Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Man has to satisfy both his material and spiritual needs

Man, made up of dust, which is the earthly element of his existence, and the spirit, the heavenly element of his existence, has to satisfy both his material and spiritual needs.

Just as he is subject to the power of anger and passion, he also can exercise the power of intellect. He is neither a plant nor an animal only, but he is a unique being having both vegetable and animal aspects.

Just as man’s physical body is subject to its own pleasures and diseases, his spirit too has its joys and ailments. What harms the body is sickness, and what gives it pleasure lies in its well-being, health and whatever is in harmony with its nature. As for the pleasures and diseases of the spirit, they depend on whether the carnal soul has been purified or not.

Man’s most important problem is to attain happiness

Man’s most important problem inseparable from his existence and the ultimate aim of his life is to attain felicity and happiness. The most consummate happiness for man is to become the embodiment and manifestation of Divine Attributes and the characteristics.

The soul of a truly happy man is developed by the knowledge and love of God, and it is illuminated by an effulgence emanating from the Godhead. When that happens, nothing but beauty emanates from him, since beauty can emanate only from what is beautiful.

Man’s happiness lies in reformation of the three faculties of his soul

It should be kept in mind that true felicity cannot be reached or retained unless all the faculties and powers of the soul are purified and reformed. By reforming some faculties of the soul, or all of them, for a short period of time only, happiness will not be attained. Its case is similar to physical health.

A body can be said to be healthy only when all its limbs and organs are lastingly healthy. Therefore, the individual who seeks to attain ultimate and perfect happiness must free himself or herself from the clutches of the demonic and animal forces and step onto the ladder to ascend to higher realms.

http://www.thewaytotruth.org/islamandhumanity/islamtheequilibrium.html

 

[Cordoba]

Taking Oneself to Account

It is necessary for an individual to pause at the end of each day that has passed, in order to check himself and run through his achievements: What has he done in the course of the day? Why has he done it? What has he omitted? Why has he omitted it?

How excellent it would be if this self-criticism were to take place before one retired to bed.

This period of self-criticism and appraisal should certainly be counted among man's moments of progress; it is a moment when man impartially sits as a judge over himself and reviews his yearnings and inclinations, his instincts and motivations.

It is a moment when the believer appoints, out of his conviction, a policeman to watch over himself, an investigator to probe him, and a judge to condemn or acquit him. In this way he progresses from the state of "the soul that incites to evil" to the state of "the self- reproaching soul" which reproaches its owner whenever he plunges into sin, or falls short of expectation.

http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=631

 

[Cordoba]

Purification of the Soul (Tazkiyah)

Four points to clarify the nature of tazkiya and in the process to convey some idea of the vastness of the concept of morals in Islam.

The first point is that character-building, in the last analysis, is a highly personal process. Of course Islam assigns great importance to the collective spirit and, as shall be shown later on, this has a part to play in character- building. But ultimately, the process of character-building is a highly personal one. There is no machine, psychological, sociological or ideological, which could mould one automatically into a cast of good character. It is only through personal effort - the individual's own realisation, own determination and own exertion that can produce this character.

Perhaps one can get a clue to this from the fact that in the Qur'an God makes each individual accountable individually to Him for his entire life: accountability on the Day of Judgement will be individual. ...

Secondly, I would like to emphasise that character making is not a part-time or a piece- meal job. What it demands is a protracted effort. It is an unending, unceasing process, and there is no shortcut to it. It's not there for just a day, a week, a month, a year. Should I borrow from Shaw, and say that it is life sentence?

So there is no end to this process. And you cannot get character from any short-cuts: there is no simple formula to have the solution. You cannot have it from any ready-made shop. It is an unceasing process, coextensive with your life-span. This must be kept in view, because man is, as is said in the Qur'an, short-sighted. We get disappointed very easily. We lack patience. If we are not successful after a few efforts we lose heart; and if we are successful we become conceited. Both ways we are losers. That is why it must be kept in view that it is a life long process, unending and unceasing.

