ARTICLES ON HEART ( HOW TO CHANGE THE INNER SELF)

The Types of Heart

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah Just as the heart may be described in terms of being alive or dead, it may also be regarded as belonging to one of three types; these are the healthy heart, the dead heart, and the sick heart. The Healthy Heart On the Day of Resurrection, only those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will be saved. Allah says: "The day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever brings to Allah a sound heart. (26:88-89)" In defining the healthy heart, the following has been said: "It is a heart cleansed from any passion that challenges what Allah commands, or disputes what He forbids. It is free from any impulses which contradict His good. As a result, it is safeguarded against the worship of anything other than Him, and seeks the judgement of no other except that of His Messenger . Its services are exclusively reserved for Allah, willingly and lovingly, with total reliance, relating all matters to Him, in fear, hope and sincere dedication. When it loves, its love is in the way of Allah. If it detests, it detests in the lght of what He detests. When it gives, it gives for Allah. If it witoholds, it withholds for Allah. Nevertheless, all this will not suffice for its salvation until it is free from following, or taking as its guide, anyone other than His Messenger ." A servant with a healthy heart must dedicate it to its journey's end and not . He base his actions and speech on those of any other person except Allah's Messenger Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah says: "Oh you who believe, do not put yourselves above Allah and His Messenger, but fear Allah, for Allah is Hearing, Knowing. (49:1)" The Dead Heart This is the opposite of the healthy heart. It does not know its Lord and does not worship Him as He commands, in the way which He likes, and with which He is pleased. It clings instead to its lusts and desires, even if these are likely to incur Allah's displeasure and wrath. It worships things other than Allah, and its loves and its hatreds, and its giving and

must not give precedence to any other faith or words or deeds over those of Allah and His

its withholding, arise from its whims, which are of paramount importance to it and preferred above the pleasure of Allah. Its whims are its imam. Its lust is its guide. Its ignorance is its leader. Its crude impulses are its impetus. It is immersed in its concern with worldly objectives. It is drunk with its own fancies and its love for hasty, fleeting pleasures. It is called to Allah and the akhira from a distance but it does not respond to advice, and instead it follows any scheming, cunning shayton. Life angers and pleases it, and passion makes it deaf and blind (1) to anything except what is evil. To associate and keep company with the owner of such a heart is to tempt illness: living with him is like taking poison, and befriending him means utter destruction. The Sick Heart This is a heart with life in it, as well as illness. The former sustains it at one moment, the latter at another, and it follows whichever one of the two manages to dominate it. It has love for Allah, faith in Him, sincerity towards Him, and reliance upon Him, and these are what give it life. It also has a craving for lust and pleasure, and prefers them and strives to experience them. It is full of self-admiration, which can lead to its own destruction. It listens to two callers: one calling it to Allah and His Prophet have most influence over it at the time. The first heart is alive, submitted to Allah, humble, sensitive and aware; the second is brittle and dead; the third wavers between either its safety or its ruin.
Footnotes:

and the akhira; and the other calling

it to the fleeting pleasures of this world. It responds to whichever one of the two happens to

1. It has been related on the authority of Abu'd-Darda' that the Messenger of Allah said, "Your love for something that makes you blind and deaf." Abu Daw'ud, al-Adab, 14/38; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 5/194. The hadith is classified as hasan.

Dead Hearts

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah While thousands of Muslims are killed all over the world, and while tens of thousands are imprisoned and tortured for calling to the path of Allah and for enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, most Muslims remain remarkably silent and have no worry except for the material things of life. Their hearts have been filled with the love of this life and the forgetfulness of the Hereafter. Allah says in the Qur'an: "You will indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life, even more than those who do not believe in Resurrection. Each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from due punishment. For Allah sees well all that they do" (Al Baqarah, 2:96). Many Muslims today have become so much attached to their life that their desire is to dwell among their family, house, money and commerce. They have forgotten that matters of the Hereafter should come before matters of this life and that we must strive to follow the orders of Allah, not just those we find easy and convenient to follow. Some Muslims today claim that it is better to perform extra prayers and extra fasting rather than enjoin the good and forbid the evil or defend the lives of weak Muslims. Such people would even blame the Muslims who strive to perform these obligations. This is what Ibn al-Qayyim had to say about such people: ''The Shaitan has misled most people by beautifying for them the performance of certain voluntary acts of worship such as voluntary prayers and voluntary fasting while neglecting other obligatory acts of worship such as enjoining the good and eradicating the evil, to the extent that they do not even make the intention of performing them whenever they are able to. Such people are considered by the scholars to be on the bottom of the scale of religion: For the essence of our religion is to perform what Allah ordered us to do. The one who does not perform his obligations is actually worse than the one who performs sins. Anyone having some knowledge about the revelation of Allah, the guidance of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and the life of the companions would conclude that those who are pointed at today as the most pious people are in fact the least pious. Indeed, what kind of piety is there in a person who witnesses Allah's sanctities being violated, his religion abandoned, the Sunnah of His Messenger shunned, and yet remains still with a cold heart and a shut mouth' Such a person is like a dumb Shaitan! In the same way the one who talks falsehood is a speaking Shaitan. Isn't the misfortune of Islam due only to those who whenever their life and food are secure, would not care about what happens to the religion? The best among them would offer a sorry face. But if they were challenged in one of the things their heart is attached to

like their money, they would spare no efforts to get it back. These people, besides deserving the anger of Allah, are afflicted with the greatest calamity without even knowing it: They have a dead heart. Indeed the more alive a person's heart is, the stronger its anger for the sake of Allah and the more complete his support to Islam and Muslims." (A'alaam alMuwaqqi'een, volume 2, page 176).

Human Being Has a Great Capacity For Self-Delusions

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah There are two things one should be take heed of if one wishes to attain success and felicity: 1) To know the details of the means of attaining good and evil, and to be clear about these through witnessing them in the world around, through one's own experience and that of others, as well as through reports one has heard about earlier and latter nations. One of the most effective means for attaining this is pondering over the Qur'an, for along with the sunnah, it clearly explains the paths to good and evil. If you turn your attention to them, they will suffice you. They will inform you of Allah's treatment of the obedient, and of the sinners. Moreover, apply what you read to practical experience, and you will see the illustration of this - that Allah is true, the Messenger is true, the Qur'an is true, and that Allah fulfills His promise. History contains details of the paths to good and evil mentioned in the Qur'an and sunnah. 2) Beware of deceiving oneself with regard to these paths. This is very important, for the servant knows that sin and heedlessness are harmful to him in his world and the Hereafter, and yet he may deceive himself: Through relying on Allah's pardon and forgiveness, by procrastination of repentance, by performing istighfar only verbally, by doing good deeds [after impetuously sinning], by knowledge, by justifying his sins by the argument of destiny, by citing examples of people committing similar sins, or by following in the footsteps of ancestors and elders.

