Sincerity

Bismillaah

Innal hamdulillah ir Rabbil alamin wa salaatu wa salaamu ala
Muhammadan abduhu wa Rasooluhu wa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma'een, amma
ba'd......

The Beauty of Sincerity

How many of us take the time to beautify ourselves outwardly, ensuring
that our physical appearance is appealing to our spouse or loved ones?
Sure the answer would be many. On the contrary, how many of us take
the time to beautify and purify our hearts for the sake of Allah the
Almighty? Unlike our physical appearance, it is the heart of the son
of Adam that carries the burden of intention and thus is observed by
Allah Most High.
From Umar ibn Al Khattab (radiyAllahu anhu) who said that Allah?s
Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ?Actions are but by
intentions and there is for every person only that which he intended.
So he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, then his
migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was
to attain some worldly goal or to take a woman in marriage, then his
migration was for that which he migrated."
Sincerity is having an intention for all actions, words and states,
outward and inward: Allah Almighty says, ?They were only ordered to
worship Allah, making their deen sincerely His as people of pure
natural belief, and to establish the prayer and pay Zakat¬ that is the
correct deen" (98:5) and He, Azza wa Jal, says, ?Say, Whether you
conceal what is in your breasts or make it known, Allah knows it.'"
(3:29)
To achieve ikhlaas, we have to avoid insincerity; insincerity is
self-desire (al-hawa) and can fall under any of the following 7 types:
i. To make oneself appear good in the hearts of others
ii. To seek the praises of others
iii. To avoid being blamed by others
iv. To seek the glorification of others
v. To seek the wealth/money of others
vi. To seek the services or love of others
vii. To seek the help of others for oneself
Ways to obtain ikhlaas:
Perform righteous deeds - the more good deeds we do and hence get
closer to Allah, the more sincere we will be.

Before doing any deed, first seek ilm (knowledge) - our actions
should be guided by knowledge so that we do them in accordance to the
Shari?ah.
Do not give false impressions - do not make others believe that an
action we did was good when it was not.
Before you do anything, check your niyyah (intention) - ask
yourself before performing an action: Is it for the sake of Allah??

Allahumma innee as?aaluka ikhlaas fin-niyyah, wa as?aaluka khushoo?a
fil ?amal?
O Allah I ask you for sincerity in my intentions and I ask you for
tranquillity in my actions.

Ibnul al-Qayyim says: Any action we do is subject to three defects:
1. Being conscious that others are observin?g our actions.
2. Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the action.
3. Being satisfied with the action.

There are four things that contradict ikhlaas:
1. Ma'siat - committing sins - this will weaken our ikhlaas
2. Shirk - associating others with Allah
3. Riyaa' - performing an ibaadah with the intention of showing off to others
4. Nifaaq - hypocrisy

Allah the Most High says, ?That He might try you (to see) which of you
are fairest in actions." (67:2).? It does not mean one of you whose
deeds are more numerous but one who is more righteous in his conduct -
and this rightness is nothing but fear of Allah and sincerity of
intention (niyyah). To persevere in an action until it becomes sincere
is more difficult than (performing) the action itself and sincerity of
action lies in this, that you should not desire anyone to praise you
for it except Allah, The Only One worthy of worship. As, ultimately,
our actions are undermined by our intentions - whether they be good or
bad.

"Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are
(all) for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.? (6:162).

Subhaanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ashadu alaa ilaaha illa Anta,
astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka. Glory is to You, O Allah, and Praise is
to You. I bear witness there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek
Your Forgiveness and repent to You.

'Indeed those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of creation'.