[Aagotiq]

http://www.contentsoul.com/2012/03/0...e-and-respect/


A Balanced Perception of Others


Islam teaches us to maintain a balanced perception of others. We should not have unrealistically high expectations of anyone. This is because if our exceedingly high expectations (of others) are not realised, we will be disappointed and will eventually lose respect for them. Human beings naturally make mistakes and only Allah سبحانه وتعالى is perfect. If we see others as normal human beings with faults, passions, desires and weaknesses and then view their achievements in that context, our respect and admiration for them will increase. However, if we expect others to be angels then we will be disappointed, just as the disbelievers were with Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم. Being the bearer of Divine Revelation ,they expected him to be more than a human being. Allah سبحانه وتعالى quotes them in the Holy Qur’an:


قُلْ لا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ


وَلا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ
“Say (O Prophet to the disbelievers): I say not unto you, that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the Unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel; I but follow that which has been revealed unto me. ” [[Al An'am 6/50]]

The disbelievers rejected the message of Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم because he was a normal human being. However, despite him being a human being with human needs, his achievements were miraculous. In this way our love, admiration and respect for him should only increase. We should apply the same principle in our perception of others i.e. see the achievements of others whilst overlooking their weaknesses and faults.



Speak with Love and Respect


Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an,


وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ
“And say to My servants to speak that which is the best, for shaytaan seeks to draw divisions between them.” [al Isra' 17:53]

Shaytaan creates enmity and hatred between us by exploiting what we say to each other. It is human nature to feel hurt by what another says, however shaytaan turns this into hatred. Therefore we should cut this at its root by being extremely careful about what we say to our husband, wife, children, parents, and friends. Rather than speaking harshly, we should train ourselves to speak with love and respect otherwise shaytaan will create divisions between us.

[This short excerpt is based on a brothers' majlis (gathering held for spiritual training) held by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq on 27th February 2002].






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[Nekas48]

A very beneficial reminder...JazakAllah kyran.

[zdlupikkkdi]

Asalamu Alaikum,

JazakAllah..nice post

[Indinehon]

Abandon that which does not Concern you


Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an,


وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ


وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولاً
“Do not pursue that regarding which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, the sight and the heart will be questioned” [al Isra' 17:36]

Further, in a hadeeth Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentions,
“Part of the goodness of a man’s religion is that he abandons that which does not concern him.” [Tirmidhi]

We cannot become pure of heart and mind without abandoning interest in other people’s affairs, which are of no concern to us. By asking questions and probing into the private affairs of others, we are only satisfying a craving of the nafs. In order to progress spiritually and thus make our religion good, we must abandon such acts.


Mouthpiece of the Heart


The tongue is the mouthpiece of the heart; whatever is in the heart will be revealed through the tongue. When a person is calm he can maintain a facade, however the moment he becomes angry, passionate or embroiled in an argument, his tongue will reveal what is truly in his heart. If a person does not work on cleaning his heart and mind, these things will surface under pressure. When a person is tested by his pride being pricked or by being provoked, then he will show his true colours. However, a believer whose heart has been cleansed will always respond with honour and dignity whatever the situation.


Control the Nafs


In a hadeeth Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentions:

الكيس من دان نفسه وعمل لما بعد الموت والعاجز من


اتبع نفسه هواها وتمنى على الله
Intelligent is he who suppresses his nafs and works for that which is to come after death, and the weak is he who allows his nafs free reign and continues to build hope in Allah.
[Tirmidhi]

It is the inherent nature of the nafs to keep desiring for things. If we keep satisfying our permissible desires (beyond our rights and needs), the nafs will soon become tired of these desires and aspire to other desires which are doubtful until there comes a time when it will eventually desire haraam. We fall into the trap of leaving a desire only for the sake of a new desire. The result is that one’s life becomes a never-ending cycle of new desires and following one’s passions.

However, the only way to reach spiritual heights and gain closeness to Allah سبحانه وتعالى is to sacrifice even the permissible desires. One should sacrifice a desire only for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and not for the sake of the nafs in the form of a new desire. Only by sacrificing the permissible desires will the nafs remain under control. Either the nafs controls the person or the person controls the nafs.

