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Allah created mankind for His worship, and He commanded them to obey Him. Allah set two conditions for the acceptance of deeds, without which deeds are rejected; first, is for the deed to be sincerely performed for the sake of Allah; second, for the deed to be correctly performed, that is, it must conform with the way that the Prophet 
(may Allah exalt his mention) performed it or commanded for it to be performed in a certain manner.
Allah Says (what means): “So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord — let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” [Quran: 18: 110]
Al-Fydhayl Ibn ‘Iyaadh 
commented on the following verse in which Allah Says (what means): “[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed — and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” [Quran: 67: 2] He said defining the best deed: “It is the most sincere which coincides with the Sunnah (way) of the Prophet ”. Thereupon people said: “O Abu ‘Ali! Explain these two matters for us” to which he replied: “If a deed was performed sincerely for the sake of Allah but did not coincide with the Sunnah of the Prophet then it will be rejected. Likewise, if it coincided with the Sunnah of the Prophet but was not sincerely performed for Allah’s sake, then it will also be rejected”. Then he recited the saying of Allah (which means): “So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord — let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” [Quran: 18: 110].
commented on the following verse in which Allah Says (what means): “[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed — and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” [Quran: 67: 2] He said defining the best deed: “It is the most sincere which coincides with the Sunnah (way) of the Prophet ”. Thereupon people said: “O Abu ‘Ali! Explain these two matters for us” to which he replied: “If a deed was performed sincerely for the sake of Allah but did not coincide with the Sunnah of the Prophet then it will be rejected. Likewise, if it coincided with the Sunnah of the Prophet but was not sincerely performed for Allah’s sake, then it will also be rejected”. Then he recited the saying of Allah (which means): “So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord — let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” [Quran: 18: 110].Beloved brothers! Sincerity is the musk of hearts, its living element and is the foundation for success. Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The one who performs a deed without adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet in the method of performing it, and was not sincere in his intention, is like a traveler who filled his bag with sand and carried it during his journey without benefiting from it the least.”
said: “The one who performs a deed without adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet in the method of performing it, and was not sincere in his intention, is like a traveler who filled his bag with sand and carried it during his journey without benefiting from it the least.”It is for this reason that some people will come on the Day of Resurrection having deeds as many as the size of mountains, but it will be of no benefit for them due to them not fulfilling one of its main pillars for acceptance … Sincerity, as Allah Says (what means): “So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord — let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” [Quran: 25: 23].
What is sincerity?
The Muslim scholars have given many different definitions to sincerity, but they all revolve around one meaning, which is, shunning ostentation and showing off. These definitions mean that the slave should be seeking by performing his deeds purely the pleasure of Allah … and only the pleasure of Allah.
Imaam Al-Ghazaali said: “Anything of the pleasures of this worldly life which one finds himself inclined towards, whether little of it or much, whilst performing his deeds, then it will ruin the purity of the deed and destroy his sincerity.”
said: “Anything of the pleasures of this worldly life which one finds himself inclined towards, whether little of it or much, whilst performing his deeds, then it will ruin the purity of the deed and destroy his sincerity.”Sahl At-Tistary said: “The people of wisdom searched for the definition of sincerity and could not find but the following; that ones moves, open affairs and concealed ones should all be done purely for the sake of Allah without mixing any other in intention, whether ones own self, desires or worldly hoped gains.”
said: “The people of wisdom searched for the definition of sincerity and could not find but the following; that ones moves, open affairs and concealed ones should all be done purely for the sake of Allah without mixing any other in intention, whether ones own self, desires or worldly hoped gains.” The difficulty of attaining sincerity:
Undoubtedly, purifying ones intention, freeing one heart from showing off, the wish to be praised by others and other diseases and desires is a difficult task to be accomplished, and therefore, it was said before: “The toughest thing on ones self and ego is maintaining sincerity, because sincerity leave no share for ones self and ego”. It was also said: “Purifying the intention in one deed is more difficult than the performance of all deeds”. One other wise statement regarding sincerity was: “Ones eternal salvation is in maintaining his heart sincere for while (i.e. whilst performing the deed).
Imaam Al-Ghazaali said: “It was said before: `The one who had one moment of sincerity in his life where his deeds were purely done for the sake of Allah, will be rescued. This is due to sincerity being a rare thing amongst people and a tough mission to achieve, as the real sincere deed, is one which was instigated only seeking nearness of Allah`”
said: “It was said before: `The one who had one moment of sincerity in his life where his deeds were purely done for the sake of Allah, will be rescued. This is due to sincerity being a rare thing amongst people and a tough mission to achieve, as the real sincere deed, is one which was instigated only seeking nearness of Allah`”Means that help attaining sincerity:
One of the greatest means of attaining sincerity is when the person glorifies Allah Almighty and firmly bears in mind that his Lord is watching over him and Knows all that he hides in himself; Allah says (what means): “He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal.”
