Is a Muslim rewarded for performing acts of worship while in a state of heedlessness, such as dhikr and reciting the Qur'an?

The questioner : May Allah reward you: The dhikr reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—if a person’s heart is empty of dhikr, he is rewarded for it—and reciting the Qur'an?

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. There is no doubt that if a person performs an act of worship with the presence of the heart, that is better. But if he performs it while in a state of heedlessness, he is still rewarded for it, because the basis of his action was the intention of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and this is sufficient for the reward to be established. However, it will be deficient, without a doubt. For this reason, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: and He did not say: “Whose tongue We have made heedless.”