5.1.1 Sincerity (Ikhlāṣ)

The Heart of Every Deed

Sincerity, or ikhlāṣ, is the inner secret of every act of worship. It is the difference between a deed that rises to Allah and a deed that remains empty. A person may pray, give charity, and speak beautiful words, but without sincerity these actions become like a body without a soul.

Ikhlāṣ means that a Muslim does what he or she does purely for Allah, seeking His pleasure, His reward, and closeness to Him, not seeking praise from people or worldly gain. Allah describes the sincere as those who direct their worship only to Him.

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.”
(Qur’an 98:5)

The Prophet ﷺ explained that the value of all actions depends on the inner intention.

“Actions are only by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

This hadith shows that the same outward deed can be rewarded, not rewarded, or even punished, depending on whether it is done with ikhlāṣ or with a corrupt intention.

Ikhlāṣ as Pure Devotion to Allah

The Arabic word ikhlāṣ carries the meanings of purity, exclusiveness, and being free from mixtures. In worship it means purifying the heart so that it directs itself only to Allah. When a Muslim says “Lā ilāha illā Allāh,” this statement demands sincerity, because it means worship for Allah alone.

Allah praises those who devote their religion to Him with purity.

“Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.’”
(Qur’an 6:162–163)

The sincere person may be unknown among people, but he is known by Allah. He may not speak much, but his heart is full of devotion. Even a small deed, when done with full ikhlāṣ, can outweigh many large deeds that are mixed with showing off or seeking reputation.

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned a man who found a thorny branch on the path and removed it so it would not harm people. Allah thanked him for this and forgave his sins. This shows how a seemingly small act, if done purely for Allah, is accepted and greatly rewarded.

“A man passed by a branch of a tree on the road and said, ‘By Allah, I will remove this from the road of the Muslims so it will not harm them.’ So he was admitted into Paradise.”
(Muslim)

In this simple act the man was not seeking praise, for no one even knew his name. It was an act of ikhlāṣ between him and his Lord.

The Role of Intention in Everyday Life

Ikhlāṣ is not only for formal worship like prayer and fasting. It also transforms ordinary, daily activities into worship. Eating, sleeping, working, and even resting can become acts of devotion when a believer makes a sincere intention.

The Prophet ﷺ informed us that even marital relations can be rewarded when done with a proper intention.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “And in the sexual act of one of you there is charity.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, will one of us satisfy his desire and he will have a reward for that?” He said, “Do you not see that if he were to place it in a forbidden way he would have a sin? So likewise, if he places it in a lawful way he will have a reward.”
(Muslim)

By intending to protect oneself from what is forbidden, to keep one’s spouse chaste, and to follow the guidance of Islam, a person is rewarded. In the same way, working to provide for one’s family becomes an act of worship when the intention is to fulfill responsibility and seek halal provision.

The Prophet ﷺ also taught that charity and reward reach a person even with simple acts, if they are sincere.

“There is no Muslim who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, except that it is charity for him.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

Here, the intention to benefit others for Allah’s sake transforms farming and planting into continuous charity.

Ikhlāṣ and the Acceptance of Deeds

For a deed to be accepted by Allah, it must be correct in outward form, following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and pure in inward intention. Both are necessary. Acting without sincerity is like offering a gift to someone while hoping to impress his enemy, and acting with sincerity but in a way that opposes revelation is like offering the wrong gift in the wrong manner.

Allah mentions that deeds are tested and purified.

“He who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed.”
(Qur’an 67:2)

The scholars explained that “best in deed” means those deeds that are most sincere and most correct. Sincere means for Allah alone. Correct means in agreement with the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ warned that some people will come on the Day of Judgment with many deeds, but they will not be accepted, because the intention was to be seen by others.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah gathers the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection, a day in which there is no doubt, a caller will call out, ‘Whoever used to associate others in any deed he did with Allah, let him seek his reward from other than Allah, for Allah has no need of partners.’”
(Ahmad)

This shows that Allah accepts only what is done entirely for Him, without associating any partner in intention, whether it is people’s praise or some other created thing.