Many people think that they can perform some sin, and then if they say "Astaghfirullah" the sin will disappear. Or, they may deceive themselves with ahadith such as: "Whoever says "SubHaanallaahi wa-biHamdih" one hundred times in a day, his sins are taken off from him, even if they be like the foam of the ocean." Or "A servant committed a sin and then said, 'O Lord! I have committed a sin, so forgive me,' and so he was forgiven . . . . then Allah says, 'My servant knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, and takes [to task] for them. I have forgiven My servant, so let him do as he wishes.'" Such people cling to the texts of hope, and hold fast to them with both hands, and put [all] their reliance in them, such that if they are reprimanded for committing some sin, they will recite all that they known about Allah's mercy and forgiveness. Some went to excessive limits in this, such that they claimed that to remain free of sins is being ignorant or underestimating Allah's mercy and pardon. Some deceived people cling to the notion of fatalism; that the servant has no free-will and that he is compelled to commit sins. Other cling to the notion of irja' (false hope), claiming that faith is merely affirmation, and that deeds are neither a part of faith nor have any effect upon it. According to their claim, the iman of the most sinful of believers is just like the iman of the angels Gabriel and Michael. Some are deceived by their fathers and elders, thinking that they have a rank before Allah, such that they would not leave them to perish. They take this by analogy from the behavior of worldly kings, who might grant a favor or pardon to someone based on the merits of his father or relatives. Such people are used to being taken out of difficult situations by their fathers, and are under the impression that this may happen in the Hereafter too. Others deceive themselves by reasoning that Allah has no need of punishing them since He gains nothing from it, and He does not lose anything by showing them mercy. Such a person may say, 'I am in dire need of His mercy, and He is not at all needy of [anything]. if a poor, thirsty person were in dire need of a drink of water from someone in whose premises there flows a river, he would not be denied it, and Allah is more generous, and more expansive in mercy.' Others are deceived by ridiculous misinterpretations/ misunderstandings, e.g.: "Your Lord will give you, so that you become pleased." [Surah Duha, 5] he says: I am not pleased to enter the Fire. This is despicable ignorance, and clear lies, for he should be pleased by what Allah is pleased by, and it is not against Allah's pleasure to punish the oppressors, wrong-doers, evil-doers, traitors and those persistent on major sins. "Allah forgives all sins." [Surah Zumar, 93] This is also despicable ignorance, for this verse refers to those who repent; otherwise it would imply invalidation of the verses threatening punishment for the sinners. This is specified by another verse,

"Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, and He forgives anything beneath that to whomever He wills." [Surah Nisa,48] Also, "None will burn in it except the most miserable one who rejected and turned away [from the truth]." [Surah Layl, 15-16]. This is a specific fire from among the various levels of Jahannam, and moreover the fact that only the rejecters will burn in it does not rule out that others may enter it. "[Hell] has been prepared for the unbelievers." [Surah Baqarah, 24]. The fact that it has been prepared for the unbelievers does not rule out that sinful Muslims may also be punished in it, just as the fact that Heaven "has been prepared for the pious" [Surah Aali-`Imran, 133] does not rule out that people with the smallest grain of faith may enter it even if they were not pious. Some are deceived by fasting the days of `Ashura and `Arafah, such that some may even say that the fast of `Ashura' expiates the whole year, and the fast of `Arafah remains as a surplus of reward. Such people have failed to realize that the fast of Ramadan and the 5 daily prayers are greater and more noble than the fasts of `Arafah and `Ashura, and that [it is understood that] sins are [only] forgiven as long as major sins are avoided. So, [fasting] from one Ramadan to another, [praying] from one Jumu`ah to the next, act in a mutually strengthening manner to achieve forgiveness of minor sins, provided major sins are avoided. So, how then can an optional fast expiate every major sin of a person while he still persists upon the sins, and has not repented from them? Also, it is possible that these two optional fasts expiate all sins in totality, but that this has certain prerequisites and conditions, such as avoidance of major sins, or that the expiation is achieved in conjunction with other good deeds, much the same as the 5 daily prayers and the fasting of Ramadan expiate minor sins in conjunction with the avoidance of major sins. "If you abjure the major things which you are prohibited from, We shall expiate you your evil deeds. [Surah Nisa, 31] Some are deceived by the hadith Qudsi, "I am according to the good expectation/thought of My servant., so let him think of Me as he wishes." i.e. that whatever he thinks I will do to him, I will. But, good expectations can only be with good conduct, for one who does good expects that his Lord will deal with him well, will not break His promise, and will accept his repentance. As for the one of evil conduct, who persists upon major sins, oppression and other evils, the desolation of sin, wrongdoing and [other] prohibited things prevent him from having good expectations of his Lord. This is something we witness in everyday life. A disobedient employee who has run away with company property will not have a good expectation of his boss. The evil of wrong deeds cannot coexist with good expectation. The best in expectation of his Lord['s mercy] is the most obedient to Him. Hasan Basri said, "The believer has good expectation of his Lord, so he make his deeds good. But, the evil person has bad expectation of his Lord, so he does evil." How can someone claim to have good expectation of his Lord when he is like a runaway, and is doing things which displease and anger his Lord, and has abandoned His orders, and

is at war with Him. How can one have good expectation of his Lord if he thinks that He does not see him? "And, you used not to conceal yourself, lest your hearing, sight and skin testify against you, but you thought that Allah does not know much of what you used to do. And that, your expectation which you entertained about your Lord, has destroyed you, so you have become among those lost/ruined." [Surah Fussilat, 23] So, these people, who thought that Allah did not know much of what they did, actually had ill- expectation of their Lord, and that destroyed them. Such people are deceived if they think they will directly enter Heaven; they are fooling themselves; Satan is leading them astray and beguiling them. Ponder over this. Consider: how is it possible for one's heart to be certain that one is going to meet Allah, that Allah sees and hears all that he does, and knows his secret open affairs, and that he will be made to stand before Allah, answerable for all his deeds - how can one be certain and aware of all of this, and yet persist upon things which displease Allah; persist upon abandoning Allah's orders, neglecting His rights, and yet claim that he has good expectation of Allah?!! Abu Umamah Sahl ibn Hanif reports: `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and I entered upon `A'ishah and she said : If only you had seen the Messenger of Allah in one of his illnesses; [when] he had 6 or 7 dinars. The Messenger of Allah ordered me to distribute them [in charity?], but the pain of the Messenger of Allah kept me from doing that, until Allah cured him. Then, he asked me about them: "What have you done? Had you distributed the 6 dinars?" I said, "No, by Allah. Your pain had kept me from doing so." He asked for them to be brought [to him], and put them in his hand then said, "What would be the expectation of Allah's prophet if he met Allah with these in his possession?" What, then would be the expectation of the people of major sins, and the oppressors, if they were to meet Allah with these sins and forfeited rights of people on their backs? If their claim that they entertained good expectations that Allah would not punish evil and wrongdoing people, were to benefit them, then everyone could do as he wished, doing everything that Allah has forbidden, provided he kept good expectation of Allah, thinking that the fire will not touch him. Subhanallah! How deceived can one be? Prophet Ibrahim said to his people, "Is it a lie, gods besides Allah, that you desire? What then is your expectation of the Lord of the Worlds?" [Surah Saffat, 86] i.e. what is your expectation of Allah, what do you expect He will do to you if you meet Him having worshipped other than Him? So, if we reflect over this, we will realize that good expectation of Allah is equivalent to good deeds, for one is moved to good deeds by good hope of Allah, that He will reward him for his efforts and accept them. Otherwise, good expectation along with pursuit of whims and desires and lusts is incapacity.

