Page 56 - Sincerity Described in the Qur'an

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SINCERITY DESCRIBED IN THE QUR’AN

circumstances we commonly encounter in daily life. Thus, he
should monitor himself accordingly. If he fears any other
being or status other than Allah, he should then purify

himself of this fear, if he wishes to achieve sincerity.

Striving One’s Utmost for Allah’s Consent

One who aims to behave sincerely under whichever
circumstance he is faced with should "strive his utmost to
obtain Allah’s consent." Allah’s instruction on this matter is
related in the following verse:
… So compete with each other in doing good. Every one
of you will return to Allah … (Surat al-Ma’ida: 48)
Another verse declares:

Then We made Our chosen servants inherit the Book.
But some of them wrong themselves; some are
ambivalent; and some outdo each other in good by
Allah’s permission. That is the great favor. (Surah Fatir:
32)
As mentioned in this verse, there are people who are
"ambivalent," despite believing in Allah, and there are those

who "outdo each other in good." A sincere Muslim strives to
hasten in good deeds. Every moment of his life, he struggles
to act in ways that please Allah. He uses all his means to
become one of the pious servants of Allah.
The difference between those who are ambivalent and
those who outdo each other in good could be explained as
follows: One is confronted by many events during his
lifetime. He is always faced with many options from which to
decide how to direct his affairs, what to do when confronted