Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Hearts, Birds and Sheep

The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time is ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it.

In a hadeeth there occurs that Satan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal. [Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allah. Taqwaa is a safeguarding for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter.

Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is more safe from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd.

The basis of all of this is is that every time the heart is distant from Allah the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah the harmful things become distant from it.

Source: http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/purification/0015.htm

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

A believer's heart and the love of God

"The heart is inherently dependent on Allah in two ways: from the point of view of worship, which is the ultimate goal, and from the point of view of seeking His help and relying upon Him, which are the means to that end.

The heart cannot be sound, or succeed, or find joy, or be happy, or feel pleasure, or be good, or be at peace, or find tranquility, except by worshipping its Lord, loving Him and returning to Him. Even if it attains all that it can enjoy of created things, it will not feel at peace or find tranquility, because it has an inherent need for its Lord, for He is the focus of its worship, love and seeking, and this is the only way to attain joy, happiness, pleasure, peace and tranquility …

For if a person is helped to attain what he loves, seeks, desires and wants, but he does not worship Allah, he will never achieve anything but sorrow, regret and suffering. He can never be free of the pain and hardship of this life except through loving Allah sincerely, so that Allah becomes his ultimate desire and he loves Him for what He is, and he loves anyone or anything else only for His sake, and he does not love anything for its own except Allah.

If he does not achieve this (level of love), he has not properly understood the true meaning of “La illaha ill Allah” (the declaration of faith) or of Tawheed or of Uboodiyyah or of loving Allah.

Source: http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/purification/0102.htm

 

[Cordoba]

Purification of the Heart

It is imperative of every Muslim that he starts with the purification and rectification of his heart and with having concern for it, before he concentrates with the rectification of his exterior, as no consideration is given to the rectification of the outer whilst the inner is corrupt.

In addition, when the Muslim does rectify his heart with purifying actions, sincerity, truthfulness and love for Allah and His Messenger, his limbs will turn upright as in the hadith of an-Nu'maan Ibn Basheer that is recorded in the two Saheehs. He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah - peace be upon him - say:

"... Indeed, and within the body is a morsel of flesh; if it is sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt, then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.""

[Al-Bukhari, (1/127 Fath) and Muslim, 3/1220]

This hadith contains the greatest indication that the rectification of the slave's outer movements is directly connected to the rectification of the activity of his heart and inner soul.

If his heart is pure, there being only love of Allah, love of that which Allah loves, fear of Him and of falling into that which He hates, the movements of his limbs will all become sound. This is in sharp contrast to a corrupt heart which is conquered by a love for desires, chasing lusts and placing the wants of the self first. Whoever is in such a predicament, the movements of his limbs will all be corrupt.

For this reason, it is said that the heart is the king of the limbs and that the rest of the limbs are its soldiers. In addition to this, the limbs are an obedient army to the heart; they race to its obedience and towards the execution of its commands, not opposing it in any matter whatsoever. Thus, if the king is righteous, this army will be a righteous one. If on the other hand, the king is corrupt, the army will, because of this resemblance, also be corrupt.

Only the heart that is pure is of benefit before Allah, as Allah says:

"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except for the one who comes to Allah with a pure heart." [The Qur'an, 26:88-89]

The pure heart is the one that is free of all diseases, blights and distasteful matters. It is the heart that contains nothing but love of Allah, fear of Him and fear of anything that will distance him from Allah.

Source: Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Faith (Eemaan)
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/purification/0099.htm#7a

 

[Cordoba]

The Love of God

A heart filled with the love of Allah is a heart that finds peace and tranquility. Allah says: “Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find contentment.” [Sûrah al-Ra`d: 28]

Allah promises those who believe and work righteousness that he will give them a life of goodness. He says: “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him we will give him a life that is good and pure.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 97]

This life which is good and pure is by way of the radiance of one’s spirit, the coolness of one’s eyes, and the happiness of one’s heart towards Allah. Religion faith provides solace to the soul’s pain. It is the physician that cures our tears and our emotional wounds.

From our love for Allah stems our love for His Messengers, His Prophets, and His angels, Our love for Allah makes us love His righteous servants among our fellows. We want to be with those who love Him, associate with them, and adopt their good ways and manners.

From our love for Allah stems a desire to exhibit goodness to all of Creation. This desire manifests itself in our good words, our good deeds, our supplications, and our help. This in itself is a reason for happiness and contentment. Those who go forth to help others and fulfill their needs are the people with the most happiness and fulfillment in their lives.