The Danger of Showing Off (Riyāʾ)

The greatest enemy of ikhlāṣ is riyāʾ, which is showing off in worship or doing good deeds to be seen and praised. Riyāʾ is not only a minor weakness. The Prophet ﷺ warned that it is a form of minor shirk, because it places people’s approval beside Allah’s pleasure in the heart.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The thing I fear most for you is the minor shirk.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?” He said, “Riyāʾ (showing off).”
(Ahmad)

Riyāʾ can enter into any act, even into the recitation of Qur’an, charity, or prayer in the mosque. A person might pray longer when others are watching and quickly when alone. He may speak gently to impress people but behave differently in private. Such behavior eats away at sincerity.

Allah warns against doing deeds to show off.

“So woe to those who pray, but who are heedless of their prayer, those who make a show [of their deeds] and withhold simple assistance.”
(Qur’an 107:4–7)

This is not a criticism of prayer itself, but of those who perform it without heart, only to be seen. Similarly, Allah criticizes those who give charity for praise.

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders [of your generosity] or injury, like the one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day.”
(Qur’an 2:264)

The good deed itself is not enough. When the intention is corrupt, the deed becomes a proof against the person, not in his favor.

The Hidden Nature of Sincerity

Ikhlāṣ lives in the heart, a place that people cannot see. Because of this, it is easy for a person to deceive himself. He may believe that he is sincere when in reality he is seeking approval or status. This is why the companions and early Muslims were deeply afraid of hypocrisy and riyāʾ, despite their great deeds.

The Prophet ﷺ described that the disease of riyāʾ is subtle.

“Shirk in this nation is more hidden than the crawling of an ant on a black stone in a dark night.”
(Ahmad)

Because sincerity is hidden, Allah alone fully knows it. A person may outwardly appear to do the same as another, but one is sincerely devoted, and the other is not. Allah says:

“Say, ‘Do you inform Allah of your religion while Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and Allah is Knowing of all things?’”
(Qur’an 49:16)

The sincere person therefore does not feel secure. He constantly examines himself, renews his intention, and asks Allah to purify his heart. He does not confidently claim that he is sincere. Instead, he hopes in Allah’s mercy and fears that his deeds may be mixed with self admiration.

Even the companions, who were the best of this nation, feared hypocrisy for themselves. Ibn Abī Mulaykah said: “I met thirty of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, all of them feared hypocrisy for themselves.” This fear did not paralyze them, but it kept them humble and watchful over their hearts.

Doing Deeds in Secret

One of the greatest signs of ikhlāṣ is doing good deeds that no one else knows about. When a person worships secretly and does not speak about it, it is a strong indication that he is doing it for Allah alone.

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned seven types of people whom Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment. Among them he mentioned:

“…and a man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives, and a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes overflow with tears.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

These two examples describe acts that are hidden from people. The heart is turned only to Allah. The person fears that mentioning his deed might corrupt his intention, so he keeps it between himself and his Lord.

Doing deeds in secret is not a rule for everything. Some acts, like communal prayer and public charity, sometimes need to be public for a benefit. However, the believer should always try to keep a portion of his worship, especially voluntary acts, secret as a way to train and protect his ikhlāṣ.

Ikhlāṣ in Speech and Teaching

Sincerity is also crucial in speech, especially when teaching or calling others to Islam. A person can easily fall into hoping for admiration as a speaker or teacher. Yet the true servant of Allah seeks only that people are guided, and that Allah is pleased, whether or not he is praised.

Allah instructed the Prophet ﷺ himself to declare that he seeks no payment for delivering the message.

