Is sincerity of intention sufficient?

[Ramadhan]

I have been thinking about this particular issue lately. I have been noticing that in my immediate muslim communities (family, work, social) there are two main different approaches to be a "muslim":
The first one is the approach of "sincerity of intention" is all you need; basically muslims who hold this view think that as long as you are sincere in your belief, it does not matter what you believe in or what you practice as a muslim.
The second one is the approach of those who believe that sincerity alone is not sufficient without basing it on Qur'an and sunah.

Let me deliberate:
I have a muslim work colleague who doesn't perform shalah 5 times a day, if any at all. He said that he doesn't feel it's right to perform shalah when he feels that he "has to" or "feels enforced", but he believes sincerely that he is correct in his belief and he said he performs shalah whenever he sincerely feels he wants to. He feels that there is nothing in the Qur'an that makes it compulsory for him to perform shalah 5 times a day and he sincerely believes it.
He also chided other muslims who perform shalah 5 times a day and yet whose life is not 100% according to Qur'an and as sunnah and called them "munafeeq" (hypocrites) when they asked him to join them for jamaah prayer.
And so we have another set of approach: those who believe, even though their own life is not yet perfect according to qur'an and as sunnah, that telling and informing people about what are required by qur'an and as sunnah and doing amar ma'ruf nahi munkar (inviting people to do good, preventing people from doing evil) is essential.
The danger of the "amar ma'ruf nahi munkar" people is that they are vulnerable to get accused with "meddling in other people's business", "should fix their own self before preaching others", etc.

So how do we reconcile these approaches?
Is any of those better than the others or is there another better one yet?

 

[جوري]

They've invited him to prayer not chided him into prayer.. seems to me like a case of jealousy or something more sinister in his own soul that leads him to project that.. I could never think a person who invites me to something wonderful and religiously sound a hypocrite even if that individual himself/herself isn't a model Muslim...
Also even if he feels that some of his prayers are insincere thus performing one skipping ten, sincerity isn't the only object of prayer.. on the lowest common denominator that I can think of, that's of benefit to him would be to establish discipline and ward off stress and laziness .. God doesn't need his prayers...

 

[ardianto]

I could never think a person who invites me to something wonderful and religiously sound a hypocrite even if that individual himself/herself isn't a model Muslim...

That's because you are not living in Indonesia. What bro Ramadhan has written is typical of Indonesian people.

Insha Allah, I'll back to this thread. Now I am very busy.

 

[Aprender]

but he believes sincerely that he is correct in his belief and he said he performs shalah whenever he sincerely feels he wants to. He feels that there is nothing in the Qur'an that makes it compulsory for him to perform shalah 5 times a day and he sincerely believes it.

Looking forward to brother Ardiantos response here but this reminds me of the practices in Christianity. People would only pray when they were facing a hardship or they needed prayer to help with some life decisions...

He also chided other muslims who perform shalah 5 times a day and yet whose life is not 100% according to Qur'an and as sunnah and called them "munafeeq" (hypocrites) when they asked him to join them for jamaah prayer.

That's the point of striving to get your life right according to Qur'an and Sunnah. It's not going to be 100% right all the time but the fact of the matter is that we should be trying to live that way. Sometimes people fall short but that certainly doesn't exactly make them hypocrites....:hmm:

 

[ardianto]

I have a muslim work colleague who doesn't perform shalah 5 times a day, if any at all. He said that he doesn't feel it's right to perform shalah when he feels that he "has to" or "feels enforced", but he believes sincerely that he is correct in his belief and he said he performs shalah whenever he sincerely feels he wants to. He feels that there is nothing in the Qur'an that makes it compulsory for him to perform shalah 5 times a day and he sincerely believes it.
He also chided other muslims who perform shalah 5 times a day and yet whose life is not 100% according to Qur'an and as sunnah and called them "munafeeq" (hypocrites) when they asked him to join them for jamaah prayer.

You don't need to explain him that salah is wajib, let "Pak Ustadz" (Islamic teacher) do it. Your duty is make him has interest to learn Islam and comes to Pak Ustadz.