The third point is that this tazkiyah or this tarbiyah is an all-embracing process. Islam does not believe in that type of tasawwuf where you can purify your heart, make it transparent, and yet remain neck-deep in political, economic and social corruptions. Tazkiyah encompasses the entire life with all its aspects and dealings. I would put it rather in this way; the privacy of our thoughts and the social manifestations of our life-all of them must be in line with God's injunctions. So this is such an all-embracing process, that the types of character-building or tazkiyah given by certain schools of religion, break down when one judges them on the touchstone of the Islamic concept of tazkiyah.

Ascetism, Buddhism, tasawwuf-they might develop a particular aspect of one's life; to produce a new man, whose morals, social dealings, financial affairs are all very different from those of others. They are those of a God-fearing person. It is this all-comprehensive nature of tazkiyah which the Prophet performed. ...

And the last point in this: connection which I would like to lay before you is that tazkiyah is a process which unfolds itself step by step. That is, if one wants to have everything simultaneously, immediately, in one gulp, one cannot have it. This is against the laws of nature. Thus one finds that the Prophet, peace be upon him, always had this in view. Whenever anybody embraced Islam, he would not ask him to do everything immediately. Instead, he was expected to fulfil his obligations step by step.

This is one of the significant points in the gradual revelation of the Qur'an, that the society was able to respond simultaneously with it and a new society was created. In efforts towards character-building this has to be kept in view otherwise one is frustrated or one tries to attain the impossible. And that is why the concept of morals in Islam is very vast: it covers all aspects of human life.

http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/aspects.php

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Portrait of a Traveller

Your story and mine in this life should be the story of a stranger in town or a traveller.

Al Fudayl ibn Iyaadh once sat with a senior and asked him, “How old are you?”

The man replied, “60 years old.”

“Did you know,” said Al Fudayl, “that for 60 years you have been travelling towards your Lord, and that you have almost arrived ?”

The man was reduced to silence. He whispered, To Allah we belong and to Him we return.

Al Fudayl asked, “Do you know the meaning of that statement. You are saying that you are Allah’s slave and that to Him you are returning. Whoever knows that he is the slave of Allah, and that to Him he shall return, should know that he shall be stopped on the day of Judgement.

And whoever knows that he will be stopped, let him also know that he will be responsible for what he did in life. And whoever knows that he will be responsible for what he did, let him know that he will be questioned. And whoever knows that he will be questioned, let him prepare an answer now!”

“What then shall I do,” asked the man.

“It is simple,” said Al Fudayl. “Do good in what is left of your life, forgiven shall be your past. If not, you shall be taken to account for the past and what is to come.”

In the not-so-far-away days of old, whenever a journey was to be undertaken proper provisions had to be prepared. The deserts were long, hot, and harsh. Unmerciful. There were no truck stops or rest stops to buy a coke from a vending machine. In fact, there was not even a human in sight for miles upon miles of barren sand dunes. Thus, you had to have the provision with you before you made the journey. Enough food, enough water, enough of everything to carry you to your destination.

This is the journey that we are all traveling; now it is up to us to take advantage of the time. Every soul is on this journey. Some have understood this and are spending their days in preparation for the questions to come, for the repayment. Others are living life ‘to the fullest’ as they say, heedless and negligent of the hereafter.

http://www.islamicvoice.com/November2005/SoulTalk/

 

[Cordoba]

Remember God and He will Remember you

God said in a Hadith Qudsi:

“Whoever mentions Me by himself, I will mention him by Myself. And whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I will remember him in a gathering that is better.”

It is very easy to see how we can have the Creator remember us and mention us. However, many of us are reluctant or lazy to put this into practice. After pondering on the idea of Allah remembering you by Himself or in a gathering, could you possibly still resist having your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah?

In another hadith related by Imam Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The similitude of the one who remembers Allah versus the one who doesn’t is like that of the one who is alive compared to the one who is dead.”

http://www.islamonline.net/English/ram2002/10/Khatirah/article17.shtml

 

[Cordoba]

Inner peace

Inner peace is the source of all peace. When a person is at harmony with himself, he is able to live in harmony with others.

Inner peace requires that a person’s relationship with himself is clear, and that his goals and objectives are understood and at harmony with his inner being. Indeed, after knowledge of the Lord, the most important thing for a person to have knowledge of is knowledge of his self and how to perfect it and purify it.

