What is sincerity (ikhlāṣ) in Islam?
Ikhlāṣ is the inner weight behind every action. The scholars treated it as the difference between a deed that ascends and a deed that rots. Here's how they described it — in their own words.
10 passages from 5 books in the library
Sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is the purity of one's inner intention, doing a deed for Allah alone and stripping it of any motive of show or reputation. Al-Ghazali, in his Book of Intention, Sincerity, and Truthfulness, teaches that "action without intention leads to exhaustion, intention without sincerity leads to hypocrisy," so sincerity is what makes a deed truly truthful before God. In The Mysteries of Pilgrimage he warns that only sincerity will be accepted, and one attains it by avoiding everything tainted by display and seeking the audience of others.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 5 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"sincerity in their sincerity needs their sincerity to be sincere. This points to purifying the"
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"For action without intention leads to exhaustion, intention without sincerity leads to hypocrisy,"
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"So one of the meanings of truthfulness returns to the sincerity of intention, which is sincerity,"
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"can one be sincere if he has not comprehended the meaning of sincerity, or how can the sincere"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"benefits them in the hereafter. When this intention prevails in their heart, their intention in all"
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"to diminish. This strengthens intention and achieves sincerity, which is only attained through the"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"through this path. At that point, if his intention is sincere, his fervor pure, and his commitment"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"of show and reputation, and must realize that only sincerity will be accepted in their intention"
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"Thus, let one rectify their resolve with sincerity, and sincerity is through avoiding everything"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"in falsehood is not checked, it leads to desire, desire leads to intent, intent leads to action,"
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