In short, good expectation can only occur if the means for salvation are pursued. Pursuit of the means to destruction cannot accompany good expectations. Someone might claim: It might, based on the expansiveness of Allah's mercy and forgiveness and generosity, and that His mercy exceeds His wrath, and that punishing does not benefit Him, nor does forgiveness harm Him. The reply is: Allah is indeed most generous and merciful, but this is in the appropriate place. Allah is also described as possessing wisdom and might and inflicting retribution, seizing with might, and punishing those deserving punishment. So, if the good expectation is based merely on some of Allah's attributes, then the righteous and the evil, the believer and the unbeliever, would equally be candidates for it. But, the names and attributes of mercy do not benefit the unbeliever or similarly one who has neglected his duty and exposed himself to Allah's curse. Rather, good expectation of Allah is for one who repents, regrets his sins and desists from the. This is good expectation, whereas the first is deception. "Those who believe, and those who perform hijrah and jihad in the path of Allah - they are hopeful of Allah's mercy." [Surah Baqarah, 218] So, these people are the ones who can be truly hopeful of Allah's mercy; not the evil and sinful people. "Then, your Lord is, to those who make hijrah after they have been persecuted, and then perform jihad and are patient/steadfast - indeed, your Lord is, after that, Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Surah Nahl, 119] So, the knowledgeable one is he who puts hope in its correct place, whereas the deceived one is he who puts it elsewhere. Source: Translator: Courtesy Of: Islaam.com Al-Jawab al-Kafi li-man sa'al `an al-Dawa' al-Shafi Laher Suheil

Seeking the Inner Muslim

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick Surely all Praises are due to Allah, we praise Him, seek His assistance, and ask His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the wickedness of our deeds. Verily whomever Allah guides there is none to take him astray; and whomever Allah allows to stray, there is none to guide. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, He is one and has no partners; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and last Messenger. May Allah send His choicest blessing and Peace to Muhammad, his companions, family and all those who call to his way and establish the Sunnah till the Day of Judgment. As to what follows:

Muslims are finding themselves under great pressure today. From all sides, and in various forms, subtle and blatant, attacks are being launched against Muslim individuals, families and communities. Pressure is being applied to our eyes with the scanty summer fashions and rash of indecency on the television and in the movies. In Canada, women have been given the legal right to walk around topless in public places. Already, women can be seen mowing their lawns, sunbathing, or strolling down the street without any blouse, bra or shirt. Pressure is being applied to our ears by the constant swearing, backbiting, and scandal that we are confronted with daily. Pressure is being applied to our hands by the unavailability of jobs or loans and the growing availability of interest, mortgages, and gambling. Attacks in the media against Islam are on the increase. Muslims are blamed for slavery, wife assault, terrorism, female circumcision, ignorance and animosity to civilization. Recently, the Yahud in Israel have drawn pictures of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a pig and posted them on Muslim homes and businesses. Many Believers feel that their back is against the wall and the whole earth is closing in on them. They do not see any escape or relief in the next dew decades. A1lah tells us in the Blessed Qur'an: "And whoever keeps his duty to Allah, Allah will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he knows not. And whoever depends on Allah, Allah is sufficient for him. Surely Allah will achieve His purpose. He has made a limit for all things. " (65:3) Even the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself, who was the best of humanity, and his Companions, who were the best generation, were severely tested. For thirteen long years, the Muslims were tortured in Makkah, driven out of their homes and even killed. They were afflicted with diseases and malnutrition. One day, the Prophet (pbuh) was passing the family of Yassir (ra) who were known for their piety and their submission to the will of Allah. They were being savagely beaten and tortured. Allah had not given the Muslims the right to fight back, so the Prophet could only ease their burden by revealing to them a special part of His mercy. The Prophet said: "Patience, family of Yassir, your promised abode is Paradise." The pain and suffering of the Makkan period forged a tight relationship between the Muslims and purified their relationship with Allah. If a person had accepted Islam for fame, glory, wealth or position, he would soon turn back on his heels. Arrogance, pride, envy and racism were eliminated and the Muslims came to see each other as being closer and more important than their own families. We should remember their struggle as we endure today's trails and tribulations. Muslims throughout the planet are in a state of siege. Some find themselves in a hot war where the fire of the military is all around them. Others find themselves in a war of ideas where the bullets are propaganda and insults. Sometimes the effects of psychological

warfare are more devastating than military warfare for they can last for more than a generation. In the wake of this crisis, people are making critical choices about Islam. Many are choosing to accept Islam, for despite the negative attacks, they realize that Islam is the only way out of the present corruption and tyranny. Islam is the only organized way of life that can categorically oppose homosexuality, racism and secularism. Only the Qur'an and Sunnah have cohesive arguments and a moral system that can be applied in conjunction with science, politics, business and every day life. Other people are asking themselves, "Should I practice Islam completely or should I continue being Muslim in name or by culture?" They see Islamic practice in today's society as swimming against a tidal wave. So they justify selling pork, liquor, gambling tickets or committing adultery as part of modern life. They fail to recognize that "Harem" is for everybody and for all times. How do we bring about change in our conditions and enable those who are undecided about practicing Islam to see the light of Allah's guidance. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have said, "Islam began as a stranger and will return to being a stranger so glad tidings (or a certain huge tree in Paradise) is for those who are strange. They asked, "O Messenger of Allah" Who are the strangers?" He replied, "Those who rectify (themselves and others) when the people are corrupt." (Al-Tabarani: Sahih) Muslims who have been blessed to revert to Islam or to practice Islam in the full sense have a great responsibility. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was "Uswatun Hasanah" (a fine example) of the practical application of Islam. He not only talked about Islam but he lived it in all spheres of his life. In order for us to make this critical change, we need to re-analyze our Islamic theory and practice. Great emphasis has been placed upon "ibadat" or the ritual aspects of Islam. Now we need to focus on Muamalat or inter-personal relationships. How many times do we hear about a Muslim who prays and fasts but he is untrustworthy, or a Muslim who wears Islamic clothing yet cheats in business! We need to look at the "Inner Muslim" and bring this personality to the surface. In Islamic history there were many illustrious scholars who searched for the inner aspects of Islam yet were also versed in Shari'ah. With so much falsehood being presented today as scholarship, it is important for us to find those scholars who were balanced and respected by all. Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf ibn Murri ibn Hasan an-Nawawi was in this category. He was born in the village of Nawa in 1233 CE and in his early years rose to be a recognized scholar for his knowledge of Hadith and his piety. He recognized that the Prophet (pbuh) was visited by the Angel Jibril and asked about Islam and Iman. He was also questioned about Ihsan (righteousness). The Prophet's response was that "Ihsan is to worship Allah as though you see Him and if you cannot do this, then worship Him as though He sees you." So Jibril asked about the inner Muslim, the conscience or the essence of the person. Muslims today need to look into themselves and find that inner person. We need to ask ourselves, "Why do we

