Question:

At the end of the Treatise on Sincerity, Bediuzzaman says: “We beseech the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful, making all of His Most Beautiful Names our intercessors, that He may grant us complete sincerity.” [1] What is the wisdom behind invoking the Divine Names as intercessors in attaining sincerity?

Answer:

As is well known, sincerity (ikhlāṣ) means performing deeds solely because God commands them and seeking only His good pleasure as their outcome. Beyond this, one does not set one’s heart on worldly interests or even on rewards in the Hereafter. For servanthood (ʿubūdiyyah) is not the price paid for blessings to be granted later; rather, it is an expression of gratitude for the blessings that have already been bestowed.

Nevertheless, when the matter is considered from the perspective of human need and necessity, there is no harm in asking for the blessings of the Hereafter. Although we do not attach our acts of worship to such rewards, nor serve God merely to obtain them, it is certain that we are in profound need of them. Just as in this world we need to believe in God, to know and recognize Him, to love Him, to feel connected to Him, and to rely and trust in Him, so too in the next world we are in need of being among those brought near to Him. We know that the only place where we may draw near to Him, behold His Divine beauty, and be encompassed by the breezes of the verse, “God’s good pleasure is greater than all else” [2], is Paradise. Therefore, we hope for and ask for Paradise and its blessings from His grace. For we cannot do without Him; and just as we cannot do without Him, we cannot do without Paradise.

Seeking Refuge in the Divine Names in Supplication

Sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is, in essence, a designation for truly knowing God, aspiring to attain His good pleasure, and showing reverence for His commands. For this reason, sincerity holds vital importance for every believer. The wisdom behind Bediuzzaman’s invoking the Divine Names as intercessors while asking God for sincerity lies precisely in this point. When we ask for what we value most in our supplications, we naturally seek intercession through what we hold most precious.

For example, one of the supplications I frequently recite is the following:

O God! Exalt once again, in every corner of the world and in every dimension of life, Your religion which is inherently exalted; make the truth and reality known to all hearts. Open our hearts, and the hearts of all Your servants throughout the world and in every sphere of life, to faith, to Islam, to the consciousness of spiritual excellence (ihsān), and to the Qur’an.

Because I attach great importance to this prayer, I seek the intercession of the greatest intercessors for its acceptance:

I ask and implore all of this from You for the sake of Your Essence, for the sake of Your exalted attributes, for the sake of Your Most Beautiful Names, for the sake and sanctity of Your Greatest Name, and for the sake of the honor and intercession of our master Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him) before You.

In the same way, sincerity is a matter of vital importance for a believer. For this reason, Bediuzzaman invokes all of the Divine Names as intercessors in order to attain it. His words therefore also reflect the central importance of sincerity.

Moreover, the Qur’an recommends that we include the Divine Names in our supplications and invoke them as a means of appeal. One verse states:

“The Most Beautiful Names belong to God; so call upon Him by them.” [3]

This indicates that the Divine Names possess a profound influence connected to the inner meaning of servanthood, and that we should seek refuge in them in our prayers. Similarly, in the supplication of Jawshan, it is said, “I ask You by Your Names,” after which the Divine Names are mentioned, and through their honor deliverance from Hell is sought.

Bediuzzaman’s Emphasis on Sincerity

In his works, Bediuzzaman repeatedly stresses sincerity (ikhlāṣ) on various occasions and highlights its importance in powerful terms. He states that even an atom’s weight of action performed with sincerity surpasses tons of deeds devoid of sincerity. Despite the small number of people around him, he attributes the manifold fruits of their service to their sincerity, describing how their efforts yielded results far beyond their apparent capacity. While expressing this truth, he says: “God willing, you will attain complete sincerity, and you will also help me attain complete sincerity.” [4]

Through these words, Bediuzzaman demonstrates humility, appreciates his companions, and at the same time offers an important reminder. For no matter how sincere a person may be, attaining perfect sincerity is not easy. It requires that not even the slightest ulterior consideration be mixed into one’s deeds, that everything other than the Divine be set aside, and that one’s heart be fully directed toward God alone. Moreover, sincerity once attained can easily be lost without one even realizing it. Even when one is very careful, it is difficult to claim that one has reached complete sincerity (ikhlāṣ al-tāmm) or perfected sincerity (ikhlāṣ al-atamm). This represents a horizon that we strive for but find difficult to reach. To attain it, one must overcome many demanding obstacles and loosen the bonds of bodily and worldly attachments. Such a degree of sincerity belongs only to the distinguished servants referred to as the mukhlaṣīn — those purified in sincerity.

