Spirituality: Meaning and Concept
Unlike any other religions such as Christianity that perceive spirituality something exists in an Avery-tower as a utopian concept. Islam links between spirituality and real life, which we term it, practical spirituality. Do not get confused by Buddhism which claims spirituality as a “way of life’ despite not recognising the existence of God. Which is absolute nonsense.
Spirituality in its general meaning is the quality or state of being spiritual or being attached to questions and values concerned with religion. It is also frequently used in a non-religious sense to designate a capacity to understand fundamental moral and existential questions regarding the nature of soul.
Spirituality (Ruhhaniyyat) in Islam is defined as the presence of a relationship with Allah that affects the individual’s self-worth, sense of meaning, and connectedness with others. In Islam, the relational quality of spirituality is understood to be a core theme that comprises beliefs (belief in Allah and His prophets, judgment day, etc.), rituals, daily living behaviours and knowledge. Similarly, in following the set of rituals and codes of Islamic religion, an individual is striving to become closer to Allah and to find personal worth and actualization.
The essence of spirituality in Islam is the degree of spiritual attainment achieved by any human being by the realization of Tawhid (unity of Allah) as expressed in the Quran, on the basis of the prophetic model and with the aid of the Prophet peace be upon him. Its study is nothing other than tracing the impact in depth of Tawhid upon the life, actions, art, and thought of that segment of the human race, which makes up the Islamic people or Ummah.
In general, the goal of Islamic spirituality is to become adorned by the Divine Qualities through attainment of those virtues which were possessed in their perfection by the Prophet peace be upon him.
and with the aid of methods and the grace which issue from him and the Quranic Revelation. Spiritual life is attained by having reverential fear of God and obedience to His Will, love of God to which the Quran refers in the verse:
“He loves them, and they love Him” (05:54), and knowledge of God which is the ultimate goal of creation.
Islamic spirituality is a quality of love, which is always colored and conditioned by knowledge and based on an obedience already practiced and contained in living according to the Shari’ah law.
It is difficult to illustrate the inner reality of spirituality in a chronological order; though, its realization and methods of attainment can be described to a certain extent. Some of the ways are as follows:
· Have a confusion free mind, because it is difficult for a confused mind to undergo spiritual experiences and to differentiate between the real and the superficial, the relevant and the irrelevant, rational thinking and superstition, logical and illogical statements.
· Select a guide because on the path of spirituality one cannot be one’s own guide. This guide is the Quran, the authentic and carefully preserved book of God. That is why the Quran can be trusted as a guide by the spiritual traveler. After making the Quran one’s guide, one can set one’s spiritual journey on the right track.
· Change in lifestyle. This lifestyle for a spiritual traveler may be put briefly in these words: ‘Simple living and high thinking.’
Limiting one’s worldly requirements to the minimum by avoiding comfort and luxury is referred as Simple living and engaging one’s mind in higher realities, one becomes a recipient of divine inspiration is referred as High thinking. By doing this the inspiration of divine light comes to believers’ mind uninterruptedly and illuminates his whole existence.
Criterion of Spiritual Development:
In his capacity as the vicegerent (Khalifah) of God, man is answerable to Him for all his activities. It is his duty to use all the powers, which he has been given in accordance with the Divine will. He should utilize to the fullest extent all the faculties and potentialities bestowed upon him for seeking God’s approval. In his dealings with other people, he should behave in such a way as to try to please God.
In brief, all his energies should be directed towards regulating the affairs of this world in the way in which God wants them to be regulated. In Islam, spiritual development is synonymous with nearness to God. Similarly, he will not be able to get near to God if he is lazy and disobedient. And distance from God signifies in Islam, the spiritual fall and decay of man.
Concepts in Islamic Spirituality:
There are so many concepts in Islamic spirituality, but the most important concepts are Love, thankfulness and humbleness. These three concepts are chosen not only because they are theoretically important, but also because they are practically rewarding. If a believer wants to grow spiritually, he can easily do this by developing these qualities in his/her life. These three basic qualities are as under:
1. LOVE:
Love for the truth is the main distinction between a believer and a non-believer. Love requires knowledge and readiness to declare. One might wonder why Islam focuses both on love for the sake of Allah and dislike for the sake of Allah. We must ask: what is the difference between one who is a believer and one who is not?
