Someone asked whether the differentiation made by the scholars between the form and reality of actions was somehow an innovation (bid`a).

I asked them to consider the migration (hijra) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Outwardly–in form–the migration was from Mecca to Medina. However, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself told us about the reality of the migration, in the hadith of intention:

“… So whoever’s migration was to Allah and His Messenger, then their migration was, indeed, to Allah and His Messenger. And whoever’s migration was to attain some worldly matter or to marry some woman, then their migration was indeed to whatever they migrated for.”

The reality of our actions is what we perform them for. Without this reality, they’re merely lifeless forms.

As Ibn Ata’illah reminded us,

“Actions are but lifeless forms whose soul is the secret of sincerity within them.”

And Allah alone gives success.