Use friendly approach. I give you example, if he says salah is not wajib, tell him : "Wah, bapak ini ketinggalan jaman. Orang lain udah pada tahu kok, kalo sholat itu wajib. Makanya..., belajar dong" (say it with smile)

And, after you visited an Islamic lecture. "Kemaren saya ikut ceramahnya ustadz Ahmad, bagus sekali tuh ceramahnya. Beliau bilang ...(ceritakan sedikit materi yang disampaikan)... kalau ada ceramah lagi ikut aja yuk"

Or, open video from ustadz Maulana, Aa Gim, or other da'i in your laptop and show it to your colleague.

Typical of Indonesian people, if we push someone, he will push us back. Like in your case, you 'push' your colleagues with told him that salah is wajib. And he 'push' you back with say that salah is not wajib. But if we can make them have interest to come, they will come.

Need patience if you want to remind your colleague. If he say "no", when you remind him to salah, don't force him. Repeat again in the next salah, and always use friendly approach like "Waktunya sholat nih, sholat yuk"


@Other members
I must give advice to brother Ramadhan in Indonesian language because this is related to "speaking style", an important factor in giving da'wah to Indonesian people.

I will translate those words to English. Not accurate, but close.

Wah, bapak ini ketinggalan jaman. Orang lain udah pada tahu kok, kalo sholat itu wajib. Makanya, belajar dong (Oh oh, you are out of date. Other people are already know that salah is wajib. You should learn)

Kemaren saya ikut ceramahnya ustadz Ahmad, bagus sekali tuh ceramahnya. Beliau bilang ...(ceritakan sedikit materi yang disampaikan)... kalau ada ceramah lagi ikut aja yuk (Yesterday I visited lecture by ustadz Ahmad. Very nice lecture. He said ... (tell few contents of the lecture) if there is talks again, we go there"

Waktunya sholat nih, sholat yuk (time to salah, lets we do salah)

 

[Ramadhan]

^ Makasih mas Ardianto.
But actually it wasn't me who "pushed" the non-praying colleague. It was some other people, I was just observing. I am ashamed to say that I have not been able to invite people for praying in my office environment, I'm only able to do it among my family or friends.

My point is: There are people who think that islamic ibada (religious rituals) and sharia are not necessary, as long as you really sincerely believe in your heart that you are still a muslim.

I find it difficult to accept when such people argue and even advise others with little knowledge about Islam that breaking commandments (such as not praying, eating pork, drinking alcohol, etc) now and then are okay as long as they are sincere that they are still muslims.

Then there is that other approach where such people advise those with little knowledge that breaking commandments is not ok, even though that would hurt the feelings of those muslims with little knowledge and maybe even make them thinks Islam is too difficult.

 

[ardianto]

You're welcome, dik Ramadhan.

Have you ever heard some people in our place say "Our salah will not be accepted if we are still backbiting. So, if you are still backbiting, it's better if you don't do salah, because your salah will not be accepted".

That's the effect of secularization in the past when government always taught Muslims only about morality, not about the Islam itself. No wonder if until now there are some Muslims who still believe ibadah and sharia are not necessary.

Yes, we must give da'wah to them. But how the effective way to give da'wah to them?. Like I have said, do not push them to Islam but make them have interest to come to Islam.

 

[Abz2000]

He also chided other muslims who perform shalah 5 times a day and yet whose life is not 100% according to Qur'an and as sunnah and called them "munafeeq" (hypocrites) when they asked him to join them for jamaah prayer.

we come across it often,
it seems to be a defensive mentality they take on in order to fend of criticism from themselves,
i see it too, they expect people who do more than themselves to be saints or angels, and any falling short is a no-no,
yet when told that that person is a human like them but is doing more, they'll scoff and say "what's the point".
seems the love of kufr ways selectively dulls the contrasts.

i remember when i had come to Islam slowly and was still doing some bad things which i avoid, i would be ashamed to go to prayer and feel like a hypocrite, the chicken and chip shop guy saw me outside the office at prayer time and asked, i put my head down and said "later",
he simply and clearly told me, "whatever you do, at least do your prayers", i later found that it was the prayers that were pulling me away from evil, and since i knew i had to pray in a bit anyway, i'd avoid the evil because i knew i would have to struggle with a psychological conflict when standing before Almighty God.

