The reward for approaching one’s family for the sake of desire alone

Question : This man, if

Answer : he intends, by approaching his family, to refrain from what is forbidden, then it is clear that he earns a reward. This is because he sought to ward off harms through benefits. But if he approaches his family for the sake of desire alone, do we say that his refraining from what is forbidden by this, even if he did not intend it, is recorded as a reward for him? We say that this is the apparent meaning of the hadith, because the Companions said, “Does one of us approach his desire?” and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say, “Yes, he has a reward if he intends by it to refrain from what is forbidden.” Yet one could say that if he does not intend anything but mere desire, then no reward is recorded for him, because the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates that this man was compelled by nature to place this desire in something, and now he has before him two matters: what is lawful and what is forbidden. Here, if he turns from what is forbidden to what is lawful, he has an intention. That is to say, if someone said it this way, it would be more in accordance with the principles, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) , and this man did not intend anything but mere desire. Nevertheless, we do not dare to say this, meaning we do not dare to say that an intention is necessary. Rather, we state what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) stated. And praise be to Allah, this is from the grace of Allah. Let a man approach his family without thinking at all about placing this desire in what is forbidden; we say to you, you have a reward, you have a reward. Indeed, even the mere enjoyment of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon a person carries a reward. Why? Because Allah loves that; He loves for His servant to enjoy the blessings He has made lawful for him. Thus, the person has done something beloved to Allah, for which Allah rewards him. And if a person from among the children of Adam is generous and desires that people benefit from his generosity,
what can be said of the Most Generous of the generous, the Exalted and Majestic? He loves for people to receive His generosity and blessings. He loves for a dispensation, for example, to be taken in acts of worship. Thus, the mere fact that a person enjoys the blessings of Allah is rewarded, especially if he refrains from what is forbidden by it, even though what is forbidden is easy for him.