“The Religion is Sincerity.”

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The religion is naseehah (sincerity)." We said, "To whom?" He (peace be upon him) said, "To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk."

But what does this mean?

Ibn 'Uthaymeen answers this in his sharh of Riyad as-Saliheen, vol. 2 from page 7 to 19:

Sincerity for Allah

1. Worship Him with sincerity.

2. Always remember Him with your heart, tongue, and actions.

3. Defend His religion.

4. Have love and devotion for His sake.

5. Spread His message to others.

Sincerity for the Prophet ﷺ

1. Believe fully that he was sent to all people.

2. Follow his teachings completely—without adding or removing anything.

3. Defend and protect his Sunnah.

4. Stand against innovations in religion.

5. Love and respect his companions.

Sincerity for the Quran

1. Believe in everything it teaches.

2. Defend it when needed.

3. Spread its message to others.

4. Believe that it is truly the word of Allah, both in meaning and wording.

5. Treat it with respect, such as being in a state of purity when handling it.

Sincerity for the Muslim Leaders

1. Seek knowledge from them. (leaders includes the scholars)

2. Do not expose their mistakes or spread their faults.

Sincerity for the General Public

1. Love for them what you love for yourself.

Hope this explanation makes the hadith more clear as it used to be unclear for me.

في امان الله.