One aspect of inner peace is for our inner selves to be in harmony with our outward conduct. What we profess should be reflected in what we do.

Inner peace requires our wants and aspirations to be in keeping with our abilities and with what is possible for us.

Inner peace requires being at peace with our own unique dispositions. A person cannot compel himself to assume what is alien to his nature or at conflict with it. He must be in harmony with himself. We must recognize our unique personalities and come to terms with them. We cannot force ourselves into a pretence of denying our individual qualities and temperaments.

Being fair and just is also an important factor in attaining inner peace. This requires us to do away with selfishness, vain desires, and avarice.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“There are three things that if someone possesses them all he will have comprehended faith: applying justice to yourself, greeting the world with peace, and spending in charity under straitened circumstances.” [Sahih al-Bukharî]

Source:
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme_weekly_2005.cfm?cat_id=30&sub_cat_id=730

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Allah Loves Beauty

The hadith under discussion refers to two important principles, knowledge and behaviour.

Allah is to be acknowledged for beauty that bears no resemblance to anything else, and He is to be worshipped by means of the beauty which He loves in words, deeds and attitudes.

He loves His slaves to beautify their tongues with the truth, to beautify their hearts with sincere devotion (ikhlaas), love, repentance and trust in Him, to beautify their faculties with obedience, and to beautify their bodies by showing His blessings upon them in their clothing and by keeping them pure and free of any filth, dirt or impurity, by removing the hairs which should be removed, by circumcision, and by clipping the nails.

Thus they recognize Allah through these qualities of beauty and seek to draw close to Him through beautiful words, deeds and attitudes. They acknowledge Him for the beauty which is His attribute and they worship Him through the beauty which He has prescribed and His religion. The hadith combines these two principles of knowledge and behaviour.’’

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/purification/0005.htm

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Our Philosophy of Life
by Fethullah Gullen

There are those who live thoughtful lives and who, according to their level, turn every hour or day of their lives into a launch for the freshest thoughts and ideas; they lead their lives within the extraordinariness, surprises, and charms of being always beyond time; they drink the past like a blessed spring, breathe it in and fill their lungs with it like a beautiful scent, studying it like an enlightening book, and walk into the future so equipped; they embrace the past with all the warmth of their hearts, color it with their hopes, mold it with their zeal and willpower.

As to the present, they accept it as the centre for developing strategies, the workshop for producing the necessary technology, the bridge for crossing over from theory to practice, in order to realize their ideals; thus, they always try to be beyond time and place.

http://fethullahgulen.org/a.page/books/the_statue_of_our_souls/a2033.html

 

[Cordoba]

Releasing Grudges From Your Heart

How do you feel today? I think this is one of the most frequently asked questions and one of the least correctly answered.

How many times have you been asked this question and in reality you feel awful! You feel like your world is caving in. You feel like your spiritual battery is almost flat and that you are on your hands and knees struggling through each day of your life. Yet, despite all this, you answer, "Oh me? I'm fine." ...

Having a healthy heart is the basis of enjoying good health in body and mind. There are many diseases that are triggered from having a stressful mind and a troubled heart. Having a peaceful mind is one of the most sought-after things in life and very few people get it. People might search for peace and tranquility in a bottle of alcohol or in drugs of addiction that, at best, provide a quick transient moment of pleasure and relief but which plunge the person back to reality after the affects wear off. All such attempts at gaining peace end in frustration because real peace lies deep within the heart.

Peace is found in a place known only to you and your Creator. It is free of pride—meaning you realize your smallness in the vastness of creation. It is free of corruption—meaning you live a life of piety. It is free of hate—meaning you hold no grudges and forgive easily.

For many people the last one is the hardest to achieve. Why? Is it because we live in a world where we are continually being hurt and misused by others? Difficulty and hardship are the nature of this worldly life. We all hurt and are hurt. The problem is when we forget the sins that our own hands and tongues have sent forward and, instead, focus on what others have done and said to hurt us.

When we nurture wounds—remembering harsh words that were spoken and continually recalling painful events—our sense of injustice is ignited, our anger flares, the healing of our inner wounds is slowed down, and the whole body and mind is put under great stress.

