Remedies For Several Spiritual Maladies - Part V

Prescription for -

Ridding Off Oneself The Desire To Commit Evil &
Instiling The Inclination To Do Good.

1. Sit in solitude and perform muraqabah (meditate) over the following Ayat of the Holy Qur'an:

"Alam ya'lam bi annallaha Yaraa." (Surah 96: Ayat 14)

Translation: "Does he not know that verily Allah is watching."

Meditate over this as long as possible. There after, while busy at work, as often as possible, recite this ayat and ponder over its meaning. Allah Ta'ala will grant much benefit by means of this meditation, InshaAllah.

2. Read about the lives of the pious and narrate them to others as well. Sit in the company of the pious. When time permits, spend more time in a good environment e.g. in Jamaat or I'tikaf. When one has a good environment, one's actions and character also improve.


Generating The Love for Rasulullah SAW

One of the companions of Rasullullah SAW was Anas bin Malik RA. He was only ten years old when his mother left him in the service of Rasullullah SAW. He served Rasullullah SAW for ten years, until the demise of the Prophet SAW. He loved his master dearly and Rasulullah SAW also loved him dearly.

Once Rasullullah SAW said to him:

"O my beloved son! If it is possible that you could commence the day or night in such a condition that your heart is free of malice against anyone, then do so! (i.e. you should definitely try to acquire this)."

Thereafter Rasullullah SAW continued:

"This (Keeping the heart void of any malice) is from my Sunnah. The one who loves my Sunnah has indeed loved me. The one who loves me will be with me in Jannah."

This clearly indicates to us the way to acquire true love of Rasulluah SAW. By loving the Sunnats of Rasullullah SAW and practising upon them, ones love for him will instinctively and naturally blossom.


The Dilemma of Resorting to Sin After Taubah

There are many people who by the Grace and Mercy of Allah - perform Solatul Taubah and sincerely repent of their sins. After that however, the conscience of Allah Ta'ala is sustained only for a few days. Then suddenly they find themselves inclined to perform the old sin(s), and hence break their Taubah. Those who face this predicament must know how to tackle this problem so that they do not become demotivated or despondent.

The fact that a person is conscious of Allah Ta'ala for a few days after performing Solatul Taubah is itself a great bounty. Any person who experiences this must be grateful for this.

Allah Ta'ala declares:

"If you are grateful, I will increase My Bounties upon you."

To once again become inclined to sins after a few days - is like a person who fasted for the entire day and by the end of the day he felt extremely thirsty. As a result he gulps down some water.

What is the use of destroying our crops that is almost ripe before even getting the chance to reap it?

These analogies should be brought into the mind when such circumstances occur. Upon good contemplation, InshaAllah - we will be more sturdy in our endeavours to protect our Taubah and our Amals.


Lowering The Gaze

To begin with, if any glance to a non-Muhrim falls unintentionally, no sin has been incurred.

However, to continue looking and thus derive pleasure from that glance is an illness which requires treatment.

The treatment is very easy. A person suffering from the above problem will realise how simple the prescription is, up to the point that, if he is truly sincere in his efforts for spiritual reformation, he will become embarassed with the defence mechanism that Allah SWT has given to all of His slaves. The treatment is - to immediately close our eyelids, the shutters that Allah SWT has created - one above the eyes, and one below the eyes. Simple.

Furthermore, we should sit in solitude, close our eyes and meditate:

"If my Ustaz or teacher was present, will I cast any lustful glance? Never! How can I cast lustful glances in the presence of Allah Ta'ala – that Perfect Being who knows the deception of the eyes and what the hearts conceal."

Also we should keep in mind the warning that has been mentioned in Hadith for casting lustful glances. It is reported that molten lead will be poured into the eyes of such people.


Remedy For Illicit Love

Many people today, especially the youth and young adults are entrapped in illicit love affair. This results in much spiritual problems.

To tackle such maladies, one must first set his/her mind and be absolutely certain that nothing is achieved without courage. We will have to obtain the courage to get out of the predicament, irrespective of how agonising and difficult it maybe on the nafs.

If indeed one wishes to come out of this fix, he/she firstly must physically distance himself/herself from the person who is illicitly being loved. Thus there should be no chance of meeting or seeing one another.

In the last part of the night, the sufferer should engage in zikr. Among the best prescription for this is the Kalimah - "Laa Ilaha Illallah". The purpose here is so that one removes from the heart all forms of impermissible love and thrown it behind, and only the love of Allah remains, and becomes firmly established in the heart.

Again, it must reminded here that it is extremely important for the sufferer to disassociate from the person to such an extent that the person becomes unknown, a stranger. There should never be any form of correspondence whatsoever. Being steadfast in doing this will make the zikr more effective and have more weight.

With regard to specific zikr prescription, one should consult the Ulama of Tasawwuf or the Mashaaikh to obtain the types, and amount, for different amounts of zikr are prescribed to different people due to their varying conditions.


Stopping the Habit of Smoking

To give up smoking, a smoker may adapt the following procedure:

1. Immediately cut down the number of cigarettes smoked daily by one cigarette.

2. After one week cut it down by another cigarette.

3. In this manner, each week reduce it by one cigarette. InshaAllah, the smoker will be able to get rid of this habit.

When the urge to have a cigarette returns, the smoker should ponder on the fact that it will be easy for a person who make the habit of performing Miswak (cleaning the teeth with a toothstick) to recite the Kalimah - "Laa Ilaaha Illallah" before he/she dies. This is by virtue of cleaning the teeth, and giving the mouth a pleasant smell, which is Sunnah. On the other hand, the smoker should recall that cigarettes stain the teeth and give the mouth and body a bad smell.

We then inculcate the fear in our hearts that this habit of smoking may become the reason for Allah to paralyse our tongue to recite the Kalimah when we die. (Na'udzubillah).

If we equipt our hearts with this alertness and concern, then it will be easy to terminate the habit of smoking. InshaAllah.