pray, fast, give Zakat or go to Hajj? Are they done for Allah or for the people's attention and pleasure?" Imam An-Nawawi laid down five principles for Ihsan which we need to study and implement into our lives. He also gave us an action plan as to how to attain them. 1. Fearing Allah in the secret and the open. This is attained through scrupulousness and being upright. The Prophet (pbuh) once said to one of his companions, "Say, I believe in Allah, and then be upright." We need to constantly look at ourselves and examine our intentions for doing what we do. 2. Living according to the Sunnah in word and deed. This state can be attained through caution and good character. Remember that the Prophet has informed us, "Haste is from the Shaitan." Putting Islam into our character will force us to implement the guidance instead of just spouting it from our mouths. 3. Indifference to whether others accept or reject us. This state can be attained through patience and entrusting our affairs with Allah. We need to stop looking around us and being afraid of whether society accepts us or whether people will be angry at our Islam. If we are right with Allah, then there is nothing to fear! 4. Satisfaction with Allah, the Most High, in scarcity and plenty. This state can be attained through contentment with what one has and submission to the Will of Allah. 5. Turning to Allah in happiness and affliction. This state can be attained through having gratitude to Allah in happiness and taking refuge in Him in affection. May Allah give us the benefit of the scholarship and striving of this humble yet profound thinker and may Allah help us to embody the words and warnings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who left us in an authentic hadith reported in Al-Tirmidhi: "Two characteristics are not found together in a hypocrite: good manners and understanding of religion (fiqh fi-Din)." May Allah protect the weak and oppressed of the Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh) and give us the strength to be shining examples of this clear way of life. Surely Allah is the Off-forgiving and He has power over all affairs. Source: The Message Canada, August 1997 Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

The Keys to the Life of the Heart

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Shaykh Ibraaheem ibn `Abdullaah al-Haazimee Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Qur'aan, being humble before Allaah in secret, and leaving sins." [Haadee al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad al-Afraah (p.45) of Ibn al-Qayyim.] Allaah, the Most High, said: A Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may take heed. [Saad (38):29] So Allaah informed us that He sent down this Great Qur'aan, blessed in its wording, meaning, commands, prohibitions and regulations. Amongst its blessings is that the one who recites even one word of it then he has a reward, and this reward is increased tenfold, as mentioned in the hadeeth reported by at-Tirmidhee, and at-Tirmidhee said that it is hasan saheeh. Also amongst its blessings is that the one who reads it and actts upon it shall not be misguided in this world, nor fall into distress and misery in the Hereafter as stated by Ibn Abbaas in the commentary to the verse, Whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor fall into distress and misery. [Taa Haa (20):123] Amongst its blessings is also that the one who learns it and teaches it is from the best of people as occurs in the hadeeth reported by al-Bukhaaree, "The best of you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and then teaches it." [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree Eng. Trans., 6/501 no.545] Amonsgt its blessings is that it will be an intercessor on the Day of Judgement for its companions who used to act by it in this world as occurs in the two ahaadeeth reported by Muslim in his Saheeh. [Saheeh Muslim Eng. Trans. 2/385-385 no.1757, 1759] He, the Exalted informed us that He revealed the Qur'aan so that its meanings, commands and prohibitions may be reflected over, such that if one were to come across a verse commanding something then he should follow it. If one were to come across a verse forbidding something then he should leave it. If one were to come across a verse concerning the Mercy of Allaah then he would hope for this Mercy and ask for it. If one were to come across a verse threatening with punishment then he would fear this and seek refuge with Allaah from it. If one were to come across a verse concerning the glorification of Allaah then he would glorify Allaah, and through this faith, knowledge, guidance and taqwaa will increase. Allaah said while describing the believers, And when His verses are recited unto them, they increase their faith. [Soorah al-Anfaal (8):2] Due to their containing promises and threats that motivate hope and fear; and Allaah, the Most High, said,

Do they not ponder over the Qur'aan or are there locks upon their hearts? [Soorah Muhammad (47):24] Amongst the ways of giving life to the heart is to be humble to Allah in secret. Meaning to desire and long for Allaah through supplication, seeking forgiveness, turning to Him, asking for victory, Paradise and shelter from Hellfire at the time when Allaah descends to the lowest Heaven in the last third of the night, as occurs in the authentic hadeeth, "Our Lord descends tot he lowest heaven when a third of the night remains, saying: Who is supplicating to Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?" Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. This hadeeth contains encouragement to stand in the last part of the night, praying, supplicating, and asking for forgiveness, Paradise and safety from the Fire, and supplicating for good in this life and the Hereafter. Indeed Allaah has commanded us with supplication and promisd to reply, and He who is far removed from imperfection, does not break His promises. Amongst the times that this reply will be attained is the last part of the night, and this is a blessing that Allaah bestows upon whomsoever He wishes, and Allaah is the Possessor of great blessings and bounty. And from the ways of giving life to the heart is to leave the sins that kill it, as in the hadeeth, "When the servant performs a sin a black spot appears on his heart, and if he seeks forgiveness this black spot is removed, and if he returns to sin the black spot grows until his heart becomes black, and this is the 'Raan' about which Allaah spoke, 'Nay! But on their hearts is the covering of sins (raan) which they used to earn.'" [Sooraah al-Mutaffifeen (83):14] [Reported by an-Nasaa'ee and at-Tirmidhee who said it was hasan saheeh.] The poet said, I saw the sins killing the hearts breeding ignominy due to their addiction And in the leaving of sins lies its life and it is best for your soul that you preserve it. Source: Translator: Courtesy Of: Islaam.com Hearts & Abu Their Cures Rumaysah

The Purification of the Heart from Kibr (Pride)