Forgetting that people are watching the person when performing the deed is another means of attaining sincerity. Meaning, that one should not give any weight to people when dealing with his Lord, and thus should only be keen to please his Lord without paying attention to people’s praise or criticism of him.
One other means of attaining sincerity is to conceal the deed; the more the deed is exclusively performed between the slave and his Lord, the more he would be to sincerity. It is for this reason, that many of the Salaf (our righteous predecessors) 
hid their deeds from people out of fear that their intentions would not remain sincere. Some of them went as far as tricking his wife to making her think that he fell asleep, and after she falls asleep, he would get up and pray the optional night prayers.
hid their deeds from people out of fear that their intentions would not remain sincere. Some of them went as far as tricking his wife to making her think that he fell asleep, and after she falls asleep, he would get up and pray the optional night prayers.How sweet are the words of the Prophet when describing the seven types of people whom Allah will give Shade of His Throne on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade, amongst them he mentioned: “... a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up.”
when describing the seven types of people whom Allah will give Shade of His Throne on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade, amongst them he mentioned: “... a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up.”Moreover, exerting extra effort in supplicating Allah to grant the slave sincerity and keep him away from showing off is yet another useful means of attaining sincerity. One comprehensive supplication was taught to us by the Prophet in this regard is the following: O Allah! I seek refuge in You from associating with You while I know, and I ask Your forgiveness from that which I did unintentionally.”
in this regard is the following: O Allah! I seek refuge in You from associating with You while I know, and I ask Your forgiveness from that which I did unintentionally.” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to ask his Lord sincerity saying: “O Allah! Make all my deeds correct (coinciding with the Sunnah) and make them purely for your sake, and do not make any person have any share in them.”
Some virtues of sincerity:
Sincerity has many great virtues and magnificent effects, and the following are some of them:
- Magnifying the deed and increasing its reward: The deed itself may be small, but its reward would increase and it would be magnified due to the person’s sincerity. Allah Says (what means): “And Allah increases in multiples to whomever He wishes” [Quran: 2: 261]. Imaam Ibn Katheer said: “Depending on ones sincerity”. Imaam Ibn Al-Mubaarak said: “Ones intention could magnify a minor deed and could also deem insignificant a great deed”.
- Preserving the heart from deception and spite: The Prophet said: “There are three things that would protect the heart of the believing slave from having spite; sincerity in performing his deeds, advising the leaders in authority, and sticking to the Muslim community.”
- Protecting the Muslim nation and achieving victory: The Prophet said: “This nation is granted victory by virtue of the weak amongst them, by their supplications, prayers and sincerity”
- Protecting the slave from destructive disease; Allah Says (what means): “And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen slaves” [Quran: 12: 24].
- Rescuing the slave during hardships; in the known prophetic narration of the three people who were trapped in the cave and after a huge rock block the exit hole, they supplicated Allah by virtue of their righteous deeds which they performed sincerely for the sake of Allah, and thus Allah released them by moving the rock.
- Guarding the person from Satan; Allah Says (what means): “[Satan] said, `By Your might, I will surely mislead them all. Except, among them, Your chosen slaves. `” [Quran: 38: 82-83].
- Gaining high Ranks: The Prophet said: “It is never that you accomplish a thing for the sake of Allah, but you would gain higher ranking and standing.”
- Winning Paradise: The Prophet said: “He who professes Laa ilaaha illallaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah), sincerely from his heart with enter Paradise”
Finally:
Beloved brother! Know that achieving sincerity is a not an easy thing, and thus it requires struggle against oneself before performing the deed, during its performance and after performing it. This is so, in order to assure it being and remaining purely for the sake of Allah.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The deeds of sincere people are all performed for the sake of Allah alone; their words, actions, giving, withholding, loving and hating is all done purely for the sake of Allah. Their inward and outward conditions are all for Allah, and they do not do anything with the hope of being praised by others and being loved and held in a high rank in people’s eyes or hearts, nor do they do anything in an attempt to avoid people’s criticism. They deal with people as if they are dead and can afflict no harm or bring about any good. Only an ignorant would do something hoping for what he can gain from people, whether status, praise, or honor, because people do not posses what is being sought. The one who really realizes the weight of people and their limited abilities, would give them their due value; while the one who realizes the greatness of Allah would strive to attain sincerity in all the deeds and make them all purely for His sake”.
said: “The deeds of sincere people are all performed for the sake of Allah alone; their words, actions, giving, withholding, loving and hating is all done purely for the sake of Allah. Their inward and outward conditions are all for Allah, and they do not do anything with the hope of being praised by others and being loved and held in a high rank in people’s eyes or hearts, nor do they do anything in an attempt to avoid people’s criticism. They deal with people as if they are dead and can afflict no harm or bring about any good. Only an ignorant would do something hoping for what he can gain from people, whether status, praise, or honor, because people do not posses what is being sought. The one who really realizes the weight of people and their limited abilities, would give them their due value; while the one who realizes the greatness of Allah would strive to attain sincerity in all the deeds and make them all purely for His sake”.