Remedies For Several Spiritual Maladies - Part IV

SOME CORE RULES FOR SPIRITUAL REFORM

How To Regard Ourselves

We should regard ourselves as the lowest of all people in status and worse than every Muslim in spiritual gratitude. By having this frame of mind, we will become humble, churn excellent treatment towards people, and blossom the drive to spiritually progress - similar to how a person would behave when he/she is utterly in need of something. Thus the seen motivation and drive to improve.


Constantly Making Shukur

We should constantly express gratitude to Allah SWT for all His bounties and favours, all of which we could never thank enough. We should remember that - not experiencing inconveniences or difficulties is also a great ni'mat from Allah SWT.


Maintaining Focus

Everyday as we get up to start our day, we should gather in our hearts the aim - that the whole day will be dedicated towards acquiring the pleasure of Allah SWT in everything we do. This is the reality of Zikr. That we are always aware of what Allah SWT requires from ourselves at all times.


Refraining From Disobedience

And in the mission of pleasing Allah SWT everyday at all times, we should set in our minds the desire to refrain from disobeying Allah SWT. If these two qualities are always in our hearts, then it will be very difficult to sin, and very easy to perform good.


Love for Rasulullah SAW

We must train our hearts so that the love for Rasulullah SAW is even greater that our love for all other creations of Allah SWT. Thus, our love for Rasulullah SAW is greater than our love for our mother, our father, our siblings, our family, our husband / wife and our children.


Avoid Causing Inconvenience to People

There are many people who perform plenty of Ibadah but still enter Jahannam. The reason is because they ignore the rights of people. One of the most basic rights of people is - that they do not receive any inconvenience or hardship from us. So we must be careful. This may include commonly overlooked things like blocking the door or path, squeezing into the rows of prayer, wreckless driving, unnecessary loud speech and noise, body odour and many more things which couls simply be eradicated by being more conscious of the people around us.


Reasons for Spiritual Retrogression and Demotivation

It is common for people who go through prescribed exercises to improve the spiritual heart and mind to loose the enthusiasm and eagerness to complete the prescribed Amals. Some people even feel lazy to go to work.

The Ulama have advised, that generally there are three reasons for such conditions enveloping a person:

1. Inappropriate Company - whereby the undesirable condition described could be the result of adopting the company of such people who themselves are not inclined towards zikr, Islah, etc. Such company may not be those who are sinful, but they do not encourage good actions among themselves and replace that with useless, mundane activities.

2. Consuming Haraam - whereby the undesirable condition described is often due to a person consuming what was acquired in a Haraam manner, which has consequently degraded the person's spiritual state.

3. Commiting Sins - whereby a person is affected by this problem due to having sinned. Usually chronic situations occur when such sins are committed intentionally, and frequently.

Thus, to tackle our spiritual obstacles, we must ponder deeply as to what - in our case, is the reason stopping our spiritual development. After having determined the reason, we must remedy it immediately. Whilst doing this, we should take a Sunnat bath, perform two raka'ats of Solatul Taubah and remain on the Musollah (prayer mat) for as long as possible, whilst making Istighfaar and repenting to Allah SWT in utmost humility.

In our supplications then, we should beseech Allah SWT so that He does not deprive us of having the motivation and eagerness to perform good actions; and most importantly - to forgive our sins.

After having done this, we should commence with our Ma'mulaat (daily devotional practices of Zikr, Tilawat of the Qur'an, Nawafil Solat, etc) as previously done. When a day comes when we do not manage to fulfil our Ma'mulaat on time, we should insert a 'punishment' on ourselves e.g. delay our meals until we have completed it.

Continuous progress of devotional practices will surely increase our spiritual closeness to Allah SWT, InshaAllah - thus we will then have more eagerness day-by-day to perform more good deeds; and having more vehemence, day-by-day to refrain from sins, and hate sins.

Remedies For Several Spiritual Maladies - Part III

This post intends to provide some basic prescriptions for the following diseases of the heart, InshaAllah:

Despising Others

Pride

Harbouring Ill Thoughts

Ostentation & Vanity

Jealousy

Backbiting

Hating Cristicism and Liking Praise

Protecting the Eyes

The main thing when tackling such diseases is to abide by the prescriptions provided. A patient does not become to engrossed in evaluating what more criticising the antidotes provided by the doctor. These prescriptions are provided by our spiritual doctors - the Ulama of this Ummah. Our duty is to patiently observe their advices so that we become better slaves of Allah SWT. The mission of our lives.


Despising Others

Such conditions occur even in religiously oriented people. For example, whenever they notice anybody doing something against shari'ah, such as swearing, etc., they immediately begin to despise the perpetrator.

Sometimes their nafs whisper to themselves:

"I are much better than him; and others besides me are all despicable."

This is a silent but chronic disease, that greatly displeases Allah SWT.

Infact, to despise a person upon observing him committing a sin is itself a serious crime. In truth, only the sin should be despised. We should never despise the person. At such a time, one should consider one's own sins. We should address ourselves thus:

"There are numerous vices in me, which I am fully aware of. How absolutely despicable I have become due to these sins. On the Day of Qiyamah, I will be questioned about my own sins, not about the vices of others."

The Qur'an has given us advice:

"You (O people) are not responsible for what I (Rasulullah SAW) do and I am not responsible for what you do."

To despise anyone is a sin on its own – and a very serious one too. It is not a trivial matter. Allah Ta'ala may ask on the Day of Judgement:

"If my servants committed any wrong, what right do you have to despise them?"

So what will then be our answer?


