What is the philosophy of the importance of “Ikhlas” or sincerity in Islam?

In Islam having “Ikhlas” is so important. Ikhlas means to perform our worship only for the sake of Allah and for no other reason and goal. Ikhlas is an obligatory act in worships, for example if we perform prayer, or Wudu or Ghusl without Ikhlas, these worships are not valid and we must do them again from the beginning. Even if we perform them for Allah and beside that, we have other goal for that worship, it is invalid.

If we have Ikhlas in an action that in its innate nature, it is not considered as a worship, but because of having Ikhlas in it, we will be rewarded, for example if we eat and rest for the sake of Allah, for example if we eat and rest in order to be powerful enough to worship Allah and help His creatures, this eating or sleeping will be considered as a kind of worship.

The opposite point of Ikhlas is called Riya or Hypocrisy, for example if we perform prayer in a way that people listen to it and say: what a beautiful recitation he has, it is known as hypocrisy.

It must be known that the one that is hypocrite and always wants to obtain the satisfaction of the others, such person always is uneasy, because no one can obtain the satisfaction of all people, the people that praise him/her, if they get aware of a little thing from the life of that person that they do not like, they start reproaching that person, so we realize that it is not worthwhile to look for a temporary pleasure and leave all of those rewards and bounties and blessings and nearness to Allah and His satisfaction, which have permanent effects.

Imam Ali peace be upon him said:

“There are so much distance between two acts, the act that its pleasure goes and its consequence remains, and the act that its effort goes and its reward remains.”

If we really and deeply believe in the verse 88 from chapter Qasas, the style of our life will change, Allah said in this verse:

كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ

“All things perish, except His face.”

Every matter of this world is under the will of Allah(of course it must be noted that this sentence does not mean that we believe in predestination, but it means that for example if Allah wants someone to be dignified, no one can prevent it from happening)

Allah said in chapter Fatir verse 10:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا

“He who wants might, the might belongs to Allah altogether.”

So if someone thinks that his/her dignity is due to the will of people, he/she is making a great mistake.

If we know that Allah is powerful on all things and He is the most merciful and aware of everything which occurs in minds and hearts, we will have more Ikhlas in our actions.

So is it logical to leave transaction with such a being and instead of that, be busy with those that they are in a very deep need to the Lord of the world?

The infallibles and their real students not only were abstaining from having the material intentions, but also they had no intention of reaching to the paradise or being away from the fire of Hell.

Imam Ali peace be upon him said:

“O’ Allah, I neither worshiped you because of eagerness to the paradise, nor fear from fire (of Hell) but I found you worthy of being worshiped, so I worshiped you.”

And one of the most important ways for obtaining Ikhlas is to purify our hearts from the evil characteristics, like envy, hatred, avidity, and let the heart to be the house of Allah, because there are Narrations in this regard, like the Narration that says:

The heart is the shrine of Allah, so do not let anyone other than Allah to be the inhabitant in the shrine of Allah.

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Source:

Akhlagh.porsemani.ir