the highway, or the journey of someone rebelling against the Muslim community, a runaway slave, or a wife defying her husband.

For this reason, the jurists discussed the distinction between someone whose journey is itself sinful and someone who commits a sin during his journey. They said:

If someone undertakes a permissible journey, such as one for Hajj, Umrah, or jihad, he may shorten his prayers and break his fast during it, according to the agreement of the four imams, even if he commits a sin during that journey. But if the journey itself is sinful, as when travelling to commit highway robbery or the like, may he avail himself of the concessions granted to travellers, such as breaking the fast and shortening prayers?

There is disagreement on this. The position of Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and Ahmad is that he may not shorten his prayers or break his fast, whereas the position of Abū Hanīfah is that he may do so.

Since the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned both kinds of journey, it is clear that he intended to speak of deeds in general, not merely deeds that are intrinsically acts of devotion, such as prayer and fasting. Likewise, he intended to speak of intention in general. It thus becomes clear that his saying:

“Deeds depend solely on intentions”

is an instance of the concise, comprehensive speech with which Allah Most High specially endowed him, as he said:

“I have been sent with concise, comprehensive speech.”

This hadith is among the most comprehensive of the sayings with which he was sent. Every deed a person performs, whether good or evil, depends on what he intended. If he pursues a good end through his deed, he shall have that good end; and if he pursues an evil end through it, he shall have what he intended.