Remedy for Pride

The remedy of pride is to ponder constantly over one's various conditions. Ponder over the following:

"What was I, what have I become and what will I end up as? Initially I was a drop of helpless semen. Thereafter in the womb of the mother, the fluid and flesh that would have become the blood of the menses gradually took the shape of limbs. When life was infused into this body, the very blood of the menses now became the nourishment for this body. Thereafter, upon the expiry of nine months, I was born with much difficulty. For a lengthy period after birth, I remained helpless and could not do anything for myself. Neither could I discern the good from the bad. What ever that came into my hand, whatever pure or impure, I put into my mouth. In short, I have passed trough so many different stages in my life. Eventually I will end up in the grave. There my body will become food for worms."

It is reported in a Hadith that Allah Ta'ala says:

"Pride is my garment."

Thus - any person who adopts pride for himself is in reality snatching the garment of Allah Ta'ala. The result of this is obvious - it will lead to the Fire of Jahannam.

The one should constantly ponder over these aspects and reflect that, if this is one's condition and reality, what right does one have to be proud?


Harbouring Ill Thoughts

To harbour ill thoughts about people, is an evil and detestable act. Whenever an ill thought creeps into our mind regarding any person, be he a learned person or just a common sinner, we should reflect on our own shortcomings and think:

"How many faults and sins I have committed. I am not sinless. However, I do hope that Allah Ta'ala will forgive me. Likewise, others could also be forgiven. If I am taken to task due to harbouring ill thoughts, what answers will I have? It is possible that this person could be forgiven due to some splendid action, which is unknown to me. Hence, all his sins would then be replaced with rewards. How about me? I do not know the condition of my own fate."

Allah Ta'ala says:

"They are the one's whom Allah Ta'ala will grant them rewards in place of their sins (i.e. the sins will be forgiven and they will be replaced by rewards.)"


Riya & Ujub (Ostentation & Vanity)

Riya or ostentation means to perform any act of worship to show it to others. Allah Ta'ala detests Riya since it is tantamount to shirk (ascribing partners with Allah Ta'ala).

On the Day of Qiyamah, Allah Ta'ala will announce:

"I detest shirk. Therefore, the one who has ascribed any partner with me in any ibadat, he should seek the reward for the same from the partner that he ascribed to me."

Therefore, one should reflect that, for instance, one performs Solat to obtain the grace of Allah Ta'ala. He adopts full humanity and devotion so that Allah Ta'ala may be pleased. However, if Riya creeps into this action and he begins to perform it for somebody else, all his efforts are in vain. Besides, on the Day of Qiyamah it will be announced regarding him that he was involved in Riya. Then he will face humiliation and disgrace and he will find his book of good deeds to be empty.

Ujub or vanity refers to the condition where a person thinks good of his actions or his opinions; thus he regards himself to be a very worthy and capable person in thought and deeds.

When such thoughts come to mind, one should reflect upon one's sins and think:

"I have committed so many sins hence how can I be elated about myself. If my sins had to be exposed, how despised and disgraced I will be among the people."

So it is good that we sit in solitude and ponder over this. Insha Allah one will be freed from the lowly and filthy qualities of riya and ujub.


Jealousy

Jealousy in reality is to be angry with Allah Ta'ala. It is as if we are questioning Allah Ta'ala as to why some bounty was given to another person whereas we were more deserving and worthy of it! ? Na'udzubillah.

The remedy of this disease is to counter respond thus, by bestowing gifts to the one over whom we are jealous of; making salam to him and shake his hands, invite him for meals and constantly make du'a for him. InshaAllah our heart will be cleansed of the jealousy.

At this juncture, it is important to remind ourselves that only males should make salam, shake hands etc. with males and only women should do the similar with women. If a man is jealous of a woman (which is rare), it is only good to remain silent, and ponder of the fact that everything has been ordained by Allah; and who are we as lowly slaves to complain.


Backbiting

A person generally indulges in backbiting others and thinks ill of them because he/she regards them as an opposition. Unfortunately in the process, he/she transfers all his good deeds to the one who he/she thought ill of or who he/she had backbited. Consider what utter foolishness this is? The one whom one is angry with, one transfers one's good deed to the very person by backbiting him. Does one give such a person (whom one is annoyed with) one's wealth and material belongings? Never. Then how is one suddenly prepared to give away one's good deeds to him on the Day of Qiyamah and become destitute? Ponder over this deeply and repeatedly until it firmly settles into the recesses of the heart.


Criticism and Praise

Generally, there are numerous spiritual ailments that affect the heart. If an effort is not made to treat and rectify them, they could become much worse. If the praise of people causes our ego to be boosted, immediately we must reflect upon our shortcomings and think thus:

"This person is not aware of my sins, hence he is praising me. If he becomes aware of my sins, instead of showering praises he will begin to hate and despise me. How greatly has Allah Ta'ala favoured me that he has concealed my faults? If Allah Ta'ala totally forgives my sins and saves me in future from all transgression, this will indeed be my tremendous good fortune (and something to be elated and trilled about)."

On the contrary, should someone criticize us or speak ill of us, we should ponder that one whose inception is from a drop of insignificant fluid is indeed low. Why then should such an impure person become enraged upon being criticised?

Obviously there may be situations whereby somebody has spoken ill about us, whereas in reality Allah Ta'ala has saved us from that act that was spoken about. So thus the person who has spoken ill of us has truly erred. However this is infact much better that people speak ill of us in error, rather than being praised for something which one is not worthy of.


Protecting the Eyes

Allah Ta'ala has created natural means for the eyes from all sin. With every eye Allah Ta'ala has created two shutters-one at the top and another at the bottom. When one's sight falls in the wrong place, immediately close both these shutters.

There is also another means of uprooting this disease of gazing at ghair mahrams i.e. women with whom marriage is permissible.

We may sit in solitude, close our eyes and recite the following verse of the Qur'an:

"Does he not know that verily Allah is watching?" (Surah 96: Ayat 14)

While reciting this verse, we should ponder over the following:

"If I am in the presence of my father, teacher, or spiritual mentor and a strange woman (ghair muhrims) passes, would I look at her? Most definitely not! How can I then look at any women in the presence of Allah who is watching me at all times."

