Sincerity in Islam
In Islam, sincerity is crucial for any good action and form of worship we perform. We need sincerity with any act of worship we do. Although sincerity cannot be outwardly shown when we worship Allah, we can create a sense of sincerity through our intentions.
رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” إِنَّ الدِّينَ النَّصِيحَةُ إِنَّ الدِّينَ النَّصِيحَةُ إِنَّ الدِّينَ النَّصِيحَةُ ” . قَالُوا لِمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ” لِلَّهِ وَلِكِتَابِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ ”
“Religion is sincerity, religion is sincerity (Al-Nasihah), religion is sincerity.” They said; “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the imams of the Muslims and to their common folk.”
Renewing your intention
Sincerity, just like intention, is important 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, and morals and manners. Being sincere involves attaining faith the way Allah wants us to, which entails sincerity in faith, intention, and fear of Allah’s punishment.
قَالَ ٱللَّهُ “هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ۚ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌۭ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًۭا ۚ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ”Allah will declare, “This is the Day when ˹only˺ the faithful will benefit from their faithfulness. Theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the ultimate triumph.”
Sincerity is not something you show off or convince yourself of. Instead, sincerity occurs when a good deed becomes available by the will of Allah, and you attain this reward with an action supported by sincere intentions. For example, a simple action could be noticing litter on the train, picking it up, and disposing of it properly in the bin. Allah rewards these simple yet great deeds. Moreover, your happiness in life lies in your sincerity regarding actions and your desire to fulfill rewarding deeds.
Moreover, if a person is sincere towards Allah in all their affairs, Allah will give them more than He gives to others. This sincerity stems from a true love of Allah and true trust in Him. Therefore, the most sincere people are those who love Allah the most and place their utmost trust in Him.
وَٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ
And the one who has brought the truth and those who embrace it—it is they who are the righteous.Qur’an
May Allah make us all sincere in our faith and actions. Sincerity is the essence of true worship and the key to gaining Allah’s pleasure. Let us strive to purify our intentions and renew our sincerity constantly.