The Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith reported by al-Bukhārī: "The (reward of) deeds depends upon the niyya (intention), and every person will get the reward according to what they have intended. So whoever emigrated for the sake of Allāh and His Messenger, then their emigration will be considered for Allāh and His Messenger. And whoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain or to marry a woman, then their emigration will be considered for what they emigrated for."

The true essence of any act lies in its intention (niyya). When a supererogatory act of worship (nāfila) is tied to a worldly pursuit—such as engaging in trade for profit—its purpose becomes inseparably intertwined with that desire. If your migration (hijra)—which, in this Sufi context, represents moving away from the lower self and its worldly desires—is solely aimed at achieving a specific worldly objective, a desire, or status, then your hijra is for that purpose alone. More explicitly, if your spiritual hijra, outwardly appearing as a striving to draw closer to Allāh, is performed with the intention of finding a spouse, pursuing a relationship, engaging in commerce, or attaining material success, then your destination is not Allāh but the object of your intention. While you may deceive people with your appearance, you cannot deceive Allāh.

Consider this: when you engage in a supererogatory action purely for the sake of Allāh , a profound sense of joy precedes your action—a joy so encompassing that it feels as though you could conquer anything. However, when your nāfila is tainted by even the slightest desire for personal gain—be it in trade, work, relationships, or any other worldly pursuit—the intention rooted in achieving that objective will precede your action. This results in ambiguity and an absence of the fulfillment and tranquility that arises from actions performed solely for Allāh .

The people of Allāh (ahl Allāh), deeply immersed in their worship, rejected performing even supererogatory actions for the sake of Paradise or out of fear of Hellfire. Their sole motivation for worship was to draw closer to Allāh, driven by their love for Him alone, not by a desire for Paradise or fear of Hell. Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya (Rabīʿa of Basra), a luminous example of divine love, expressed this sentiment beautifully, famously declaring: "O my Lord, if I worship You out of fear of Hell, then burn me in it."

In her profound declaration, she affirmed, not only to herself but to all, that her devotion was not driven by the fear of divine punishment. Her acts of worship, her asceticism, her every effort, stemmed not from a fear of Hellfire or the Day of Judgment but from a yearning for closeness to Allāh, a desire for complete annihilation in His presence.

She continues: "And if I worship You in hope of Your Paradise, then bar me from its gates." 

Rābiʿa’s sole motivation was not the attainment of Paradise but the pure, unadulterated love of her Lord, for He alone is worthy of such devotion, such love, such complete surrender.

This is the essence that resides within the heart of the true lover and the seeker on the path.

But how does one ascertain the purity of their intention, you may ask? How can one truly examine their heart to determine whether their supererogatory action is performed solely for Allāh or tainted by other motives?

The answer lies in introspection (murāqaba), in observing the impact of this action on one's proximity to Allāh, particularly its influence on their witnessing of His greatest veil—His Divine Light (nūr). When, during or just after performing this act of worship, one finds their heart illuminated, experiencing a tangible increase in Divine Light, the truth of that action is revealed. It becomes evident that this supererogatory action is indeed a means of drawing closer to Allāh and His Magnificent Face.

If this drawing closer is rooted in true īmān (faith), we recall the words of the ṣaḥāba (companions) and the salaf (pious predecessors)—words that, in essence, trace back to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ—when they described īmān as follows: "Īmān is a light that Allāh casts into the heart of the believer. It increases and decreases with righteous deeds."

The Prophet ﷺ elaborated on this light, as narrated by Sayyidunā Ibn Masʿūd in a hadith reported by al-Tirmidhī. A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about the verse: “Whoever Allāh intends to guide, He expands his chest to Islam.” (Qur’an 6:125) He said: "O Messenger of Allāh, how does this expansion occur?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "When Allāh wills good for a servant, He casts light into their heart, so their chest becomes wide for that." The man asked: "O Messenger of Allāh, is there a sign by which this can be known?" The Prophet ﷺ responded: "Yes." The man pressed further: "What is that sign?" He ﷺ answered: "Turning away from the abode of delusion, returning to the abode of eternity, and making good preparation for death before it comes."

Thus, if the supererogatory action increases the light within one’s heart, it is a clear sign that the act is righteous and accepted by Allāh. Indeed, when Allāh accepts a righteous deed, He elevates it. And when He elevates a deed, He elevates the one who performed it. Consequently, the doer of such an act attains higher stations of closeness to the realm of Divine Presence.