Purification of The Heart - Important Basics 102

ASKING FROM ALLAH

As a slave of Allah SWT, we should always ask from Allah so that our obligations and responsibilities in this life are fulfilled with ease. We should ask from Allah SWT so that we ourselves become a means of benefit to people, and also so that Allah SWT assists us in every difficulty from unseen sources (ghalib).


TIME

The Ulama have advised us to be extremely particular of how our time is being spent. We must be very vigilant about this. Whatever time passes in a manner that conditions were positive, it is only correct that we make shukur to Allah Ta'ala for it.


TREATMENT OF PEOPLE

If anybody treats us with love and respect, we should regard it as the Grace of Allah Ta'ala that He has placed love and respect for you in that person's heart. Otherwise, it was possible that the same person could have been an arch enemy who hates us. Hence consider it the Grace of Allah Ta'ala that He has concealed our faults. Allah forgives all sins and conceals the faults of people.

We should not place total reliance on any person, nor divulge all our secrets to him/her, nor have any enmity with any person. Treat every person with husnul akhlaaq (good character). The one who at present kisses our hands with great love could tomorrow be swearing at us. Therefore, we should always adopt a moderate approach in our dealings with people and be careful in this regard.


THE REMORSEFUL HEART

Indeed, if a person is truly concerned about his/her Islaah (reformation), the concern in itself is more effective in bringing about his reformation than any wazaaif (recitation of various zikrs for purification, etc). Let us remember that any concern that is merely expressed with the tongue but does not exist in the heart does not have effect. Thus, a truly remorseful heart is indeed a great gift from Allah Almighty.


THE TERTIB OF REMEMBERING PAST SINS

We know that remembering past sins is a commended act in Deen. As it helps a persons course in repentance. However, we must also remember that sometimes, merely recalling the previous sins very subtly only incites the person to commit the same sin again. May Allah Ta'ala save us all from this, Ameen.

It is therefore necessary to instead visualise the Day of Qiyamah when an account on one's deeds will be taken in front of all mankind. How utterly disgraced would one be! Every deed committed would be clearly recorded in one's book of deeds. In this world we feel greatly embarrassed if what we had done secretly is exposed. One should therefore consider how terribly embarrassing it will be to read out one's sins in front of Allah Ta'ala.

Thus, if anyone wants to be saved from this imaginable disgrace, it is essential that the sins are washed off the book of deeds. The tear of regret and remorse in solitude is the water that washes off the sins from the book of deeds. May Allah Ta'ala grant us such tears that wash off our sins from our book of deeds. Ameen.

Hence merely recalling one's sins is not sufficient. One must firmly visualise the Day of Qiyamah to gain the desired effect.