In Islam, we must always practice our faith with sincerity (al-ikhlas), honesty (al-sidq), and goodwill (al-nasihah). Each of these virtues includes a vertical dimension (in relation to Allah) and a horizontal dimension (in relation to other people); they tell us how to behave with Allah and how to behave with others.
Virtues in Islam such as these act as guiding principles in all of our affairs, from our mundane daily interactions to the conduct of nations and everything in between. They are meant to be in the front of our minds at all times, to be considered in all of our decisions. In this article, we will explicate the meaning of these virtues according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, with an aim to uncover their relevance for us in this life and in the Hereafter.
The first deed a Muslim must do to make good his or her Islam is to purify his or her intention (al-niyah) in worship and religious deeds. We should act sincerely for the sake of Allah and dedicate our deeds to no other, whether by way of idolatry (al-shirk), hypocrisy (al-nifaq), or ostentation (al-riya’).
The Prophet ﷺ said:
The early jurists and scholars such as Al-Shafiʻi, Aḥmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Al-Daraqutni, and Al-Tirmidhi agreed that this hadith encompasses one-third of Islam. Al-Bukhari chose to lead his collection of authentic traditions with it.
Al-Shafiʻi also said that this hadith encompasses seventy topics of jurisprudence (al-fiqh), by which he meant a great many topics, and Ibn Mahdi encouraged authors to include it at the beginning of any work to advise their students to continually correct and renew their intentions.
Right intention, which is sincerity, is the foundation of everything else we do in Islam.
Every act of worship, charity, or any good deed will be judged by the intention behind it. Allah knows the true and secret inner-motives of all deeds that we do, and these motives will be made known on the Day of Resurrection.
