Lecture

Sincerity

İhlas — a compilation from the Risale-i Nur

This lecture gathers passages exclusively from the Risale-i Nur on the theme of sincerity. Most of the sources come from the two treatises the work devotes expressly to sincerity: the Twentieth Flash and the Twenty-First Flash — the treatise headed by the injunction that it be read at least once every fifteen days. The interspersed remarks (Note) serve only as orientation; sources in parentheses: book, chapter, section.

Terms: ihlas — sincerity: the pure intention directed to God's good pleasure alone; riya — ostentation, hypocrisy in worship; hubb-u câh — love of rank and standing; rabıta-i mevt — the remembrance of death.

I. Sincerity: the Greatest Strength

O my brothers of the hereafter, O my companions in the service of the Qur'an! You know — and know it well: in this world, and above all in the services of the hereafter, the most important foundation, the greatest strength, the most acceptable intercessor, the firmest point of support, the shortest way to reality, the most acceptable inward prayer, the most wondrous means to one's aims, the highest quality, the purest worship — is sincerity.

Since, then, in sincerity there are so many lights and so many strengths, as the qualities named above show; and since, in this dreadful age, facing terrible enemies, under severe pressure and amid assailing innovations and misguidance, while we are so few and weak and poor and powerless, an exceedingly heavy, great, universal and sacred duty of faith and service of the Qur'an has been placed upon our shoulders by Divine grace — we are certainly obliged and bound, more than anyone, to win sincerity with all our strength.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — the treatise on sincerity)

II. As You Shun Snakes and Scorpions

O my brothers! An important and great work of good has many harmful obstacles. The devils strive hard against the servants of such a service. Against these obstacles and these devils one must rely on the strength of sincerity. Shun the causes that break sincerity as you shun snakes and scorpions. As Joseph — peace be upon him — said: اِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَاَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي — "Truly the soul commands to evil, except where my Lord has mercy" — the evil-commanding soul is not to be trusted. Let not egotism and the evil-commanding soul deceive you. To win sincerity, to preserve it and to repel the obstacles, let the principles that follow be your guides.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — the treatise on sincerity)

III. First Principle: God's Good Pleasure Suffices

Your first principle: in your actions there must be the good pleasure of God. If He is pleased, it is of no consequence though the whole world turn away. If He accepts, it has no effect though all the people reject. Once He is pleased and has accepted, then — if He wills and His wisdom requires it — He causes the people to accept it too and makes them content as well, without your even asking. Therefore, in this service the good pleasure of Almighty God alone, directly, must be made the fundamental aim.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash, First Principle)

IV. Second Principle: Do Not Criticise Your Brother

Your second principle: not to criticise the brothers who stand in this service of the Qur'an, and not to stir the vein of envy over them in the manner of those who parade their virtues. For just as one of a man's hands does not compete with the other, one eye does not criticise the other, the tongue does not object to the ear, the heart does not expose the soul's fault — rather each completes the other's deficiency, veils his fault, helps his need, assists his duty; otherwise the life of that human body is extinguished, its spirit flees, its members fall apart. … So then, O students of the Risale-i Nur and servants of the Qur'an: you and we are the members of a collective personality worthy of the name of a perfected human being.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash, Second Principle)

V. Third Principle: Strength Lies in Truth and Sincerity

Your third principle: you must know that all your strength lies in sincerity and in truth. Yes, strength lies in truth and in sincerity. Even the unjust gain strength through the sincerity and devotion they show within their injustice. Yes, one proof that strength lies in truth and sincerity is this service of ours: a small measure of sincerity in this service of ours proves the claim, and becomes its own evidence.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash, Third Principle)

VI. Fourth Principle: The Secret of Tefani

Note — Tefani: "to pass away in one another" — to take pride in a brother's merit as if it were one's own. Hıllet — intimate friendship — points to the way of Abraham, the "Friend of God" (Khalilullah).

Your fourth principle: to imagine your brothers' merits in your own persons and their virtues in yourselves, and to take thankful pride in their honour. … Among brothers this is called "tefani": to pass away in one another. That is: to forget one's own selfish feelings and to live, in thought, in the merits and feelings of one's brothers. … Since our way is that of the Friend of God, our manner is intimate friendship. And intimate friendship requires being the closest friend, the most self-sacrificing companion, the finest appreciator and the most magnanimous brother. The very foundation of this friendship is genuine sincerity. Whoever breaks genuine sincerity falls from the summit of this friendship's lofty tower — and may fall into a very deep pit; he will find nothing to hold on to between.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash, Fourth Principle)

VII. What Breaks Sincerity: Love of Fame

Note — The treatise also enumerates the obstacles that break sincerity: rivalry over material benefit, love of rank, fear and greed. The second obstacle:

The second obstacle that breaks sincerity: driven by the craving for fame that comes of the love of rank — to win the regard of the public under the veil of glory and honour, to draw attention to oneself, thereby to flatter the ego and to give the evil-commanding soul a station: this is not only one of the gravest sicknesses of the spirit, it also opens the door to the ostentation and self-advertisement called "hidden association of partners with God" — and it wounds sincerity.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — the obstacles to sincerity)

VIII. A Dreadful Question: Why Do the People of Truth Fall Out?

Note — The Twentieth Flash is from beginning to end the answer to this question; it sets out seven causes. Here the question, and part of the fourth cause:

An important and dreadful question: Why do the people of the world, the people of heedlessness, indeed the people of misguidance and hypocrisy, unite without rivalry — while the people of truth and concord, the people of religion, of learning and of the spiritual paths, fall into rivalrous dissension? When concord is the right of the people of concord, and discord the due of the people of hypocrisy — how did that right pass over there, and this wrong come over here?

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twentieth Flash — on sincerity, First Point)

The rivalrous dissension of the people of guidance does not come from failing to consider the end, nor from shortness of sight; and the seemingly sincere alliance of the people of misguidance does not come from concern for the end and loftiness of view. Rather, the people of guidance — who, under the influence of right and truth, do not fall captive to the blind emotions of the soul but follow the far-seeing inclinations of heart and mind — fail to preserve straightness and sincerity, and so, unable to keep that high station, they fall into dissension.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twentieth Flash, Fourth Cause)

IX. A Dirham of Sincere Deed

… whoever, on the way of Truth, considers the possibility that anyone at all may be better than himself, renounces his egotism and wins sincerity; and whoever knows that a dirham's weight of deed with sincerity outweighs hundredweights of deeds without it … is cured of that disease, wins sincerity, and can carry out his duty for the hereafter as it should be done.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twentieth Flash, Fourth Cause)

X. What Wins Sincerity: the Remembrance of Death

Note — Tûl-i emel — the "long hope" of living as though one would remain in this world forever — wounds sincerity; its remedy is reflection on death.

The most effective means of winning and preserving sincerity is the remembrance of death. Yes: just as it is long hope that wounds sincerity and drives one to ostentation and to the world, so it is the remembrance of death that instils loathing of ostentation and wins sincerity. That is: to think upon one's death, to reflect that the world is transient, and thus to be delivered from the wiles of the soul.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — the treatise on sincerity)

XI. Conclusion: Prayer and Injunction

Taking all His most beautiful Names as intercessors, we beseech the Most Compassionate of the Compassionate: may He grant us success in perfect sincerity. Âmin!

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — closing supplication)

This Flash should be read at least once every fifteen days.

(Lem'alar — The Flashes, Twenty-First Flash — note at the head of the treatise)

The English renderings of the quotations are our own close translations of the original; omissions are marked with "…". For the original wording see the Turkish version of this page.