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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

What is the recommended supplication (Du'a) upon breaking the fast, and is it recited before or after breaking it?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is recommended (Mustahabb) for a fasting person to recite upon breaking the fast—that is, immediately after eating or drinking—the supplication: "Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu" (O Allah, for You I have fasted, and with Your provision I have broken my fast).
 
This is because our master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), used to say this. The narration was recorded by Abu Dawud with a good (Hasan) chain of transmission, albeit in a Mursal form (a narration where a Successor reports directly from the Prophet). Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated: "Its Mursal status is inconsequential, as it pertains to virtuous deeds (Fada'il); furthermore, it was connected (Mawsul) through another chain of transmission." [Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, Vol.3/P.425]
 
It is also recommended to recite: "Dhahaba al-dhama'u wa ibtallat al-'uruqu wa thabata al-ajru in sha' Allah" (The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills).
 
This was recorded by Abu Dawud with a good (Hasan) chain. Our leading jurists (Imams) have explicitly stated that it is recommended for the fasting person to combine both supplications.
 
Imam al-Bajuri (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:
 
 
"And his saying following his breaking of the fast—that is, it is recommended to say: 'O Allah, for You I have fasted, upon Your provision I have broken my fast, in You I have believed, to You I have submitted, and upon You I have relied. The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills. O You of vast bounty, forgive me. Praise be to Allah Who aided me so that I fasted, and provided for me so that I broke my fast. O Allah, grant us success in fasting, enable us to stand in night prayer during it, and aid us in it while people sleep, and admit us to Paradise in peace.'" [Hashiyat al-Bajuri, Vol.1/P.562]
 
Furthermore, the fasting person may supplicate with whatever good he or she wishes, for the supplication of a fasting person is answered. Al-Bayhaqi recorded on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Three supplications are not rejected: the supplication of a parent for his child, the supplication of a fasting person, and the supplication of a traveler." And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, and is it permissible to slaughter the ewe if one knows it is pregnant?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a person slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, the fetus becomes lawful (ḥalāl) by virtue of its mother's slaughter (tabaʿan li-ummihā).
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/P.158): "A fetus found dead [after the mother's slaughter], or found alive but in a state resembling that of a slaughtered animal [i.e., dying shortly after], becomes lawful — whether or not it had grown fur — provided it is found in the womb of a mother that was lawfully slaughtered, whether her slaughter was by cutting the throat, or by an arrow or hunting dog sent after her. This is based on the ḥadīth: 'The slaughtering of the fetus is [effected by] the slaughtering of its mother' [narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it ḥasan, and by Ibn Ḥibbān, who graded it ṣaḥīḥ] — meaning that the slaughter which rendered the mother lawful renders the fetus lawful as well, by virtue of following her; and because the fetus is one of her constituent parts, and her slaughter renders lawful all of her parts."
This ruling differs, however, from the case of one who knows from the outset that the ewe is pregnant [and intends to sacrifice her specifically as the udḥiyah while pregnant] — in which case, according to the Shāfi'ī school, she does not fulfill the requirement of a valid sacrifice.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī 'alā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.4/P.335): "A pregnant animal does not fulfill the requirement [of a valid sacrifice], and this is the authoritative position (al-mu'tamad), because pregnancy diminishes the quality of the meat. As for why such an animal is nevertheless counted as complete [i.e., fully valid] in matters of zakāh, that is because the intent there is reproduction (nasl), not the quality of the meat.". And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

What is the ruling on swearing an oath by the Prophet ﷺ, and does such an oath take effect according to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, requiring expiation upon its breach?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Swearing an oath by a created being is disliked (makrūh) in our Shāfiʿī school. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Swearing by a created being is disliked — such as swearing by the Prophet, the Kaʿbah, Jibrīl, the Companions, or the Prophet's family. Al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: 'I fear that swearing by other than Allah the Almighty may constitute an act of disobedience.' The scholars of the school explained this to mean: that is, something forbidden and sinful — indicating that he had some hesitation in the matter. Al-Imām stated: the established position of the school is that it is categorically not forbidden, but rather disliked. Furthermore, whoever swears by a created being, his oath does not take effect and no expiation (kaffārah) is required if he breaks it." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn wa ʿUmdat al-Muftīn, Vol. 11/P.6]
According to the Ḥanbalī school, however, expiation becomes obligatory upon one who swears by our master the Prophet ﷺ and then breaks his oath. Imām al-Bahūtī al-Ḥanbalī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "No expiation is required for swearing by other than Allah the Almighty, even if the oath is broken — because expiation was made obligatory for swearing by Allah and His attributes, out of reverence for His names, and nothing else is equal to Him in this regard... except in the case of swearing by our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, for expiation becomes obligatory when one swears by him and then breaks the oath. This was explicitly stated in the narration of Abū Ṭālib, because he is one of the two conditions of the two testimonies of faith by which a disbeliever becomes a Muslim. Ibn ʿAqīl held the view that swearing by any of the other prophets, peace and blessings be upon them all, carries the same ruling." [Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt, Vol. 3/P.441]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on congregational prayer performed outside the mosque, and is it a condition that it be performed in a mosque in order to attain the full reward?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is not a condition for attaining the reward of congregational prayer that it be performed in a mosque; however, a Muslim should still be keen to perform his prayers in the mosque, so as not to miss out on immense reward. This is due to the virtue of the mosque and of spending time there (i‘tikāf), the typically larger number of worshippers present, and the additional reward gained through walking to and from the mosque. On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever purifies himself in his house, then walks to one of the houses of Allah to fulfill one of the obligations Allah has prescribed, one of his steps will erase a sin, and the other will raise him a degree [in status]." (Related by Muslim)
Whoever misses congregational prayer at the mosque should still strive to pray in congregation at his workplace, or together with the members of his household. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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