[pBiRXp8u]

Jazakallah

[Mugflefusysef]

Sincere Repentance


In a hadeeth reported by Imam Bukhari, Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

والله إنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ الله وأَتُوبُ إِلَيْه في

اليَوْمِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً
By Allah I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him more than seventy times in a day
[Tirmidhi]

A person cannot progress on the path of tazkiyah (spiritual purification) without sincere tawbah (repentance). Tawbah is to return to one’s original pure state. The Ulama (scholars) of tazkiyah say that a person should be repentant every moment of the day. Repentance is not only verbal, but more importantly, repentance should be in one’s state of heart and mind. The proof of tawbah and it’s main component is remorse and one can never be remorseful without remembering one’s sins. A person’s character should be dripping with remorse and this inspires others to forgive. The true state of tawbah reveals itself in a person’s speech, gait and appearance.

This dunya (world) is where sins are committed and a truly repentant person will dislike the dunya because he is trying to flee from sin.



Self-Conceit


Every Muslim has a responsibility to impart naseehah (advice) to his fellow Muslim. However when doing so, one should only speak about those points which are within the scope of one’s knowledge and not delve beyond that. When a person is asked a question by another person thinking him to be knowledgeable, he should never rush to answer whilst thinking himself to be knowledgeable – this is a deception of Shaytaan. If he does not know the answer, he should be humble enough to admit this and to refer the questioner to someone who is qualified to answer. Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم says in a hadeeth,
“One faqih (jurist) is more severe upon Shaytaan than a thousand worshippers.” [Tirmidhi]

This means that one who has understanding of religion will not be deluded by Shaytaan on account of his knowledge, whereas an ordinary worshipper who has no understanding is led to believe in his own greatness (self-conceit), despite his lack of knowledge, by people approaching him for advice thinking him to be knowledgeable. One should never forget one’s own station and position when asked for advice.


Solitude


In a hadeeth Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

الوحدة خير من جليس السوء والجليس الصالح خير من الوحدة
”Solitude is better than bad company and good company is better than solitude.” [Bayhaqi – Shu’ab al Imaan]

If a person cannot adopt good company, then he should remain in solitude. Nothing is more helpful in achieving sincerity of intention than solitude. When a person is away from the view and attention of people, then it is more likely that his deeds will be sincere. Furthermore, a person often changes his behaviour when associating with different people, thus becoming somewhat hypocritical in his behaviour. One of the unique characteristics of the siddiqeen (truthful ones) is that they prefer to keep away from people other than what is necessary. Solitude also reveals a person’s faults to himself. The fewer people a person sees and meets the better it is for the heart.

[SonicPs]

Forced to Reflect


Ilm ul zaahir (outward knowledge) is appealing for a number of reasons including the fact that such knowledge is tangible and stimulates the mind e.g. learning Arabic, fiqh and tafseer. Ilm ul baatin (inner, spiritual knowledge) does not have the same appeal for someone who is interesting in learning and thus some people actually deny it exists.

Ilm ul zahir is shifted away from the individual, for example, when studying incidents about other people. On the other hand, with ilm ul baatin the focus is on the individual and not on others. A person is therefore forced to reflect upon himself.




Debating, criticizing and obstinacy


Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned the following ḥadīth,

“One of the most detested people in the Sight of Allah is he who is obstinate and argumentative.”
[Bukhārī]

By constantly debating and discussing a person’s heart becomes hard, his ʿibādāt (acts of worship) become mechanical and all he thinks about and is perturbed about are the fine points of religion, which are best left to the ʿUlamā (scholars), whilst at the same time neglecting the major aspects. This leads to a character of criticizing others starting by those around him, followed by those in religious authority (present and past) and even as far as criticizing the Ṣaḥābah (Companions of Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم, may Allah be pleased with them). Debating, criticizing and obstinacy stem from arrogance.