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Imam Uthman dan Fodio

Pride is one of the blameworthy qualities and it is forbidden to have it. Allah ta`ala said: "I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant in the earth without right." As far as its reality is concerned, you should know that pride is divided into inward and outward pride. Inward pride is a quality within the self, and outward pride is action which appears through the limbs. The name pride (kibr) is more appropriate for the inward quality. As for action, it is the result of that quality, and you must know that the quality of pride demands action. When it appears on the limbs, it is called arrogance (takabbur), and when it does not manifest itself, it is called pride (kibr). Its root is the quality in the self which is satisfaction and confidence at seeing the self above anyone towards whom he is overbearing. Mere self-exaltation does not make someone arrogant. He might well exalt himself while seeing that another person is greater than him or his equal. In this case, he is not overbearing toward him. It is not enough merely to disdain others. In spite of his disdain, a person might see himself as more despicable and therefore, he would not be considered arrogant. If someone sees the other as his equal, he is not considered arrogant. He must see that he has a rank and someone else has a rank, and then see his rank as above the other's rank. When he exalts his own value in relationship to someone else, he despises the one below him and puts himself above the other's company and confidence. If it is very extreme, he may spurn the other's service and not consider him worthy to stand in his presence. If it is less extreme, he may reject his basic equality, and put himself above this other in assemblies, wait for him to begin the greeting, think that it is unlikely that he will be able to fulfill his demands and be amazed at him. If he objects, the proud man scorns to answer him. If he warns him, he refuses to accept it. If he answers him back, he is angry. When the proud man teaches, he is not courteous to his students. He looks down upon them and rebuffs them. He is very condescending toward them and exploits them. He looks at the common people as if he were looking at asses. He thinks that they are ignorant and despicable. There are many actions which come from the quality of pride. They are too many to be numbered. This is the reality of pride. The harm it does is immense. The 'ulama' can help you but little against it, let alone the common people. How could its harm be other than great when it comes between a man and all the qualities of the mu'minun? Those qualities are the doors to the Garden. Pride locks all those doors because it is impossible for him to want for the mu'minun what he wants for himself while there is anything of self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to have humility - and humility is beginning of the qualities of those who guard themselves out of fear of Allah - while there is any self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to remain truthful while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to abandon anger while there is self-importance in him. It is impossible for him to offer friendly good counsel while there is self importance in him. It is impossible for him to accept good counsel while

there is self-importance in him. He is not safe from the contempt and slander of others while there is self-importance. There is no praiseworthy quality but he is incapable of it from the fear that his self-importance will slip away from him. As far as its cure is concerned, there are two parts: the knowledge-cure and the actioncure. The remedy can only be effected by joining the two of them. The knowledge-cure is to know and recognise yourself and to kno and recognise your Lord. That will be enough to remove your pride. Whoever knows and recognises his own self as it should be known and recognised, knows that it is not worthy of greatness, and that true greatness and pride are only for Allah. As for gnosis of his Lord and His glory, it is too lengthy a subject for us to discuss here [...]. Self-recognition is also a lengthy subject. However, we will mention what will help you towards humility and submisiveness. It is enough for you to recognise one ayat of the Book of Allah. The knowledge of the first and the last is in the Qur'an for whoever has his inner eye open. Allah ta`ala said: "Perish man! How thankless he is! Of what did He create him? Of a sperm-drop. He created him, and determined him, and then made him the way easy for him. Then He makes him die, buries him, and then, when He wills, raises him." This ayat points to the beginning of man's creation, his end, and his middle. Let a man look at that if he desires to understand its meaning. As for the beginning of man, he was "a thing unremembered". He was concealed in nonexistence. Non-existence has no beginning. What is lower and meaner than obliteration and non-existence? He was in non-existence. Then Allah created him from the basest of things, and then from the most unclean thing. He created him from earth and then from a spermdrop, thena blood-clot, then a lump of flesh. Then He made the flesh bones, and then clothes the bones in flesh. This was the beginning of his existence and then he became a thing remembered. He was a thing unremembered by reason of having he lowest of qualities and attributes since at his beginning, he was not created perfect. he was created inanimate, dead. He neither heard, saw, felt, moved, spoke, touched, perceived, or knew. He began by his death before his life, by weakness before his strength, by ignorance before knowledge, by blindness before sight, by deafness before hearing, by dumbness before speech, by misguidance before guidance, by poverty before wealth, and by incapacity before capacity. This is the meaning of His word, "From what did He create him? And determined him," and the meaning of His word, "Has there come upon a man a period of time when he was a thing unremembered? We created him of a sperm-drop, a mingling, trying him. We made him hearing, seeing. We guided him upon the way, whether he is thankful or unthankful." He created him like that at the beginning. Then He was gracious to him and said, "We made the way easy for him." This indicates what He wills for him during the period from life to death. Similarly, He said, "of a sperm-drop, a mingling, trying him. We made him hearing,

seeing. We guided him on the way." The meaning here is that He gave him life after he was inanimate and dead - first from the earth, and then from a sperm-drop. He gave him hearing after he was deaf and He gave him sight after he lacked sight. He gave him strenght after weakness and knowledge after ignorance. He created his limbs for him with all they contain of marvels and signs after he lacked them. He enriched them after poverty, made him full after hunger, clothed him after nakedness, and guided him after misguidance. Look how He directed him and formed him. Look at how He made the way easy for him. Look at man's overstepping and at how thankless he is. Look at man's ignorance and how he shows it. Allah ta`ala said, "Part of His sign is that He created you from earth." He created man from humble earth and unclean sperm after pure non-existence so that he would recognise the baseness of his essence and thereby recognise himself. He perfected the sperm-drop for him so that he would recognise his Lord by it and know His immensity and majesty by it, and that He is the only one worthy of true greatness and pride. For that reason, He described him and said, "Have We not given him two eyes and a tongue and two lips, and guided him on the two roads?" He first acquainted him with his baseness and said, "Was he not a sperm-drop extracted? Then he was a blood-clot. Then He mentioned His favour and said, "He created and fashioned and made a pair from it, male and female," in order to perpetuate his existence by reproduction as his existence was acquired in the beginning by original formation. When you begin in this manner and your states are like this, how can you have arrogance, pride, glory, and conceit? Properly speaking, man is the lowest of the low and the weakest of the weak. Indeed, even if He had perfecteed him, delegated his command to him and made his existence go on by his own choice, he would still dare to be insolent and would forget his beginning and his end. However, during your existence, He has given illnesses power over you, whether you like it or not, and whether you are content or enraged. You become hungry and thirsty without being able to do anything about it. You do not possess any power to bring either harm or benefit. You ant to know something but you remain ignorant of it. You want to remember something and yet you forget it. You want to not forget something and yet you do forget it. You want to direct your heart to waht concerns it and yet you are caught up in the valleys of whispersings and thoughts. You own neither your heart nor your self. You desire something while your destruction may be in it, and you detest something while your life may be in it. You find some foods delicious when they destroy and kill you, and you find remedies repugnant when they help you and save you. You are not safe for a moment, day or night. Your sight, knowledge, and power may be stripped away, your limbs may become semi-paralysed, your intellect may be stolen away, your ruh may be snatched away, and all that you love in this world may be taken from you. You are hard-pressed, abased. If you are left alone, you go on. If you are snatched away,