As a prescriptive spiritual exercise, we may practice this for ten minutes each day. Over and above that, whenever the opportunity arises, we should ponder over this until it becomes embedded in the heart.

Remedies For Several Spiritual Maladies - Part II

Meditating Upon Death

When we lie down upon our bed at night, let us imagine it to be the last moments of our life. Hence at this juncture, we sincerely and truthfully repent and seek forgiveness from Allah SWT for all our sins. Thereafter, it is also healthy for us to imagine and contemplate that our soul is actually leaving our body. We are then given the ghusl (bath). Next our body is wrapped in kafan - the white cotton shroud used to clothe the deceased. Thereafter, we imagine our Solatul Janazah is performed. The procession will then carry us to our grave mark, and we are then lowered into our grave. In the grave we are being faced with the famous questions from the angels - Munkar and Nakir - the two angels who question the deceased in the grave. Thus, we ponder over the aspects that will follow after death until we fall asleep. This is a good way to meditate.

When we wake up the next morning, we may regard it is only as an extension in our life that Allah Ta'ala has granted us. This extension is also to enable ourselves to promptly prepare for death. We should therefore not indulge or perpetrate any such action which make it difficult for us to answer the questions in the grave and the Day of Judgement. Also, during the course of the day, in everything that we do, we should regard that day as the last day of our life, and this state of mind should be present with us until it is finally nightfall. At night, we again repeat the same process.

In hadith, Rasulullah SAW has exhorted the Ummah to remember death excessively. The above prescription is to induce that required awareness of death.


The Treatment of Anger Agitated by Humiliation & Destroying Pride

This form of spiritual ailment frequently and usually attacks the intellectuals, the professionals and the generally respected 'superior' people of society. It is a serious and intense disease, of which its peak is the entrance into Jahannam. Allah forbid. Such people affected by this malady become enraged and upset when people humiliate and belittle them in public.

The remedy to treat this sickness is extremely easy provided that we install the courage to treat the disease we are suffering.

The way is - whenever anybody belittles or humiliates us, we should immediately ponder thus:

"I have committed various other sins. My character is also poor. I carry much physical and spiritual impurities within my body all the time too. Hence if somebody belittles or humiliates me, so what? The perpetrator has not even come close to the reality of my evils, which is worse."

"Furthermore, whatever happens in this world is first sanctioned from above by Allah Ta'ala. Only then does it become apparent here. My being humiliated was also sanctioned from above, hence it has occurred. Why then should I become angry? Besides this, whatever occurrence upsets me takes place as a compensation for my sins. I should therefore be grateful to the one humiliating me that as a result of this my sins are being forgiven."

Thus by following the above simple prescription InshaAllah, we will not feel distressed when humiliated or looked down at. Let us remember that the humbler we are, the closer we are to Allah SWT.

Every person should at all times look at his/her own shortcomings and make an effort towards self-reformation. We should instead become blind to the shortcomings of others. The person who looks towards his/her own shortcomings and is blind towards the faults of others has been praised in the Ahadith. It is in this regard that pride is a great obstacle. It prevents one from recognising one's own faults and being oblivious of one's own shortcomings. Pride always engages one in looking for the fault of other.

Lastly, we should always be extremely careful in controlling our tongue. We should also protect ourselves from falling into quarrels or disputes with anyone - as it feeds pride and ego, and destroys humility and humbleness.

Remedies For Several Spiritual Maladies - Part I

Protecting Time & Making Shukr of Time

In this life, we must 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, we ought to make shukr to Allah Ta'ala for it. If anybody treats us with love and respect, we should regard it as the Grace of Allah Ta'ala - for the fact hat He has placed love and respect for us in that person's heart. Otherwise, it was possible that the same person could have had enmity towards us. Hence we should consider it the Grace of Allah Ta'ala that He has concealed our faults. Allah forgives all sins and conceals the faults of people.


Moderation in Treatment and Expectations

In life, we must never place absolute reliance on any person, nor divulge all our secrets to that person, nor have any enmity with any person. We must treat every person with Husnul Akhlaaq (Good Character). We must remember that the one who at present kisses our hands with great love could tomorrow be swearing at us. Therefore, we must always adopt a moderate approach in our dealings with people and be careful.


Some Ways in Improving The Quality of Worship

Indeed, if a person is truly concerned about his/her Islah (reformation), his/her concern in itself is more effective in bringing about self-reformation. However, the concern that is merely expressed with the tongue but does not exist in the heart does not have this effect. All deeds will have value with conscience. During any acts of worship, there will be full concentration towards the Almighty Creator. In preparation for all acts of worship, we should ponder over our actions, and inculcate the feeling of smallness and helplessness in the eyes of Allah SWT; as the effect of humility and humbleness by far makes all actions of worship much more superior.

So to continue, it is not sufficient to merely remember one's sins only. Sometimes merely recalling the previous sins very subtly incites the person to commit the same sin again. May Allah Ta'ala save us all. 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.


Countering Against Laziness and Whispers from Desire

The practise of sometimes completing one's Ma'mulat (daily practices) and at other times neglecting them must be completely refrained from. One cannot progress in this manner. Constancy is absolutely necessary. According to Hadith, the best of actions is that upon which one is steadfast. Without this constancy one cannot achieve the Islah of one's Nafs (the purification and reformation of the inner self).

As for the sins towards which one is inclined, we should ponder deeply with regards to the harms of such sins in this world and the punishment in the Hereafter. We should contemplate upon the end result of committing such sins. InshaAllah, by doing this - one will be blessed with the ability to refrain from them. In addition, which could read about the virtues about good actions such as Solat, Zikr, Tilawat of the Qur'an, etc, thus keeping in mind the benefits one will receive from these actions, both in this world as well as in the Hearafter.