Source: Islam Today web site

 

[Cordoba]

Forgive and Overlook

Learning to forgive our fellow men is a virtue that makes one magnanimous and is bound to lead to eventual triumph. It works wonders especially at times of disagreements, disputes, struggles and fights.

Just imagine the level of moral excellence you can instantly achieve by restraining yourself and forgiving the offender in such situations - especially when you have the power to retaliate.

God says in The Qur'an:

"And compete with one another to attain your Lord's forgiveness and to a Paradise as vast as the Heavens and the Earth, which has been prepared for the righteous; those who spend (in Allah's way) in the time of plenty and in the time of hardship, and hold in check their anger and pardon their fellow-men because Allah loves the doers of Good." (3:133-134)

Source: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/tazkiyah/forgive_and_overlook.htm

 

[Cordoba]

The Essence of Intention and it's Virtue

Intention is not the saying of one " I intend..." but indeed it is the opening of the heart to what Allah requests from the individual.

This is why it can occur with ease sometimes and can be absent on other occasions. So whoever has a heart which is consistent on the Deed, then intention will be easy on the majority of cases, because his/her heart is totally favor of good. And whoever heart is deviant towards this near world will not be easy for him to bring his intention at times of need, even in times of obligatory actions.

This is why we realize the importance of the Hadith of Omar ibn Al-Khattab. He narrates that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,

"Verily, actions are only by intention. And for every person is what he has intended. So whomsoever migrates for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is for Allah and His Messenger. And whomsoever migrates for a worldly affair to gain, or for a woman to marry, then his migration is for what he has migrated for."

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/tazkiyah/intention_and_virtue.html

 

[Cordoba]

Rectification Begins with the Self

If we look at the world today, the tribulations, the trials, and every war that we have, we will see that every bit of human suffering is rooted in human hearts.

The reason people are aggressive against other people is due to diseases of the heart: covetousness, the desire to conquer, the desire to exploit other people, and the desire to steal their natural resources are all from diseases of the heart.

A sound heart cannot commit such acts. Every murderer, every rapist, every idolater, every fowl person, every person showing an act of cruelty has a diseased heart because these actions emanate from diseased hearts. If the hearts were sound, none of these actions would be a reality.

Therefore, if we wish to change our world, we cannot go about it by attempting to rectify the outward; rather, we change the world by rectifying the inward because it is the inward that precedes the outward.

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/tazkiyah/alchemy_of_the_heart.htm

 

[Cordoba]

Words of Wisdom for Spiritual Progress

- Look upon the whole creation, and above all, mankind, with good will accepting, approving, forgiving, serving, and loving. Make that your nature in your dealings with the world.

- Listen to your conscience.

- Find the right friend, who will be a support for you, a good traveling companion on the path of truth.

- Look for the perfect teacher who will lead you on the straight path. In your search for a guide, be sincere, because sincerity distinguishes the true seeker.

- When the love of the world fills your heart totally, it leaves no space for the remembrance of God. The one who lives for this world alone is bound to bear its pains and difficulties - trying to resolve its problems by himself.

- This does not mean that you should abandon the world, not do your duties in it or participate in its affairs - retiring to a corner, making no effort, doing no work. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) says, "The one who earns his sustenance lawfully through his efforts is beloved of Allah."

- Do not exchange your spiritual peace and the possibility of eternal bliss for the temporal, decaying goods of this world. No matter how grand and secure they look, they will die when you die.

- Give value to your time. Live in the present moment. Do not live in imagination and throw your time away.

- What you need is high morals, good character, proper behavior; you must identify your bad features and rid yourself of them. Your relationship to whomever you come into contact with must be based on the best of conduct.

- Choose to forgive, instead of punishing, so that you will be counted among the compassionate, the peaceful, and the righteous.

- Learn to give, whether you have plenty or little, whether you are happy or in pain. Try to satisfy the needs of the needy.

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

The importance of patience and endurance

The pleasures which had entangled us in passions and made us victims of lust and sensuality and surrounded us in darkness, take us far away from the light. Satan was then our partner. "If any one withdraws himself from remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him".

The substance of one Hadith is that when Allah has affection for His servant, He involves him in some misfortune to test him. If he is patient and endures it with constancy, Allah makes him a chosen one. If he is satisfied, then Allah selects him as exalted.

The etiquette of endurance is that one should withhold his tongue from complaint. Our misfortunes should not be complained of before any one except Allah.

It would be advisable to relate the Bounties of Allah which we do not usually observe.

These are of two kinds viz.,

1) Positive or Apparent Benevolences.

