Fundamental principles in Islam

IN the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Islam, as a religion, is a complete way of life. In Islam, we must always practice our faith with sincerity (al-ikhlas), honesty (al-sidq), and goodwill (al-nasihah). Each of these virtues includes a vertical dimension (in relation to Allah) and a horizontal dimension (in relation to other people); they tell us how to behave with Allah and how to behave with others. Virtues in Islam such as these act as guiding principles in all of our affairs, from our mundane daily interactions to the conduct of nations and everything in between. They are meant to be in the front of our minds at all times, to be considered in all of our decisions. In this article, we will explicate the meaning of these virtues according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, with an aim to uncover their relevance for us in this life and in the Hereafter.

The first deed a Muslim must do to make good his or her Islam is to purify his or her intention (al-niyah) in worship and religious deeds. We should act sincerely for the sake of Allah and dedicate our deeds to no other, whether by way of idolatry (al-shirk), hypocrisy (al-nifaq), or ostentation (al-riya’).

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Verily, deeds are only by intentions. Verily, every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, then his emigration is for whatever he emigrated for.” Al-Bukhari. Right intention, which is sincerity, is the foundation of everything else we do in Islam.

Every act of worship, charity, or any good deed will be judged by the intention behind it. Allah knows the true and secret inner-motives of all deeds that we do, and these motives will be made known on the Day of Resurrection.

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Verily, the people will be raised for judgment only according to their intentions.”

We must actively cultivate the virtue of sincerity in our worship and deeds, as it is the first blessed step on the straight path towards eternal life in the Hereafter. Abu Sulayman, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Blessed is he who takes a single step desiring nothing but Allah Almighty.” In truth, Allah has commanded us to make our worship sincere for His sake alone. Sincerity is the obligatory prerequisite for the acceptance of any righteous deed, not merely an encouraged virtue.

Allah says: “It is We who sent down to you the Scripture to you [O Muhammad] with in Truth, so worship Allah with your total devotion: true devotion is due to Allah alone.” Surat al-Zumar, 39:2-3. He also says: “[Yet] those who were given the Scripture became divided only after they were sent [such] clear evidence, though all they are ordered to do is worship Allah alone, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of true faith, keep up the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, for that is the true religion.” Surat al-Bayyinah 98:4-5.

All of the prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, were sincere to Allah when they delivered the divine revelations to their peoples. They are the exemplars of the highest standards of inward and outward righteousness that we must strive to emulate.

Allah says: “Remember Our servants Ibrahim, Isaaq and Yaqub, all men of strength and vision. We caused them to be devoted to Us through their sincere remembrance of the Final Home: with Us they will be among the elect, the truly good.” Surat Sad, 38:45-47. He says: “Say, ‘My Lord commands righteousness. Direct your worship straight to Him wherever you pray; call on Him; devote your religion entirely to Him. Just as He first created you, so you will come back [to life] again.’” Surat al-A’raf, 7:29. He also says: “Say, ‘I have been commanded to serve Allah, dedicating my worship entirely to Him.’” Surat al-Zumar, 39:11.

Allah says: “So call upon Allah and dedicate your religion to Him alone, however hateful this may be to the disbelievers.” Surat Ghafir, 40:14. He says: “He is the Living One and there is no God but Him, so call on Him, and dedicate your religion entirely to Him. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.” Surat Ghafir, 40:65.

Hypocrisy, by contrast, is to perform acts of worship and good deeds for some ulterior or worldly motive. The vice of hypocrisy is one of the terrible sins of the heart that leads to Hellfire. The only way to repent from hypocrisy is to renew sincerity in the innermost depths of our hearts.

Allah says: “The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell, and you will find no one to help them. Not so those who repent, mend their ways, hold fast to Allah, and devote their religion entirely to Him: these will be joined with the believers, and Allah will give the believers a mighty reward.” Surat al-Nisa’, 4:145-146.

Acts of worship and good deeds done in idolatry or hypocrisy, to show off for people, or to gain some worldly advantage, will be worthless on the Day of Resurrection. These fruitless deeds will be scattered like dust, leaving nothing behind but sins to be judged and punished.

Allah says: “And We shall turn to the deeds they have done and scatter them like dust.” Surat al-Furqan, 25:23.

Deeds might be good outwardly, but they will amount to nothing without corresponding inward righteousness. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, once said, “O Messenger of Allah, in the time of ignorance the son of Jud’an would maintain family ties and feed the poor. Will it benefit him?” The Prophet (SAW) said, “It will not benefit him. Verily, he never said even for one day: My Lord, forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment.”

