Page 93 - Sincerity Described in the Qur'an

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Avoiding Attitudes Harming Sincerity

One who places more importance on the hereafter than
the worldly things never adopts a morality that is based on
the opinion of others. He strives to gain only Allah’s consent.
Thus, he never tries to be better than others, gain esteem or

to secure a place among them and achieve an important role
in society. As understood from the issues mentioned up to
this point, if one recognizes such tendencies or deficiency in
himself, he should then be aware that he is practicing a
morality which will ultimately harm his sincerity and
prevent him from gaining Allah’s consent.
In his works, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi dealt profoundly
upon this issue, and stressed a number of important points in
order to guide the true believers. In his commentary on
sincerity, he described rivalry among believers as follows:
"In matters relating to religion and the hereafter there should be no
rivalry, envy or jealousy; indeed there can be none of these in truth.
The reason for envy and jealousy is that when several hands reach

out after a single object, when several eyes are fixed on a single
position, when several stomachs hunger for a single loaf of bread,
first envy arises as a result of conflict, dispute and rivalry, and then
jealousy. Since many people desire the same thing in the world, and
because the world, narrow and transitory as it is, cannot satisfy the
limitless desires of man, people become rivals of each other.
However,… It is ... clear that there is no cause for rivalry in the
hereafter, nor can there be rivalry. In that case, neither should there
be any rivalry with respect to those good deeds that entail reward
in the hereafter; there is no room for jealousy here. The one jealous
here is either a hypocrite, seeking worldly result through the
performance of good deeds, or a sincere but ignorant devotee, not
knowing the true purpose of good deeds and not comprehending