It is not enough to know certain truths: Satan knows all those truths, but he is still considered to be disobedient.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“There are people who know everything and yet disbelieve: They impugned them—though they were convinced in their hearts—wrongfully and defiantly.” (27:14)
Similarly, to declare the truth is not sufficient to be a believer, as hypocrites declare the truth frequently. Describing such people, the Qur’an says:
“And there are some people who say: “We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers”.” (02:08)
According to Hadith, once the Prophet peace be upon him. asked his companions:
“What is the strongest handhold in Islam?” The companions gave different answers: some said prayers, others said fasting and others hajj. After they gave their answers, they said: “The Prophet and Allah know best”. So, the Prophet peace be upon him answered:
“To love for the sake of Allah and to dislike for the sake of Allah.” (Abu Dawud: 4599/4681, Musnad Ahmad: 18524, al-Jami al-Sagir 1/69)
There is no need for great reasons to love people: just a little caring and affection is enough. So how can a believer not love?
Allah when everything he has is from Him and nothing bad is from Him? Believers know these things, but they just need to reflect on them. If their love for Allah increases and intensifies, then they cannot disobey Him. How can they disobey the one that they love and make Him unhappy?
Love for Allah is therefore a very important concept, which can help them practically to develop spiritually, and become closer to Him.
2. THANKFULNESS:
The virtue of thankfulness is very much related to love for Allah. If the believers are thankful, they will certainly love Allah because of all His favours and if they love Allah, they will believe in Him and obey Him. Thus, thankfulness is the core of Iman (faith).
It may not be accidental that in Arabic the terms used to signify ungratefulness and disbelief are identical, that is, Kufr. Here are some verses of the Qur’an where a contrast is made between thankfulness and unthankfulness:
“If you are ungrateful (Takfur-u), indeed Allah has no need of you, though He does not approve ingratitude (al-Kufr) for His servants; and if you give thanks, He approves that for you. No bearer shall bear another’s burden; then to your Lord will be your return, whereas He will inform you concerning what you used to do. Indeed, He knows best what is in the breasts.” (39:07)
“So, when he saw it set near him, he said, ‘This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me if I will give thanks or be ungrateful
(Akfur). And whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful (Kafar) [should know that] my Lord is indeed all-sufficient, all generous.” (27:40)
“Certainly We gave Luqman wisdom, saying, ‘Give thanks to Allah; and whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful (Kafar), [let him know that] Allah is indeed all-sufficient, all-laudable.” (31:12)
Therefore, Thankfulness is a very significant concept. It is a primary issue related to the core of Iman. It is also practical and uncomplicated. The concept of thankfulness has been explored by many Muslim scholars who have made various useful distinctions between the various types of thankfulness.
According to scholars, there are three main types of thankfulness:
• Thankfulness from the heart: knowing that something is a gift from Allah.
• Thankfulness with words: declaring that you are thankful for divine bounties.
• Thankfulness in practice: doing something with your hands, feet, eyes, etc., as acts of worship.
Love and thankfulness are two intertwined concepts, which can help us practically on our journey to self-improvement.
3. HUMBLENESS:
Another key concept in Islamic spirituality is ultimate humbleness or spiritual poverty. This means to strengthen our understanding of the need for Allah and achieve a sense of complete reliance on Him. Who are we without Allah’s favour and grace?
We are nothing! It is not that Allah has been generous to something independent of Himself. We are nothing else than what He has created. All good things come from Him; in the best scenario, we are just recipients, contingent creations of Allah, not independent from Him in any way.
Reflection on our limits and absolute need for and reliance on Allah leaves no place for any kind of arrogance or self-admiration. Whatever we have, or is at our disposal, belongs to Allah. We are given things as trust for a short period of time and will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about the way we have dealt with them. Indeed, we ourselves belong to Allah in our very existence.
According to the Qur’an, we are all needy. The Qur’an says:
“O mankind! You are the ones who stand in need of Allah and Allah—He is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.” (35:15)
We are all needy and it is only Allah who is rich and free of need. But man often overlooks this basic reality.
“And Moses said, If you should disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely- indeed, Allah is free of need and Praiseworthy.” (14:08)
AULIA ALLAH IN THE LIGHT OF PRIMARY ISLAMIC TEXTS
As the plural of Walli, Awliya comes from the root word of al-Walayah. Linguistically, a Walli is someone who is close, nearby or a rain following a rain. It also means someone who loves truth and is helpful to others. Auliyyah are the chosen friends of Allah.
