Purely Sincere

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father in a marfu’ manner from abu Ja’far عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah عليه السلام has said, ‘O people indeed there is only Allah and Satan, Truth and falsehood, guidance and straying, wisdom and error, present and future, the consequences, the good deeds and evil deeds. There is no good deed except for Allah and no evil deed except for Satan, may Allah curse him.’”

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from abu al-Hassan al-Rada عليه السلام who has said the following: “Amir al Mu’minin عليه السلام has said, ‘Glad tidings to those who maintain sincerity in worshipping Allah and in prayer to Him. Whatever they see does not occupy their heart. Whatever they hear does not make them forget to speak of Allah and they do not feel depressed because of what is given to others.’”

4. ‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm, from his father, from al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad, from al-Minqarī, from Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh عليه السلام, regarding the saying of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious: “That He may test you to see which of you is best in deeds” (67:2). He said: "It does not mean the one who performs the most deeds, but rather the one whose deeds are the most correct. And correctness comes from having fear of Allah, a truthful intention, and good conduct."
Then he عليه السلام said: "Preserving the deed until it becomes sincere is more difficult than performing the deed itself. A sincere deed is one for which you desire no praise from anyone except Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. And intention is superior to the deed. Behold, intention itself is (the essence of) the deed." Then he recited the saying of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious: “Say: Everyone acts according to his own manner” (17:84), and said: "It means according to his intention."

5. It is reported through the same chain of narrators that he said: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Except those who would come to Allah with safe and protected hearts. . . .’ (26:89) The Imam said, ‘A safe and protected heart is such a heart that goes in the presence of his Lord while there is nothing in it besides his Lord. He then said that every heart in which there is polytheism or doubt, such a heart is a failing heart. They (pious people) have chosen to restrict themselves from worldly matters so that their hearts are reserved for the matters of the life hereafter only.’”

6. It is reported through the same chain of narrators from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyayna from al-Sindy from abu Ja’far عليه السلام who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far عليه السلام has said, ‘If a servant maintains pure belief in Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for forty days, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, purifies his heart in this world and shows him his illnesses and the cure for them (illnesses).’ Also he عليه السلام said, ‘Whenever a servant of Allah speaks of Him in a beautiful way for forty days Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, purifies his heart in this world and shows him his illnesses and the cure for such illnesses. He then establishes wisdom in his heart and will make his tongue to speak wisdom. ’ The Imam then recited this verse of the Holy Quran, ‘Those who took the calf as their Lord will face anger and humiliation from their Lord in the worldly life and thus, We recompense those who forge lies.’ (7:157) “The Imam said, ‘You should note that all those who forge lies are but despicable persons. So also is one who forges lies against Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, His messenger and his A hi al-Bayt, recipients of divine supreme covenant. Such person is nothing but a despicable one.’”