Intentions

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone who reads this and I hope your fasts are going well in sha Allah and may we all attain the maximum benefit and taqwa from this blessed month. I wanted to talk about intentions because it is a term that is widely used in Islam and is stressed in the month of Ramadan. What is an intention? TheFreeDictionary.com defines intention as a course of action that one intends to follow, an aim that guides action, an objective. So, why do we make intentions? As human beings, well certainly for me, we all need that sense of security to know what we're doing and why we are doing it because of course we are inquisitive and are programmed to ask questions. Like the annoying kid that always asks "why?" after everything. Our intention explains why we do certain things but our intention isn't a physical matter, our intention isn't words, our intention is something that your mind and heart feels with ikhlaas, with sincerity. Our true intentions are known by us and God alone and we are reminded of this in 33:5 Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah. But if ye know not their father's (names, call them) your Brothers in faith, or your maulas. But there is no blame on you if ye make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts: and Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. We know that if we make an intention to please Allah SWT and do things for his sake, then we will gain maximum reward and if we intend to do something for a worldly cause then we shall get the reward for our intention,ie. if your intention is corrupt, you will be rewarded accordingly. Now a lot of the time, we fail to make our intentions and our actions for the sake of God and more for the people around us, the human beings and this is so normal but we need to be able to combat this and make everything we do, every breathe we take for Allah SWT because everything he does is for our benefit. If we keep Him in mind all the time and remember that our purpose is to please Him and that our goal is Jannah then we shouldn't go far wrong. Make good intentions, do good deeds and you will prosper in sha Allah. 
The point is that we shouldn't do things to please people because people, man, woman was created. By who? Allah SWT, therefore we should be trying to please him and his creations. if we try to please people then sure we will get far in this Dunya but how far will it get us in the Aakhirah 

And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided. 2:123

Thus is something I personally want to work towards and I hope you will join me in sha Allah