How Do We Know We Are Sincere?

In order to be able to understand the Quran there is one single requirement…Sincerity Only the Sincere Can Understand the Quran [56:75] I swear by the positions of the stars. [56:76] This is an oath, if you only knew, that is awesome. [56:77] This is an honorable Quran. [56:78] In a protected book. [56:79] None can grasp it except the sincere. And this is true for all righteous endeavors. In order for people to be guided, they need to be sincere. Moment of Truth There was a game show called the Moment of Truth where contestants would be asked a series of questions after conducting a thorough lie-detector screening. If they truthfully answer all the questions they get $1M. Have you stole something from work Do you think your mom is unattractive Did you cheat on your husband Did you wish you married your ex-boyfriend Do you think you are a good person? [41:19] The day will come when the enemies of GOD will be summoned to the hellfire, forcibly. [41:20] Once they get there, their own hearing, eyes, and skins will bear witness to everything they had done. [41:21] They will say to their skins, "Why did you bear witness against us?" They will reply, "GOD made us speak up; He is the One who causes everything to speak. He is the One who created you the first time, and now you have been returned to Him." [41:22] There is no way you can hide from your own hearing, your eyes, or your skins. In fact, you thought that GOD was unaware of much of what you do. Self-deception is the blindfold we wear that hides the presence of the firing squad Self-deception leads to self-destruction because if we do not know if we are being sincere then how would we know if we are guided? As indicated at the beginning of Sura 2 there are three kinds of people: The Righteous - who reads the Quran and understands it and applies it The Disbeliever - who rejects the Quran The Hypocrite - who reads the Quran, but is insincere and therefore doesn’t really understand the Quran [2:8] Then there are those who say, "We believe in GOD and the Last Day," while they are not believers. [2:9] In trying to deceive GOD and those who believe, they only deceive themselves without perceiving. So how do we know if we are being sincere? Sincere: free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. [16:98] When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in GOD from Satan the rejected. [23:97] Say, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils. [23:98] "And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me." When we read the Quran are we going there to try to find verses to justify what we already know? Or to genuinely search for what God is telling us? When you read the Quran are you able to put all your preconceived notions aside and listen to what God is saying? [28:50] If they fail to respond to you, then know that they follow only their own opinions. Who is farther astray than those who follow their own opinions, without guidance from GOD? GOD does not guide such wicked people. “The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.” - Leonardo Da Vinci [5:101] O you who believe, do not ask about matters which, if revealed to you prematurely, would hurt you. If you ask about them in light of the Quran, they will become obvious to you. GOD has deliberately overlooked them. GOD is Forgiver, Clement. There are going to be in the Quran it may not make sense when we first read it… Why would God say this… What does this mean… [20:114] Most Exalted is GOD, the only true King. Do not rush into uttering the Quran before it is revealed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase my knowledge." God's Revelation is Heavy [11:12] You may wish to disregard some of that which is revealed to you, and you may be annoyed by it. Also, they may say, "How come no treasure comes down to him, or an angel?" You are only a warner; GOD controls all things. No different than when you go to the doctor and the prescribe medication or a regiment it may not ma