The Nature of Sincerity and the Danger of Ostentation
The body of worship consists of outward actions; its spirit is sincerity. Actions performed without sincerity are like a shell, outwardly beautiful but inwardly empty. Abdülkadir Geylani emphasizes that pretending to worship for Allah while harboring in one’s heart a desire for showing off to people and expecting material gain from them is the most dangerous sign of hypocrisy. True goodness and worship, as Jesus (peace be upon him) said, are those done without seeking praise. Whoever hides their ego under the guise of worship to attract the attention of the people is a misguided person who sacrifices their eternal life for temporary worldly desires.
The Secret of Sincerity: Even Renouncing the Reward of Actions
True sincerity is not only about not expecting any worldly reputation in return for actions, but at the most advanced level, it also involves abandoning even the desire for a future station. Attar defines sincerity as “not wanting to be remembered for what you do, not wanting respect, and not expecting reward from anyone other than Allah Most High.” Sufis considered worshipping merely to attain the blessings of Paradise or avoid the torments of Hell as “the ego working for its own benefit”; they stated that true servitude is about turning towards the Lord purely out of His pleasure and majesty, with a selfless love. Sincerity is very difficult for the ego because the ego does not enjoy anything that does not contain its own self-interest.
To Annihilate Oneself from Seeing the Action
At the end of the spiritual journey, a perfect believer completely frees themselves from thinking that they accomplished their acts of obedience and worship through their own strength (arrogance). Seeking flaws in worship and constantly turning to repentance with a feeling of utter helplessness is far more acceptable than trusting in one’s actions. According to what Attar narrates, “The Sufi is the one who sees his act of obedience as a crime deserving of forgiveness.” When the servant annihilates themselves from seeing their own servitude and worship (fana), they realize that they exist only through the grace and help of Allah. This profound degree of sincerity frees people from the hidden idolatry of hypocrisy and adorns actions with the etiquette of servitude.