you are annihilated. A mere slave. A chattel. You have no power over yourself or anyone else. What can be more abased? If you recognise yourself, how can you think yourself worthy of pride? If it were not for your ignorance - and this is your immediate state - you would reflect on it. Your end is death. It is indicated by His word, "Then He makes him die and buries him. Then, when He wills, He raises him." The meaning here is that your ruh, hearing, sight, knowledge, power, senses, perception, and movement are all stripped away. You revert to the inanimate as you were in the first place. Only the shape of your limbs remains. Your form has neither senses nor movement. Then you are placed in the earth and your limbs decay. You become absent after you existed. You become as if you were not, as you were at first for a long period of time. Then a man wishes that he could remain like that. How excellent it would be if he were left as dust! However, after a long time, He brings him back to life to subject him to a severe trial. He comes out of his grave after his spearated parts are joined together, and he steps out to the terrors of the Rising. He is told, "Come quickly to the Reckoning and prepare for the Outcome!" His heart stops in fear and panic when he is faced with the terror of these words even before his pages are spread out and he sees his shameful actions in them. This is the end of his affair. It is the meaning of His word, "Then when He wishes, He raises him." How can anyone whose state this is be arrogant? A moment of freedom from grief is better than arrogance. He has shown the beginning and the middle of his condition. If his end had appeared to him - and we seek refuge from Allah - perhaps he would have chosen to be a dog or a pig in order to become dust with the animals rather than a hearing, speaking man, and meet with punishment (if he deserves the Fire). When he is in the presence of Allah then even the pig is nobler than him since it reverts to dust and it is spared from the Reckoning and the punishment. Someone with this state at the Rising can only hope for pardon, and he cannot be at all certain about it. How then can he be arrogant? How can he see himself as anything to which excellence is attached? This is the knowledge-cure. As far as the action-cure is concerned, it is to humble yourself to people in a constrained unnatural manner until it becomes natural for you. Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

The Development of Tawhd In One's Heart

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Tawhd is a tree which grows in the heart of a believer. Its branches tower, increasing it in growth. Its beauty increases whenever it is watered with obedience. This draws the slave closer to his Rabb, developing a sense of love and fear for his creator. The hope and reliance upon Him develops further and like this the actualization of Tawhd is achieved, entirely. It is not achieved through wishful thinking and nor through empty claims devoid of reality. It actualizes and settles in the heart due to that which is within it, from belief, faith and the realities of excellence (Ihsn) manifest themselves in fine mannerisms and lofty righteous actions. Here are some of the means through which the development of Tawhd can take place in the heart: 1 2 3 Actions of obedience, sins, the to gain to that the of which fear the of is desired Allhs and by Allh.

Abandoning Reflecting

due

punishment. the earth.

over

kingdom

heavens

4 - Understanding the names of Allh and His attributes. Knowing what they entail, their effects and their indication to the majesty of Allh; and his perfection. 5 Acquiring beneficial knowledge and acting upon it.

6 - Reciting the Qurn whilst reflecting over it, by understanding its meaning and what it intends. 7 - Coming closer to Allh the Most high by voluntary deeds, after the obligatory ones. 8 - Constantly remembering Allh, (making Dhikr) in every circumstance by both the tongue and heart. 9 - Giving preference for what is loved and more favourable to Allh. 10 - Contemplating over the blessings of Allh, both the apparent and hidden. By looking at the kindness, righteousness and blessings he has placed between His slaves.

11 - To have a humble heart in the hands of Allh and expressing ones need for Him. 12 - Secluding oneself with Allh during the last third of the night when Allh descends to the lowest heaven. Recite Qurn during this period and finish it off by seeking forgiveness (al-Istighfr) and repentance (at-Tawbah). 13 - Sitting in the gatherings of the people that do good and are righteous. With those that are sincere and love Allh Almighty, this will help you benefit from their speech, as well as their characteristics. 14 - Stay away from all the means which diverts your heart from Allh. 15 - Leave inquisitive speech, eating a lot, mixing between the people and looking around too much (at things which are prohibited or do not benefit). 16 - To love for your brother, that which you love for yourself. And you strive your utmost in trying to put that into practice. 17 - Having this peace and integrity towards the Muslims. Free from jealousy, hatred, envy, arrogance, pride or any other kinds of self-conceit. 18 Being content in the decree of Allh.

19 - Giving thanks when Allh bestows his grace upon you and being patient in the face of trials or affliction. 20 Returning to Allh (in repentance) when you commit any sin.

21 - Doing plenty of good, righteous actions. Having good mannerisms and keeping your ties of kinship. 22 - Following the example of the Prophet in every small and big matter. 23 24 25 Commanding Jihd in Making the good the ones and path food forbidding the of Allh. pure. evil.

[Rasil ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibrhm al-Hamd Fl-Aqdah; Vol. 2, P.19-20]

By: Muhammad b. Ibrhm

Jihaad an-Nafs: Striving Against the Soul

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

By Shaykh Hasan Ayyub may Allah preserve him From the first chapter of his book 'Fiqh al-Jihad fil-Islam' The world, in its overwhelming majority, is encountering waves upon waves of evil and is being struck by evil passions and trials and tribulations, and it is being overtaken by various kinds of destructive evils, and it is being governed by Satanic ideas and selfish, imposing laws, and concepts that destroy all aspects of the human being that can be considered virtuous and noble. We are surrounded by an environment that has deviated from the truth, submitted to its desires and has been put to trial by its forbidden passions. And the human being inherits all that those who came before him have left for him of corruption in belief, entrenchment in misguidance, submission to the Shar'ah of the Devil, permitting the forbidden, forbidding the permissible, and beautifying the lowest of actions and the most disgusting sins. And he is - with this - longing to satisfy his desires as he has been surrounded by the devils of the humans and Jinn. So, he is a product of the environment, culture, upbringing, thoughts and all that he is surrounded by, and affected by; beginning with his family, his people, all the way to the general human population. This human being, if Divine Guidance was sent down for his sake, and Allh showed him ways of living in happiness in this life and the next, and he was given from Allh a Book, and He favored him by His Favor with a Messenger to take him by the hand to that which is better and higher, and organizes the affairs of his life on the basis of justice and mercy, and saves him from everything that could be a cause of his destruction in this life and the next; if all of this occurred, then his situation would be quite different. From the people, however, are those who have been defeated by this accumulation in evil, and are pressured by these influences, so they don't pay any attention to the religion and

give it not the slightest consideration. Rather, he belittles the religion, and mocks it, and has enmity to those who call to it, and fights all those who try to change his ways and plant a pure seed in his head in place of the filthy Satanic seed that is in place. Allh the Exalted said: {"Rather! On their hearts is the black spot of the sins that they used to earn"} [al-Mutaffifn; 14] And He the Exalted said: {"And if it is said to them 'Come to that which Allh has revealed and to the Messenger!' they said 'What we found our fathers upon is enough for us.' Were it not that their fathers knew nothing and were not guided"} [al-M'idah; 104] And He the Exalted said: {"Verily, those who disbelieve will not believe whether you warn them or not."} [al-Baqarah; 6] And yet, there is another type of person that you might see who is ready to reflect calmly and with deep insight, and remove himself from any outside influences in order to look at the issues that are important, and puts aside all that he has been fed in order for his research to be upon clarity. So if he is guided and comes to know, he turns and changes and becomes another person. This human being struggles against (yu jhid) his soul that commands him with evil, as well as his overwhelming passions and transgressing innate nature, deviated desires, misguided cultural practices, and bad habits. He says: there is none worthy of worship except Allh, certain that it means: none is rightly deserving of being served or worshipped except for Allh, and none deserves to be submitted to or humbled before except Allh, and none has the right to command or forbid except Allh, and there is no legislation of laws except by Allh, and by Him the Exalted the Muslim takes his steps, and with this, he submits himself to Allh in a complete manner in every way, shape and form so he is called a Muslim (a submitter). And he believes in everything that Allh has revealed - so he is called a Mu'min (believer). And he stands watch over the devils among the humans and Jinn, so he does not allow them to affect him so he is called a Sbir (an endurer). And he stops at the limits set by Allh, and does not cross them unless in a moment of heedlessness (in which case he repents) so he is called a Murbit (one who guards his territory). And he sacrifices himself and his wealth for the sake of his belief, and he lives as a fugitive who has been uprooted from his home so he is called a Mujhid (one who strives). And regarding this, the Exalted says: {"And those who strive in Our cause, we will guide them to Our ways, and verily, Allh is with those who do good."} [al-

