Ikhlās (Sincerity)

Those who walk the straight path direct themselves, through the elevated principles of the heart and intellect, toward the fruits and perfections of the Hereafter and toward the realities of the true future. This should naturally produce firm istiqāmahSteadfast adherence to Allah’s commands while avoiding excess and deficiency., perfect ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status., and strong unity. Yet despite this, unity and sincerity are lost because they cannot free themselves from egoism and, through ifrātExcess or overindulgence. and tafrītDeficiency or neglect; falling short of the proper measure., forfeit the lofty source of strength that lies in solidarity. As a result, ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. is weakened, their duties related to the Hereafter are harmed, and attaining the pleasure of Allah becomes difficult.

The remedy for this serious illness, and the means of acquiring ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. and fulfilling the duties of the Hereafter as they ought to be fulfilled, is as follows:

In accordance with the principle

اَلْحُبُّ فِى اللّٰهِLove for the sake of Allah.

you should take pride in accompanying those who walk the path of truth, gladly follow them, and willingly grant them the honour of leadership. You should consider it entirely possible that anyone walking in the service of Islam may be better than yourself, thereby freeing yourself from egoism and attaining ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status.. Know that even the smallest deed performed with sincerity is superior to countless deeds lacking sincerity. Likewise, prefer the position of being a follower over that of being a leader, for leadership carries responsibility and risk. In this way, you may attain ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. and properly fulfil your duties concerning the Hereafter.

The Fifth Reason

The disunity and lack of harmony among those who are rightly guided do not arise from weakness, just as the strong unity found among those who have gone astray does not arise from strength. Rather, the disagreement among those who are rightly guided stems from the support and confidence that flow from a strong īmānFaith; belief in the six articles of faith: Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His prophets, the Hereafter, and divine decree (qadar). and the power derived from it. By contrast, the unity of those who have gone astray arises from their weakness and helplessness, for they find no true support within themselves.

It is precisely because the weak are in need of solidarity that they forge strong bonds among themselves. The strong, however, feel less need for such dependence, and consequently their unity is often weak. Thus lions and foxes, having confidence in their own strength, live solitary lives, whereas wild goats gather in herds to defend themselves against wolves. In this way, the cohesion of the weak is strong, while that of the strong is weak.

The Qur’an alludes to this subtle truth in a remarkable manner. In the verse

وَ قَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِى الْمَدٖينَةِAnd the women in the city said…

the masculine verb

قَالَ“they said,” masculine form

is used instead of the feminine

 قَالَتِ“they said,” feminine form

even though there are two grammatical considerations for which the feminine form would ordinarily be expected. The word

 نِسْوَةٌwomen

is itself feminine and belongs to the class of broken plurals that are conventionally treated as feminine in Arabic grammar.