Sincerity in obeying God
Sincerity in obeying Allah is among the obligations of the heart, it is also of the good characteristics. Sincerity in obeying Allah is doing the good deeds for the sake of Allah only. It is not doing them seeking the praise and respect of the people. Allaah made sincerity a condition for the acceptance of the good deeds. The sincere person is the one that performs the good deeds, be it praying, fasting, Hajj, Zakat, or reciting Quran seeking the reward from Allaah only, and not for the sake of the people praising and mentioning him. The one who is praying should be performing obedience for the sake of Allaah only. Not so the people can say "so and so prays a lot, he does not miss any obligation" no. Also the one who is fasting should be fasting for the sake of Allah only. The same applies to the one who is giving Zakat, reciting Quran, or anyone who is performing a good deed. On the other hand insincerity is the opposite of sincerity. It is doing the good deed such as fasting for the praise of the people and their admiration. Insincerity nullifies the reward of the deed. The performer of any deed that is done with insincerity receives no reward. Whether it was done for the praise of the people only or coupled with the reward from Allaah. Moreover, such a person committs an enormous sin. Insincerity is one of the sins of the heart. It is also a bad characteristic that the pubescent person must avoid. One should be sincere in obeying Allaah to earn the reward from Allaah.
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