2) Passive or Hidden Benevolences.

In positive Benevolences man should always keep in his sight his health, soundness of his body and stature and should ponder over them. He should think of the pleasures he derives by eating, drinking and other pleasures which are available to him.

In passive Benevolences he should count that he is free from deformity and disease, safe from the mischief of enemies and adversaries. Man of Faith looks at Benevolence, from another angle. He is recipient of Divine Guidance and Chasity. Benevolence of Divine Guidance is that he has Faith in the Unity of Allah, Truth and Rectitude. Benevolence of Chasity means that man is kept safe from Polytheism, Hypocrisy and Innovations in religion and sins.

Source: http://www.witness-pioneer.org

 

[Cordoba]

Follow the path of virtue for a better tomorrow

There is no doubt that the path of virtue is not an easy one. But Allah encourages believers by giving hope of a better tomorrow.

Piety is in the nature of the Faithful and is the common factor for the success in this world and in the Hereafter.

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/

 

[Cordoba]

Tips and Steps to Increase Piety (Taqwa)

Piety is an invaluable treasure, the matchless jewel in a priceless treasure of precious stones, a mysterious key to all doors of good, and a mount on the way to Paradise.

Its value is so high that, among other life-giving expressions the Qur’an mentions it 150 times, each mention resembling a ray of light penetrating our minds and spirits.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/Heart_Softening/School/07.shtml

 

[Cordoba]

A major element of being grateful to God for His favors is that believers should use these favors to improve their prospects in the life to come.

This means that they use God's favors for good works and in ways that
facilitate obedience to God. However, believers are urged not to neglect their portions in this life.

This life wants God-fearing people to seek it, so that some of them would be rich business people, highly skilled professionals, reputable scientists and serious artists. This life is tired of the fact that unscrupulous people seek its riches, while good people turn away from it.

It wants to see honest businessmen who neither cheat nor resort to monopoly and similar wicked means to push up prices. It needs rich people who do not use their wealth to spread corruption or to look at other human beings with contempt.

It looks for the human being who realizes the nature of the role assigned to him as he is placed in charge of the Earth. Such a person provides the role model for others, showing them what it means to fulfill man's vicegerency on Earth: a vicegerency given the task to work and build, without arrogance, corruption, cheating or indulgence in sin.

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/tazkiyah/god.htm

 

[Cordoba]

The Love of God

The true source of love in the believers’ hearts is their profound love of Allah. Believers love Allah greatly and, at every moment, strive to gain His love and good pleasure.

Allah has created everything from nothing. While a person was still in a state of “nothingness,” Allah granted him or her life as a blessing. Our Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious, and the possessor of infinite mercy, has provided everything for His servants: a vast variety of foods, fruits, and flowers; lovely creatures and landscapes in which we take pleasure; and all other things, from the Sun to water, from the air we breathe to the vitamins we need.

He created all of this perfectly on our world, which travels thousands of kilometers per hour in outer space, and maintains it in absolute safety.

Believers who think about the blessings bestowed upon them, who are aware that He can do all things and is the sole sovereign of the universe, the Creator of everything in the best possible form, will feel their love for Allah strengthen.

Those who love and fear Allah, and hold Him in awe, will faithfully observe the boundaries that He has established for humanity, show great sensitivity when implementing His rules, and do their best to win His good pleasure, love, mercy, and Paradise.

http://www.harunyahya.com/books/faith/love/love_of_01.php

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Loving God's Creation

Every believer who loves and respects Allah and who strives to please Him, enriches the world with goodness.

Whoever loves Allah also loves His creations, feels compassion and mercy for them, and wants to protect them by bringing more goodness and beauty into the world. Allah’s messengers, the most excellent and moral people in the world, always invited their people toward love and closeness to each other and to Allah.
Allah gives the following glad tidings to these people:

That is the good news that Allah gives to His servants who believe and do right actions. Say: “I do not ask you for any wage for this—except that you love your near of kin. If anyone does a good action, We will increase the good of it for him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful.” (Surat ash-Shura, 23)

This book seeks to remind believers of the importance of feeling love toward our Lord, Who possesses infinite mercy, and the importance of Allah’s love toward His creations and the believers, as well as to demonstrate that the lack of love, which is a sign of those who deny His existence, is a great catastrophe and punishment.

