IKHLASH
Why we do something ?
Why is the purpose of doing something ?
What do we want out of that labour we do ?
What is this for ?
Your answer will tell you your intention .......This intention is called Niyat or Niyyah .....This niyyat must be pure ..........and this real intention is called sincerity ..............We name it ikhlash It is very important for all of us to attain IKHLASH in all our words and actions....
Our Salat, Our Saum , Our Zakat, Our Hajj ,Our Jihad, Our efforts of Tableegh , our efforts in learning the Deen ,all our actions may go in vain , may become zero at the balance , may become weightless and nothing on the day of judgment.......only and only because our Niyat was not pure.Our intention was not true. There was no IKHLASH and there was no intention of qualifying for the pleasure of Allah..........In short Pleasure of Allah ( Raza e ilaahi ) was not our goal .......therefore we would not get the reward and pleasure of Allah at all.......and except desperation there is nothing for us in end......
You are reading this email ......why ? If your intention is to get some points from this email so that you may argue and discuss the topic amongst your friends in order to let them know that you have a sound knowledge of Islam or IKHLASH.....so that people may say that A is a very learned fellow........He knows so much........ By this knowledge you let down some of your friends..................If this is your intention then it is clear your niyyat is not pure and true........Your niyaat is not to learn something .You intention is not to learn and put into practice the same for your own self..........Your Intention is not to learn and follow it to get the pleasure of Allah swt.................. Your Intention is false..........You will get zero........You will not be able to receive the true blessings and barakah in your life because your niyyah is not pure........
I am writing this article for what ? for the reason that the reader would say what a nice article written by Khalid ? If this is my niyat then all my effort is in vain. I am not going to get any reward from Allah swt ........If my Niyat is to get the pleasure and Riza of Allah swt .........so that some people learn and follow the advices given in it........may make me eligible of receiving rewards from Allah swt............only in that case I may say my niyat is pure............in that case also I may not sure whether it is accepted by Allah swt or not ?
In our Deen , IKHLASH ( Sincerity in actions ) is something very very important. Do you know your rewards would be identified and judged on the basis of your intention and niyat.
I ask you for what purpose you stand for Salat ? You go to mosque to offer prayers ? What is this for ? All this exercise is to attain the pleasure of our rabb or to get some appreciation from the people who see me going to mosque ?
You helped a boy get his admission - what was your Niyyah ?
You helped a old man reach his home safely - What was your Intention ?
So doing good actions is good .....
But.........
Merely doing good deeds is not good only.
We have to check with what intention we are doing the deeds....... If you are doing hard work only to get some lines or words of appreciation from some people then believe me you will get that one only . You will get some words of praise and compliments from some people but you cant claim to get the rewards from Allah swt......because there was no intention in your heart to attain the pleasure of your Rabb at the time of performing that deed.......
You wanted praises - you have already got it ........
you wanted appreciation from your friends - you have got it .............
you wanted others to see that .-so they have seen it
you wanted the people to know -so the people have known it.
you wanted everything but you never wanted or wished to have the pleasure of Allah swt.........so you never get it ........never.....
Therefore obtaining IKHLASH is something which is of very high importance and infact the crux of all deeds and the actions. Without having good niyyat and IKHLASH, none can succeed and no action can have the noor of acceptance from Allah and there would be no barakah or rahmat from Allah swt in an action which is free from ikhlash
Please have a look at the following message from the Prophet of Allah swt.
1 -Mahmood ibn Labeed reported that the Allah's Messenger said, "The thing that I fear most for you is the minor Shirk; Riyaa" (Ahmad in his Musnad)
2 -Aboo Sa`eed reported that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjaal and said, "Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjaal? It is the hidden Shirk; A person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he seeas the people looking at him." (Sunan Ibn Majah vol. 2, #3389)
3 -Aboo Moosaa al-Ash`aree reported that Allah's Messenger delivered a sermon to them one day and said, "O People! Fear this Shirk (meaning riyaa), for it is more inconspicous than the crawling of an ant." (Authenticated in Saheeh al Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, no. 33)
Aboo Hurayrah RA quoted Allah's Messenger (saaw) warning about a person's adoration of himself: "
There are three destructful things:
1 desires that are followed,
2 greediness that is obeyed, and
3 a person's self-admiration and conceit; and this is the worst of the three"
What keeps us away from IKHLASH or Sincerity ? It is Riya or disease to show off.
