The following article, I find it very useful for my life journey especially... It's a bit long but it contains important message on SINCERITY and also some DEEDS that I can carry along with me in my journey to the next, everlasting day..
Source: "Ramadhan Reminders"
Sometimes I sit for long periods of time just thinking about ikhlas (sincerity). SubhanAllah and how important is sincerity in our deen! We all know the hadith; perhaps it’s the most well known, recited and memorized. When Imam Bukhari was compiling the most authentic hadith in one collection (it’s now referred to as Saheeh al-Bukhari), he placed this hadith at the beginning; as did Imam an-Nawawi in his famous collection of 40 hadith. The hadith is as follows:
It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:
"Actions are (judged) by intentions (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated."
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
This hadith speaks volumes and it shows us that as Muslims really all of our good deeds should be for Alla’s sake alone. Not for praise, a high five, pat on the back, a position, approval, money, the list goes on and on. I know, wallahi it’s hard to be sincere, it’s a great struggle. It was said to one of the pious predecessors Sahl: What is the hardest thing for the soul (to achieve)? He said: Sincerity, when there is no other desire in it.
It’s even harder when we live in a society where it’s all about ‘getting the credit’ and ‘grabbing the attention’; where people compete for attention and approval even with their good deeds. I know, it happens to all of us. Sometimes we might start a good deed sincerely for the sake of Allah but then notice the positive reaction we get from others. The ‘Masha’Allahs!, tabarakAllahas…or the ’brother/sister you are so good!”. Things like that. Or maybe you start a blog or a website and notice how much traffic it’s receiving. You’ll hear your brother or sister say masha’Allah your websie has 5K hits”. This good feedback hurts your sincerity and you are exposed to the disease of riyaa (showing off good deeds for the sake of others).
It happens to me a lot. For example, when I fast voluntarily (for example on Mondays and Thursdays), if my family comes to find out about it, it’s no understatement to say I get treated like a critically ill patient! My mom especially pays special attention to me and orders my siblings to wait on me hand and foot! She refuses to let me do anything, even to get her a drink from the kitchen. She says: “What! You are fasting! Don’t move, one of your siblings will get it!” Now, it’s true I do have a very loving mother who fears Allah and gives so much honor and respect to the fasting person, however I started to worry about my intention fearing that it might change. That I might start fasting only for the good treatment; after that I strived to conceal my fasts from everyone as I didn’t want to be insincere to Allah (or for my siblings to despise me!) :) And Alhamdulilah I’m feel much better. Recently I read an amazing statement from the Salaf about sincerity and fasting:
It is reported that Dâwûd b. Abî Hind fasted for forty years without his family knowing, he would take his lunch out with him and donate it in the street.
Al-Dhahabî, op. cit. Vol. 6 p378.
SubhanAllah, 40 years! Allahu Akbar. Are we capable of doing the same? We must try, insha’Allah! We have to follow in their righteous footsteps. We have to be sincere like they were.
This reminds me of a funny story this sheikh told us. Let me compare it with one from the Salaf.
Sincerity of the Khalaf (Those who came after, i.e. us):
One day a man was in the Masjid praying. Wht was apparent to the people was that he had so much khushoo (concentration) in his prayer. They watched him pray. Each movement masha’Allah it was perfect. One person told another: “Masha’Allah, he has so much khushoo in prayer, he must be a good, pious man.” The man, while praying turned to them and said: “Alhamdulilah! I’m fasting too!” :)
Sincerity of the Salaf (Those who came before):
It was reported that a man was closely watching Bishr As-Sulaimi (ra) who was prolonging his prayer and performing it well. When Bishr completed his prayer, he said to the man, “Do not be deceived by what you have seen from me. For indeed, Iblis, the Shaytan-may Allah curse him-worshipped Allah for thousands of years and then ended up being what he is now!” (Bahrud Duma’, page 171)
SubhanAllah!
Here are some more statements from them on sincerity:
It is reported from Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee that he said: Purifying the intention is harder than all other actions for those who act.
It is reported from al-Junaid that he said: To Allaah belong servants who understand, and when they understand they act and when they act they make (their action) sincere. Their recalling of Ikhlaas at the time of doing righteousness is what accumulates the greatest (good for them).
One of them said: Whoever sees sincerity in his sincerity, his sincerity is itself in need of sincerity. The destruction of every sincere person lies in his sincerity, (he is destroyed) to the extent that he sees sincerity in himself. When he abandons seeing sincerity in himself he will be sincere and purified.
It is reported from Ibn al-Mubaarak that he said: I heard Ja'far bin Hayyaan say: The foundations of these actions are the intentions. Indeed a man reaches with his intentions a position he does not reach with his actions.
Masha’Allah.
