Sincerity
By the Shaykh Ahmad Fareed [1]
Ikhlaas (purity and sincerity of intentions): It is the stripping (i.e. the purifying) of one's intentions in order to draw closer to Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - in all matters. It is also said that ikhlaas is intending to single out Allaah alone with acts of obedience. It has also been said that ikhlaas is to forget about the creation by constantly looking towards the Creator.
And ikhlaas (sincerity) is a condition
for Allaah to accept those righteous actions that are done in accordance with
the Sunnah (guidance) of Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
So Allaah - the Most High - commanded us with His saying:
"And they
have not been commanded except to worship Allaah alone, having ikhlaas
(purity of intention) in their Religion and not setting-up partners with Allaah
in the worship of Him." [Soorah al-Bayyinah 38:5].
Abu Umaamah radiallaahu
'anhu relates: Once a man came to Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam and said: What do you think about a person who joins us in the
fighting only to seek fame and wealth? So Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu
'alalvhi wa sallam replied: "He receives nothing!" The man
repeated the question three times, each time Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam said: "He recieves nothing!" Then he
said: "Indeed Allaah does not accept an action except if it is done
with ikhlaas (i.e. purely for Allaah's sake), seeking nothing but His
Face."[2]
Zayd ibn
Thaabit radiallaahu 'anhu relates: The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "May Allaah brighten whosoever hears my words,
memorises them and then conveys them to others. Many a carrier of knowledge
does not understand it, and many a carrier of knowledge conveys it to one who
has better understanding. There are three things which the heart of a Believer
has no malice about: Ikhlaas for Allaah in one's action; sincere advice to the
Muslim leaders; and clinging to the Jamaa'ah."[3]
The meaning of
the above being that these three matters strengthen the heart. And that
whosoever adopts them, then his heart will be purified from deceit, corruption
and evil. And no servant can be free from Shaytaan except by having ikhlaas,
as Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic -said:
"Except
those of Your servants who have ikhlaas." [Soorah Saad
38:83].
It has been
related from one of the pious people that he said: "O my soul! Have ikhlaas
and then you will be purified." Thus, whenever any share of this world -
in which the soul takes comfort and the heart inclines towards, either greatly
or slightly - enters into our actions, then it mars the purity and ruins the ikhlaas.
For man becomes preoccupied with his portion of the world and becomes immersed
in his desires; and very seldom are his action, or acts of worship, free from
temporary objectives or desires of this kind. That is why it has been said:
"Whosoever secures in his lifetime even a single moment of ikhlaas,
seeking the Face of Allaah, he will be saved." This is because ikhlaas
is something very precious, and cleansing the heart from impurities is
something difficult.
So ikhlaas
is: Cleansing the heart from all impurities - whether large or small - such
that the intention of drawing closer to Allaah is stripped of all other
motives, except that. And this matter cannot be imagined, except from someone
who truly loves Allaah; and who is so absorbed in thinking about the Aakhirah
(Hereafter), that there remains no place in his heat for the love of this world
to settle. The likes of such a person - even when he is eating, drinking or
answering the call of nature - has ikhlaas in his actions and has
correct intentions. However, whosoever is not like this, then the doors of ikhlaas
will be closed to him - except in rare exceptions. Likewise, whosoever is
overwhelmed with the love of Allaah and the love of the Hereafter, then the
actions that he does will all be characterized with this ikhlaas.
However, if the person's soul is overwhelmed with this dunyaa (world),
then the actions that he does will be characterized with this love, such that
no act of worship - whether it be Pasting or Praying, or other than these -
will be accepted from him, except in a few cases.
The cure for
loving this world is to break these worldly desires that the soul has,
curing-off the greed it has for this world and purifying it for the Hereafter.
This will then become the overwhelming trait of the heart and with this state
achieving ikhlaas will become much easier. For how many actions there
are that a person does, thinking that they are done with true ikhlaas
(sincerity), seeking only the Face of Allaah, but he is deluded, for he does
not see the defects in them!
Thus it has
been related about someone that he used to always pray in the first row of the
mosque. One day he was delayed in coming to the Prayer, so he had to pray in
the second row. Feeling embarrassed at praying in the second row, the man
realised that the satisfaction and pleasure of the heart that he gained from
praying in the first row was due to him seeing that the people used to admire
him for it. This is a very fine and subtle point and actions are seldom safe
from it. Indeed, very few are there who realise such subtleties - apart from
those upon whom Allaah - the Most High - has blessed and helped. Rather, those
who are negligent of such matters will see their good deeds appearing as evil
ones on the Day of Resurrection, and they are the ones who are referred to in
Allaah - the Most High's - sayings:
"And there
will become clear to them that which they were not expecting. For the evil of
their deeds will become apparent to them." [Soorah
az-Zumr 39:47-48].
"Say:
Shall We inform you about those who will lose most in respect to their actions?
Those whose efforts have been wasted in the life of this world, whilst they
thought that they were doing good actions." [Soorah al-
Kahf 18:103-104].
Some Sayings
Concerning Ikhlaas
Ya'qoob- rahimahullaah
- said: "A mukhlis (one who truly has ikhlaas) is someone
who conceals his good actions, as he conceals his bad ones."
As-Soosee - rahimahullaah
-said: "True ikhlaas is not to see your ikhlaas. Indeed,
whosoever identifies ikhlaas in his ikhlaas, then he is in need
of having ikhlaas in his ikhlaas!" And what this indicates
is to purify one's actions from being amazed with oneself. Since whosoever
considers his ikhlaas, being amazed with it, has fallen into great
danger. For ikhlaas is to be pure and free from such dangers of being
amazed with one's own actions.
Ayyoob - rahimahullaah
-said: "Having Ikhlaas (sincerity for Allaah) in the intentions for
any action, is much more harder than performing the action itself."
One of the Salaf
(Pious Predecessors) said: To have true ikhlaas even for a short time,
is to be saved. However, ikhlaas is very rare."
Suhayl - rahimahullaah
- was asked: What is the thing most difficult for the nafs (soul)? He
replied: "To have ikhlaas, especially when the soul is not disposed
towards it."
Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyyaad - rahimahullaah - said: "Abandoning action for the sake of people, is to seek their admiration. To do an action for the sake of people is to commit Shirk (to associate in the worship of Allaah, others along with Allaah). Indeed ikhlaas is when Allaah saves you from both of these states."