They are the one who have drunk from the fountain of eternal life during their lifetime on earth. They are those devotee and sincere bondsmen on the earth who remember Allah ceaselessly and spend their life seeing inner purification through endeavor, toil, abstinence, and prayer.
They are the one who cease to depend on the “creation” and give themselves unto the Creator, seeking sustenance from sources unimaginable, attain nearness to the divine light through constant worship and service to humanity. They are a shoreless sea without any bottom and craving for Allah without any limits. Each part of their body is completely devoid of material influences.
Their hearts become like a clean mirror reflecting back the reality of things. Their judgment does not err. Being given the divine light, they see the things in their right perspective. In the Holy Quran Allah describes their quality in these words:
“Behold! Verily on friends of Allah, there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (10: 62)
The Awliya of Allah are those who are obedient and perform the good deeds, which bring them closer to Allah.
Prophet peace be upon him has said in a Hadith Qudsi quoted below: –
“Allah the Almighty has said, I will declare war against who shows hostility to a pious worshipper (Walli) of Mine. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties that I have imposed upon him; and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory work such that I love him.
And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it?”
(Al-Bukhari#6502)
No one can be a Walli of Allah unless he has the characteristics of faith and piety, since Allah has made faith and piety a precondition for His al-Wallayah.
“(Allah’s Awliya’ are) those who believe, and they are always in fear of Allah.” (10:63)
According to Ibn Kathir, “through this verse, Allah has given a clear definition that Awliya are those who believe and fear Allah (Taqwa)”. Hence, all Muslim who fear Allah are Awliya. Hence, we could well comprehend that the Awliya’s characteristics started out from faith and piety, and this is the only path to attain the high status of Walli.
The word Awliya and its derivations occurred in the Quran at least 90 times. Allah has explained in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger peace be upon him that He has Awliya’ among the people and that Satan also has their Awliya (02:257).
In realizing that there are people associated as allies of Allah the Merciful, as well as people known as allies of Satan, it is essential for us to differentiate between these groups by understanding well the criterion described by Allah in His and also from the tradition of His Prophet Conditions for being a Wali:
There are conditions needed to be fulfilled in achieving the status of Willayyah. The first and foremost condition is that one has to be pious and strong in belief. Awliya’ of Allah are those who firmly believe in the six pillars of faith, i.e., belief in Allah, angels, divine books, messengers, Judgment Day and predestination.
They also followed and adhered strictly to the Quran and traditions of Muhammad peace be upon him as this is the only means of knowing what is true and what is not. Awliya must also be sane persons who had reached their puberty.
Due to the conditions above-mentioned, verily the signs of the Awliya of Allah and the Awliya of Satan have been made clear by Allah. Both parties may be known by their actions. Nevertheless, it is not possible for anyone to be extremely certain that a particular individual is one of the Awliya of Allah as achieving true faith and piety are matters of the heart that are hidden. Without any denial, it is impossible for any human being to find out what lies in it.
Hence, it is permissible to think that someone is likely to be among the Awliya of Allah due to his piety and faith, but it is impossible to be certain.
The Awliya of Allah have different priorities in accordance with their level of faith. The Willayyah of a Messenger [Rasool] is higher than a Prophet [Nabi]. Among the Messengers, Ulul Azmi were those who attained the highest status, and among the ‘Ulul Azmi, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the highest in status.
As within the nation of Muhammad peace be upon him, the highest of sainthood is attained by Abu Bakr (RA), followed by Umar (RA), Uthman (RA) and Ali (RA), and the rest are organized accordingly to the levels of the companion and other believers.
There are three levels of nearness according to the Quran (35:32). The first level is called al-Sabiqun bi al-Khayrat or al-Muqarrabin, (56:10-11) and they are the people who compete against each other in practicing deeds that are loved by Allah.
They stay well out of zones that are prohibited by Allah, the forbidden and the Makruh (Dislikes). The mid-level is called Al-Muqtasid (31:32, 35:32), and they are the people who obey the obligatory and avoid the forbidden.
This group did not perform the recommended, and they are still involved in the dislikes as well. The lowest level is al-Zhalimu li Nafsih (04:111) (despotic upon themselves). They are monotheists but are still doing wrong against Allah.
However, the wrong deeds they are performing did not make them counted as non-believers nor do they stay permanently in Hell.
From the stages above mentioned, it clearly indicates that Awliya are not infallible as the prophets. It is not a condition for them to be protected from mistakes and errors. Thus, we can conclude that it is quite possible that some knowledge of the Islamic law may be hidden from any of them, just as it is possible for any of them to be confused about some matters in Islam.