Sometimes, we mistakenly think that in order to be sincere we have to give up deeds we are doing. However this is corrupted thinking. Leaving deeds for the people is only another face of riyaa! Instead we must constantly check and recheck our intentions. We must constantly ask Allah to purify them from corruption. Another thing we can do is increase in more hidden (secret) good deeds. Those only Allah is a witness to.
Salamah bin Dinar said: "Hide your good deeds (from the people) just like you hide your evil deeds." (Abu Nu'aym, Bayhaqee) And in a narration in al-Bayhaqee: "Hide your good deed like you hide your evil deed, and do not be amazed with your own action, for you do not know whether you are happy or wretched (in the Hereafter)."
I searched my collection of books and I found some good deeds we can all do, which are very easy and which can be done in secret.
1)Dhikr:
Allah SWT says:
Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire."(Surah Ale-Imran 190-191)
"And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful."(Surah Al-A'raf 206)
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam as saying that Allah, the Exalted has said: “I am with my slave when he remembers Me, and his lips move mentioning Me.” (Bukhari)
2) Tawbah (Repentance) & Istighfar (Seeking Forgiveness)
"It is He, Who shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and sends down (rain with which grows) provision for you from the sky. And none remembers but those who turn (to Allah) in obedience and in repentance (by begging His Pardon and by worshipping and obeying Him Alone and none else)." (Surah Ghafir: 13)
The Prophet Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam said: “All the sons of Adam are sinners (there is non who has never sinned or done any wrong) btu the best of sinners are those who are given to repentance and who turn to Allah.” (Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, Darami)
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam said: “By Allah, I seek forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.”(Bukhari)
3. Qiyam al-Layl or Tahajud
"Only those believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), who, when they are reminded of them fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud.Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do." (Surah As-Sajdah: 15-17)
It is related by Abu Huraira that the Messenger Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam said: “After the obligatory prayers the most superior prayer is that of the middle of the night (i.e. Tahajjud).” (Muslim)
4. Charity Given in Secret
Allah SWT says:
"If you give charity openly then what a good thing it is; and if you give to beggars hidingly it is better for you than every thing, and He will remove some of your sins. And Allah is Aware of what you do." (Qur'an 2:271).
"O you who believe! Spend out of what We have given you."(2:254)
“Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public have their reward with their Rabb (only God and Sustainer). On them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” (Qur‘an, 2:274)
Prophet Muhammad Salalahu Alayhi wa Salam said, “Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His.” Among them is: A man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity. (Bukhari)
5. Fasting
Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari reported: "The Messenger of Allah ordered us to fast for three days of every month - that is, on the days of the full moon (the 13th, 14th, and 15th of the lunar month). And he said: 'It is like fasting the whole year.'" (Reported by An-Nasa'i)
The Prophet Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam said: “The observance of three days fast every month and of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. I seek frolm Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and coming year, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding years.” (Muslim)
*~
Of course there are many more we can do! May Allah count us amongst the sincere! Ameen
Insha’Allah we do these good deeds in secret. Let’s not broadcast to the world every time we give something in charity or fast. As Allah is sufficient as a witness and it is He that will grant us reward. Allah SWT says:
“O you who believe! Do not render vain your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and he does not believe in Allah nor in the last Day.” (Qur’an, 2: 264)
Muhammad ibn Yazeed narrated to us…that Ibraheem said:
“[The Salaf] used to hate that a man would show the best of what he has when they gather”
Khaalid ibn Khadaash narrated to us…that ‘Ubayd Allaah ibn ‘Abdullaah said:
“Goodness was not known from ‘Umar or ibn ‘Umar until they spoke or acted. A man would worship Allaah for twenty years, his own neighbor would not know of it.”
Hamaad [in the chain of narration] said: “One of you would pray one night or part of a night, and his neighbor would know in the morning.”
So never mind telling the people, it’s between you and your Rabb!
InshaAllah I am the first to act upon this advice, and I hope you benefitted as well.
Let me conclude with a beautiful verse from the Book of Allah:
"Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women, the believers men and women (who believe in Islamic Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties which Allah has ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has forbidden), the men and the women who are humble (before their Lord Allah), the men and the women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakat, and alms, etc.), the men and the women who observe Saum (fast) (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the optional Nawafil fasting), the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allah during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawafil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)." (Surah Al-Ahzab: 35)
I ask Allah to make us of those who hear the best of words and who act upon them,
I ask Allah to cool our insincere hearts and actions with sincerity,
I ask Allah to make us from the sincere Muslims in this life and to raise us with the sincere, truthful, prophets and martyrs on the Day of Judgment,
Allahumma Ameen!
BarakAllahu Feekum
Wa’Salaamu Alaaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu
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