And the Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily, Allah does not accept any good deeds unless they are done sincerely and in pursuit of his countenance.”

Provoking idolatry, hypocrisy, and ostentation are the main lines of attack that Iblees (Satan) uses against human beings. In fact, every person will fall into these sins unless they consciously renew the sincerity of their intentions.

Allah says: “Iblis [Satan] then said to Allah, ‘Because You have put me in the wrong, I will lure mankind on earth and put them in the wrong, all except Your devoted servants.’” Surat al-Ḥijr, 15:39-40.

In other words, no one is safe from Satan unless their intentions are sincere. Hence, the servant is not freed from Satan except by sincerity.

Moreover, sincerity is the essential quality that guards our hearts and protects us from the delusions of malice or the treachery of evil spiritual forces.

The Prophet (SAW) said: There are three traits by which the heart of a Muslim will not be deceived (or consumed by hatred): sincere deeds for Allah, offering goodwill to the leaders of the Muslims, and keeping to their community.

The phrase “by which the heart of a Muslim will not be deceived” means that his or her heart will not be penetrated by malice (al-hiqd) or treachery (al-khiyanah).

Thus, one is in danger of falling into such destructive vices and traps without the protection offered by the virtues of sincerity to Allah and goodwill to people. A sincere Muslim is not full of hatred and malice towards humanity; any expressions of ill will towards others is a warning sign of deficient faith.

Ultimately, the virtue of sincerity is the key to Paradise and salvation from the Hellfire. On one occasion, a man accused another Muslim of hypocrisy in the presence of the Prophet, and the Prophet (SAW) said, “Do you not agree that he says there is no God but Allah in pursuit thereby of the countenance of Allah?” The man said, “Of course.” The Prophet said, “Verily, a servant is not brought to the Day of Resurrection saying so but that Allah will forbid him from entering the Hellfire.”

Yet it is not simply the outward words of faith that make the difference between eternal salvation and damnation; the difference is the purity of heart within the person who says them, for even hypocrites use righteous words. As Ibn Mu’adh, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Sincerity distinguishes good deeds from sins just as milk is distinguished from filth and blood.”

Sincerity may even save a person from making serious errors in faith and creed, so long as those errors are honest mistakes.

The Prophet (SAW) said: “A man had indulged himself in sin, so when death approached, he enjoined his sons, saying: When I die, you should burn me, pulverize me, and scatter me to the winds over the sea. By Allah, if Allah is capable, he will punish me in such a way as he has not punished anyone else’. So, they did that to him and when he stood before his Lord, Allah said to him: ‘What compelled you to do what you did?’ The man said: ‘Fear and awe of you, O Lord’. Thus, Allah forgave him due to that.”

Even though it is, in reality, an act of unbelief to imagine Allah is incapable of resurrecting the dead, the sincerity in the man’s righteous fear was far more important. Ibn al-Qayyim comments on this hadith, saying, “Despite this [error in creed], Allah forgave him and had mercy upon him due to his ignorance. He had acted according to the knowledge that reached him, and he did not renounce the power of Allah out of repeated stubbornness or denial.”

Sincerity must be the overriding virtue and Allah forgives the honest mistakes of his servants, as every deed is judged first by its intention. Even so, the believers must also do their best due diligence to act right in every situation. Allah judges the whole of the human being, their inward states as well as their outward actions. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather he looks at your hearts and actions.” As a result, we must complement our sincerity with the good conduct that should necessarily follow it.

Only by sincerity in worship and charitable deeds, fulfilling both the rights of Allah and the rights of people especially the weakest and most vulnerable groups of people will be granted the support of Allah in our religion and our societies. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Verily, Allah only supports this nation due to their weak, their supplications, their prayers, and their sincerity.”

If we are performing religious devotions by day and transgressing the rights of others by night, then our worship is not truly sincere. Sincere prayers must result in good deeds towards others, or at least a restraint on our evil impulses.

Allah says: “Keep up the prayer: prayer restrains outrageous and unacceptable behavior. Remembering Allah is greater: Allah knows everything you are doing.” Surat al-‘Ankabut, 29:45.

Likewise, a man once came to the Prophet (SAW) and he said, “A person prays in the night, but he steals in the morning.” The Prophet said, “Verily, what you say [about the prayer] should stop him.”

Such transgressions against the rights of people while regular outward devotions to Allah are performed reflect a lack of sincerity and a weakness of true faith. Muslims who fail to actualize sincerity in their deeds towards others will be, in reality, completely bankrupt on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (SAW) once said to his companions, “Do you know who is bankrupt?” They said, “The one without money or goods is bankrupt.” The Prophet said:

Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and charity, but also with insults, slander, consuming wealth, shedding blood, and beating others. The oppressed will each be given from his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.

