Doing things out of ones own free will tells as to the measure of intention one possesses. In this there is sincerity (ikhlas) in the action. Sincerity is the key to the acceptance of all deeds. A person whose deeds are accepted by Allah (SWT), however trivial they may be, is a sincere person and one whose deeds, in spite of being plentiful is rejected by Allah (SWT), is not of the sincere ones.
Sincerity stands for purifying one's deeds from blemishes of ostentation in order to make them purely intended to Allah (SWT). A sincere person strives to purify his soul from vices and exerts himself to perform (good) deeds and maintain (sincerity of) intention so that Allah (SWT) accepts his deeds. Allah (SWT), the wise, has said in the noble Qur’an:
It is related that a man said: "For thirty years, I used to offer my prayers collectively in the mosque in the first row. One day, I was late because of something and I had to join the second row. As soon as I stopped, I felt embarrassed. Only then, I discovered that my previous prayers had been my source of pleasure."
The level of intention, knowledge and deeds is related to spiritual purification and refinement, and if a sincere person were to pay due attention to his inner self, he would come to perceive the true concept of Unity of God (Tawheed). The lowest degree of sincerity is when a person exerts himself to the best of his ability, neither anticipating rewards for his deeds nor attaching any importance to them.
Sincerity Quote: The measure of Sincerity of a person is his devotion towards Allah (SWT). A person not Sincere to his creator can never be faithful to people.
Indeed, sincerity to Allah(SWT) cannot be accomplished without knowledge. Knowledge is the first step for building character and personality. When a Muslim acquires knowledge, he become capable to recognize how he should be devoted to Allah(SWT).
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Dr. Salah Sultan, President of Islamic American University (IAU) and professor of Islamic Jurisprudence Cairo University, state the following:
“sincerity is achieved when Muslim brothers or sisters have the intention to please Allah Almighty in all their endeavors whether in speech or action. The Muslim seeks generous reward from Allah Almighty without considering any other motives. He or she does not try to gain worldly favors in terms of self promotion or personal interests. In this way, the Muslim will always serve the Islamic faith and thought, rather than being subservient to short term benefits”.
Hence, sincerity is the first key that opens the heart to receive the Mercy of Allah Almighty. In fact, the acceptance of one’s deeds depends on one’s purity of intention, which in turn depends on the level of sincerity in one’s heart. With sincerity, a person can attain the highest ranks in the Sight of Allah Almighty, make the most of his/her deeds, and even be rewarded for righteous deeds that he or she was not able to perform.
Allah Almighty has set forth Ibrahim(AS),Ishaq(AS) and Yaqub(AS) as examples for true believers, as in the following:
Otherwise, if one sullies his deeds done to acquire god’s assent, by letting worldly ambitious interfere and invalidates them, instead of aiming to acquire sincerity, then he will certainly be acting immorally. This person may strive day and night and consider himself guided on the straight path of morality.However, he will not be among those who turn to God purely, as he does not strive acquire sincerity.Surah al-Kahf puts forth the example of such losers as follows:
Allah Almighty say: “shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions? People whose efforts in the life of this world are misguided while they suppose that they are doing good” The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 18, Verses 103-104.
However, when he looks back upon his life, he will realize that there is nothing left to indicate that he had spent those years in this world. Neither the people whose consent he strove to acquire, nor the worldly goals he pursued, nor his arrogance, nor the devil that deceived him to damage his sincerity, will stand by him. He will stand in God’s presence alone and unaided, as he failed to turn to Him with a pure heart, and had harmed his sincerity by combining his faith, service, and worship with other impurities.
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