Page 85 - Sincerity Described in the Qur'an

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Avoiding Attitudes Harming Sincerity

light of this tendency with the words:

Truly man was created headstrong—desperate when
bad things happen, begrudging when good things
come. (Surat al-Ma’arij: 19-21)
In order to acquire sincerity, one should be superior over
this negative aspect of his soul, and instead replace it with
self-sacrifice and self-denial. As Allah informs us in the verse
below, to be successful, one must purify himself from the
greediness of his soul:
... It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice
of their own selves who are successful. (Surat at-
Taghabun: 16)

It is easy for someone to train his soul in this way. Not
believing himself to be self-sufficient, and always being
suspicious of the wicked side of one’s soul, is what is most
necessary. However, the vices of selfishness and greed should
not be misunderstood. In ignorant communities, where
people lack fear of Allah and faith in the hereafter, selfishness
and greed are a philosophy of life. These people perceive as
vigilance placing their needs above others and defending
merely their own wishes; and assume this to be a good
quality. Hence, they never take into consideration their
responsibility towards Allah. In light of the verses of the
Qur’an, it would be wrong to attribute greedy and selfish
passions only to these people and limit the issue to ignorant
people alone. These people practice this morality to the
extreme. However, some people who are not commonly
thought of as greedy or selfish could secretly or openly
harbor these tendencies in themselves. Such tendencies
prevent them from acting sincerely under any condition, and