Sincerity

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner with Him. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

One of the most important principles in Islam is to achieve sincerity to Allah in all acts of worship. Some people said: "The meaning of Sincerity is: You do not need a witness for your work but Allah and you seek no reward but from Him."[1] Sincerity is the reality of religion, and the key for messengers’ call.

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) and give Zakât, and that is the right religion.” [Surat Al Bayyinah: 5].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “Allâh Alone I worship by doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake only (and not to show off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship.)” [Surat Az-Zumar: 14]. Allah (the Almighty) says: “Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” [Surat Al Mulk: 2]

Al Fudayl said: "The meaning of “the best in deed” is the most sincere and right. " He also said: "If the deed is sincere but is not right, it shall not be accepted. If the deed is right but it is not sincere, it shall not be accepted either until it is sincere.” The meaning of sincere is to be done for the sake of Allah and to right means to be done according to the Sunnah.[2]

Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “He (Allâh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islâmic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad peace be upon him), and that which We ordained for Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsâ (Moses) and ‘Isâ (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no divisions in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). Intolerable for the Mushrikûn, is that (Islâmic Monotheism) to which you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) call them. Allâh chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides to Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.” [Surat Ash-Shura: 13].

Abu Al `Aliyah said: "He commanded them with sincerity in worshipping Him and sincerity is one of the greatest actions of the heart.”

Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah bestow mercy upon his soul) said: "Anyone who ponders on the sources and resources of the Shari`ah finds out that the actions of the organs are somehow related to the actions of the heart and they are not stand alone. The actions of the heart are ordained on a servant more than the actions of the organs? Shall a believer be distinguished from the hypocrite except with the actions of the heart that distinguished between both of them. Moreover, the worship of the heart is better than the worship of organs and more continuous, so it is obligatory all the time.”[3]

Sincerity is a precondition for accepting the action because an action is not accepted but with two conditions:

First: The action should be in harmony with the legislations of Allah that were mentioned in His Book or explained by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Anyone innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion that thing is rejected.”[4]

Second: The action must be purely for the sake of Allah. `Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."[5]

In confirmation to that Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God ? i.e. Allâh). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [Surat Al Kahf: 110].

Sincerity is the basis for the acceptance of supplication. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “So, call you (O Muhammad peace be upon him and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship), however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it).” [Surat Ghafir: 14].

The lack of sincerity is a reason for rejecting the action. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "The first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: `I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.' Allah will say: `You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous; and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur'an will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: `I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur'an for Your sake.' Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur'an so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man whom Allah had made affluent and to whom Allah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: `I did not neglect any of the ways You liked wealth to be spend liberally for Your sake'. Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.’”[6] When Mu`awiyah heard this Hadith, he wept and when he finished he said: “Allah and His Messenger told the truth.” Then he recited: “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. * They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.”[7] [Surat Hud: 15-16].

Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked, "A man fights for war booty; another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allah's Cause?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He who fights that Allah's Word (i.e. Islam) should be superior, fights in Allah's Cause."[8]

Abu Umamat Al Bahily (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: "What do you think of a man went for Jihad to seek the reward and to be mentioned among the people?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “He shall gain nothing.” Then the Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed, Allah does not accept the action except if it is sincere and is only done for His Sake.”[9]

Al Fudayl ibn `Iyad said: "Leaving the action for fear that people may mention the doer it part of hypocrisy, doing the action for the sake of the people is part of polytheism, and sincerity is a way out from both things.” In another narration: “Sincerity is that Allah protect you from both matters."[10]

It was said to Sahl At-Tastary: "What is the most difficult on one’s soul?” He said: “Sincerity because it will gain nothing (from people) out of it.”[11]

Sufyan Ath-Thawry said: "I never dealt with something more difficult than my intention because it sometimes turns against me."

Someone said: "When a person shows sincerity, all insinuations and actions of hypocrisy are cut off."

Some Predecessors said: "He who shows sincerity for a moment of his life, he will be safe (of Hell) because of the dignity of honor and the difficulty of purifying the heart from these matters. The one who shows sincerity for the sake of Allah is the one who gains nothing but to draw near to Allah.”

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah send His peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

                            

[1] “Nadrat An-Na`im Fi Makarim Akhlaq Ar-Rasul Al Karim (peace be upon him)” (124\2).

[2] Madarij As-Salikin (93\2)

[3] “Bada’i` Al Fawa’id” (330\3) adopted from “Al Ikhlas wa Ash-Shirk Al Asghar book” p.5.

[4] Sahih Al Bukhari (267\2) No. (2697) and Sahih Muslim (1343\3) No. (1718).

[5] Sahih Al Bukhari (1313) No. (1) and Sahih Muslim (1515\3) No. (1904).

[6] Sahih Muslim (1514\3) No. (1905).

[7] Sahih Ibn Hibban (138\2) No. (408).

[8] Sahih Al Bukhari (309\2) No. (2810) and Sahih Muslim (1512\3) No. (1904).

[9] Sunan An-Nasa’y (25\6) No. (3140).

[10] “Madarij As-Salikin (95\3).

[11] “Madarij As-Salikin (95\3).