Achieving the Secret of Sincerity
O, truth-seeker embarking on an eternal journey, fearing to be drowned in the desires of the transient world! Know that just as the body needs a soul to remain standing, your deeds and acts of worship need “sincerity” to be accepted by God. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (q.s.) whispers to us this startling truth within his immense ocean, Futuhat al-Makkiyya: Sincerity is intention. A person can be called sincere when they purify their intention even before Satan. But sometimes a person loses sincerity due to partners (showing off, vanity, hidden benefits) that they associate with God. Almighty God commands, “They devote their religion to Him,” emphasizing that no creature or worldly expectation should ever be sacrificed for religion and deeds. If there is even a speck of “People should see me, praise me” in a kindness you do or a prayer you perform, know that that deed is dead and a mockery of Satan.
The Role and Purity of Intention in Action
O, negligent soul! Deeds gain value not by themselves but by the intention within them. As Ibn Arabi (q.s.) stated, deeds are desired for what is intended through them—which is the intention in the deed. Just as a word comes to life with its meaning, not just being a sound of letters, your prayer and charity also come alive with the “sole purpose of pleasing God” intention. Those who possess sincerity (muhlis) do not merely perform actions; they seek the reflection of those actions in their hearts. The day you understand that it is not the deeds themselves that are desired, but the “submission and intention” within those deeds, you will escape from the prison of formalism and emerge into the bright field of truth.
The Great Reckoning Performed at Night
Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Before you are questioned, account yourselves.” So how do we perform this accounting? The character of great Sufi masters and poles is the best guide for us in this regard. Ibn Arabi (q.s.) recounts this terrifying self-accounting from the lives of intention-masters such as Abu Abdullah ibn Mujahid and Abu Abdullah ibn Kassem: These great individuals would write down every word they spoke and every action they performed in a notebook. After performing Isha prayer and closing their doors, they would confront their souls and open that notebook. They would look at each word and deed that arose throughout the day.
The Scale of Repentance and Gratitude
If the deed in the notebook required seeking forgiveness (if it was a mistake or negligence), they would immediately seek forgiveness and shed tears. If it required repentance, they would repent; if it required gratitude for a good deed, they would thank God. They would compare what they did that day with the deeds they would do the next day and would never sleep without placing their souls on a divine scale. O brother! Pay attention to how discerning these people’s gaze was. While we forget our sins and boast of our good deeds, they were causing their own mini-apocalypses every night. If you are afraid that on that great and terrifying day in the Hereafter your book will be given from the right or left side, keep your own record while you are in this world. How can someone who cannot control their own soul expect to be acquitted in the divine court? Season your deeds with sincerity and account for every breath!