Since it is possible for any Awliya to make mistake, it can never be obligatory upon every Muslim to believe in everything any one of them says except when it is in agreement with the Prophet’s peace be upon him message.
CONCEPT OF AL-RIQAQ IN ISLAM
LITERAL MEANING: The word Riqaq (softening of the hearts) is from the word Raqiq or Raqqa which means, became thin, fine, delicate, or thin skin upon which one writes, [Fi Raqqin Manshur (52:03)]. It is a Verb-Noun (Ism-i Masdar) combination from the word Raqqa meaning ‘to become tender’.
It also means ‘the process of becoming tender/soft/delicate’. Riqqaq is also associated with such a type of land where rainwater remains stored or a fertile flood plain or plural of a female camel that has soft and delicate meat.
TECHNICAL MEANING:
In Islam it is of utmost importance to have a sound and enlightened heart, because every human being is unaware about what is going to happen with them him in his future life and when, where and how he is going to die.
So, man can’t go around with a hardened and eager heart when he is totally unaware about the future life. There are number of verses in the Quran and Prophetic traditions, which deal with the softening of heart or sound heart, as Almighty Allah says about the Day of Resurrection:
“The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children, but only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” (26:88-89)
The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him also said:
“Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart”. (Muslim#4094)
There are a number of ways according to the primary texts according to which a hard heart can be rendered soft and receptive by the will of Allah. Some of the known and common ways are as under:
1. REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH:
Remembrance of death deters one from committing sins, helps soften the rigid hearts, alleviates one’s indulgence in this worldly life and decreases the impact of catastrophes. It helps a believer to know the purpose and objectives of his life.
“I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51:56)
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your (full) compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So, he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to paradise has attained (his desire). And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.” (03:185)
As narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said:
“Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures, meaning death.” (Ibn Majah#4258)
2. VISITING GRAVES:
The Quran describe the conclusion of human life as:
“Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.” (21:35)
The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said:
“I forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them, for in visiting them there is a reminder (of death).” (Abu Dawud#3235)
Allama Qurtubi (RA) quoted that, scholars of the past said:
‘The best thing for the hearts, particularly if they are hardened, is to visit cemeteries.’
3. VISITING THE SICK:
In Islam, visiting the sick has been encouraged by both the Quran and the Prophet peace be upon him in such a way that it realizes a believer to know the reality of his life and helps him follow the right track to seek the mercy and forgiveness of Allah the Almighty. The Sunnah of visiting the sick applies to not only people we know, but also to those people we do not know.
When we share the suffering of others, even if the suffering is mild, and we take the time out to offer comfort and support in times of weakness and sickness, whether physical or emotional, we can truly begin to grasp some of the meanings behind the words of the Prophet peace be upon him when he said:
“The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, and camaraderie is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole-body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.” (Muslim#6588)
“When the Muslim visits his [sick] Muslim brother, he is harvesting the fruits of Paradise until he returns.” (Muslim#6551)
The recommendations to visit the sick not only apply to believers but extend towards non-Muslims. The Prophet peace be upon him would visit non-Muslims as well. Moreover, in visiting the sick, there is something in it for the one visiting-reminder and reward.
4. REPENTANCE:
Sit alone, think about your sins, and ask for forgiveness. Take a few minutes every day to sit and say, “AstaghfirulAllah (I seek forgiveness from Allah).” Every time you make this request to Allah, remember something you have done that may have displeased Him.
Sit and ask Allah forgiveness for every single thing you’ve done, great or small, intentionally or unintentionally, asking Him to replace the hardness of your heart with softness and replace your sins with forgiveness and good deeds. Allah says in Surah al-Furqan:
“Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work; For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (25:70)
The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said:
“When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished.” (Ibn Majah#4244)
Allah is always ready for us to turn back to Him and can easily turn our bad deeds into good deeds on our scales! But how many of us are begging Him for this? To soften our hearts, be forgiven, and increase in our good deeds, let us sit and make repentance (Istighfar), begging for Allah’s forgiveness and for Him to turn our bad into good.
5. REFLECTING ON THE QUR’AN:
The Qur’an was revealed in the blessed month of Ramadan. Muslims are encouraged to develop a deeper connection with it by focusing on the recited text and maximizing their effort to understand its meaning. A true believer should always approach the Qur’an as a poor man who approaches a powerful king in his palace, hoping to walk away with treasure, no matter how small, with the certainty that his life will be better off with it.