However the teaching of Islam is that rather being critical of others, a person should be critical of himself. Before thinking of criticizing others a person should ask himself whether he is in a moral or scholarly position to do so and whether it is the genuine, sincere and constructive criticism a Muslim imparts to his fellow Muslim referred to in the ḥadīth,

“A believer is a mirror of a believer.”
[Abū Dāwūd]

What this means is that if a Muslim sees a fault in his fellow Muslim he should sincerely advise him in the best way possible.

[29clepayJainync]

Spiritual Reality


Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Quran,

وَمَنْ جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ
“And whoever strives, thus he strives only for himself.”
[al ʿAnkabūt 29/6]

One can never progress on the path of tazkiyah without mujāhadah (striving against one’s nafs and carnal desires) and this, undoubtedly, is very difficult. However, if, with the Help of Allah سبحانه وتعالى,one’s mujāhadah is successful, Allah سبحانه وتعالى removes certain veils over one’s heart which enables one to see things much clearer and spiritual realities become known. Ultimately, this leads to true faith and the highest rank of ʿubūdiyyah (servitude) to Allah سبحانه وتعالى which is to engage in good deeds and refrain from evil deeds only for the pleasure of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.


The Difficult Part


A sahabi رضى الله عنه asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for advice. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ‘Say ‘I believe in Allah’ and then remain steadfast’ [Reported in Muslim]

It is very easy to say ‘I believe in Allah‘ but the second part i.e. ‘remain steadfast‘ (one word in Arabic – istiqamah) is very difficult. This is what makes Islam so different from other faiths. In other faiths once a person has entered the faith, even if they do not remain observant to the faith they have ‘guaranteed membership’ in a way; the person remains part of the faith.

With Islam, it is very different because there is no training or indoctrination. It is a very simple process to enter the faith. However, in contrast to other faiths, there are many things which a person can do or say which can render their faith invalid after they have believed. It is very difficult in remaining steadfast upon Islam; the hard work is not becoming a Muslim but remaining steadfast. The formality of embracing is important but the journey begins when the new Muslim tries to remain steadfast.



Hearts and Minds


Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an:

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
Has the time not come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah’s Reminder.
[al Ḥadīd 57/16]

In order for a person to be to be fully receptive of the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, his heart and mind must be prepared; tazkiyah enables one to do this, just as a farmer prepares the soil before planting the seed. Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم reformed the hearts and minds of the people in Makkah over a period of 13 years without any ahkaam (laws), so when they reached Madinah they were ready and willing to accept the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى that were revealed there.

[deermealec]

Do You Love Allah?


There is a famous poem in Arabic where the poet says that you claim to love Allah and you express Allah’s love but at the same time you disobey him. By Allah, this is a very strange thing indeed! If your love for Allah was true, you would obey him because one who claims love for another, always follows him, obeys him and that is amongst people. You express your love for Allah, the Creator, and yet at the same time you quite blatantly disobey Him and also claim that you love Him.

Thus, the love of Allah عز وجل and His Rasool صلى الله عليه وسلم is not as simple as saying ‘I love Allah, I love His messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم’ rather the proof of that love is in our actions. Whenever we are tested by Allah, are we inclined towards the akhirah (hereafter) or towards the dunya (worldly life)? When the test comes, are we inclined towards Allah and His messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and their ways or the dunya?


Spiritual Deterioration


Man naturally deteriorates in spirituality over time. This is because no effort is required for this to happen. When a person is not doing any good, he falls into this state of decline. It is not that a person sins then a person becomes bad and only then declines in spirituality. Rather, if a person does not do anything, neither good nor bad, then a person’s spirituality will still deteriorate and will naturally fall and become more and more distant from Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Sinning only increases the rate of deterioration.

In Surah al Asr, Allah سبحانه وتعالى swears upon time:

وَالْعَصْرِ

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

By time
Indeed man is in a great and constant state of loss
[Surah al Asr 103:1-2]

The translation for this ayah is not just that man is in a great state of loss but that man is in a great and perpetual, recurring state of loss. This means man is in a state of loss for every moment of his existence. This is not just a simple loss but a great loss indeed because for every moment of his existence from the time of birth to the time of death man deteriorates.

