The Rarity of Sincerity (2): Insincerity Causes Burnout in Knowledge & Action
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Insincerity & Seeking Popularity Causes Burnout
Imam Ahmad narrates in his Musnad from the hadith of Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ عَمَلٍ شِرَّةً، وَلِكُلِّ شِرَّةٍ فَتْرَةً، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ فَتْرَتُهُ إِلَى سُنَّتِي فَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فَتْرَتُهُ إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ هَلَكَ».
"Indeed, for every action, there is a peak, and for every peak, there is a slackening. So, whoever's slackening is towards my Sunnah, he has succeeded, and whoever's slackening is towards something else, he has perished."
And in another narration from the hadith of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him:
«فَإِنْ صَاحِبُهَا سَدَّدَ وَقَارَبَ فَارْجُوهُ، وَإِنْ أُشِيرَ إِلَيْهِ بِالَأصَابِعِ فَلَا تَعُدُّوهُ»
"If its doer strives and draws near, then hope for him; if he is pointed at with fingers, do not count him."
🔘 This hadith proves that developing a sustainable routine of worship, focused on quality over quantity of one’s deeds, is the cure for burnout. Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Hibban al Busti, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«سددوا: يريد به كونوا مسددين، والتسديد لزوم طريقة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم واتباع سنته، وقوله: وقاربوا: يريد به لا تحملوا على الأنفس من التشديد ما لا تطيقون، وأبشروا فإن لكم الجنة إذا لزمتم طريقتي في التسديد وقاربتم في الأعمال»
"Saddidu (Strive to be precise): it means to be precise, and precision is adhering to the way of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and following his Sunnah. And his saying 'and draw near' means do not burden yourselves with hardships you cannot bear, and rejoice, for you have Paradise if you adhere to my way in precision and draw near in deeds."
🔘 Al-`Allamah al-Mubarakfuri said in "Tuhfat al-Ahwathi bi Sharh Jami` at-Tirmidhi":
قَوْلُهُ: (إِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ شِرَّةً) بِكَسْرِ الشِّينِ الْمُعْجَمَةِ وَتَشْدِيدِ الرَّاءِ أَيْ حِرْصًا عَلَى الشَّيْءِ وَنَشَاطًا وَرَغْبَةً فِي الْخَيْرِ أَوِ الشَّرِّ
His saying: (Indeed, for everything there is a peak) with the letter rā’ being stressed, meaning a keen desire for something, enthusiasm, and eagerness for good or evil.
وَلِكُلِّ شِرَّةٍ فَتْرَةً بِفَتْحِ الْفَاءِ وَسُكُونِ التَّاءِ أَيْ وَهَنًا وَضَعْفًا وَسُكُونًا
(And for every peak there is a slackening) with the letter fa' having fatha and the letter ta' having sukun, meaning weakness, frailty, and stillness.
فَإِن شَرْطِيَّةٌ صَاحِبُهَا سَدَّدَ وَقَارَبَ أَيْ جَعَلَ صَاحِبُ الشِّرَّةِ عَمَلَهُ مُتَوَسِّطًا وَتَجَنَّبَ طَرَفَيْ إِفْرَاطِ الشِّرَّة وَتَفْرِيطِ الْفَتْرَةِ
(If) is conditional (its doer strives and draws near), meaning the one who is at his peak makes his deeds moderate and avoids the extremes of excessive peak and extreme slackening.
(فَأَرْجُوهُ) أَيْ أَرْجُو الْفَلَاحَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُمْكِنُهُ الدَّوَامُ عَلَى الْوَسَطِ، وَأَحَبُّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَدُومُهَا
(Then hope for him) means hope for his success because he can maintain the middle course, and the most beloved deeds to Allah are the most consistent of them.
(وَإِنْ أُشِيرَ إِلَيْهِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ)
أَيِ اجْتَهَدَ وَبَالَغَ فِي الْعَمَلِ لِيَصِيرَ مَشْهُورًا بِالْعِبَادَةِ وَالزُّهْدِ وَسَارَ مَشْهُورًا مُشَارًا إِلَيْهِ
(And if he is pointed at with fingers) meaning he exerts himself and exaggerates in deeds to become famous for worship and asceticism and become well-known and pointed at.
فَلَا تَعُدُّوهُ أَيْ لَا تَعْتَدُّوا بِهِ وَلَا تَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ لِكَوْنِهِ مُرَائِيًا، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ فَلَا تَرْجُوهُ إِشَارَةً إِلَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ سَقَطَ وَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ تَدَارُكُ مَا فَرَّطَ
(Do not count him) means do not consider him among the righteous because he is showing off. He did not say, ‘Do not hope for him,’ indicating that he has fallen and cannot compensate for his negligence.”