Spiritual Exercises When Reading The Qur'an

When reciting the Qur'an, we should meditate upon the fact that we are reciting to Allah. Similar to a student reciting to his Ustaz, while the awe of the Ustaz engulfs the student. Hence, we recite the Qur'an with the state of heart and mind that we are reciting to Allah Ta'ala in such a manner as if we see Allah. By doing so, this will nourish the desire to recite the Qur'an more and more.

Also, we must remember that Du'a is the essence of Ibadah. Whether it is Zikr, Tilawat of the Qur'an or Solat - the essence of it all is in - Du'a. Keeping in mind Allah Ta'ala favours and His kindness, we engage in Du'a with much humility. Ponder that only Allah can accept one's requests and solve one's problems.

Indeed Allah SWT has commanded us:

"Call unto Me, I will accept."

Whomsoever is granted the gift of Du'a, unlimited mercies are showered upon him/her, and the du'a passes through the seven Heavens to Allah SWT.


Dedicating Time for Islah

Indeed, we should ponder - the fact that many and most of us have spent many years and even decades of our lives for our studies and professional development. For these purposes we left our homes and the comfort of our families for this long duration of time. Our days were then spent in lessons and the nights in studying and revision. Onwards, we also worked hard and sat for various examinations. Similar pursuits we make time for throughout our working lives.

Now consider that in contrast to this how much of time have we dedicated to our spiritual self-reformation? Our spiritual health? Is our inner self heallthy? The way Allah SWT wants it to be? In comparison, have we even spent at least one year for this purpose? Have we attempted to curtail our other activities in order to acquire proper devotion? If not, then the time has now come to acquire spiritual health.

Al-Khawf (The Fear of Allah)

PLEASE NOTE:

THIS POST TALKS ABOUT DEEP THINGS INVOLVING THE STATE OF THE HEART. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THOSE WHO WISHES TO READ, SHOULD READ PROPERLY, AND WITH ITS IMPORTANCE AT HEART. OTHERWISE ONE WILL NOT OBTAIN BENEFIT, AND WILL ACCUSE WHAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR HIM / HER TO BE NON-BENEFICIAL, NA'UDZUBILLAH. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND TRUE FAITH COMES ONLY WITH PATIENCE AND PERSEVERENCE. INSHA-ALLAH.


The Al-Khawf or station of fear is one of the most splendid stations of the road and the most beneficial to the heart. It is also mandatory upon everyone.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers." (Surah Al-Imraan: Ayat 175)

and Allah SWT mentions:

"And fear none but Me." (Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayat 40)

Allah SWT has also praised His people in His book, saying:

"Verily! Those who live in awe for fear of their Lord . . . It is these who race for the good deeds and they are foremost in them." (Surah 23: Ayats 57~61)

The grand Tabi'in, Al-Hasan Al-Basri RA said:

"By Allah, they performed the acts of obedience and struggled in them and they were afraid that their deeds will be rejected."

The believer has combined good deeds and fear and the hypocrite has combined bad deeds and a sense of security.

Other terms have similar meanings to al-khawf but are not synonymous, such as Wajal, khashyah and rahbah.

Abu Al-Qasim Al-Junaid RA said:

"Khawf is to expect punishments as long as you breathe."

It has been said that khawf is defined as - the restlessness of the heart because of the remembrance of the cause of fear.

It has also been said that khawf is the strength in knowledge of the rulings and decrees.

This is the reason for khawf and not khawf itself.

Khashyah is more specific than khawf. Khashyah is a quality that is particular of the people knowledgeable of Allah.

Allah SWT says in the Qur'an:

"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah." (Surah 35: Ayat 28)

As a result khashyah is associated with knowledge.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW is reported to have said:

"Indeed I have the most piety for Allah and have the greatest khashyah for Him." (Bukhari and Muslim)

And Rasulullah SAW himself is the most knowledgeable of Allah.

Khawf can be likened to a movement or a reaction but khashyah is involvement, action and tranquility.

A person who sees the enemy, floods or similar causes of fear will have one of the following two reactions: movement; i.e. running away from the cause, which is the state of khawf; or staying calm and staying in a place where the cause cannot reach him, and this is khashyah.

Rahbah is diligence in running away from adversity. The opposite of this is raghbah or longing which involves the travel of the heart toward its desires. There is symmetry between raghbah and rahbah both in their pronunciation and meanings.

Wajal is the shivering and breaking of the heart when remembering the One it fears, His authority, punishment or seeing Him.

Haybah is khawf associated with glorification and reverence. It's peak is achieved when love and knowledge are strongly combined.

Ijlaal is glorification associated with love.

Khawf is for the common believers, while khashyah is for the knowledgeable and the scholars.

Haybah is for those who love and Ijlaal is for those who are close (to Allah).

The presence of Khawf and khashyah is according to how much knowledge is there, as the Prophet SAW said:

"Indeed I am the most knowledgeable of Allah amongst you and have the most khashyah for Him." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Rasulullah SAW also said:

"If you would know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much. You would not have joy with your wives in bed and you would go out to high places and pray fervently to Allah, The Mighty." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others)

The person with khawf resorts to fleeing and holding. The person with khashyah resorts to holding to knowledge. Their similitude is like a person who has no knowledge of medicine and a skilled, highly trained and educated physician. The former resorts to diet and escape for treatment of his ills while the doctor resorts to knowledge of diseases and medicines.

Abu Hafs RA said:

"Khawf is the whip of Allah. He corrects with it those straying from His door."

He also said:

"Khawf is a light in the heart, with it, one can see the good and evil. Everyone you fear you run away from except Allah. When you fear Him, you run away to Him."

The person with khawf is a person fleeing from His Lord to His Lord.

Abu Sulaiman RA said:

"When khawf departs from any heart, it falls apart."

Ibrahim bin Sufyan RA said:

"When khawf settles in the heart, it burns the places of vain desires within it and it kicks out the love for this world."

Thun-Nun RA said:

"People are on the road (meaning the Straight Path) as long as they have khawf. When they lose it, they stray from the road."