'Ankabt; 69] And He the Exalted says: {"O you who believe! Endure and be patient and guard your territory and fear Allh so that you may be successful."} [l 'Imrn; 200] This kind of person, wherever he is found in a land or amongst a certain group of people, he is like a rising sun who's rays are sweet-smelling perfume; by him, the Earth is connected to the Heavens, and upon him descends the Mercy of Allh, and surrounding him are the Angels of the Most Merciful. He has a heart with the innocence of children, and a tongue with the purity of water from a rain cloud, and a helping hand that extends as if it was sent from Allh, and a face that shines with the truth as if it were the morning light, and firmness upon the religion of Allh as if he himself was a firm mountain. If you walk with him he benefits you, and if you befriend him he serves you, and if you consult him he advises you, and if you wrong him he excuses you, and if you comfort him he thanks you, and if you are at odds with him he forgives you. Truthful; easygoing; trustworthy; he fears Allh, so he is as Allh says regarding him: {"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allh, and those who are with him are harsh against the disbelievers and merciful between each other. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking Favor from Allh and His Pleasure. Their distinctive sign is the mark of prostration on their faces."} [al-Fath; 29] And the struggle of the soul (jihd an-nafs) is the severest type of struggle, and the hardest and longest-lasting. It is a struggle at night, and during the day; in times of hardship, in times of ease; in times of relaxation and tension. It is a struggle in your beliefs and worship and interactions; while you are secluded from the people as well as when you are mixing with them. And it is a struggle by way of remembrance, prayer, fasting, and patience as well as all things that strengthen your soul. And it is a struggle that calls for the person to be fully awake, aware and knowledgeable of the weak points of the enemy, the strategies of the Devil, the incoming waves of falsehood, the possible entrance points of doubts and confusions, as well as knowledge of the permissible and forbidden, and the commands of Allh and his prohibitions, etc. And without this struggle (Jihd) that polishes and purifies the soul, and changes everything in the life of the believer, and makes the Muslim a leader not a follower, and makes him a head and not a tail, and one who initiates change in others as opposed to one who is changed by others; without this type of struggle, a person is known simply as a Muslim not a believer and this is not a name that he would even be deserving of, and an outer image that does not reflect the inner truth. And since this Muslim has given up on the struggle against his soul, he has also given up his Islmic personality. The struggle against the soul causes explosive changes both internal and external that

give birth to a person that has been purified the utmost purification in comparison to the entire human race, so that the one who undergoes this change deserves to shine under the saying of Allh: {"You were the best nation brought out for the people."} [l 'Imrn; 110]

The Soul Between the Enchantment of the Dunyaa and that of the Hereafter

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Ibnul-Jawzee When listening to a sermon or preaching, one's heart may become vigilant but once one has left the gathering where Allaah is being mentioned, hardness and inattentiveness returns! Reflecting upon the reason for this sudden change, I realised what it was. I noticed that people vary when it comes to this (i.e. the effect of preaching on them). Generally speaking the heart does not assume the same level of alertness during the preaching and after for two reasons: Firstly: Preaching is like whipping which leaves no pain, but it hurts only while being whipped. Secondly: During the sermon, the listener normally has nothing to distract his attention. Mentally and physically setting aside worldly matters and listening whole heartedly. Then once back to the worldly life, he will be attracted by its allurements. How then could one remain in the same state as prior to the sermon? This state of affairs happens to all humanity. However, this affect does vary with those who listen with their hearts. Some of them are unhesitatingly callous to what goes on around them. If they are visited by life's hustle and bustle, they become self conscious, as Handhalah (the companion, radiya Allahu 'anh) said about himself: "Handhalah is a hypocrite..." [in a Hadeeth related by Muslim] Some others tend to be of a more forgetful character. Sometimes though they excel (in good deeds) after listening to a sermon. In fact, such people are like stalks that sway with the wind! Others are but little affected; the effect on their hearts lasts only for the period of the sermon. It soon disappears, just like water when poured on a smooth rock! Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

Miscellaneous Points of Benefit from Ibn al-Qayyim

In the Name of Allh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah 1) Six Ettiquettes of Learning [2] Ibn al-Qayyim[1] - rahimahullaah- said: "There are six stages to knowledge: Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner. Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively. Thirdly: Understanding well. Fourthly: Memorising. Fifthly: Teaching. Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits." [3] 2) Fruits of Humility Ibn al-Qayyim - rahimahullaah - said: [4] One of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) said: "Indeed a servant commits a sin by which he enters Paradise; and another does a good deed by which he enters the Fire." It was asked: How is that? So he replied: "The one who committed the sin, constantly thinks about it; which causes him to fear it, regret it, weep over it and feel ashamed in front of his Lord - the Most High - due to it. He stands before Allaah, broken-hearted and with his head lowered in humility. So this sin is more beneficial to him than doing many acts of obedience, since it caused him to have humility and humbleness - which leads to the servant's happiness and success - to the extent that this sin becomes the cause for him entering Paradise. As for the doer of good, then he does not consider this good a favour from his Lord Upon him. Rather, he becomes arrogant and amazed with himself, saying: I have achieved such and such, and such and such . So this further increases him in self adulation, pride and arrogance - such that this becomes the cause for his destruction." 3) Purifying the Heart Ibn al-Qayyim - rahimahullaah- said: "There is no doubt that the heart becomes covered with rust, just as metal dishes - silver, and their like - become rusty. So the rust of the heart is polished with dhikr (remembrance of Allaah), for dhikr polishes the heart until it becomes like a shiny mirror. However, when dhikr is abandoned, the rust returns; and when it commences then the heart again begins to be cleansed. Thus the heart becoming rusty is due to two matters: sins and ahafah ( neglecting remembrance of Allaah ). Likewise, it is cleansed and polished by two things : istighfaar (seeking Allaah's forgiveness) and dhikr." [5] 4) Jihaad Against the Self Jihaad (striving) against the soul has four stages: Firstly: To strive in learning guidance and the religion of truth, without which there will be no success. Indeed, there can be no true happiness, nor any delight in this world and in the Hereafter, except through it.

