Pure intentions play a very important and crucial role in the life of a Muslim. In a profound statement, the Messenger Muhammad informed us about the different types of people when it comes to religious and worldly life. He said that there are four types of people.
The first is someone who understands their religion and has been blessed by God with wealth. They combine the two to please God and help others, and as such are from the best of people.
The second is one who has religious understanding but not much in terms of wealth. They use their intention, and with firm conviction, say that if they had been blessed with wealth, they too would have acted in goodness like the first person. The Messenger Muhammad said that this second person will have an equal reward with the first, due to the power of intention.
The third is someone who has worldly blessings, but no understanding of the religion. As such, they displease God and use their wealth to harm others and become arrogant as a result. This is the worst type of person.
The fourth is the one who has nothing; neither knowledge of Islam nor worldly blessings, but they have a bad intention. They intend to be like the third person, and get a similar ranking as a result.
This shows how a pious and pure intention can transform the life of a Muslim. People often think that intentions are only for the purpose of worship. While this is the primary purpose, intention can transform even mundane daily actions and chores into rewardable acts , if done to please God.
For example, eating is a human function. It has neither, in its neutral default state, any reward or punishment attached to it. However, if a person eats and intends to gain strength and energy to better worship God and fulfil their responsibilities, this act of eating can now be rewarded. Likewise, sleeping is a normal human function. If someone intends that their sleep will energize them and allow them to wake up in time for the post dawn prescribed daily devotion and offer it in a better state, this transforms sleep into a reward.
You can take the above and apply it to many things. The Messenger Muhammad told us that to feed our families is charity, to remove something harmful from the road is charity, and to smile is charity. All of these are normal actions. It is when they are accompanied with an intention to please God, that they are changed into acts of charity that are beloved to God and rewarding.
The Messenger Muhammad told his disciples that to have marital relations with the correct intention is rewarding. This surprised them as the act of intimacy is a pleasurable and enjoyable part of marriage. The Messenger Muhammad told them that if they fulfilled their carnal desires in an impermissible way they would be sinful, so likewise, to fulfil it in a permissible and legislated way, is rewarding.
With good intentions we can transform our lives. This does require us to do our best to be mindful and conscious of our actions and the intentions behind them. If achieved, it is an amazing opportunity of reward and earning favor with God.