Page 125 - Sincerity Described in the Qur'an

123
Conclusion

spent to check his intentions would be sufficient to purify
himself. With Allah’s permission, this improvement converts
later deeds into pious ones, and grants the person the honor
of being "the best of creatures" in Allah’s sight.
Otherwise, if one sullies his deeds done to acquire Allah’s
assent, by letting worldly ambitions interfere and invalidates
them, instead of aiming to acquire sincerity, then he will

certainly be acting immorally. This person may strive day
and night and consider himself guided on the straight path of
morality. However, he will not be among those who turn to
Allah purely, as he does not strive to acquire sincerity. Surat
al-Kahf puts forth the example of such losers as follows:
Say: "Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their
actions? People whose efforts in the life of this world
are misguided while they suppose that they are doing
good." (Surat al-Kahf: 103-104)
However, when he looks back upon his life, he will
realize that there is nothing left to indicate that he had spent
those years in this world. Neither the people whose consent
he strove to acquire, nor the worldly goals he pursued, nor

his arrogance, nor the devil who deceived him to damage his
sincerity, will stand by him. He will stand in Allah’s presence
alone and unaided, as he failed to turn to Him with a pure
heart, and had harmed his sincerity by combining his faith,
service and worship with other impurities. In Surat al-Hadid,
Allah announces that this worldly life is nothing but a great
deception:
Know that the life of the world is merely a game and a
diversion and ostentation and a cause of boasting
among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in