Sincerity

The Qur'an says:

يا أيها الذين آمنوا لم تقولون ما لا تفعلون كبر مقتا عند الله أن تقولوا ما لا تفعلون

“Oh you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah for you to say what you do not do.” (al-Saff 2-3)

Words can sometimes be very cheap. They sound beautiful but they mean nothing unless actions bring them to life. A small act of charity is worth more than all the fine words in the world.

Sincerity should be the heart of religion. It is important because it helps to build trust, confidence and love. As the well know hadith says: "Actions are judged by their intentions." And good actions come from good intentions.

We should strive to always think about the consequences of what we say before we speak. Try not to be glib or harsh. These are sometimes difficult standards to keep up to. But the more we try the easier it becomes and the more we show a good example the more others will follow.

Complete sincerity can be a surprisingly difficult thing to achieve as we always find excuses to disguise things about ourselves or our intentions, but in the long run sincerity and transparency will be better for us, for those we love and for society in general.

Try a little experiment today. Commit to to being absolutely sincere truthful and transparent at least for a day. Be conscientious about what you say and do. You may be surprised at how many times we avoid being totally honest and sincere. Keep trying, even if you fail. Think about why you failed and keep trying to maintain the highest state of sincerity and transparency as you can.

Always check your motives and take an honest look at what “moves” you to say and do what you do. Is it for your benefit, someone else’s benefit, or for mutual benefit?

Make a conscious effort to mean what you say. Pay attention to what you say and how you say it. It’s very easy to make promises you can’t keep, to give compliments you don’t mean, and to give the wrong impression by what you say - or don’t say.

Phrase your words more carefully. Language is often the cause of so much misunderstanding and ill-feeling. Think about how your words might impact on others not privy to what your intentions are.

Always practice what you preach and do not be afraid to own up to your mistakes. You are not required to be perfect, but you should try to be genuine.

I would like to end with a wonderful quote from Corey Booker the Mayor of Newark:

"Don't speak to me about your religion; first show it to me in how you treat other people.  

Don't tell me how much you love your God; show me in how much you love all God's children.  

Don't preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbours.  

I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and give."