Sincerity

&nbsp;<span style="text-align: center; ">&nbsp;</span><b style="text-align: center; "><i><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Sincerity</span></i></b> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Sincerity means that only Almighty Allah should be intent and whatever is done should be done only for the sake of Allah and to gain His pleasure and approval.&nbsp; There should be no ostentation in it and no desire of the Self.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Hadhrat Dhun Noon Misri (May Allah shower His mercy on him) says:&nbsp; These are the 3 signs of sincerity: That the praise and condemnation of the populace are the same, no ostentation in deeds and leaving the reward (of the deed) to the hereafter.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Hadhrat Abul Hasan Poshangi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) says:&nbsp; Sincerity is that attribute which the recording angels cannot record, which Satan, the accursed, cannot destroy and which no one knows of.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Each and every deed of ours should be for the Lord Almighty and as per His wishes.&nbsp; Our desires shouldn&rsquo;t have any role in them.&nbsp; This was the custom of our elders and the Lord Almighty is also pleased with this.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Anecdote<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Hadhrat Abul Hasan Noori (May Allah shower His mercy on him) went out to the river&nbsp;<st1:place w:st="on">Euphrates</st1:place>&nbsp;by coincidence.&nbsp; He saw that pots of wine were being unloaded from a ship.&nbsp; He asked people:&nbsp; What is this?&nbsp; People said:&nbsp; This is wine for Motasimbillah who is a great king.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">On hearing this, Hadhrat Noori (May Allah shower His mercy on him) got angry.&nbsp; He took a stick and started breaking the pots.&nbsp; One by one, he broke all the pots.&nbsp; Only one was left.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">As it was for the King himself, Hadhrat Noori (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was taken to the presence of the king.&nbsp; It was the custom of the king to hold court with a terrifying face.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">He called Hadhrat Noori (May Allah shower His mercy on him) and asked him:&nbsp; Why did you do such a thing?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">He answered:&nbsp; You already know what I have done.&nbsp; Why do you ask?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The king got angry and said:&nbsp; Why did you do such a thing?&nbsp; Are you an inspector?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The Shaykh said:&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; I am an inspector.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The king asked:&nbsp; Who appointed you as inspector?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The Shaykh said:&nbsp; The One who made you the king made me an inspector.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The king asked:&nbsp; What proof is there for this?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The Shaykh recited the following verse of the Holy Quran:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The king was much affected by this.&nbsp; He said:&nbsp; Okay.&nbsp; From today, I appoint you as inspector, but tell me, why did you break 9 pots and left 1 intact?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The Shaykh said:&nbsp; When I had broken 9 pots, my Self said to me:&nbsp; O Abul Hasan!&nbsp; You have done a very brave thing.&nbsp; You were intimidated even by the king.&nbsp; That very moment, I stopped myself.&nbsp; I had broken 9 pots to please Allah Most High.&nbsp; Now, it would have been for the sake of my Self.&nbsp; For this reason, I left 1 pot intact.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Just see!&nbsp; These are those who understand the machinations of the Self.&nbsp; The plots of the Self are varied, different for the pious and different for the impious.</span></p>