SINCERITY OR PURITY OF INTENTION

THE TWENTY FIRST GLEAM,

AUTHOR; BEDIUZZAMAN SAID NURSI (R.a)

Sincerity or purity of the intention is an attitude of the heart or can be explained as being distant
from show and ostentions in one’s attention and conduct and being immune to whatever fouls
the heart.

It requires one seek nothing worldy while worshiping and obeying God and only seek his
approval and good pleasure. God values that which is done to please him and for his sake only.

He is concerned with the quality of the deeds and not quantity, therefore he values a small deed
done sincerily over many deeds done incencerily.

***If we consider a deed to be a body then sincerity is its soul and remember that body without
a soul is of no worth. ***

In this world, and particularly in the services done for the afterlife, a most important foundation,
and a greatest power, and a firmest point of reliance, and a shortest way to the truth, and a most
answerable prayer, and a most blessed and marvelous means of achieving one’s goal, and a
most sublime virtue, and a purest form of worship is sincerity, doing something good or any
religious deed purely for God’s sake.

Sacred duty of serving belief and the Quran karim has been placed on our shoulders by the
Divine Grace despite our powerlessness, deprivations, and being few in number; we are
certainly compelled more than everyone else to gain sincerity with all our strength and in need
of inculcating it in ourselves. Otherwise, our attainments in our sacred service will in part be
lost O my brothers and sisters.

Numerous harmful obstacles appear before works of great good, Satans strive very much
against those who try to do these works. We should rely on the strength of sincerity against
these obstacles and satans. We must avoid things that harm sincerity to the same degree that
we avoid snakes and scorpions.

In order to remove the obstacles before sincerity so that we gain and preserve sincerity, let the
following principles be a guide for you:
Your first principle;

You should pursue God’s good pleasure in your actions. If He is pleased with you, even if the
whole world is displeased, it is of no consequence. If He approves, it has no effect even if all
others reject your ideas and actions. When He is pleased and approves, even if you do not seek
the approval of others, should He will it to be so and His Wisdom requires it, He will make
others accept it and be pleased with you. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary to aim at
God Almighty’s good pleasure in the service of the Qur’an and belief.

Second principle

You should not criticize your brothers and sisters in their service of the Qur’an or belief, and
do not provoke their envy by making a display of your attributes. Similarly, the components of
a factory are not in rivalry with one another, nor do they attempt to take precedence over or
dominate one another. Nor do they find faults with or criticize one another, destroying each
other’s enthusiasm for work or condemning the others to idleness. Rather they help one
another to work with all their capacities for the achievement of a common goal.

Therefore, we need and we are compelled to realize true solidarity and unity, which can only
be attained through sincerity and which can gain for four people the power of one thousand
one hundred and eleven.

Third principle

One of the most influential means of attaining sincerity and preserving it is “contemplation
of death.” While long-term worldly ambitions damage sincerity and cause ostentation and
worldliness, the “contemplation of death” leads one to abhor ostentation and gain sincerity.
By never forgetting death and always considering the transient nature of our lives, we can be
saved from the tricks of the carnal soul, worldly ambitions of this worldly life.

Forth principle

Based on belief, and the lights of belief-guided reflective thought on God’s works of art the
whole creation which leads to knowledge of the Maker, we can experience the omnipresence
of the All-Compassionate Creator, and without seeking the acceptance or attention of any other
than Him. And understanding that by looking to others for help in His presence is not right
conduct then we can be saved from ostentation and attain sincerity.
THINGS DESTROYING SINCERITY

Out of numerous things which destroy sincerity and drive one to ostentation, I will briefly
mention two or three as follows:

THE FIRST

Rivalry in material benefits gradually destroys sincerity. It also harms the results of any service
done, and causes the loss of the desired material advantage. Thus, the carnal soul, first desiring
and expecting material benefit, then not wanting it to go to others, provokes a feeling of rivalry
towards a true brother or sister or a companion in the same service. This damages sincerity,
and is sacrilegious to the service done; the person becomes unlovable and disagreeable in the
sight of the people of truth and discernment.

Therefore, O my brothers and sisters! I hope that God will save you from rivalry in material
benefits. Prefer the souls of your brothers and sisters to your own in honor, position, public
approval, and even in things like the material benefits of which the carnal soul is enamored. O
my brothers and sisters! Our way which we try to follow in the service of the wise Qur’an is
based on truth and requires true brotherhood. Brotherhood requires self-annihilation among the
brothers and sisters and preferring them to oneself. Therefore, there should not be rivalry
among us that arises from seeking status in people’s eyes. This is totally contrary to our way

THE SECOND THING

Flattering ego and giving a lofty position to the evil-commanding soul by pursuing public
attention and acceptance in the name of fame, renown, or status in people’s eyes. This is the
most perilous of spiritual diseases, one that leads to ostentation and self-centeredness, which is
regarded as a hidden association of partners with God.

But everyone has an evilcommanding soul, and sometimes selfish impulses and desires can
control a person to such extents, despite their heart, mind, and spirit. I never think of accusing
your hearts, minds, or spirits, But the carnal soul, impulses, desires, and fancies sometimes
deceive. For this reason, you are sometimes warned severely. The severity in the warnings is
because of these impulses, desires, and fancies. Therefore, act cautiously.

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THE THIRD

Among of obstacle to gaining sincerity is fear and avarice. Fear is a most basic human emotion
intriguing wrongdoer. Agents of the worldly and heralds of misguidance play upon it to
inculcate fear and anxiety within ordinary people and particularly religious scholars into
abandoning the struggle on the cause of God. Similarly, worldly people cause Muslims to
sacrifice many important things by arousing groundless fears and anxieties.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, if sycophants and unbelievers use fear to tempt you into
abandoning your struggle in His cause, say: “We are people of the Qur’an, and we are within
its stronghold.

…end…