So it is important to release grudges from the heart so as to not allow the heart to foster negative feelings towards others. But how can this be done, especially when people really do say and do hurtful and harmful things to each other?

Full Article:

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/volunteers/2005/10/08.shtml

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

A Pure Heart

When a person’s heart is pure, his actions show it. A person with a pure heart will naturally avoid things that are doubtful just like he will avoid things that are unlawful.

When a person has a sickness in his heart, he begins to crave unlawful things. He may at first involve himself in doubtful matters that will only increase the sickness in his heart and ultimately bring him to engage in what is openly sinful. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Verily, in the body is small piece of flesh that if it is healthy, the whole body is healthy and if it is sick, the whole body is sick. This small piece of flesh is the heart.”

A pure heart is one that is full of the love of Allah.

It is a heart that naturally fears and loathes falling into sin and even the possibility of falling into sin.

http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=31&sub_cat_id=617

 

[Cordoba]

Remembering the Day of Judgment

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

One must bear in mind that there is an end to every beginning, that after death there is no chance to reform one’s mistakes, and that one’s abode after this world is either Paradise or Hell.

When you deeply realize that the life of this world is temporary and that its pleasures will inevitably come to an end, this certainly will lead you to turn to God in sincere repentance.

If you visit graves and reflect on the conditions of its dwellers and how, sooner or later, we will join them, you will realize the ineffectiveness of running after the worldly gains, and will, in deep awe, submit heart and soul to Almighty Allah’s will.

Source: Have a Soft Heart

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

 

[Cordoba]

The Day of Judgment

The Day of Judgment, which will bring "death" to the universe just like the death of people, is a matter that people do not like to think about; rather, they consider it as a remote and distant matter.

They have a vague idea of what will happen on that Day, but since the thought of it scares them, people are inclined to forget about it. Rather than facing up to it, they just get on with their lives instead.

http://www.harunyahya.com/judgment01.php

 

[Cordoba]

Being Kind to Orphans

The prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said, “The best house is the one where orphans are cared for and treated most honorably and kindly.”

Once, a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about his harsh heart.

The Prophet addressed the man saying, “Do you want something that makes your heart lenient and your needs fulfilled? Be merciful to the orphans, touch their hair gently, and feed them from your own food. If you do these things, I guarantee that your heart will become soft, and your needs will be fulfilled.”

Being kind to orphans and caring for their well-being is a path which is guaranteed to increase a believer in faith, as a softer heart will be much closer to God.

Allah says in The Qur'an: “And serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy…” (4:36)

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/volunteers/2005/04/02.shtml

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Smiling is a Charity

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to his companions as he was explaining to them the different types of charity and good deeds:

"And your smiling in the face of your brother is a charity".

Any person who comes across this beautiful saying must pause for some moments to consider some of its meanings and implications.

Charity, as it is traditionally understood, consists of money or various objects given by the rich to help the poor or by the strong to help the weak. Charity, according to this understanding, is extremely narrow and its effects on the life of society is limited.

The saying of the Prophet, however, takes charity out of this narrow, physical meaning and on to a spiritual plane that opens up a vast and limitless world by emphasizing that every good is charity. And on every person is the obligation of charity. This is a unique concept of charity.

The wisdom of the prophet lies in expanding the scope of goodness so that it becomes within the scope of each individual.

... (to be continued)

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said:

"Smiling in the face of your brother is charity and pouring out from your bucket into your brother's bucket is charity."

There are some people who do not ever smile and they do not ever open up their facial features when they meet others. There are people who are even stingy with a drop of water, a drop of God-given water!

They may be malicious or within them there is a disease which has blocked the springs of goodness in their souls. The problem is not merely a smile, or a drop of water. It concerns the act of giving. Giving is movement from within which opens up the locked doors of the self, stirring the spiritual hand and making it open freely and widely. Giving is a positive movement and the soul that is conditioned by positive impulses is a living, stirring, active soul which stands in marked contrast to the negative, cramped and feeble soul.

Charity in its tangible, narrow sense divides people into the receivers on the one hand and the givers on the other. This division inspires among the receivers feelings of weakness and even of error, and among those who give feelings of pride and conceit. Such a division, for society, is extremely evil.

