Ihsan Center – Islam From The Heart

Ikhlas, Sincerity

In one of the battles that the Muslims waged against the Romans, the Muslims – under the commandment of Maslamah (rahimahullaah) – surrounded a city that had a tall and well-fortified wall. The siege went on for months.

Then one night, one of the Muslim soldiers came to General Maslamah and told him of a hole that he had accomplished to bore through the wall. “It is only large enough for a slim soldier.” He knelt closer. “Quickly, send with me someone who can squeeze through and fight the army on the inside until he has opened the gates for all of us to enter.”

Maslamah sent out the news, and that night someone volunteered. In a sweeping assault, the gate was opened and the Muslims were victorious.

Maslamah, overwhelmed with happiness, sent out the word that the soldier that entered the hole should come forward. No one showed. A day passed and the request was repeated. Another day, then another. No one arrived to take credit.

On the fourth day, a soldier approached Maslamah, his face wrapped in a scarf. He said to him, “I have news of the soldier that entered the hole.”

Maslamah sat up sharp, “Tell me who it is?”

“First, however,” said the soldier, “he has three conditions before exposing himself. Do you agree to this?”

“Of course,” Maslamah said.

“The first is that you do not try to compensate him for what he did. The second is that you do not tell anyone who he is. And the third is that you shall not ask for his presence ever again. Do you agree to these conditions?”

“It is agreed,” Maslamah said.

The soldier, uncovering his scarf, said, “It is I. I went through that hole only for the sake of Allah.” Then, turning, he walked away.

After that day, Maslamah was often heard praying to Allah, “O Allah, (on the Day of Resurrection) grant me companionship with the soldier of the hole.”

Sometimes at any Islamic school, there are children who pray at the back, but the actions are better described as ‘playing’ Then when the head master or whoever they consider to have authority above them approaches, they all stand erect in complete devotion.

They are children and Allah will not take them to account. However, there are many adults that do this exact thing but on a more serious scale. The ingredient that we all need to work on throughout our lives as Muslims is Ikhlaas (sincerity) and, In sha Allah, that shall be our topic for today.

Sincerity in all we do is a commandment of Allah:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

[Say, “Indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first (among you) of the Muslims.”] Surah Al-An’aam 6/162,163

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

[And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. That is the correct Deen.] Surah Bayyinah 98/5

In defining Ikhlaas, Al-Jurjaani – rahimahullaah – said that it is to not seek any audience for your deeds other than Allah.

When one looks over the text of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, they will come to the realization that Allah ta’ala and His Messenger – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – speak about sincerity in different aspects: Sincerity in Tawheed of Allah and sincerity in our intentions. Sincerity in our worship, such as in Salah, Sujood, Fasting, standing in Ramadan, standing in the night of Qadr, sincere love for the Masjid, Zakah, Sadaqah, Hajj, Jihaad, repentance, supplications, recitation of the Qur’aan, and so much more.

The Qur’aan and Sunnah speak about sincerity in all our verbal statements, sincerity in our refined and upright AKhlaaq (character), sincerity in our Tawakkul (placing of our trust) in Allah, and sincerity in all actions.

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

Commenting on the verse: [He who created death and life to test you (as to) which of you is best in deed] Surah Al-Mulk 67/2, Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaadh – rahimahullaah – said, “It is those deeds which are most correct and most sincere.” The students asked, “O Abu Ali, what are deeds that are correct and sincere?” He said, “If a deed is done sincerely, yet is not done correctly, it will not be accepted. And if a deed is done correctly, but not sincerely for Allah, it will not be accepted. It must be done sincerely and correctly. Sincerely, as in for Allah alone; Correctly, as in accordance to the Sunnah.

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلا صَالِحًا وَلا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

He then recited the verse of Allah: [So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.] Surah al-Kahf 18/110.

وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَنْ رَأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ

With Ikhlaas we can be saved from misguidance as Prophet Yusuf – alyhi as salam – was saved. Hear Allah’s words: [And thus (it was) that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our Mukhlaseen servants.] 12/24

With Ikhlaas the books can be turned in our favor in the last minutes of our lives just as what happened to the man that murdered 99 men. Allah ta’ala saved him in the end because of his sincerity in repentance.

With Ikhlaas one will be saved from Hellfire and granted a lofty position in Jannah.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must understand that there are certain things that contradict our Ikhlaas to Allah. Of these things are three, Reyaa’, Sum’ah and ‘Ujb.

Reyaa’ is to perform an act of worship with the intention of showing it off to people, seeking their praise or some other vanity. Thus this person is seeking to be glorified or praised or hoped for or feared through this action. An example of this would be such as donating a large sum of money in order that people may think the contributor is generous.

Sum’ah is those verbal statements that a person does for the sake of people. Such as someone making ballooned threats just so others would think he is courageous.

