Islam as the religion which brings peace and blessing has persuaded us to promote sincerity. Sincerity just like the intention is important in Islam, with every action and form of worship, it is key that you are sincere. There are three types of sincerity faith and belief, acts of obedience, morals, and manners. Being sincere involves attaining faith the way that Allah wants us to, which entails sincerity in faith, intention, and fear of the punishment of Allah. Allah says:
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاء وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ
“And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer, and to practice regular charity, and that is the Religion Right and Straight.” (Qur’an, 98:5)
Sincerity is a crucial element of repentance and salvation in Islam. Muslims are primarily encouraged to practice sincerity in their relationships with God, as well as to be honest in relationships with one another. Sincerity before God is associated with faithfulness in Islam. It is one of the most important criteria God uses to judge the state of an individual’s heart. Sincerity forgives your sins because it completes your deeds and prayers. Allah says:
وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِن رِّزْقٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ آيَاتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
“In the changing of night and day and in what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and in His directing the winds are signs for people who reason.” (Surat Al-Jathiya 45:5)
Sincerity enlightens our souls. It prevents us from being disappointed. Imagine, when we do something and put our tremendous effort for other than Allah, like human beings. With any good action that we do sincerity is important, especially in Islam, any form of worship that we do, we need sincerity. Sincerity cannot be shown when we worship Allah, but through our intentions, we can create a sense of sincerity. Allah says: Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ
“Verily, those who had faith and had done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is a great achievement.” (Surat Al-Buruj 85:11)
Sincerity forgives your sins because it completes your deeds and prayers. Satans will not cease tempting us till the end of time. Therefore, we need to protect our deeds from being spoiled by them. In order to cease them doing so, we need to wholeheartedly put our sincerity in faith and action.
Here are some ways the Importance of Sincerity:
- Sincerity protects us from the obstacles of life
- Sincerity surrounds you with goodness
- Sincerity challenges you to be patient
- Sincerity is the right path to heaven
- Sincerity challenges your Faith
- Sincerity increases our reward
- Sincerity completes our Faith
- Sincerity forgives your sins
- You shall meet Allah
- Don’t perform Ri’yaa
- Don’t Seek other benefits
- Love for himself of goodness
- The intention is very important
- Don’t forget the teaching of Islam
- Avoiding disappointment is Good
- No one has true and complete faith
- Let’s protect ourselves from satans
- Believers must continue virtues of faith
- Believers encourage to reconcile relations
- The purpose of our creation is to worship Allah
Seeking no benefit while we commit to doing deeds means that we need to avoid looking for something beneficial at the same time. To make it easier to understand, here is the example. Satans will not cease tempting us till the end of time. Therefore, we need to protect our deeds from being spoiled by them. In order to cease them doing so, we need to wholeheartedly put our sincerity in faith and action. Allah says:
رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ۚ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا
“He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, so worship Him and have patience in His worship. Do you know of anything similar to Him?” (Surat Maryam 19:65)
We as his greatest creations should realize how important it is to worship him as an act of our gratitude. However, worshipping Allah as an act of devoutness can’t be done carelessly. The acceptable deeds are gained when we do worship him sincerely for the sake of Allah. Because when we do that as the form of pleasing others, it has no spiritual benefit. So, it is important to concern more on the intention.
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- “If you disclose your Sadaqat (almsgiving), it is well: but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you. (Allah) will expiate you some of your sins.” (Surah Al-Baqara:271)
- “Say: O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 39:53)
- “…And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little…” (Surah An-Nisa: 142)
- “And they have ordained nought else than to serve The Almighty, keeping religion pure for him, and man by nature upright and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is the true religion.” (Qur’an 98:5)
- “Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.” (6:162)
- “Their flesh and their blood reach not Almighty, but the devotion from you reacheth Him.” (Qur’an 22:37)
- “Say (O Mohammed): Whether ye hide that which is in your breast or reveal it, Almighty knoweth it.”(Qur’an 3:30)
- “We are feeding you for the sake of Allah. We do not expect from you any compensation or thanks” (Q 76:9)
- “…And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men…” (Surah Al-Anfal:47)
However, worshipping Allah as an act of devoutness can’t be done carelessly. The acceptable deeds are gained when we do worship him sincerely for the sake of Allah. Because when we do that as the form of pleasing others, it has no spiritual benefit. However, if the intention doesn’t have any sincerity for Allah, then it will be wasted. Allah says:
لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ أَوْ قَالَ لِجَارِهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ
“None of you has faith until he loves for his brother or his neighbour what he loves for himself.” (Sahih Muslim 45)
Actually, it is very difficult to be sincere. No matter how understanding we are, sometimes it is difficult to be wholehearted helping or forgiving other people. It is so common to fool ourselves, trying to let go of things that bother us. It is also difficult to believe in insincerity. Sincerity may demand to suffer, but we must put our faith in believing that it only tests us to grow better and better as a person and believer of Allah. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
“We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” (Qur’an, 29:3)
Sincerity forgives your sins because it completes your deeds and prayers. The Qur’an promises forgiveness for those who commit to doing anything sincerely. Allah himself love all his creatures and promised not to disappoint them. None of the people in this world has such a great ability to pay back our devoutness except Allah. We as his greatest creations should realize how important it is to worship him as an act of our gratitude. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
“We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” (Qur’an, 29:3)
Actually, it is very difficult to be sincere. No matter how understanding we are, sometimes it is difficult to be wholehearted helping or forgiving other people. It is so common to fool ourselves, trying to let go of things that bother us. It is also difficult to believe in insincerity. Sincerity may demand to suffer, but we must put our faith in believing that it only tests us to grow better and better as a person and believer of Allah. Allah says:
فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ اسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“So the angels prostrated, all of them entirely, except Iblees for he was arrogant and was among the unbelievers.” (Surat Sad 38:73)
Sincerity enlightens our souls. It prevents us from being disappointed. Imagine, when we do something and put our tremendous effort for other than Allah, like human beings for example. The probability of them disappointing us is high because they are just temporal creatures. It is different from doing something because of Allah. Allah himself love all his creatures and promised not to disappoint them. None of the people in this world has such a great ability to pay back our devoutness except Allah.