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
Except those who practice good deeds and who counsel one another to the truth and patience.
[Surah al Asr 103:3]

The only way to arrest this natural decline is by practicing and preaching good deeds which in turn strengthen imaan (faith). This ensures a rise in spirituality and checks the decline.

Always remember that spirituality can easily be lost – climbing is difficult but falling is easy. Consolidate what you have i.e. fardh and sunnah acts of ibadah and take things slowly with patience and perseverance.

[lopezsokero]

Aim for the Skies


Allah سبحانه وتعالى Says in the Holy Qurān,

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا
“We shall guide those who strive hard in Our cause to the path leading to Us.”
[al ʿAnkabūt 29/69]

Allah’s hidayah (guidance) is proportional to one’s ṭalab (zeal). One should develop a yearning and desire to attain higher goals in life, beyond one’s mundane existence, in the fields of both ʿilm (knowledge) and spirituality. In the field of ʿilm one’s ambition should be to gain as much understanding of the Holy Qurān and aḥadīth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as possible and to be able to appreciate their eloquence and beauty by studying the Arabic language. In spirituality, one should strive to attain the rank of iḥsan. It is a life-long struggle and one may or may not succeed, however our duty is to make the effort and if a person has passion and zeal and commits himself, then Allah سبحانه وتعالى will reward him accordingly. This is far better than being content with a bestial existence. Aim for the skies so that at least you reach the tree-tops.

Religion is Firm


The sahabah رضى الله عنهم were blessed with beautiful characters and manners and they reached the rank of ihsaan due to the blessing of being in the presence of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. They benefitted from the suhba (company) of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. We, today, have to work towards this aim, i.e. attaining the rank of ihsaan, through tazkiyyah. This is not something trivial and it cannot be achieved overnight. We have to strive and work towards this goal with balance and moderation.

In a hadeeth related by Imam al-Bazzar the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says ‘This religion is firm and strong therefore embrace it and enter into it with ease and simplicity and softly. And do not make resentful to yourselves and detestable the worship of Allah because the hasty traveller neither traverses the distance nor spares his mount’.

Hold onto the rope of Allah; do not hold on to the rope too laxly so that it drops, nor hold on to it so tightly that it breaks. Rather, hold onto it in moderation so that it remains taut.

Instead of aspiring to the heights of performing extensive nafil ibadah and failing it is better to remain firm on the five fardh salah and avoid sin. This in itself will take you leaps and bounds in deen.

[Tainlyferfara]

Nafsun Mutma’innah

We are not humans because of the physical body but rather due to the soul. We need to focus on the soul on its entire journey from its origin till the final destination that Allah has designated it. By focussing on the soul and fulfilling its requirements, Allah will make us amongst those who are successful as they have purified their souls and at the time of death the angels will announce to them:
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ
ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً
فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي
وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي
Oh Content Soul!
Return unto your Lord pleased with him and He pleased with you.
Enter amongst My servants
and enter into My gardens
[Surah al-Fajr, 27-30]

The soul is one, but depending on the actions of an individual it goes through different stages and can be characterised by any of the following three terms:

1. Nafsun Ammarah.

Every human being has nafsun ammarah; this soul always drives the body to sin and always compels the body to disobey Allah سبحانه وتعالى. It always sinks lower and lower and reduces a person to his whims, desires and passions. When a person can rise from that low state of nafsun ammarah to a higher state then he reaches a stage where his soul is nafsun lawwamah, the intermediary stage.

2. Nafsun Lawwamah.

This stage is not as lowly as nafsun ammarah. A person reaches a stage where there is both good and evil in him. At this stage, a person sins but then feels remorse. His nafs (soul) laments and rebukes him for sinning and displeasing Allah. This is a far greater stage than nafsun ammara. But we should not rest here and should try and attain the lofty rank of nafsun mutma’innah.