Khawf is not sought itself. It is simply a means sought to obtain something else. It disappears when the cause of khawf disappears. That is why the people of Paradise will have no khawf, nor will they grieve. Khawf is related to deeds and actions, while love is related to Allah and His Attributes. The love of the believers to their Lord multiplies when they enter the House of Bliss and they will have not fear. For that, the station of love is greater and higher than the station of khawf.The truthful khawf is what comes between the person and the prohibitions of Allah. If khawf exceeds that, then there may be a concern for getting into despair and hopelessness.

Abu Uthman RA said:

"The true khawf is being cautious of committing sins manifest or hidden."

Ibn Taymiyyah RA is reported to have said:

"The commendable khawf is what restrains you from the prohibitions of Allah."

Al-Harawi RA:

"Khawf is to slip away from comfort and security by recognizing the warning of Allah."

The beginning of khawf is to fear the punishment. This is the kind of khawf that produces sound Imaan (faith). This can be attained by believing in the warnings of Allah and remembering the sin. Khawf is preceded by feeling and knowledge. It is impossible that a person may have khawf without having feelings of fear.

Khawf is associated with two things: first, the thing feared; and second, anything that may lead to it. Khawf can then be as great as the feeling of the person to the feared thing and what leads to it. When a person doesn't think that something would lead to the object that should be feared, then he/she would not fear that thing. The same is true if he does not know the measure of the fearful thing then, he would not have the correct fear.

Khawf (fear) and rajaa' (hope) complement one another.

Abu Sulaiman RA said:

"The heart ought to have more khawf. When rajaa' dominates, it ruins it."

It was also said:

"The best state is to have the same amount of khawf and rajaa', but to have more love. Love is the boat, rajaa' is the leader, khawf is the driver, and Allah is the One Who helps those reach the goal by His Grace and Generosity."

Allah's Love & Compassion

At one place in the Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala states:

"Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk?" (Surah 43: Ayat 5)

In other words, is it as if to say:

"Oh dear! You have debased yourself somewhat. So, shall We stop advising you?"

Even a human being of an average mind can digest and observe how lovingly Allah SWT has put His reprimand and reminder.

That individual with a soft heart, one who has even the slightest thread of mahabbat for Allah Almighty, should break down into tears on hearing this.

Or should we not?

How excellent is not Allah's Mercy!

How excellent is not Allah's affection!

How much hope is He not instilling!

Let us just ponder what Allah Ta'ala is saying:

So, shall We stop advising you?

How can that happen when, in actual fact, I have created you?

Now then, just look at yourself, what have you turned yourself into?

But, despite My admonitions why are you not taking heed and why are you not turning towards good?

No matter how much you have dropped below the boundaries should I stop giving you advice?

That will not happen!

From here onwards you look at yourself: To what degree do you have sensibility within yourself?

You gauge for yourself.

I am pulling you towards Me. I am giving you nasihat." ("Nasihat" implying "having your welfare at heart".)

Are we listening and taking heed or not? Let us ponder on the above.

So my brothers and sisters, then again Allah Ta'ala has made a very endearing statement, a very powerful one, full of compassion.

These are statements meant for those who have living hearts.

We are all claiming, or hoping to be mu'meen are sitting where we are now, and which mu'meen is such that he does not possess a living heart?

Yes, it is a different matter that there are differences between one heart and another, one being very soft and another not so soft. But verily, it can never be that a mu'meen's heart is like stone, and it should also never be so! Na'udzubillah.

And yet at a different place in the Qur'an, Allah SWT states:

"What can Allah gain by your punishment if you are grateful and you believe? Nay, it is Allah that recognises (all good) and knows all things." (Surah 4: Ayat 147)

Have we pondered over this my dear brothers and sisters?

This is a very enchanting statement - a very enrapturing statement; a statement to set the heart aflame; a touching statement to melt the heart! What an amazing tone has been used.

Let us ask ourselves, again and again - what will Allah Ta'ala gain by punishing you?

What an endearing statement!

Am I listening?

What will Allah Ta'ala gain by punishing you?

It is such that it would cause the true and sincere hearts to weep, and tear to pieces!

Indeed, tears may or may not gush from one's eyes, but the heart weeps!

What will Allah Ta'ala gain by punishing you?

What will it benefit Allah Ta'ala to cause you grief?

What will He gain by beating you?

How will He benefit by causing you injury or harm?

What? Will there be an increase in the Grandeur of Allah Ta'ala, as we see with important worldly people?What happens with important worldly people is that somebody utters something that offends them. Arrogantly they command, "Bring that culprit here!" He is brought forth. "Beat him up! Bash him up! " So this so-called master's honour has risen! He has vanquished a poor weak man and made an impression - He is a man of great strength! He is a man of power! He is a man of influence! His esteem has gone up! In hushed tones people would whisper to one another, "Never mind this poor wretch, even great ministers would be dealt with in this way."

However, the Master of All Masters, Allah Ta'ala states:"What will I gain by punishing you, by causing droughts, by causing you takleef (inconveniences), by causing you sorrow?Will My honour and grandeur increase thereby?My honour and grandeur is as it was. There is no question of increase and decrease, of becoming more or getting less."Allah Ta'ala is not such that His qualities increase or decrease, that they rise and decline, that they ascend and descend in status, that His superiority can wax and wane.

My dearest brothers and sisters, Allah Ta'ala is not like that. This is an absolute principle that He is not like that. And when He is not like that, then think for yourself: What can Allah Ta'ala gain by your punishment?However, if we wish to summon punishment onto ourself then that is our affair! In any case, this is a most beautiful ayat, is it not?

My dearest brothers and sisters, one's gaze should fall on all ayats whenever one recites the Qur'anul Kareem.