 

[Al-Mufarridun]

I would advice the best way to approach those types of people is to approach them in a manner that allows them to question themselves.
For example, ask this brother who believes he doesn't have to pray; "do you know what is the definition of a Muslim?"
If he knows that the definition of Muslim is; One who submits to Allah swt.
Question: "What does submission to Allah swt mean?"
Answer: To align our beliefs, values, principles, desires, actions to the commandments of Allah swt.
Question: "Isn't the biggest act of hypocrisy then someone who claims to be a Muslim, One who submits to Allah swt, then refuses to perform salah, i.e. bow and prostrate to Allah swt?"

The best way to approach these types of individuals I believe is not to be confrontational, but rather to allow the person's own conscience lead him or her back to their firtrah. If there is something they are ignorant about then you should remove their ignorance in a wise manner. It is shaytan that is misleading us with these wrong beliefs and misconceptions about the Deen. Telling us that 'all that matters is a good heart', 'don't pray and be a hypocrite' and such thoughts.

May Allah swt assist us all in remembering Him, thanking Him, and worshiping Him in the best of manners. Ameen

Allah swt knows best.

 

[Samiun]

@Other members
I must give advice to brother Ramadhan in Indonesian language because this is related to "speaking style", an important factor in giving da'wah to Indonesian people.

I will translate those words to English. Not accurate, but close.

Wah, bapak ini ketinggalan jaman. Orang lain udah pada tahu kok, kalo sholat itu wajib. Makanya, belajar dong (Oh oh, you are out of date. Other people are already know that salah is wajib. You should learn)

Kemaren saya ikut ceramahnya ustadz Ahmad, bagus sekali tuh ceramahnya. Beliau bilang ...(ceritakan sedikit materi yang disampaikan)... kalau ada ceramah lagi ikut aja yuk (Yesterday I visited lecture by ustadz Ahmad. Very nice lecture. He said ... (tell few contents of the lecture) if there is talks again, we go there"

Waktunya sholat nih, sholat yuk (time to salah, lets we do salah)

, I tried this at school it isn't really effective. Trying to give da'wah to people who doesn't perform salah is like talking to a wall. They know the hukm and the price for not performing to do the salah yet they still do things that have more priority over salat. But never give up, Allah will give them hidayah inshallah. It is up to Allah to give hidayah to whom He wills, and only then can they change their ways.

 

[Abz2000]

saying it in a nice way never harms anyone though, and who knows, they may reflect one day, when you tell them, someone else tells them, and someone else tells them

 

[Flame of Hope]

Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray none can guide them aright.

 

[ardianto]

I tried this at school it isn't really effective. Trying to give da'wah to people who doesn't perform salah is like talking to a wall. They know the hukm and the price for not performing to do the salah yet they still do things that have more priority over salat. But never give up, Allah will give them hidayah inshallah. It is up to Allah to give hidayah to whom He wills, and only then can they change their ways

Ardianto : Waktunya sholat nih. Sholat yuk
A friend : Titip salam saja pada Allah. Saya lagi malas. (send my greeting to Allah. I am in laziness)

That's my experience. Yes, not easy to give da'wah. But if Allah give hidayah, someone can be changed. Few years later I saw one of my friend 'sunk' in alcohol beverages, and never perform salah.

Then he's gone and I never meet him again until last year. SubhanAllah, he has been changed, he never drink alcohol again and he never miss salah again. Now sometime he visit my office.

 

[Dee1]

Salaam,
the work colleague is amongst ahlul ahwaa - people of desires - everything is justified around their feelings and wishes. You would decide if it's out of ignorance or he is like that deliberately. His approach is wrong.
the other scenario is that amr bil ma'ruf and nahiy 3anil munkar is wajib. If people don't do it prayers are not answered, Allah's punishment will fall on everyone (collective punishment) to the best of my knowledge. If it is done it is better than when not done. Everyone is human and everyone has short comings but if done sincerely and according to sunnah and with gentleness it is better. Allah will call the person only to account in akhera if they practiced this and forgot about themselves. This approach is better.

Hope that helped.