“Say, ‘I do not ask you for it any reward, except that whoever wills might take to his Lord a way.’”
(Qur’an 25:57)

The Prophet ﷺ spoke and taught purely for Allah. He did not seek wealth or high status from his call. Those who follow his example must strive to have the same intention, whether they give a short reminder to a friend or a long lesson to many people.

The Prophet ﷺ also warned those who seek knowledge for worldly reasons.

“Whoever seeks knowledge by which the Face of Allah is sought, but does not do so except to gain some worldly benefit, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Abu Dawud)

This shows that ikhlāṣ is not only for deeds like prayer and fasting, but also for the pursuit of knowledge and every form of service in the religion. The goal must be Allah’s pleasure, not position, argument, or reputation.

The Reward of the Sincere

Ikhlāṣ brings a special nearness and protection from Allah. Allah mentions a group called “the sincere servants of Allah” and connects them with rescue from misguidance and punishment.

When Shayṭān vowed to mislead humanity, he said:

“[Iblīs] said, ‘By Your might, I will surely mislead them all, except, among them, Your sincere servants.’”
(Qur’an 38:82–83)

Sincerity becomes a shield. The sincere are not perfect, but they turn back quickly when they slip, and Shayṭān cannot fully take hold of them. Allah also describes how sincerity saves a person from sin. When telling the story of Prophet Yūsuf عليه السلام, Allah explains why he was protected from falling into wrongdoing.

“Thus [it was], that We might avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our sincere servants.”
(Qur’an 12:24)

Ikhlāṣ brings a sweetness of faith in this life and great reward in the next. Some deeds become multiplied simply because of the purity of the heart behind them. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that a person can be raised in rank by a deed he himself considered small, but that Allah accepted due to ikhlāṣ.

“A man saw a dog eating mud from thirst, so he took his shoe, filled it with water, and gave the dog water to drink. So Allah appreciated his deed and forgave him.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

The act itself is simple, but Allah’s appreciation came because it was done purely seeking His pleasure and mercy.

Striving for Ikhlāṣ

Ikhlāṣ is not a one-time achievement. It is something the believer must strive for throughout life. The heart changes, and desires can quietly reappear. For this reason, a Muslim constantly renews intention at the beginning of an action, during it, and even at the end.

The Prophet ﷺ himself used to ask Allah to purify his heart.

“O Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.”
(Tirmidhi)

If the Prophet ﷺ, who was the most sincere of all creation, made such a supplication, then others need it even more. The believer should regularly ask Allah to grant a sincere intention in every deed.

Ikhlāṣ can be strengthened by remembering the reality of the Hereafter. On that Day, people’s praise will not help, nor will positions or titles. Only Allah’s acceptance matters. Allah says:

“That Day, people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Qur’an 99:6–8)

Remembering this makes worldly admiration feel small and light in the heart. It teaches the believer to work quietly, to be patient if his deeds are not noticed, and to fear if they are widely praised, because praise might tempt the heart away from ikhlāṣ.

The sincere person does not abandon good deeds for fear of riyāʾ. Instead, he continues doing them while fighting against this feeling. If he stops everything whenever people are present, he is in fact letting them control his worship. The correct way is to correct and renew the intention, not to abandon obedience.

Conclusion: Ikhlāṣ as a Lifelong Journey

Sincerity is the quiet foundation behind every righteous action. Without it, the greatest outward deeds are empty. With it, even the smallest acts become weighty on the scale with Allah.

Ikhlāṣ requires knowledge, because the believer must know whom he is worshipping and what pleases Him. It requires struggle, because the soul naturally loves praise and comfort. It requires constant duʿāʾ, because only Allah can purify the heart.

Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ and, through him, the believers:

“So worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion. Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion.”
(Qur’an 39:2–3)

Whoever walks through life seeking Allah’s Face, hiding some of his best deeds, correcting his heart again and again, and hoping only for Allah’s approval, is walking with ikhlāṣ. Such a person may be unknown on earth, but his name is written with honor with Allah, and his deeds, though simple, are carried high because they were done for Him alone.