So, in conjunction with this one take the following:

Allah Ta'ala is saying:

"I have already stated to you: Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy." (Surah 6: Ayat 54)

Holding On To Burning Coal

Day by day, year by year, as the human race hurtle closer to the Final Day, Yaumul Qiyamah, the conditions in the world continue to deteriorate, as per the predictions of Rasulullah SAW. Fitnahs are increasing at a frightening rate, evil is proliferating swiftly and dark, ominous clouds are enveloping the horizons. In such times, holding onto one's Imaan will become a tough ordeal - the equivalent of holding onto a burning piece of coal - as described in the Hadith. The analogy of the burning coal appropriately captures the agony of the people of Imaan. The coal cannot be dropped for that would mean forsaking of Imaan, yet holding onto it is no an easy task, for it requires maximum patience, sacrifice and perseverance, just to hold on.

What is to be done in these trying times?

The early history of Muslims at Makkah is a source of great consolation and inspiration for persecuted Muslims. The early Muslim community, living in the Makkan crucible, was relentlessly persecuted. But this only hardened their resolve to cling more firmly to their new found faith - Islam - which was an unparalleled blessing after the miserable and dark days of Jahiliyyah. Nothing in the world was dearer to them than the blessing of this new faith, not even their own lives. The contemporary Muslim community has valuable lessons to learn from them in these difficult days. The guiding principle for the Makkan Muslims was Sabr (patience) at every step of the torment, for “Verily Allah is close to the patient ones.” These are the times that call for patience and steadfastness. Allah Ta'ala shall bring relief in due course, as He had done for the Believers of Makkah, and other persecuted folk.

As was the charter of the Makkan believers, Muslims must work towards developing their personalities and morals, thereby acting as true ambassadors of noble Islamic values. Beautiful Islamic conduct and character must be displayed towards all of mankind.

In the difficult days that prevail, the way ahead lies in turning to Allah Ta'ala for help and succour, through obedience, submission and resignation to His will. Allah never disappoints those who have hope in Him, never refuses those who ask of Him, never ignores those who quest for Him, never underpays those who work for Him, never deprives those who thank Him, never fails those who strive for Him, never allows those whose comfort is in His remembrance to be estranged from Him, never surrenders to others those who surrender to Him, never abandons those who depend on Him, and never forsakes those who trust and commit themselves to Him.

This is a time for increasing in righteous A'maal (deeds) and returning to basic Islamic teachings, because A'maal alone shall determine our present and future destiny. Conditions are created by Allah Ta'ala, based on our A'maal. Part of the process is to shun all evil deeds, and to kick aside a corrupt lifestyle. Some of the powerful A'maal that bring excellent results are Solat, Du'a, Sadaqah (charity), abundant Istighfaar and Salawaat.

Now is the time for transforming the home into a spiritual powerhouse, through: Tarbiyyah, inculcation of piety and values; Ta'lim wa Ta'lum (learning and teaching); Zikrullah; Islamic Aadaab, etiquette and Sunnah practices; and Ibaadah, by all members in the household.

Oral Sex - An In-Depth Spiritual Discussion

Oral sex between a husband and wife is considered as Makruh Tahrimi (highly undesirable) by the jurists, since there is strong possibility that by ejaculation, Mazi (male sexual fluid) comes out and enters the mouth of the partner.

There is consensus amongst the Fuqaha that Mazi is Najis (impure)

What we must understand here is that Insan has been created as a bearer of high and noble attributes. In him he mirrors the attributes of divinity (Sifat Ilaahiyya) - such as life, knowledge, power, will, sight, hearing, speech, love, etc.

Insan has been adorned with the Nur of Aqal (the light of intelligence). This celestial faculty of intelligence creates in Insan the capacity for the manifestation of the lofty and divine attributes of Allah Ta'ala. By virtue of the Nur of Aql Insan becomes incandescent by being a mirror for these lofty attributes and manifestation (Tajalliyaat Zilliyah and Sifaat Zaatiyyah).

As a direct consequence of this lofty pedestal which Insan occupies in the Divine Scheme, the mantle of Khilafah (vicegerency) has been conferred on him. Stating this fact, the Qur'an declares:

"Verily I shall be creating on earth a Khalifah."

In the Tafsir, it is also said that in relation to all the species of life, man has been endowned with the most beautiful form. All other animals have been created in a lowly form with their heads downwards. Their faces constantly pointing downwards to the earth indicate their low rank in relation to man. In contrast, man has been created upright and he eats his food by means of raising it with his hands unlike the lowly beasts with faces downwards.

In the Tafsir, it is further said that when man willingly destroys his natural ability to progress to the pedestals of elevation, he degenerates and falls from his lofty mansion. He then falls to levels lower than the level of dogs, pigs and even Shayateen.

According to the authentic Tafsir, prior to the creation of Adam AS, the angels entertained the opinion that Allah will not create any being superior to them. Allah then negates this opinion of the angels by creating Adam AS and making him a manifestation of divine attributes. To illustrate Insan's superiority over all species of creation, Allah also commanded the angels to make Sajadah (prostration) to Adam AS.

The superiority of man is well emphasised by the statement of Rasulullah SAW:

"Allah created Adam in His (Allah's) form."

Here it is sufficient to mention the interpretation of the authorities that - intelligence, sight, hearing, etc. are lofty attributes located in that part of the human body called - the head. It is for this reason that Rasulullah SAW forbade striking or slapping the face of any human being or even an animal.

In the Tafsir of the Qur'anic Aayat which permits husbands to beat wives in cases of necessity, it is said: "The face shall not be slapped".

Explaining the reason for the prohibition of slapping the face, Imam Nawawi RA says in his Sharhul Muslim -

"Because the face is the embodiment of man's beauty in addition to it being of sublime nature."

In the Ahadith, the following narration appears:

"Verily, your mouths are pathways of the Qur'n, therefore purify your mouths with Miswak."