[Knowledge isn’t a Popularity Contest]
🔘 It was narrated from Ka’b ibn Malik that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
"من طلبَ العلمَ لِيُجاريَ به العلماء، أو ليُماري به السفهاءَ، ويَصرفَ به وجوهَ الناسِ إليه، أدخلَه الله النارَ".
"Whoever seeks knowledge to compete with the scholars, or to argue with the foolish, or to turn the faces of people towards him, Allah will admit him into Hell."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi Dunya in "Kitab al-Samt,” and others.
🔘 Al-Mubarakfuri said:
من طلب العلم أي لا لله بل ليجاري به العلماء أي يجري معهم في المناظرة والجدال ليظهر علمه في الناس رياء وسمعة كذا في المجمع
"(Whoever seeks knowledge) meaning not for the sake of Allah, but (to compete with the scholars) meaning to debate and argue with them to show off his knowledge among people for show and fame, as mentioned in "Al-Majma’.”
(أو ليماري به السفهاء) جمع السفيه وهو قليل العقل والمراد به الجاهل أي ليجادل به الجهال والمماراة من المرية وهي الشك فإن كل واحد من المتحاجين يشك فيما يقول صاحبه ويشككه مما يورد على حجته أو من المري وهو مسح الحالب ليستنزل ما به من اللبن فإن كلا من المتناظرين يستخرج ما عند صاحبه كذا حققه الطيبي
(Or to argue with the foolish) plural of 'safih', meaning one who is foolish or ignorant, i.e., to argue with the ignorant. 'Mumari' from 'mira' means doubt, for each debater doubts what the other says and tries to make him doubt his argument. Or from 'mari', meaning to rub the udder to bring down its milk, for each debater tries to extract what the other has, as explained by al-Tibi.
(ويصرف به وجوه الناس إليه) أي يطلبه بنية تحصيل المال والجاه وإقبال العامة عليه
(Or to turn the faces of people towards him) i.e., seeking it with the intention of acquiring wealth, status, and the attention of the public."
🔘 From Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib, Umar said:
«لا رَأَيْتُ زَمانًا يَتَغايَرُ فيهِ الرِّجالُ عَلى العِلْمِ، تَغايُرَ الرِّجالِ عَلى النِّساءِ»
'I have not yet seen a time when men jealously compete for knowledge as they compete for women.'"
[Reported in “Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir" by Al-Bukhari]
🔘 The tabi’i, Ka'b al Ahbar said:
“يوشك أن تروا جهال الناس يتباهون بالعلم ويتغايرون عليه كما يتغاير النساء على الرجال، فذلك حظهم من العلم”.
"Soon, you will see the ignorant people boasting about knowledge and jealously competing for it as women jealously compete for men, and that will be their share of knowledge."
🔘 Najm al-Dīn Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Rahmān b. Qudāmah al Maqdisi (رحمه الله) said:
…يتغايروا كما يتغاير النساء وكل ذلك من رسوخ الصفات المهلكات في سر القلب التي يظن العالم النجاة منها، وهو مغرور فيها.
“They will jealously compete as women compete for men, and all of this is due to the deep-rooted destructive traits in the innermost part of the heart, from which the scholar thinks he is safe, but he is deluded.” [Mukhtaṣar Minhāj al Qāṣidīn]
Insincerity is the Cause of Decline & Tribulation
It was narrated from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
كيف بكم إذا لبستْكم فتنةٌ، يَربو فيها الصغيرُ، ويَهرَمُ فيها الكبيرُ، وتُتَّخَذُ سنةً، فإن غُيَّرَتْ يوماً قيلَ: هذا منكرٌ!
"How will you be when a fitnah (trial) envelops you, in which the young will grow up, the elderly will become senile, and it will be considered a Sunnah (custom)? If it is changed one day, it will be said: 'This is a denial!'
قيل: ومتى ذلك؟
It was asked: 'When will that be?' He said:
قال، إذا قلَّت أُمناؤكم، وكَثُرتْ أُمراؤُكُم، وقَلَّتْ فقهاؤكُم، وكَثُرتْ قراؤكم، وتُفُقِّهَ لِغيرِ الدين، والتُمست الدنيا بعملِ الآخرةِ
'When your trustworthy ones are few, your leaders are many, your scholars are few, your reciters are many, and when knowledge is sought for other than the religion, and the worldly life is sought by the actions of the Hereafter.'" [graded Sahih by al Albani; see Sunan al-Darimi and Sahih al-Targhib wal-Tarhib].