Bediuzzaman was a monumental personality who carefully observed events around him, continuously drew lessons from them, and offered guidance whenever necessary. On one occasion, he recounts the following experience concerning sincerity: when he told his student Hafız Ali that another friend’s handwriting was more beautiful than his and that this person would therefore contribute more effectively to the service, Hafız Ali responded with complete sincerity and heartfelt purity. Rather than feeling disturbed, he expressed joy and took pride in his brother. [5]

This example shows that sincerity is closely connected with brotherhood and fellowship. If we wish to understand the degree of sincerity present in our own efforts in the path of God, we may ask ourselves the following question:

If I were confronted with such a situation, would I be able to show the same attitude?

May God grant us the ability to transcend our egos, establish a deep connection with our Lord, and act with genuine sincerity at this level.

The Ascending Spiral of Sincerity

If, like Bediuzzaman, we carefully observe our surroundings, we will encounter many heroes of sincerity whose hearts beat for God. We admire their state and strive to be like them. For example, in the early 1990s, the efforts of friends in the Hizmet movement who set out for many parts of the world appeared to me deeply sincere. Without considering salary, and often without even knowing the countries to which they were going, they undertook journeys of migration devoted to altruistic service. Their attitude inspired us, revived us, and helped us regain our sense of purpose. No matter how much we thank God for granting us the blessing of being among so many dedicated individuals, it would still be insufficient. Indeed, if there had not been such devoted and sincere people within the Hizmet movement, so many beautiful outcomes would not have emerged. This shows that the fruits arising from such service are extra favors granted by God to sincere intentions.

If sincerity is the foremost quality that the Divine seeks from us, and if it is like an ascending spiral that lifts a person toward His good pleasure, then it should also be our foremost aim. We must constantly ask God for sincerity. Especially at night, after performing the tahajjud prayer, we should place our foreheads upon the prayer mat and say:

O God, make us among Your servants who seek sincerity and who are granted sincerity.

We should seek sincerity in all of our actions and spend our entire lives striving for perfected sincerity (ikhlāṣ al-atamm). In our supplications, we ask God for matters such as livelihood, health, and family. There is no harm in these requests; however, none of them is as important as attaining sincerity, the Divine good pleasure, and knowledge of the Divine Creator. Therefore, at least as much as we pray for worldly needs and desires, we should also pray to obtain these higher aims.

It should also not be forgotten that sincerity is connected to faith. The stronger one’s faith, the stronger one’s sincerity will be. From this perspective, we must first believe in God with certainty surpassing mathematical certainty; in proportion to our faith, we should attain knowledge of Him (ma‘rifah), and in proportion to that knowledge we should establish a deep connection with Him. If we wish to attain perfected sincerity, we should strive to elevate our faith from ‘ilm al-yaqīn (certainty through knowledge), to ‘ayn al-yaqīn (certainty through direct perception), and finally to ḥaqq al-yaqīn (certainty through realized truth). If faith becomes deeply rooted within our being and we remain close to God, neither Satan nor the commanding self (nafs al-ammārah) will be able to damage our sincerity.

Just as every valuable attainment is difficult to achieve, sincerity is not easily acquired. Yet the paths leading to it are not closed; they remain open. It is possible to reach sincerity through faith, knowledge, love, reflection, and prayer.

References

[1] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Lem’alar, p. 208 (The Twenty-First Flash – Treatise on Sincerity).
[2] Qur’an, 9:72.
[3] Qur’an, 7:180.
[4] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Lem’alar, p. 203 (The Twenty-First Flash, Third Principle).
[5] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Barla Lahikası, p. 146; At that time, the Epistles of Light were written and reproduced by hand due to the political pressure and persecution directed against religious expression.