3. Nafsun Mutma’innah.

This is the stage where a person is at peace and content with dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Despite the state a person may be in physically, either in terms of material possessions or the body, his heart will forever be in a state of peace and contentment. This will continue till death, if the person remains on course. It is at this stage when the angels will say to him, ‘Oh Content Soul! Return unto your lord pleased with him and He pleased with you. Enter amongst my servants and enter into my gardens’ [Surah al-Fajr, 27-30].

Thus, it is our duty as believers to raise the soul from the lower depths and from the pits and to sustain it with the divine nourishment of the remembrance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Islam and the Qur’an and thereby bring the soul upwards until it becomes nafsun mutma’innah





Fast Disappearing Qualities

Alongside the apparent laws, Islam also has a certain spirit. Qualities such as selflessness, tolerance, open-heartedness, open-mindedness and eagerness to serve others are fast disappearing. In this day and age and with our modern society, many of us are not learning sublime, spiritual qualities and social etiquettes, epitomised by the great Muslims of the past, rather we have become increasingly self-centered and selfish. The only way to combat this trend is to spend considerable time in a pious environment and under the supervision of a spiritual guide.

[ELURNSERB]

Mashallah, what an inspiring and educational thread!
Shaykh Riyadh is one of my favourite speakers and I have listened to hundreds of his bayans, but some of the advices in this thread are new to me.
Please brother can you keep on adding to this thread, and please list the bayan that you got the advice from with the corresponding date and venue if possible.

May Allah reward you, wasalam.

[AffipgyncDync]

[AlexanderPalamayr]

Mashallah, what an inspiring and educational thread!
Shaykh Riyadh is one of my favourite speakers and I have listened to hundreds of his bayans, but some of the advices in this thread are new to me.
Please brother can you keep on adding to this thread, and please list the bayan that you got the advice from with the corresponding date and venue if possible.

May Allah reward you, wasalam.

I get these from this site http://www.contentsoul.com/ some of these quotes are from lectures and most of them are from majlise's with mureeds.

[viagra-kaufen]

Work of Deen

We should regularly attend gatherings of knowledge and engage in the work of deen (religion), to ensure our own stability, steadfastness and imaan (faith). Allah’s deen is not in need of us and nor do we have something to offer, rather we should do so for our own good and benefit. The work of deen is not necessarily doing things which are fanciful and glamorous, rather it is about contributing in any way possible, even if this is an apparently menial task such as cleaning in the masjid. However, we should not consider this to be insignificant because it is a very virtuous act from which we will benefit insha’Allah.


Worshipping in Ease and Hardship


Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an:


وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“I have not created men and jinn except that they worship Me. ” [Al Dhariyat 51/56]

Worshipping Allah سبحانه وتعالى is a duty upon a person regardless of whether one is in ease or hardship. Many people despair when they practice Islam because they do not see their lives changing for the better in dunya terms and they eventually abandon their worship. The world by its very nature is a life of trials and tribulations. Even after practising Islam one will continue to suffer afflictions and one’s life will not necessarily change to one of ease, free of all worries and concerns. However, a person is duty-bound to worship Allah سبحانه وتعالى in all circumstances.


The Select and The Elect


Islam is the external application of the laws of religion but it doesn’t necessarily mean that that application and that belief is reflected within. Therefore, imaan is a degree higher than Islam. But the degree of ihsaan is beyond both and is reserved only for the select and for the elect; those who are truly close to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. They are those whose ibad’ah (worship), awareness of Allah عز وجل and ma’rifah (cognisance) of Allah is not just limited to ritualistic prayer or to ritualistic remembrance with the tongue. Rather, their belief, faith, and devotion to Allah rests securely in their hearts, and is reflected in their limbs and organs, in their external application of religion and most importantly it permeates their whole body and their very being. So for them ihsaan (i.e. to worship Allah in a manner as though they see Him) is not just in the heart or the mind but their whole condition is one of ihsaan. Truly that is a lofty degree to which all of us should aspire but we should realise at the same time that it is not easily gained and it requires determination, devotion, perseverance and sacrifice. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless us with such a rank of ihsaan. Allah praises those with the rank of ihsaan. In one verse Allah عز وجل says:
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
And indeed Allah is with the muhsineen.
[Surah al-Ankabut, 29:69]