Ibn Al-Mubaarak – rahimahullaah – said, “Perhaps a great deed is belittled by an intention. And perhaps a small deed, by a sincere intention, is made great.”

‘Ujb is the cousin of Reyaa’. It is when a person becomes impressed with himself for the ‘great’ deeds that he has done.

This and all the other types are viruses that can kill our actions and turn them against us on the day of Resurrection.

Ya’qoob al-Makfoof – rahimahullah – used to say, “The sincere one is he who hides his good deeds in the same way that he would hide his bad.”

From the Seerah, as Sa’d ibn Waqqaas narrates: … as for Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, (after the conquest of Makkah) while escaping by sea, a terrible storm befell them. The owners of the boat shouted, “At this moment pray to only God and pray sincerely, for your gods cannot avail us in any way through salvation from this storm.” ‘Ikrimah said, “By Allah, if Ikhlaas can only save me on the sea, then on land nothing but it can save me.” (He then raised his hands and pronounced), “O Allah if you save me, you have upon me an oath that I shall not rest until I arrive at Muhammad – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – and place my hand in his.”

He then came to Rasul Allah – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – became Muslim, and was later martyred in Jihaad.

Part II

Sincerity is a topic that is not only key to Islam, but it is also a subject that the Kuffaar and philosophers have pondered for centuries. The English have a saying that goes to the effect of: To hunt with the lantern of Diogenes.
Diogenes was a Cynic Greek philosopher who lived about 320 years before Prophet Eesa – alayhis salam. He believed there was no sincerity – no Ikhlaas – in any human being. To vividly prove his point, he was said to have gone about the streeets of Corinth in broad daylight with a lighted lantern looking for a sincere man. From here the English coined the term To hunt with the lantern of Diogenes when speaking of a group of people whose sincerity is extremely absent.

Indeed insincerity in our actions is something very dangerous and can lead a person to ruin. Ibn Masood – radi Allahu ‘anhu – would advise his students, “If your intention is one of these three, do not seek knowledge: To shame the ignorant, or to argue with the Fuqahaa’, or to cause people to turn their faces in your direction. Intend with your actions and words that which is with Allah, for indeed that which is with Allah shall remain and everything else shall perish.”

In conclusion, Ibn Al-Qayyim – rahimahullaah – said, “Deeds without sincerity are like a traveler who carries in his water-jug dirt. The carrying of it burdens him and it brings no benefit.”

May Allah ta’ala make us all from those whose deeds are done in accordance with the Sunnah, deeds that are done sincerely for the sake of Allah

As Allah swt says in the Quran Sharif in Sura Ar-Ra’d:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ

اللَّهِ أَلا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ013.028

Allatheena amanoo watatma-innu quloobuhum bithikri Allahi ala bithikri Allahi tatma-innu alquloobu

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.

And in a hadith reported by Muslim sahih hadith and narrated by Uqbar ibn Amir:

We were entrusted with the task of tending the camels. During my turn, when I came back in the evening after grazing them in the pastures, I found Allah’s Apostle peace be upon him standing and addressing the people. I heard these words of his: “If any Muslim performs ablution well, then stands and prays two rak’ahs thinking about them with his heart as well as his face, Paradise will be guaranteed for him.”

And in an other hadith Abdullah Ibn Abbas reports that

“He saw saw Allah swt with his heart”

The heart the core of our personality is the storage place for knowledge and wisdom, and it can guide us along the path towards God’s pleasure.

The heart however can be afflicted by disease that causes it to be preoccupied by the love of life and lust rather than the love of Allah. Each and every one of us needs to inspect his heart carefully to diagnose any affliction, and search for cures.

لا جَرَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ

مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ016.023

La jarama anna Allaha y’’alamu ma yusirroona wama yu’Alinoona innahu la yuhibbu almustakbireena

Undoubtedly Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal: truly He loves not the arrogant.

And arrogance is but only one of these diseases that afflict the heart.

To clear our hearts of any afflictions we need two things:

l. Ask for God’s guidance – Everytime we pray we repeat the ayat In Surah Al Fatiha, “Ihdi nas sir’at al-mustaqeem,” “show us the straight path”. If we have sincerity in our heart and really request it this is the key to God’s acceptance of our request and, insha’allah granting it. Remember the hadith I spoke of just now said that we should be performing the rakahs not with our bodies but “thinking about them with your heart” this is an important message for us to heed it is a great blessing from Allah swt

2.Exert the effort to identify the ailments the diagnosis and the effort to avoid the deeds and sins that fill the heart with impurities the curse.

For it is narrated by An Numan bin Bashir that Rasul Allah SAW said:

Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled the whole body gets spoiled, and that is the heart.

Amongst these ailments that spoil the heart are: Anger rage, Envy, Stinginess, Ostentation, Love of position and power, Arrogance. We have to look at our intention in every act and struggle with our nafs to be clear of these ailments of the heart when we set out to do anything. When we set out for the day.

