IKHLAS - SINCERITY by Dr Ismail Mangera, Mujaz-e-Bayat of Shaykh
Maseehullah Khan Sahab:
There appears to be quite a lot of confusion still concerning the important
topic of IKHLAS - SINCERITY. This stems mainly from the English meaning of the
words "sincere" and "hypocrisy".
What do these words mean? The Concise Oxford Dictionary has the following:
"sincere: 1 free from pretence or deceit; the same in reality as
in appearance. 2 genuine, honest, frank.
"hypocrisy: 1 the assumption or postulation of moral standards to
which ones own behavior does not conform; dissimulation; pretence."
The underlined words are the commonly understood meanings of these words. To
most people this means that if your heart is not in the task you are performing,
then you are insincere. If you are pretending, then you are a hypocrite. This is
not the meaning that the Deen Al Islam gives to the term IKHLAS - SINCERITY.
Before explaining what IKHLAS - SINCERITY really is, let us give some examples
of "sincerity" and "hypocrisy" as is understood by westerners, namely that your
heart must be in the task you are performing, and you must not pretend.
Let us take an example: A gang is planning to rob a bank. They are all
enthusiastic about it. One person is not keen on the idea. His heart is not in
carrying out the robbery, but he joins the gang just the same because he does
not want to displease the other gang members. Because he is pretending to be in
favor, HE IS A HYPOCRITE, and because the others are heart and soul in favor of
the robbery, THEY ARE SINCERE, according to the western concept as mentioned
above.
Anybody can see how ludicrous this is.
So, what is the Islamic definition of IKHLAS - SINCERITY. It is the
following: To carry out an action or deed, solely for the pleasure of Allah Tala
and not to please the creation. Yes, if the creation - a parent, an Teacher,
etc. - gives an instruction that is accordance with the Shariah (Islamic Law),
then this will be considered to be the wish of Allah Tala also. Let us take an
example: A person is performing Salah (Prayer), but he is forcing himself. He
does not want to perform Salah (Prayer), but he realizes that this is what is
expected from him as a Muslim, so he performs Salah (Prayer), even though his
heart is not in it. This person has IKHLAS - SINCERITY. He is doing it for the
pleasure of Allah Tala. It may be that his teacher or his parent may have
instructed him, still this is IKHLAS - SINCERITY. because the awe and respect
for the Law of Allah Tala is the motivation by the parent or Teacher. Let us
take another example: A person sees his friend coming along towards him. He
rushes forward and warmly greets him with "Assalámo-alaikum wa-rahmatulláh."
There is no doubt about this action: This is what the Shariah (Islamic Law)
teaches and one would say that he is sincere and that he hasIKHLAS - SINCERITY.
But, let us take another person: he sees a person coming along from the opposite
direction. He had a nasty experience with this person a couple of days ago.
Through no fault of his, this other person swore at him and was about to hit
him, were it not that others stopped him. His initial reaction is to cross the
street and make it obvious that he does not want to meet him. On giving it a
second thought, he tells himself that he should not hold a grudge against a
fellow Muslim and the Shariah (Islamic Law) tells us that we should not be cross
with another Muslim for more than three days. So, much against his will, with an
avalanche of nasty thoughts about this person assailing his mind, he forces
himself not to change his route and is the first to greet him with a forced
smile on his face, "Assalámo-alaikum wa-rahmatulláh." Is he sincere or is he a
hypocrite..?
Think about it...
Our Elders, Scholars, and Saints say that not only is this IKHLAS - SINCERITY
but he will be receiving more reaward than the first person. The reasons given
are as follows:
1) He has removed the grudge in his heart for the other person.
2) He has followed the Shariah (Islamic Law) in speaking to him before the three
days are up.
3) He was the first to make Salam Just for this he gets a double reward - one
for making the Salam and another reward for going against his nafs (desire) in
initiating the salam.
4) He does not allow a flicker of rancor to show on his face.
"But," you may ask, "what about those nasty thoughts that went through his
mind?" The answer is: Uninvited thoughts, no matter how nasty, are from Satan
and are called wisáwis (sing. waswasah). One is not accountable for these
thoughts as long as one does not harbor these thoughts. These thoughts are to be
ignored.
You may also argue, "Well. Making a pretence makes him a hypocrite."
The answer that the mashaikh give is the following: In performing any good
action, do not stop it because you feel you are insincere. Inshá-Alláh Ta'álá,
insincerity will go on to form a habit, and habit will then lead one to pure
IKHLAS - SINCERITY.
Inshá-Alláh Ta'álá, it is hoped that the above will remove the doubts in
peoples minds concerning IKHLAS - SINCERITY.
Anecdotes
The anecdotes concerning IKHLAS - SINCERITY are innumerable. Noting down just
two anecdotes, both have a special twist to them!
Anecdote One:
On an extremely cold day, the entire wilderness was white with snow and ice.
Hadhrat Zunnun Misrà (¹À¬—ã[»°ny) saw a Jewish monk scattering some
seeds.
Zunnun: "What are you doing?"
Monk: "Today the ground is covered with ice. I am scattering the seeds for the
birds. Perhaps Allah Tala will grant me its rewards."
Zunnun: "The deeds of an alien (i.e. Káfir) are unacceptable in Allah Tala's
Court."
Monk: Be it so. Allah Tala sees what I am doing. This is sufficient for me."
Sometime thereafter, during the days of hajj, Hadhrat Zunnun Misri was
astonished to see the same monk making tawáf of the Ka'bah with considerable
devotion. Looking at Zunnun, the (ex) monk said: "See how rewarding was my
scattering of seeds." Hadhrat Zunnun Misri supplicated: "O Allah! In return for
a few seeds you bestowed this treasure to the Jew who was engrossed in kufr for
40 years." A Voice responded: "I do as I please.'
[Taken from "The Majlis" Vol. 17 no. 02, page 9.]
Anecdote Two
When Hadhrat Musa (Peace be Upon him) was sent to Firâun to invite him to Islam,
Firâun gathered all the magicians to challenge Hadhrat Musa. The leader of the
magicians was very shrewd. He realized that there were only two possibilities:
either they won or they lost. If they won, there would be no problem. But what
if Hadhrat Musa's "magic" was more powerful than theirs? So, he thought up a
strategy: he ordered all the magicians to dress like Hazrat Musa, so that,
should his "magic" defeat theirs, the magicians were instructed to mingle around
him so that the crowds would not make out who it was because of the similarity
of clothing and they would think that it was the magic of one of the magicians
and not that of Hadhrat Musa which won. We know that this plan did not succeed.
The Divine miracle that Hadhrat Musa was endowed with - the staff that turned
into a serpent - devoured all the tricks of the magicians. Not only were the
magicians defeated, but they realized and acknowledged that Hadhrat Musa a
Prophet of Allah Tala and they accepted his call to Islam.
Hadhrat Musa was overjoyed, but there was something troubling him. When he spoke
to AllÃh Tala, he enquired from AllÃh Talathat the person to whom he was sent,
namely Firâun, did accept Islam, instead the magicians aceepted Islam. What was
the reason for this? Alla Tala explained that He liked their act of imitating
His Nabi in their dressing and this was why He granted them guidance to Islam.
Even though their action in dressing like Hadhrat Musa was a blatant pretence
and an effort at deception, yet AllÃh Tala liked this imitating His Nabi to such
an extent that they were blessed with the gift of Islam.