The meaning of muhsineen is those who occupy the rank of ihsaan; thus, Allah is with those who practice ihsaan. Allah is with them all the time. Allah protects them, surrounds them, supports them and strengthens them just as He specifically and exclusively supports the prophets عليهم السلام, their companions, the siddiqeen (the veracious), the martyrs and those who are close to Allah سبحانه وتعالى in a way which is different to others.

[saumemeva]

Waiting for more ....

[Green_Monkey23]

Ihsaan


In the famous hadeeth of Jibril عليه السلام narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضى الله عنه (Hadeeth 47, Abridged Saheeh al-Bukhari), Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.says ‘Ihsaan is that you worship Allah as though you see Him. Then, if you do not see Him then indeed He sees you’.

This sentence of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. can be understood as follows; ihsaan is that you reach such a degree of devotion, sincerity, godliness, and awareness in your worship as well as in your very being and existence, that you obey Allah and worship Him in such a state that your belief extends to your body and mind. Not only are you convinced of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and your relationship with Him but that belief and conviction, that faith in Allah عز وجل permeates your very body, nay your very existence. And thus with this state of mind, heart and spirit you worship Allah سبحانه وتعالى with such conviction and faith as though you are constantly seeing Allah سبحانه وتعالى Himself. That is your level of awareness. That is your state of obedience. Not only in salah, not only when you recite the Qur’an, not only when you engage in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah but throughout your life you reach that level of awareness, devotion and concentration in your ibad’ah that you behave respectfully towards Allah عز وجل and you behave in such a state as though you are constantly seeing Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

Weeds in a Rose Garden


It is easy to achieve a rapport with Allah سبحانه وتعالى. but it is difficult to maintain especially for a person who has pride in his heart. One of the consequences of pride is that it leads to friction with others. A proud person will expect respect, love, attention and affection from others but when he does not receive them (despite thinking he deserves them) it will inevitably lead to friction and conflict.

Never expect respect, love, affection or anything else which boosts your ego and leads to pride. You should not even expect respect from your wife or husband and immediate family members. If you can be like this then even if you do not get what you want you will not feel indignant. If someone offends you, you will not be offended.

Learn to be truly humble; in front of your parents, teachers, Shaykh and fellow Muslims. This humbleness and piety should be natural and consistent; not that you are pious in front of one person and haughty in front of another.

Pride in one’s heart is akin to weeds in a rose garden. Roses will not bloom, flourish or last very long in a garden of weeds. If your heart is full of pride, you will not bloom spiritually because of these weeds of pride.

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A Spiritual Death


The spirit is divine in origin. Thus, its nourishment and means of keeping it healthy are also divine; that nourishment is the Qur’an and dhikr of Allah. As Muslims we should pay more attention to the spirit than the body. Materialism is about denying spirituality; anything beyond the tangible is denied. Even if this denial is not by tongue then it can be by lifestyle. Someone that has imaan and yaqeen (conviction) relies on Allah and Allah will make him successful in protecting the spirit.

In Surah al Shams Allah says:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا
He who purifies the soul, he is successful.
[Surah al Shams 91:9]

Every act of worship reflects on the spirit. We Muslims today act on some of the laws of religion e.g. we pray salah and give zakah but we do not care in the slightest about spirituality even though it is the very essence of our existence. We are so concerned about nourishment of the body (food, drink, clothing and shelter) but what about nourishment of the soul and its protection? We care about medicine for the body and are fearful of illnesses and sickness. What about sicknesses and illnesses of the heart? Just as sicknesses of the body can destroy a person and end a person’s life, the sicknesses of the soul can leave a person living as a corpse but from within the person has died a spiritual death. The spiritual diseases are more detrimental and lethal than physical diseases.