To understand the meanings of a deed we have to understand the intention that it was performed under:

Rasul Allah SAW said that “actions are known by their intentions” and those “intentions determine the nature and the reward or punishment that comes from a person’s deeds”

Intentions reside in the heart and are the sole determinant of the worth of one’s deeds – the same act can be judged as a sin or a good deed depending on intention.

If a person attempts murder and shoots at someone with the idea of killing them but misses it is as though he had killed that person, because he set out with that intention. However his crime would be judged by the secular authorities, in the end Allah SWT knew what intention was in his heart and would judge according to that intention. We cannot know what is in another person’s heart but Allah SWT knows all and sees all, even what we attempt to hide. So we must be aware of our intentions at every moment.

If a person were to decide to commit adultery but he or she repents before this happens and then refrains then the intention of the repentence is greater then the original because the person was able to turn back from that course. And it is reported in Bukhari and Muslim that Rasul Allah SAW said “He who is inclined towards an evil deed but does not carry it out is rewarded by Allah for one full measure of good deed.”

But in the same case if same person, just about to commit adultery, is interrupted from doing so. – and does not actually commit the sin, because he was prevented from doing so by an external factor, not out of any fear of Allah SWT. Therefore he has still earned himself a sin, as if he had actually completed his sinful deed, because the intention was never repented, just the act was never completed and Allah SWT knows best what is in our hearts.

Part 2

With Ramadhan coming up soon, insha’allah, we should begin to think about our intentions and our emotions and how we deal with them in our lives.

Anger/Rage – A minimum level of anger should exist to protect oneself and belongings, this anger should however be tempered. And our intention should always be moderate it.

A modest level of anger is acceptable in matters related to religion.

To succeed in moderating anger one should always be reminded of two points:

Train ourselves not to get too attached to worldly possessions and keep our necessities to a minimum.

Remember that Allah SWT is the boss. i.e. his will dominates. E.g. if you wanted a certain job, but was not successful, remember that this is God’s will and there must be a good reason for that, though it might not be obvious to you at the time, in any time frame, we only see a small part of a bigger picture.

If we do get anger we can moderate this anger physically by following the Rasul Allah’s advice SAW as narrated in Al Tirmithi & Al Bukhari:

If one feels anger becoming him he/she should:

If standing – sit down

If sitting – lie down

If lying – make abolution or have a shower

When anger afflicts a person, he/she tend to move forward – by supressing this motion you curb the anger.

We must remember to have Taqwa for Allah (SWT) at all times, to remember and to do justly to others.

وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ

وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ

وَالأرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ003.133

Wasari’Aoo ila maghfiratin min rabbikum wajannatin ‘Aarduha alssamawatu waal-ardu o’Aiddat lilmuttaqeena

Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that of the whole of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for those who are conscious of Allah (SWT),-

الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ

وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ

عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ003.134

Allatheena yunfiqoona fee alssarra-i waalddarra-i waalka{th}imeena alghay{th}a waal’Aafeena ‘Aani alnnasi waAllahu yuhibbu almuhsineena

Those who spend freely, whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon all men, for Allah loves those who do good;-

Sayeed Ali Ibn Abu Talib asked a slave for warm water to wash his hands. The slave, who was young and inexperienced, poured boiling water onto his hands which burnt them. He got very angry and was about to strike the slave when he was reminded him of that ayat and said:

Those who restrain anger – I have restrained my anger

And pardon men – I have pardoned you

For God loves them who do good – go – I have granted you your freedom.

The Rasul Allah (SAW) said: “One who, in spite of having the ability to avenge, controls his anger, will be singled out, and called by Allah (SWT), over and above the multitude on the Day of Judgement …” Al-Boukhari

In another hadith a Bedouin came to Rasul Allah (SAW) from the desert and asked Rasul Allah (SAW) for advice on what it means to be a good Muslim. He was known for his hastiness and his anger and Rasul Allah (SAW) said “Do not be overpowered by anger”, the man repeated that three times and the prophet’s answer was the same each of the three times. Al Boukhari

Lastly we have a hadith which narrates the story of Abu Baker who was being insulted by a man – he kept quiet until he could no longer take it and finally answered back in anger.

At that moment Rasul Allah (SAW) left and when he was asked why he left he said: “When you were silent the angels answered on your behalf, but when you started answering the angels left and Satan came and I could not sit in the same place as Satan.”

Islam does not advocate turning the other cheek, but it strongly advocates the control of tempers and the cleansing the heart of anger.

So my fellow muslims I remind myself and you with the following advice:

Always look into your heart and inspect your real intention before performing an act.

May God help us restrain our anger and pardon people.

May God help us do good and be charitable.

May God help us forgive and overlook