Ikhlās I (Sincerity I)

The Third Reason

The disagreement among those who follow the right path does not arise from a lack of zeal or high aspiration, just as the unity among those who have gone astray does not arise from zeal and aspiration. Rather, the disagreement among those who are rightly guided results from the misuse of their zeal, while the unity of those who have gone astray stems from weakness and helplessness, which in turn arise from a lack of true aspiration.

What drives those who follow the right path to misuse their zeal and thereby fall into disagreement and rivalry is their eagerness to earn sawāb and their intense ambition for duties related to the Hereafter —qualities that, in themselves, are praiseworthy from the perspective of the Hereafter. Out of eagerness, a person wishes to earn sawāb, guide people to the straight path, and have others listen to him. Yet these very desires may cause him to fall into rivalry with his Muslim brother, who is in genuine need of his love, support, brotherhood, and assistance. When those whom he hoped to guide are instead guided by someone else, unease arises in his heart, and he begins to think: “Why do my students go to him? Why do I not have as many listeners as he does?” In this way, his ego inclines him toward an undesirable trait—the love of status—which causes him to lose ikhlās and opens the door to discord.

As for the remedy for this error, this wound, and this harmful spiritual illness, it is this:

The pleasure of Allah is attained through ikhlās, not through having many followers or achieving numerous successes. Since having many followers and attaining outward success belong to the affairs of Allah, they should not be pursued, although they may at times be granted. Indeed, a single word may sometimes become the means for a person’s salvation in the Hereafter and thereby attain the pleasure of Allah. Quantity should therefore not be the focus. At times, guiding one person to the truth may be as pleasing to Allah as guiding a thousand.

Moreover, ikhlās and sincerity require that one always desire what benefits Muslims, no matter through whom or by what means that benefit comes. The thought, “Let them learn from me so that I may earn sawāb,” is a deception of the nafs and the ego.

The Fourth Reason

The disagreement among those who follow the right path does not arise from a lack of foresight or concern for the consequences of their actions, just as the sincere unity among those who have gone astray does not arise from far-sightedness or elevated insight.

Rather, those who are rightly guided do not surrender to the blind impulses of the nafs, but follow the inclinations of the heart and intellect, which are mindful of the future. Yet because they fail to preserve istiqāmah and ikhlās, they are unable to maintain that lofty station and consequently fall into disagreement.

Those who have gone astray, by contrast, are influenced by the nafs, vain desires, and emotions that are blind to consequences and that prefer an ounce of immediate pleasure over lasting future joy. For the sake of instant benefit and present enjoyment, they form strong and sincere alliances. Indeed, those who worship their own desires and are devoid of higher concern unite wholeheartedly around worldly gain and immediate advantage.