The Main and Prominent Symptoms that are indicative of riyaa are The Love of Praise , the Fear of Criticism.
A person suffering from Riya has two main diseases :
The Love of Praise- As mentioned in a hadeeth of the first three people being thrown into the hellfire; the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.
Fear of Criticism - For example, A man offering prayer in Masjid to avoid criticism of people that A does not offer Salat. A person keeping fast or preventing from eating only to avoid the criticism of his friends that A does not keep fasts during Ramadhaan.......
Aboo Moosaa related that a person came to the Prophet (saaw) and asked: "A person fights to defend his honor (i.e. to avoid criticism), another to prove his bravery (i.e. to be praised for it), and a third to show off (i.e. so that his position can be seen); of these three, which one fights in the way of Allah? " He (saaw) answered:
"Whoever fights to make the word of Allaah prevalent [I.e. to bring honor to Islaam, and to establish it in the land], he is the one who fights in the way of Allaah" (Saheeh al-Bukhari vol. 4 #65)
How to control Riya and start journey towards ikhlash Here are few ways ..........
Before doing anything we should firstly seek knowledge (ilm) - our actions/deeds should be guided by knowledge so that we do them in accordance to the Shariah.
Do not care for what others say - do not make others believe that an action we did was good when it was not.
Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check your intention (niyyah) - ask yourself before performing an action: "Is it for the sake of Allah?"
Thinking about Akhirah, the Qabr , The Jannah - The Jahannam - The Day of Judgement-
Do your good deeds hidden from the eyes of People ....such as the Salat al Tahajjud.........nobody sees you .......Only there is Allah swt and you .
Find out your own shortcomings and lapses.......Learn what are the faults in your self ..........note down that faults and try to remove or overcome those one by one.
Accompanying the Pious - Always look for pious company. A person cannot save his Deen unless and until he keeps a likewise pious company..........However pious one may be but if he mingles with all kind of people and does not maintain any distance with Tom Dick and Harry neither sits regularly with good friends with piety and virtue..........He is bound to spoil and lost his Deen anytime ...........he cannot retain his qualities unless and until he gets a conducive atmosphere..........
Knowledge of Riyaa` - What is riya ? Ask your elders , scholars and Virtous People ......and then try to avoid the causes of it..
Lastly there is the weapon of a Momin ......Dua ......make sincere duas to have IKHLASH in all your actions and deeds............
Du`aa .The prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa salam) taught the specific du`aa for riyaa:
"Allahumma innaa na`oothu bika an-nushrika bika shay`an na`lamuhu, wa nastagfiruka limaa laa na`lamuh. [O Allaah, we seek refuge in you from committing shirk knowingly, and ask your forgiveness for (the shirk that we may commit unknowingly"
Remember what Ibnu al-Qayyim said: Any action we do is subject to three defects:
Being conscious that others are observing our actions
Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the action
Being satisfied with the action
Examples:
If we go to the masjid for the salah and we are early, arriving before the Imam and finding a place in the first saff, we should not be proud of ourselves and think of ourselves being better than others. We should praise Allah for enabling us to go to the masjid and for being able to perform the salah without any difficulties.
After every salah, we should tell ourselves that we could have performed it better and try to improve in our next salah.
Remember - ikhlashcannot coexist in a heart which loves praise and commendation as a reward for his actions
I conclude my reminder with a hadeeth and an Ayah
1. The Muslim ummah will be victorious, for the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, what translated means, "Allah only gives victory to this nation because of its weak ones, because of their du`aa', prayer and ikhlas." [At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib].
2. Allah said about some people who observe ikhlas, what translated means, "And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the poor, the orphan, and the captive. (Saying), 'We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. Verily, we fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it).' So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadhratan (a light of beauty) and joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient." [76:8-12]
YOUR BROTHER IN ISLAM KHALID BIN UMAR
