Now the cure and remedy for this appalling disease is sincerity. Sincerity may be attained  by preferring the worship  of God  to the worship  of one’s own soul, by causing God’s  pleasure to vanquish the pleasure of the soul and the ego, and thus manifesting the meaning of the verse:

Verily my reward is from God alone;(11:29)

by  renouncing  the  material  and  moral  reward  to  be  had  from  men4     and  thus manifesting the meaning of the verse:

Naught is incumbent on the Messenger but conveying the message;(5:99)

and by knowing that such matters as goodly acceptance, and making a favourable impression, and gaining the attention of men are God’s concern and a favour from Him, and that they play no part in conveying the message, which is one’s own duty, nor are they necessary for it, nor is one charged with gaining them – by knowing this a person will be successful in gaining sincerity, otherwise it will vanish.

SECOND CAUSE

The  agreement  among  the  poeple  of  misguidance  is  on  account  of  their abasement, and the dispute among the people of guidance  is on account of their dignity.  That is to say that the people of neglect – those misguided ones sunk in worldly concerns – are weak and abased because they do not rely on truth and reality. On account of their abasement, they need to augment their strength, and because of this  need  they  wholeheartedly  embrace  the  aid  and  co-operation  of others.  

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4   One should also take as one’s guide the quality of preferring others to oneself, the same quality of the Companions that is praised in the Qur’an. For example, when giving a present or performing an act of charity, one should always prefer the recipient to oneself, and without demanding or inwardly desiring any material reward for religious service, know one’s act to be purely God’s grace and not impose a sense of obligation on men. Nothing worldly should be sought in return for religious service, for otherwise sincerity will be lost. Men have many rights and claims, and may even deserve zakat. But it cannot be demanded. When one receives something, it cannot be said: “This is the reward for my service.” Rather in perfect contentment one should always prefer to oneself others who are more deserving. Thus manifesting the meaning of “They prefer others to themselves, though poverty be their lot” (Qur’an, 59:9), one may be saved from this terrible danger and gain sincerity.