Such people are truly bankrupt because their good deeds, even if they were done for the sake of Allah, were otherwise cancelled out by their sins against others. As the Prophet (SAW) said:

A person might fast and he gets nothing from his fast but hunger. A person might pray at night but he gets nothing from his prayer but sleeplessness.

For this reason, the scholars said these two conditions are required for the acceptance of any good deed: sincerity and conformity to the prophetic way (Sunnah).

Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Allah purifies good deeds and makes them correct. Indeed, if deeds are sincere and incorrect, they will not be accepted. If deeds are correct and insincere, they will not be accepted. Rather, they are only accepted if they are both sincere and correct. Sincere means they are done for Allah alone and correct means they are done according to the Sunnah.” Then Fudayl recited the verse, “Anyone who fears to meet his Lord should do good deeds and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord.”

The heart and the mind should work together, with sincerity to Allah guiding the use of reason. Al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Verily, Allah has servants who use their minds. When they reason, they act. When they act, they are sincere. Sincerity calls them to all of the gates of righteousness.”

Reason is certainly important but, like other virtues, it is empty without sincerity.

The importance of inward and outward righteousness is perhaps most apparent when the need arises to strive in the cause of Allah (SWT) – (al-jihād). Any striving actions in the cause of Allah (SWT) that Muslims undertake must fulfill the conditions of biding principles laid down by the Prophet (SAW) and practiced by his companions.

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Expeditions are of two kinds. As for one who seeks the countenance of Allah, obeys the leader, spends in charity from his precious possessions, shows leniency to his colleagues, and avoids corruption, then the entirety of his sleep and vigilance are rewarded. As for one who strive in the cause of Allah (SWT) out of pride, showing off, and seeking a reputation, who disobeys the leader and commits corruption in the land, then he will return with nothing of importance.”

If Muslims strive in the cause of Allah (SWT) out of zealotry, pride, anger, to gain spoils, or if they transgress the strict laws of Jihad, then they will have no reward in the Hereafter for their efforts. A man once came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, a man intends to fight for the sake of Allah and he is seeking worldly gains.” The Prophet said, “There is no reward for him.” The people found that very difficult and they said, “Return to the Messenger of Allah, for perhaps he did not understand you.” The man returned and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, a man intends to fight for the sake of Allah and he is seeking worldly gains.” The Prophet said, “There is no reward for him.” The man returned a third time and the Prophet said, “There is no reward for him.”

In lieu of the above, it is not permissible for Muslims to have their intentions divided in the conduct of deeds that should only be done for the sake of Allah. Having a split intention in worship or charitable deeds is, in fact, a form of sharing partners (al-ishrak) with Allah (SWT).

The Prophet (SAW) said:

Allah (SWT) Almighty says: “Verily, I have no need of any partners. Whoever performs a deed in which he associates another besides me, I will abandon him and his partner.”

And the Prophet (SAW) said: “When Allah (SWT) gathers the people on the Day of Resurrection, a day of which there is no doubt, an announcement will be made: To those who shared with anyone in deeds done for Allah (SWT), then let him seek his reward from those besides Allah. Verily, Allah is free of any partners.”

He àlso said: “O people! Make your deeds sincere for Allah Almighty. Verily, Allah does not accept any deed unless it is done sincerely for him. Do not say: This is for the sake of Allah and this is for the sake of my relatives. Verily, it was done for your relatives and none of it was for Allah. And do not say: This is for the sake of Allah and for your sake. Verily, it was done for their sake and none of it was for Allah.”

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Give glad tidings to this nation of honor, victory, and stability. Yet, whoever does a deed of the Hereafter for the sake of the world, then he will have no portion of it in the Hereafter.”

And Abū al-‘Aliyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The companions of Muhammad (SAW) said to me: Do not do a good deed for anyone besides Allah, for Allah will leave you in the charge of the one for whom you did it.”

This prohibited split intention (when it involves doing an act of worship for something else besides Allah).

If a deed is done for the sake of a false God, that is the greater idolatry (al-shirk al-akbar) which removes a Muslim from the fold of Islam entirely. However, if a good deed is done to show off for people, what is known as ostentation, then this is the lesser idolatry (al-shirk al-asghar); though a tremendous sin, but that one does not expel Muslims from Islam. In order for a believer to be purely sincere, he or she must avoid both the greater and lesser forms of idolatry. Sa’id ibn Jubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Sincerity is not to associate partners with Allah in one’s religion and not to display ostentation in good deeds to anyone.”

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