“Niyyatu mu’min khayrum min ‘amalihi”
Intention of the Believer is better than his action

A small and seemingly insignificant action can become weighty once the intention is rectified.

A man who used to remain too busy with providing for his family with no time left for extra worship used to envy a pious Wali of Allah who lived in his neighbourhood. He used to think to himself that if I was rich I would have spent even more time in worship.

After the Wali of Allah passed away someone saw him in a dream and enquired about his state. The reply was that he had been forgiven and given high stages however the man who used to remain too busy to spend time in extra worship had received higher stages due to his sincere intention.