But the comprehensive Islamic concept of charity which includes all good actions however small they may be, allows every person whether rich or poor, to become givers and receivers on an equal basis. This points to another basic principle of Islamic thought and behaviour-that the standard on which life is judged is not the materialistic or the economic standard alone but one based on faith, feeling and sensitivity which form the core of human relations.

Mankind has always been absorbed with and infatuated by amassing wealth and possessions, and often considers such materialism to be the very mainstay of life. But a society based on economic and materialistic considerations alone is often dry and hard and callous and is eaten up by hatred and envy. Of course, Islam does not neglect the material world and the needs of life. Indeed it gives it due attention. But it does not merely stop there, because life in actuality does not stop there. Instead it carries it on to wider and varied horizons, to greater and higher levels. For Islam is the religion of life complete. And from it comes the ties of faith, affection and love to bind hearts and the society together.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And (as for the believers) God has brought their hearts together. And if you had spent all that is in the earth you could not have brought their hearts together."
[surah 8:63].

The Prophet, (peace be upon him), said:

"No one of you believes untill he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."

This is the essense of charity. So begin by meeting your brother with a smile. This would open up locked souls, penetrate to the depths of the heart and exert a magnetic bond on society.

Read the hadith again and see how it reaches into the depths of the soul, the essence of existence and creates hearts that are tender, pure, radiant and beautiful.

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/smile_charity.html

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

We must Love Others to be Loved by God:

"When we close our hearts to others, our eyes are closed to see the beauty of God in them.

Man is not only a social animal, but a spiritual one. This spirituality stems from the fact that he was created by God who had blown His spirit into him. Thus, while our body is a container of the soul, which is attached to earthly matters, the soul, with its essence of the spirit, always longs to be united with The Creator."

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/love_others.html

All the best.

 

[Cordoba]

Trusting God

We have to learn to trust that Allah will take care of us when we obey Him and that He will withdrawal His Great Mercy when we disobey.

Every morning the bird goes out to seek the provision Allah has given him, and every night he comes home with it. Allah has promised us our provision.

Umar Ibin Al Khattab narrated that he heard Allah's Messenger say,

'If you were to trust in Allah genuinely, He would give you provision as He does for the birds which go out hungry in the morning and come back full in the evening'

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/trusting_allah.html

 

[Cordoba]

God Consciousness and Piety (Taqwah)

Just as a person walks carefully on apath of thorns to avoid being pricked, Taqwah causes a person to have a conscience and be careful in their daily life. To always think and question will my actions please God and are they within the Law or will they be pleasing Satan?

Taqwah means ‘god consciousness’ – to remember Allah is watching everything we do. That we will be questioned on the Day of judgement by Him and be accountable for every second of our lives. If one attains this high state of mind then that person is said to have Taqwah.

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/taqwah.html

 

[Cordoba]

The Love of God

Islam attaches so much importance to one's love of God (Allah) and love of fellow human beings that it discourages excessive formalism.

We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and the religiously committed individuals in these verses. We should obey salutary regulations but center our focus on the love of God (Allah) and followed by the love of humanity.

We should show our faith in deeds of charity to other people and by living as good citizens and supporters of social organizations within the boundaries of Islam.

http://www.iad.org/Islam/moral.html

 

[Cordoba]

The Portrait of People of Heart
(Extracts from an article by Fethullah Gulen - Turkey)


- People of heart are lovers of God, and devoted seekers of God’s consent. They connect their deeds to His pleasure, regardless of the circumstances.


- People of heart are too busy fighting their selves and their misdemeanors to be interested in the misdeeds of others.


- People of heart do not violate the rights of any other people, nor do they seek revenge. Even in the most critical circumstances, they tend to behave calmly, and do whatever a person of heart should do to the utmost.

http://fethullahgulen.org/a.page/books/toward.a.global
http://fethullahgulen.org/a.page/books/toward.a.globalhttp://fethullahgulen.org/a.page/bo...love.and.tolerance/the.ideal.human/a1815.html.civilization.of.love.and.tolerance/the.ideal.human/a1815.html