Secondly: Striving to act upon what has been learnt, since knowledge without action will not benefit, rather it will cause harm. Thirdly: Striving to invite others towards it and to teach those who do not know, otherwise he may be considered from those who hide what Allaah has revealed of guidance and clear explanation. Such knowledge will neither benefit, nor save a person from the punishment of Allaah. Fourthly: Striving to be patient and persevering against those who oppose this da'wah (call) to Allaah and those who seek to cause harm - patiently bearing all these hardships for the sake of Allaah. When these four stages are completed then such a person is considered to be amongst the Rabbaaniyyoon. The Salaf were agreed that a Scholar does not deserve the title of Rabbaanee until he recognises and knows the truth, acts upon it, and teaches it to others. So whosoever has knowledge, acts upon it, and teaches this knowledge to others, is considered from the Rabbaaniyyoon."[6] 5) Trials of the Heart Ibn al-Qayyim said, whilst commenting upon the following hadeeth: "Trials and tribulations will be presented to hearts, as a reed mat is interwoven stick by stick. Any heart which absorbs these trials will have a black mark put in it. However, any heart that rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that hearts will be of two kinds: one white like a white stone, which will not be harmed by trials as long as the heavens and earth endure; and the other dark and rusty, like an over-turned vessel; not able to recognise the good, nor reject evil, but rather being absorbed with its desires."[7] "The fitan (trials) which are presented to the hearts - and which are the cause of its weakness - are: [i] the trials relating to shahwah (false desire) and (ii) the trials relating to shubhah (doubt)... so the first causes intentions and desires to be corrupted, whilst the second causes knowledge and beliefs to be corrupted". [8] Speaking about such trials, he rahimahullaah - said: "Hearts - when exposed to such fitan (trials) - are of two types: [The first type]: a heart, which, when exposed to such trials, absorbs it like a sponge that soaks-up water, leaving in it a black stain. Such a heart continues to soak-up the various trials that are presented to it, until it becomes dark and corrupted - which is what is meant by "an over-turned vessel. "So when this occurs, two dangerous and deadly diseases take hold of it and plunge it into destruction: Firstly: confusing good with evil, so it neither recognises the good, nor rejects the evil. This disease may take hold of it to such an extent that it believes good to be evil; and evil to be good, Sunnah to be bid'ah (innovation); and innovations to be the Sunnah. and the truth to be falsehood: and falsehood the truth.

Secondly: judging by its whims and desires, over and against what Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam came with being enslaved by its whims and desires and being led by them also. [The second type]: a white heart in which the light of eemaan is bright and its radiance is illuminating. So when trials are presented to such a heart, it rejects and turns away from them. This further increases its light and illumination and its strength."[9] 6) Four Principles of Worship "(TheAayah): "You alone do we worship." [Soorah al faatihah 1:5] is built upon four principles:- Ascertaining what Allaah and His Messenger love and are pleased with, from (i) the sayings of the heart and [ii] of the tongue; and (iii) the actions of the heart and [iv] of the limbs. So al-'uboodiyyah (servitude and slavery to Allaah) is a comprehensive term for all these four Stages. The one who actualises them has indeed actualised: "You alone do we worship." The saying of the heart: It is i'tiqaad (belief) in what Allaah - the Most Perfect - informed about His Self; concerning His Names, His Attributes, His Actions, His Angels, and all that He sent upon the tongue of His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The saying of the tongue: It is to inform and convey (what Allaah has revealed), to call to it, defend it, to explain the false innovations which oppose it, to establish its remembrance and to convey what it orders. The action of the heart: Such as love for Him, reliance upon Him, repenting to Him, having fear and hope in Him, making the Deen purely and sincerely for Him, having patience in what He orders and prohibits, having patience with what He decrees and being pleased with it, having allegiance and enmity for His sake, humbling oneself in front of Him and having humility in front of Him, becoming tranquil with Him and other than this from the actions of the heart which are actually connected to the action of the limbs ... and actions of the limbs without the action of the heart is of little benefit if any benefit at all. The action of the limbs: Such as Prayer and Jihaad, attending the Jumu'ah and being with the Jamaa'ah, aiding those who are unable and displaying goodness and kindness to the creation, and other than this." [10]
Footnotes: 1. He is Abu 'Abdullaah, Shamsud Dcen Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr better known as Ibn al-Qayyim (or ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah). He was born in the year 691H in the city of Damascus. From an early age he set about acquiring knowledge and studied under many prominent teachers, the most notable of whom was Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah. His students include the likes of Ibn Katheer, adh-Dhahabee, Ibn Rajab, Ibn 'Abdul-Haadee and others. He authored over ninety books and booklets - all of them being characterised by their touching address to the soul and the heart, as well, as their accuracy, precision and depth of research. Ibn al-Qayyim died on the night of Thursday 13th Rajab at the time of the 'Ishaa adhaan in the year 751H. Testaments about his comprehensive knowledge, firm adherence to the way of the Salaf; excellent manners, worship and zuhd have been given by Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar in ad-Dururul-Kaaminah (3/400), Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab in Dhayl Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah(2/447), ash-Shawkaanee in al-Badrut-Taali'(2/143-146) and also Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer who said about him in al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (14/246): "He attained great proficiency in many branches of knowledge, particularly knowledge of Tafseer, Hadeeth and Usool. When Shaykh Taqiyyud-Deen Ibn Taymiyyah returned from Egypt in the year 712H, he stayed

with the Shaykh until he died, learning a great deal of knowledge from him; along with the knowledge which he had already occupied himself in obtaining. So he became a singular Scholar in many branches of knowledge. He also continued to seek knowledge greatly day and night and was constant in humbly calling upon his Lord. He recited well and had fine manners. He had a great deal of love and did not harbour any envy for anyone, nor harm anyone, nor seek to find fault with anyone, nor bear any malice towards anyone. I was one of those who most often kept company with him and I was one of the most beloved of people to him. I do not know anyone in the world, in this time, who is a greater worshipper than him. His Salaah (Prayer) used to be very lengthy, with prolonged rukoo' (bowing) and sujood (prostration). His companions would often reproach him for this, yet he never retorted back, nor did he abandon this practice - may Allaah shower His Mercy upon him." 2. The following are some points of benefit - extracted from the various works of the Shaykh pertaining to purification of the souls and curing the diseases of the hearts. 3. Miftaah Daarus-Sa 'aadah ( p.283). 4. Al-Waabilus-Sayyib minal-Kalimit-Tayyib ( p. 15). 5. Al-Waabilus-Sayyib (p.80). 6. Zaad ul-Ma'aad fi Hadee Khayril-'Ibaad (pp.9- 11) . 7. Related by Muslim (no.144), from Hudhaifah radiallaahu 'anhu. 8. Ighaathatul-Luhfaan ( p.40). 9. Ighaathatul-Luhfaan (pp. 39-40). 10. Madaanjus-Saalikeen(1/100-101)