- Going to sleep
- Exercise (everybody has to walk somewhere!)
- Shopping, cleaning, etc. actions that your parents request and expect of you
- Studying in school, or learning something new
- Being kind to someone around you, whether Muslim or non-Muslim
May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) allow us to truly understand this hadith, and implement it in our lives, from now until forever (ameen!) InshaAllah post some creative examples in the comments and reap more reward as other people benefit!