Shaykh Salih says in his book al-Ilhām al-nāfiʿ li-kulli qāṣid concerning Sincerity (Ikhlas):
‘Sincerity to Allah is to intend in one’s speech and actions only for the sake of Allah. If one intends only Allah, he shall find Him, and if he finds Him, he will worship Him. When he worships Him, He draws him close, and when He draws him close, there manifests for him actions that save one from falsehood and tribulation. Actions are like a riding animal to a destination. If it is directed to the correct destination, it arrives. If it faces the wrong direction, however much it moves, it will get further away. Do not make your actions that should draw you close push you further away, nor should you make your heart which contains certainty weak. Your sincerity comes from your certainty, and your certainty is the essence of your religion.’
