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Ikhlas "Sincerity" or "Purity of Intention"
Author : His Eminence Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 07-01-2025

Anything that can potentially be mixed with something else, when it is purified and separated from such mixtures, is called "pure." Sincerity (Ikhlas) is the opposite of associating partners (Shirk). Thus, whoever lacks sincerity is engaging in shirk, though shirk has varying degrees. Sincerity in monotheism is opposed by shirk in divinity.

Sincerity and its opposite reside in the heart; their place is within the heart. This pertains to intentions and purposes. Hence, the Prophet (PBUH) referred all actions back to intentions, saying: " Deeds are to be judged only by intentions, and a man will have only what he intended." [Agreed upon].

As for the ruling on sincerity, Allah The Exalted Says (What means): "And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship God, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight. " [Al-Bayyina/5]. He also Says (What means): "Is it not to God that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than God (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to God." Truly God will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But God guides not such as are false and ungrateful. " [Az-Zumar/3]. Moreover, He Says (What means): "Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to God, and purify their religion as in God’s sight: if so they will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will God grant to the believers a reward of immense value. " [An-Nisa/146].

Regarding the virtue of sincerity, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There are three things on account of which no rancour enters a Muslim's heart: sincere action for Allah’s sake, good counsel to Muslims, and holding fast to their community." [At-Tirmithi & Ibn Majah].

In warning against showing off (Riyā') and lacking sincerity, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The first person to be judged on the day of resurrection will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favour He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: "What did you do to show gratitude for it? "

 

 The man will reply: "I fought for Thy cause till I was martyred. " Allah will Say: "You lie. You fought that people might call you courageous, and they have done so. "Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into hell. Next, a man who has acquired and taught knowledge and read the Qur’an will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favour He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: "What did you do to show gratitude for it? "  The man will reply: "I acquired and taught knowledge and read the Qur’an for Thy sake. " Allah will Say: "You lie. You acquired knowledge that people might call you learned, and you read the Qur’an that they might call you a reader, and they have done so. " Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into hell. Next a man whom Allah has made affluent and whom He has given all kinds of property will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favour He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: "What did you do to show gratitude for it? "The man will reply: "I have not neglected to give liberally for Thy sake to all the causes approved by Thee for this purpose. " Allah will say: "You lie. You did it that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into hell. " [Muslim].

Islam emphasizes sincerity in worship in numerous verses of the Qur'an. Among them is Allah's Statement (What means): "Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve God, offering Him sincere devotion. " [Az-Zumar/2]. Charity is also only considered valid when it is free from selfish motives and solely for the sake of Allah: "(Saying),"We feed you for the sake of God alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. " [Al-Insan/9]. Allah also describes the ultimate sincerity and its rewards: "But those most devoted to God shall be removed far from it,- Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification, And have in their minds no favour from anyone for which a reward is expected in return, But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High; And soon will they attain (complete) satisfaction."[Al-Layl/17-21].

Detachment from desires, correcting the inclinations of the heart, purifying intentions, and dedicating the heart sincerely to The Lord of all worlds elevate the status of worldly deeds, transforming them into accepted acts of worship. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him): "You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah's sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife's mouth." [Bukhari].

A Muslim may be rewarded for an act they did not perform. During the Battle of Tabuk, when some Muslims could not participate due to the Prophet's (PBUH) inability to equip them, and given their deep desire to sacrifice and their sincere intentions, the noble Messenger said to his army: "In Medina, there are men who, every time you crossed a valley or travelled a road, they shared with you in the reward. They were kept behind by (legitimate) excuses. " [Agreed upon]. Thus, their sincere intention granted them the reward of the Mujahedeen!

A righteous intention is the solid foundation upon which good deeds are built. Allah warns in the Qur'an: "O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in God nor in the Last Day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil: on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (Just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And God guideth not those who reject faith." [Al-Baqarah/264]. He also Says (What means): "So woe to the worshippers Who are neglectful of their prayers, Those who (want but) to be seen (of men)." [Al-Ma'un/4-6].

How precious sincerity is, and how abundant its blessings! It can be found in the smallest of actions, yet it multiplies to the extent that it outweighs mountains, while much can be devoid of sincerity and hold no weight with Allah. Intention precedes action, and the inner state precedes the outward form. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah does not look at your bodies or your forms, but He looks at your hearts." [Moslim].

Whenever the soul is stirred by the desire for self-interest, the longing for status, and the wish to boast, the heat of sincerity gradually diminishes. Therefore, Allah loves deeds that are pure, free from any corrupting impurities: "Indeed, to Allah belongs the pure religion."

[Az-Zumar/3]. For this reason, Islam also fought against showing off (Riyaa), as narrated from the Prophet (PBUH):"Even a small amount of showing off is shirk." [Ibn Majah].

In conclusion, it is no wonder that Islam emphasizes sincerity and gives it such importance, because the believer's entire being belongs to Allah: his soul, his wealth, his family, his children, his worldly life, and his death. Allah says {what means}:"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." [Adh-Dhariyat/56]. They are not to worship wealth, status, or any human being... And all praise is due to Allah, The Lord of all The Worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Does Laylat al-Qadr move between the nights of Ramadan?

Laylat al-Qadr is definitely in Ramadan, and it is most likely in the last ten nights, especially on the odd-numbered nights.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ commanded observing worship in the last ten nights, and he himself used to dedicate those nights to worship. Many people put special effort into the 27th night of Ramadan, and they are rewarded in any case, whether they actually coincide with Laylat al-Qadr or not, because worshiping on any night of Ramadan carries great rewards.
 

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is Tarawih prayer?

Tarawih prayer is the night prayer (Qiyam) performed during the month of Ramadan. It is called "Tarawih" because Muslims used to prolong the standing (qiyam) in it and take brief rests after every four rak‘ahs.

What is the ruling on reciting aloud (*jahr*) in a silent (*sirriyyah*) prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Reciting aloud (jahr) in the Fajr prayer, in the first two rakʿahs of Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ, and reciting silently (isrār) in the Dhuhr and ʿAṣr prayers is a sunnah. If the worshipper recites aloud where silence is prescribed, or the reverse, his prayer is valid, although it is better to follow the sunnah, in imitation of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “In every prayer there is recitation. What the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) let us hear, we let you hear, and what he concealed from us, we conceal from you. If you add nothing to Umm al-Qurʾān (al-Fātiḥah), it suffices, and if you add to it, it is better.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
Shaykh al-Islām Imam al-Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.3/389): “The sunnah is to recite aloud in the two rakʿahs of Ṣubḥ (Fajr), Maghrib, and ʿIshāʾ, and in the Friday prayer, and to recite silently in Dhuhr, ʿAṣr, the third rakʿah of Maghrib, and the third and fourth of ʿIshāʾ. All of this is by the consensus of the Muslims, together with the mutually reinforcing authentic ḥadīths on the matter. This is the ruling for the imam. As for the individual worshipper (munfarid), it is sunnah for him to recite aloud according to us and according to the majority… If he recites aloud where silence is prescribed, or the reverse, his prayer is not invalidated, nor is there a prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) for it, but he has committed something disliked (makrūh).” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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