Once a man from the Bani Israeel passed by a sand dune at a time when people were suffering with hunger due to drought and famine. He thought to himself: “Had I possessed food equivalent to the granules of sand in this sand dune, I would have distributed every bit of it amongst these people to relieve them of their hunger.” Allah Ta’ala sent revelation to the Nabi of that time: “Inform that man that Allah Ta’ala has acknowledged and appreciated your noble intention and has hence recorded for you the reward of spending that amount of food in charity.” (Mirqaat-ul-Mafateeh, vol.1, pg.100)
Lesson: A good intention may seem like something small and insignificant but in essence this is what brings value and life into our deeds. Sometimes a person may not even carry out the good deed he intended, yet his pure heart and noble intention attracts Allah Ta’ala’s special attention and earns him great rewards.