SUFYAAN ATH-THAUREE: IKHLAS


       Sufyaan ath-Thawree used to spend the nights and the days 
       crying and the people used to ask him, 
                  "Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of Allh? 
       He said,
                  "No." 
       They said,
                  "Is it due to the fear of the Hellfire?" 
       He said, 
                  "No. It is not the fear of Hellfire that makes
                   me cry, what makes me cry is that I have been
                   worshipping Allh all these years and doing 
                   scholarly teaching, and I am not certain that
                   my intentions are purely for Allah."