The Rarity of Sincerity (1): Defining Sincerity

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Al-Sa’di said in “Bahjat Qulub al-Abrar” (Joy of the Hearts of the Righteous and Delight of the Eyes of the Chosen) (p. 15):

«فهو الإخلاص لله في كل ما يأتي العبد وما يذر، وفي كل ما يقول ويفعل. قال تعالى: {وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ} [البيّنة:5] وقال: {أَلا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ} [الزمر:3] .

“Sincerity to Allah in all that a servant does and refrains from doing, in all that he says and acts. Allah the Almighty says: {And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion} [Al-Bayyina: 5] and He says: {Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion} [Az-Zumar: 3].

وذلك أن على العبد أن ينوي نية كلية شاملة لأموره كلها، مقصوداً بها وجه الله، والتقرب إليه، وطلب ثوابه، واحتساب أجره، والخوف من عقابه.

This means that the servant must have a comprehensive intention for all his matters, intending by it the Face of Allah, seeking closeness to Him, seeking His reward, reckoning his recompense, and fearing His punishment.

ثم يستصحب هذه النية في كل فرد من أفراد أعماله وأقواله، وجميع أحواله، حريصاً فيه على تحقيق الإخلاص وتكميله، ودفع كل ما يضاده: من الرياء والسمعة، وقصد المحمدة عند الخلق، ورجاء تعظيمهم،

Then he must carry this intention in every individual action and statement, and in all his states, keen on achieving and perfecting sincerity, and repelling everything that opposes it: from showing off, seeking reputation, seeking praise from people, and hoping for their veneration.

بل إن حصل شيء من ذلك فلا يجعله العبد قصده، وغاية مراده، بل يكون القصد الأصيل منه: وجه الله، وطلب ثوابه من غير التفات للخلق، ولا رجاء لنفعهم أو مدحهم. فإن حصل شيء نم ذلك من دون قصد من العبد لم يضره شيئاً، بل قد يكون من عاجل بشرى المؤمن»…

But if something of that sort happens, the servant should not make it his intention or his ultimate aim. Rather, his primary intention should be seeking the Face of Allah and seeking His reward without turning to creation, hoping for their benefit or their praise. If something of that sort occurs unintentionally from the servant, it does not harm him at all; rather, it may be among the immediate glad tidings of the believer…

  من نوى فعل الخير وقصد به المقاصد العليا - وهي ما يقرب إلى الله - فله من الثواب والجزاء الجزاء الكامل الأوفى. ومن نقصت نيته وقصده نقص ثوابه. ومن توجهت نيته إلى غير هذا المقصد الجليل فاته الخير، وحصل على ما نوى من المقاصد الدنيئة الناقصة…والأعمال إنما تتفاضل ويعظم ثوابها بحسب ما يقوم بقلب العامل من الإيمان والإخلاص.“

Whoever intends to do good and aims by it the highest aims – which is to draw closer to Allah – will have the complete and full reward. Whoever lacks in intention and aim, his reward will be diminished. Whoever directs his intention to other than this noble aim misses out on goodness, and attains what he intended of lowly and deficient aims... and actions differ and their reward is magnified according to what is in the heart of the doer of faith and sincerity.”

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim says in "Madarij al-Salikin":

”وقد تنوَّعت عباراتهم في الإخلاص، والقصد واحدٌ. فقيل

“Their expressions about sincerity have varied, but the objective is one. It has been said:

هو إفراد الحقِّ سبحانه بالقصد في الطاعة.

It is to single out the Truth, the Almighty, with intention in obedience.

وقيل: تصفية الفعل عن ملاحظة المخلوقين.

It has also been said that it means to purify the action from the observation of creation.

وقيل: التوقِّي عن ملاحظة الخلق، والصِّدقُ: التنقِّي من مطالعة النفس،

Another definition is avoiding the observation of creation, while trueness is avoiding self-admiration.

فالمخلص لا رياء له، والصادق لا إعجاب له. ولا يتمُّ الإخلاص إلا بالصِّدق، ولا الصِّدق إلا بالإخلاص، ولا يتمَّان إلا بالصبر.

Thus, the sincere person does not show off, and the truthful person does not admire himself. Sincerity is not complete without trueness; trueness is not complete without sincerity, and neither is complete without patience.

وقيل: من شهد في إخلاصه الإخلاصَ احتاج إخلاصُه إلى إخلاصٍ. فنقصان كلِّ مخلصٍ في إخلاصه بقدر رؤية إخلاصه، فإذا سقط عن نفسه رؤيةُ إخلاصه صار مخلِصًا مخلَصًا…

It has also been said: Whoever sees his sincerity in his sincerity needs sincerity in his sincerity. The deficiency of every sincere person in his sincerity is proportional to his seeing his sincerity. When a person stops seeing his own sincerity, he becomes a truly sincere person...

وقيل: الإخلاص نسيان رؤية الخلق بدوام النظر إلى الخالق. ومن تزيَّن للناس بما ليس فيه سقط من عين الله.

Another saying is that sincerity is forgetting the observation of creation by constantly looking at the Creator. Whoever adorns himself for people with what is not in him falls from the sight of Allah.

وقال يوسف بن الحسين الرازي: أعزُّ شيءٍ في الدُّنيا: الإخلاص، وكم أجتهد في إسقاط الرِّياء عن قلبي فكأنَّه ينبت على لونٍ آخر“

Yusuf ibn al-Husayn al-Razi said: The rarest thing in the world is sincerity. How much I strive to remove showing off from my heart, but it seems to grow back in a different form.”

وَعَنْ مُطَرِّفِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: صَلَاحُ الْقَلْبِ بِصَلَاحِ الْعَمَلِ، وَصَلَاحُ الْعَمَلِ بِصَلَاحِ النِّيَّةِ.

Mutarrif ibn Abdullah said, "The rectification of the heart is in the rectification of the deed, and the rectification of the deed is in the rectification of the intention."

وَعَنْ بَعْضِ السَّلَفِ قَالَ: مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَكْمُلَ لَهُ عَمَلُهُ، فَلْيُحْسِنْ نِيَّتَهُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَأْجُرُ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا حَسُنَتْ نِيَّتُهُ حَتَّى بِاللُّقْمَةِ.

And some of the Salaf said: "Whoever is pleased that his deeds be perfected, let him improve his intention, for Allah, mighty and majestic, rewards the servant if his intention is good, even for a morsel of food."

وَعَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، قَالَ: ‌رُبَّ ‌عَمَلٍ ‌صَغِيرٍ تُعَظِّمُهُ النِّيَّةُ، وَرُبَّ عَمَلٍ كَبِيرٍ تُصَغِّرُهُ النِّيَّةُ.

Ibn al-Mubarak said: “Perhaps a small deed is magnified by the intention, and perhaps a large deed is diminished by the intention.”

وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَجْلَانَ: لَا يَصْلُحُ الْعَمَلُ إِلَّا بِثَلَاثٍ: التَّقْوَى لِلَّهِ، وَالنِّيَّةِ الْحَسَنَةِ، وَالْإِصَابَةِ

Ibn Ajlan said: "A deed is not valid except with three things: piety towards Allah, a good intention, and correctness."