Hadith Translation & Commentary: “Religion is Sincere Advice”
Disclaimer: This hadith is taken from زاد الطالبين (Provisions for the Seekers) originally written by Shaykh Maulana Muhammad Ashiq Ilahi al-Bulandshehri in Arabic. Provision for the Seekers is the English version translated with additional commentary by Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. No copyright infringement intended whatsoever. All rights belong to the publisher(s).
Original & Translation of the Hadith “Religion is Sincere Advice”
اَلدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ
Religion (Islaam) is sincerity. / Religion is sincere advice. / Religion is goodwill. / The Religion is to act with sincerity.
Translation Note: The actual meaning of “an-naseehah” is more precise as there is no word for it in English. Even in Arabic, there is no synonym. Therefore, the expression “to act with sincerity” has been adopted here as a broad explanation for the Arabic word. Other meanings could be giving good advice, directing toward good, acting sincerely or honestly, or being benevolent and desiring good.
Note: This is an authentic hadith from Muslim.
Importance of the Hadith “Religion is Sincere Advice”
Imam Navabi says this hadith is the summary of deen. Ikhlaas means sincerity. Now since ‘ibadah (worship) is sincerely and purely for the sake of Allah (SWT), ikhlaas is the essence and the core of our worship. Therefore, ikhlaas is the core word of naseehah.
The same root letters (ن ص ح) of the word النَّصِيحَةُ are used for the purification of honey. Honey is a very viscous and sticky substance. The process is very difficult and one has to manually pick out the impurities. It cannot be done through a filtration system. Purifying ourselves and making ourselves sincere requires the same amount of effort and meticulousness as purifying honey. Constant and consistent effort. Islam needs sincerity.
This hadith is part of a longer version as Nabi (SAW) was asked to elaborate to whom or what one has to be sincere towards. Nabi (SAW) replied that it refers to Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and to the common people.
Therefore, the hadith “religion is sincere advice” makes clear that one of the most important aspects of true faith (Imaan) is to give good counsel, to wish well, and to act with honesty and sincerity towards everything.
How to be Sincere to Allah (SWT)
One can be sincere to Allah (SWT) by…
- Believing in Allah (SWT), which includes His essence, rights and attributes.
- Not associating anyone with Him. Associating partners (called shirk) with Allah (SWT) is done in two ways. The first one is giving someone else the same haqq/darja. Secondly, and the more graver of the two, is to physically associate/worship another being with Him. Both of these are counted as shirk.
- Fulfilling all of the obligations set out by Him in the best way possible and striving for ihsaan. The definition of ihsaan is to worship Allah (SWT) as if we can see Him.
- Abstaining from whatever He has forbidden (i.e. made haraam).
- Recognizing His favours upon you (both when things are going your way and when they are not).
- Loving Allah (SWT), love everyone who loves Him and love people for the sake of Him by being sincere in relationships and want the best for them.
How to be Sincere to the Qur’an
One can be sincere to the Qur’an by…
- Believing in the truth of the Qur’an with their whole hearts and minds. Allah (SWT) is aware of time periods and the Qur’an contains eternal guidance. One has to believe that it is the word of Allah (SWT) and revealed through His Rasool (SAW).
- Reading, reciting, and learning the Qur’an
- Reading, reciting and learning the Qur’an with khushoo (to be humble before Allah (SWT))
- Defending the Qur’an from the misinterpretation of it to the best of your ability
- Trying to relate to incidents in the Qur’an.
- Acting upon things mentioned in the Qur’an by taking heed from all of the warnings mentioned but realize that some things mentioned are vague and so cannot be understood.
How to be Sincere to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
One can be sincere to Nabi (SAW) by…
- Fulfilling his rights by confirming that he is the Messenger of Allah (SWT).
- Loving him more than we love ourselves as this is a sign of true faith (imaan).
- Following his guidance (sunnah) to the best of your ability as he is a living role model of following Islam/Qur’an.
- Honouring him and his family.
- Spreading his message(s) and guidance (sunnah), especially his teachings that are not very well-known.
- Holding everything that he has said to be true.
How to be Sincere to Muslim Leaders/Rulers
One can be sincere to Muslim leaders by…
- Assisting them in virtue.
- Obeying them and exhorting others to do the same. Follow them as long as they follow His shari’ah and abstain from acts against shari’ah.
- Reminding them of their responsibilities and making du’a for them and/or correcting them when/where they are wrong in a polite, reformative, and wise manner.
- Cooperating with them in terms of law and obedience, whether they be the laws of the dunya or of Allah’s, as long as it is not sinful.
How to be Sincere to People
One can be sincere to people by…
- Guiding them and preventing them from wrong.
- Wanting for them what you want for yourselves (have that desire/love for them).
- Caring for them and fulfill all of their rights to the best of your ability.
- Being sincere and loyal towards them and do not mean anything bad for them.
- Working for their betterment (of any kind); try to help them out to the best of your ability.
- Removing/relieving whatever is harmful to them (of any kind) and bring in something beneficial.
- Hiding their faults/flaws/weaknesses; give advice privately and with gentleness and compassion. Do not make them public or use the information to backbite.
- Protecting them in regards to their assets, wealth, reputation, and honour (e.g. backbiting, nicknames, etc.).
- Dealing with them in the best possible manner.
As regards to every other aspect of life, the religious obligation of naseehah is fulfilled by performing everything in the most beneficial and correct manner possible.
Additional Note:
In addition to the disclaimer, please note that I have not created this information. Rather, I have shared my notes on what was taught to me by my reputable teachers as I am a student of the deen (religion) Islam. All thanks to Allah, the Most High. Any mistake, misuse, or misinterpretation of the teachings would be entirely due to my lack of knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns about these notes, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach me privately through my blog here or @hadithexplained on Twitter.