The Makhaarij or places from whence Qur'anic huruf (letters) emanate are located in the mouth. The great worship of Tilaawat of the Qur'an is effected via the mouth, hence the Hadith describes the mouth as the "pathway of the Qur'an". Since it is, literally speaking, the channel for the recitation of the Qur'an, Rasulullah SAW emphasised much the maintainance of its purity.

The emphasis on the purity of the mouth could be gauged from the many times Rasulullah SAW would use the Miswak everyday to clean his mouth. The practice of Miswak is strongly stressed by the Shari'ah.

In one Hadith, Rasulullah SAW said:

"When the servant of Allah uses the Miswak and then performs Solat, an angel stands behind him, listening attentively to the recitation of the Qur'an. The angels draws closer and closer to the reciter and places his mouth on the mouth of the reciter. Thus every word emanating from the mouth of the Musalli enters the angel's mouth. Therefore, maintain your mouth pure and clean for the Qur'an."

The actual purpose underlying the creation of man is Zikrullah or the Remembrance of Allah. Rasulullah SAW ordered Muslims to maintain their tongues fresh with the Zikr of Allah. The facts mentioned above will indicate that Insan is Ashraful Makhlukaat (The Noblest of Creation) and the noblest part of his body is his head which is the location for lofty faculties and attributes which earn for him the designation of "the form of Allah".

In order that he maintains his lofty rank and progresses continuously towards loftier mansions and closer Divine Proximity, it is essential that man exercises restraint over his physical and animal qualities. If he fails in this respect, he will descend to a level below the lowly beasts.

Allah Ta'ala has endowed man with intelligence, will-power and shame. He must employ these attributes to subdue his animal and carnal desires and refrain from indulgence in the excesses of lust. If he fails in this achievement he will annihilate himself spiritually and degenerate to sub-animal levels. The sublimity of Islam is of such a lofty degree that it exhorts its adherence to adopt dignity, deportment and propriety in even sexual relationship.

RasulullahSAW advised his Ummah to abstain from total nudity when indulging in coitus and not to behave 'like asses'. Since Islam is a culture of transcendental values calculated to ensure maximum remembrance of Allah Ta'ala, a Muslim should not debase himself to a sub-animal level by resorting to the vile practice of oral sex. The mouth of Insan is the pathway of the Qur'an, his tongue has been commanded to remain fresh with Zikrullah; his mouth is situated in the noblest part of his body; the functions of his mouth are noble and lofty; his mouth is a passageway for transference of the recited Qur'an into the mouth of the listening angel. He cannot, therefore, debase and dishonour himself so disgracefully by resorting to the revolting practice of oral sex.

A Muslim should not dishonour that head and face which the Shari'ah of Islam commands to be honoured. Allah Ta'ala honoured the human head with noble qualities, the highest being the Nur of Aql, but man debases that lofty part of his body by indulging in an act of bestiality not even committed by the lowly beasts. It does not behove man in general, and a Muslim in particular to degrade himself in this manner. The Mu'min's link with Allah Ta'ala is so strong or ought to be so strong that the Shari'ah has prescribed a particular Du'a to be recited even when a man approaches his wife for sexual relations. Even at the moment of reaching climax and ejaculation, the Muslim is required to read in his mind (without moving the lips) - a special Du'a so that he remains protected from any Syaitaani interference.

We learn from the Hadith of Rasulullah SAW that Syaitaan attempts to interfere with man even while he indulges in lawful sex, hence the wording of the special Du'a for this occasion is

"O Allah! Protect us from Syaitaan and protect the offspring you grant us from Syaitaan."

Allah Ta'ala has honoured man highly, hence the Qur'an says:

"Verily, we have honoured the sons of Adam."

He is therefore not allowed to debase himself with the bestial acts which even the lowly beasts do not commit. The mouth is an honoured part of the physical body. It is not a receptacle of impurity. The Shari'ah emphasises the maintainance of its purity. Even in the developing foetus, Allah Ta'ala has arranged for the maintainance of the purity of the mouth. The umbilical cord connects the developing embryo to its mother. It is the passageway in which exchange of nutrient and waste materials with the circulatory system of the mother takes place. In man the umbilical cord arises at the navel below which is the location of the rebellious Nafs which reduces man to sub-animal levels if not restrained. Why does Allah Ta'ala not create the foetus with the umbilical cord attached to its mouth so that its nutrition reaches it in the normal way i.e. via the mouth? Right until the very last moments prior to its emergence into the external world, the baby's nutrition is via the umblical cord. Immediately on reaching the outside world its nourishment reaches it from the mouth. Since the umbilical cord is also the passageway for impure waste matter, its connection is near to the location of the lowly nafs. The mouth has thus been guarded against impurities. The facts presented in this article should be sufficient to convey to Muslims that their Imaan and the spirit of the teachings of Islam do not permit them to grovel in the dregs of debasement and perpetrate moral injustice by utilising the mouth for deriving sexual pleasure. This is not the function of the mouth. It is a misappropriation of an Amanah (Trust). All parts of the body are Amanah which have to be utilised in accordance with the instructions of Allah Ta'ala. Such contamination and moral pollution as entailed by oral sex are most unbecoming the dignity and rank of man, especially if the Insan appears to be a follower of the illustrious Shari'ah of Muhammad SAW. Allah Ta'ala states in the Noble Qur'an:

"Verily, Allah loves those who purify themselves."

How Can I Improve Myself ?

In order to improve one's life as a Muslim, the pious scholars have advise the following:

i) Associate with pious people (if possible with Allah-Fearing Ulama) and abstain from people who have no respect for the laws of Allah.

ii) Obtain reliable Islamic literature under the supervision of reliableUlama and make a firm intention to practise whatever one learns.

iii) Abstain from committing sin.

iv) If any difficulty is experienced in carrying out the above, search for a spiritual guide and follow his guidance to the best of your ability. The spiritual guide must be an Allah-Fearing person strictly adhering to Shari'ah and Sunnah.