Believers must do their best to avoid this situation by leading a life full of love with the hope of attaining Paradise and binding oneself with love and loyalty to our Lord, humanity’s true Friend and Guardian, and to the believers.

http://www.harunyahya.com/books/faith/love/love_of_01.php

 

[Cordoba]

Thanking God

Some people forget that only Allah can make people happy, treat them with respect, offer them good sustenance and blessings, create pleasing views for them, grant them a new lease on life every morning, protect them from all dangers, cure them when they are ill, ease their pain and suffering through medicine, and that He owns everything that exists.

Therefore, as all of the blessings and goodness that people experience come only from Allah, they should direct all of their love, respect, sense of obligation, loyalty, and thanks to Him. While thanking others for their help, we should never forget that our Lord has inspired them to show us mercy and help us.

http://www.harunyahya.com/books/faith/love/love_of_02.php

 

[Nehustan]

May God, The Source of all peace be with you, His Grace, and His blessings.

Just had a quick read of your thread, great stuff. Good to see Al Ghazali hiding in there. I will revisit and especially consider the parts about anger, as despite myself I am bound to fits of rage, may The God forgive me.

 

[Cordoba]

Hello Nehustan:

Thank you for your post.

There are many remedies for anger, including the following:

How to Control One’s Anger:

In addition to its call for controlling one’s anger, Islam prescribed remedy for the person when in a state of anger, asking him to sit down or lie down as it is not easy to hit someone else in those positions. Also, performing Wudu’ (or taking a shower) is a good way to put out the “fire” of his anger. May Allah forgive us all and protect us from the Hellfire, Amen.

Finally, one should also try the following:

“One should ask himself the following questions: "are you in control of yourself, or would you allow Allah to take control of you?" Think of Allah’s Punishment. Is Allah’s Wrath less than your wrath? And what happens when He expresses His Wrath? We humans who seek forgiveness from Allah must forgive others first. When one forgives someone else, it establishes peace and tranquility in one's heart, but at the same time, the matter of injustice or wrong actions which made one angry, become a dispute between him and Allah; and if one do not take revenge and forgive, Allah might act on ones behalf.”

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543822

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Have a Soft Heart

There are many ways through which one can become deeply devout and pious and have a soft heart. The best and most important of such ways is to have deep faith in Almighty Allah.

True believers who deeply understand Almighty Allah’s attributes and names revere Allah with all their hearts and show complete obedience to His teachings.

Things That Help One Attain Piety and Devotion

1. Understanding Almighty Allah’s Attributes and Names

2. Contemplating Almighty Allah’s Book

3. Remembering the Day of Judgment

One of the things that help one get closer to Almighty Allah and hasten to return to Him in repentance is remembering the Day of Judgment.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/OnthePathofReturn/Articles/2005/07/04.shtml

 

[Cordoba]

God Protects and Helps Those who Follow His Path

People rely on Allah every moment, for there is no other helper but Him. Whenever you are faced with any form of distress, Allah is the only One Who can offer any help.

As a mercy, Allah created many blessings for people to use when they are confronted with hardship. While people benefit from these blessings, it would be a grave mistake to assume that these blessings are a source of independent strength.

Given that Allah has created all of these blessings, they should be seen as manifestations of His favor and mercy upon humanity. For example, if someone visits a doctor, only Allah can cure him. And, the doctor can only cure a person with His consent. In reality, Allah brings all issues to an end and provides for a person’s blessings in the best possible way.

For people who seek Allah’s help and who view our Lord as their true guardian, only true friend, and helper, Allah guarantees that His help will reach them from many different paths. Those who are conscious of these facts will never seek such guarantees from other people or sources, for they know that all help is from Allah and so seek everything from Him.

When people attain success, are victorious, or benefit from an unexpected source, they immediately turn to Allah and thank Him. As a result of this divine help, they regard our Lord with deep love and overflowing respect.

http://www.harunyahya.com/books/faith/love/love_of_02.php

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

The Universe: Man's Environment

Man is weak and vulnerable; many unpredictable forces can affect him, obstructing his desires and goals. He becomes ill, he loses things, he gets hurt, he plans - and he often fails.

As man looks at the scale of the universe around him - seas, mountains, the grandeur of the heavens and galaxies - he must consider his insignificance and weakness. At this point, unless he is extremely arrogant, he will begin to feel humble and helpless next to the vastness of things around him.

Man's Need for Faith

When a person weighs up everything, he will realise that something is missing. He will ask himself: ‘What is the explanation for this life; what is the purpose of living?’

This is where FAITH begins. He will realise that there must be some great mysterious power behind existence, something which controls the harmony and sequence of events; something behind the mere dust and materialism of this world.
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/spiritual.html