One cancer cell can replicate and spread throughout the body consuming the entire body from within, followed by the striking of a terminal illness. The diseases of the heart are far worse. What do we do about sickness of the spirit and diseases of the heart? We profess belief in spirituality but in reality we do not rely on these immaterial spiritual things that we cannot see, hear or feel. Instead we ignore them. The spiritual diseases such as malice, envy, jealousy, hatred, arrogance, pride, haughtiness and suspicion can destroy a person completely. Just as cancer can leave a person alive whilst the disease eats away from within, similarly the spiritual diseases may already have destroyed a person from within. His body maybe healthy but he has already died from within. He may have killed off his soul already. Even within religion it is sad to see that some Muslims deny spirituality; they may not say it but they do not busy themselves in spiritual exercises or in eradicating diseases of the heart. They do not busy themselves in adorning their hearts with lofty spiritual characteristics.

[adarmaSen]

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Attraction of Worldly Life

It is easy to be fooled in to thinking that happiness lies in wealth and successful education, employment and careers. Although none of these things should be overlooked and belittled altogether, we should question ourselves as to what lies in the heart and mind as opposed to the hand. There were sahabah رضى الله عنهم (companions) who were rich and wealthy – wealth was in their hands and at times it may have showed on their bodies (in their clothing) but their hearts and minds were totally free from that wealth. Their hearts and minds lingered not in the dunya (worldly life) but rested in the hereafter even though they were walking the earth. One example is Sayyiduna Khabbab ibn al-Arat رضى الله عنه who was a blacksmith and was brutally persecuted by the pagans in Makkah. He survived to see the wealth of the Persian and Roman civilisations opened up to the Muslims and had plenty of wealth but had no love for his wealth in his heart. In fact, Khabbab ibn al-Arat رضى الله عنه lamented his wealth and said ‘What are we doing with this wealth? We are depositing it in the dust of the earth (i.e. constructing walls and buildings)’. When Khabbab Ibn Al-Arat رضى الله عنه died at the age of 73 in Kufa, Ameer-ul-Mumineen Sayyiduna Ali رضى الله عنه prayed janazah over him and said ‘May Allah have mercy on Khabbab for he embraced Islam willingly as a devotee, he did Hijrah with Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم as an obedient servant of Allah, and he lived his life as a Mujahid’.

Today we find even those who are poor, who have no wealth in their hands, but their hearts still lie in wealth and their minds are still devoted and attached to wealth and the glitter of the world. Thus, what is in the heart and mind is what really matters. Unfortunately, most Muslims are in that state where the dunya has caught them; its glitter has deceived them – the worldly life has attracted them in such a manner and in such a way that they have fallen for the promise of shaitaan, which is that success lies in the wealth of the dunya and related things and hence one should work only for the dunya and not the hereafter.


Oh Nafs! Isn’t it true…?


One great scholar in a classical piece of writing addresses his nafs (soul) and says ‘Oh Soul! Admit! Isn’t it true that when I recite the Qur’an you feel fatigue, tiredness and you remind me of the need for the body to rest. You feel the desire to go away and lie down. You remind me of the obligation of having mercy on my body. You make me feel tired and worn out. Oh nafs! Isn’t it true that you make me yawn. All of this when I’m reciting the words of Allah. However, nafs isn’t it true at the same time that when I do take pity on my body and on myself and I close the Qur’an or I stop reciting and I retire to rest, oh nafs isn’t it true that the moment I think of a couplet of poetry or I think of some other form of speech all of a sudden oh nafs you and I both find energy, renewed vigour, excitement and isn’t it true oh nafs that you make me (the body) sway in joy and in excitement.

This poem is an example which helps us understand the following ayah (verse):

وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

When Allah alone is mentioned the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink and shrivel in distaste and when others beside Allah are mentioned all of a sudden they rejoice in glee and happiness.
[Surah al Zumar, 39:45]