And he should humble himself towards the prospect of immediate betterment giving himself entirely to the Qur’an and, perhaps, it will return even a little to him. Allah says: “Indeed, we have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.” (11:02)
“If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.” (59:21)
Surely, our hearts are not harder than a mountain? Reciting the word of Allah, memorizing it, learning its language, and reflecting deeply on it are all acts which are worship, and which lead to softening of the heart, Allah willing. Allah poses this powerful question in the Qur’an:
“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” (47:24)
How can we be of those whose hearts are not locked?
We can make a massive Du’a that Allah opens our hearts, and we can contemplate on the Qur’an. Listen to the Qur’an with a recitation which penetrates your ears and overwhelms your heart.
While listening, go through the translation and work to understand the Qur’an.
Think about the meaning of the Qur’an and allow yourself to be captivated, head-over-heels in love with the powerful words of the Creator of the Universe- the One Who created you- the One Who revealed these words for your personal guidance. So, ‘go back to the Qur’an, be grateful for His favour upon you and sincerely seek to understand His Words’!
6. REFLECTING ON CREATION:
At many places in the Qur’an, Allah has told man to reflect on His creations. He has been asked to Sit and think of every blessing Allah has given him and to continually move his lips in gratitude to Allah, saying, “Alhamdulillah (praise be to God),” asking Him to write amongst those who are grateful to Him, asking Him to soften their hearts and allow mankind to be moved by gratitude for His Favours. Allah says in the Quran:
“Then do they not look at the camels – how they are created? And at the sky – how it is raised? And at the mountains – how they are erected. And at the earth – how it is spread out?” (88:17-20)
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.” (41:53)
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, my punishment is severe’.” (14:07)
7. DU’A AND DHIKR:
The most important part of the process of softening of the heart is direct communication with Allah. It may be through Du’a and Dhikh, you have to experience that vivid direct connection, feel it physically in your heart.
As Allah says in the Quran:
“So, remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.” (02:152)
“Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (40:60)
The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him has said: The Supplication is the essence of worship. (Al-Tirmidhi#3371)
Ask Allah in all of the blessed times to make Du’a to break the hardness of your heart and allow sincerity and gratitude to surge through. Ask Him to soften your heart, to fill it with an impressive realization of Him, to exchange your bad deeds for
good deeds and let your heart tremble in awe of Him as your actions show love for Him.
8. GIVE CHARITY:
The sins we commit continually build up and rust our hearts. Without polishing, this rust will take over, covering the beautiful jewel beneath it. This jewel, when polished, gleams internally and externally, becoming a means of benefit for the person whose body it houses, and spreading light to all those around.
Giving charity correctly is crucial to both the well-being of the needy as well as the ultimate happiness of the wealthy. Giving charity helps believers to cleanse and polish their hearts and to purify their hearts and souls.
Allah says in the Quran:
“Those who spend of their goods (in charity) by night and by day in secret and in public shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” (02:274)
The Prophet peace be upon him has told that, “Sadaqah extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire.” (Al-Tirmidhi#614)
The Prophet of Allah peace be upon him has also said:
“A man giving a dirham as Sadqah (charity) during his life is better than giving one hundred dirhams as charity at the moment of his death.” (Abu-Dawud#2860)
If a person performs a deed that continues to benefit others in a good way, the performer of the deed will continue to collect the rewards for her single act for as long as it benefits others (even after the person passes away). This is referred to as Sadqah-i Jariyah, or perpetual charity. The Prophet said: “When a person dies his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him.” (Al-Nasai#3681)
9. INCREASE OUR GOOD DEEDS:
Allah has made the religion of Islam so adaptable that we can worship Him through anything good we do, when done sincerely and correctly. Let us constantly renew our intentions; when we take out the trash, let it be an act of worship to keep our hearts soft and pure to please those whom we live with.
When we smile at a passerby, let it be to spread the joy of the character of the Prophet peace be upon him. All the while, let us seek the mercy of Allah, begging Him to soften our hearts, while we do good for His pleasure.
Allah says in the Quran:
“Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to those who do good.” (7:56)
God has also told us.
“Indeed, good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.” (11:114)
The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said:
“Is anyone of you incapable of earning one thousand rewards a day? Someone from the gathering asked, how can anyone of us earn a thousand rewards? The Prophet of Allah peace be upon him said:
Glorify Allah a hundred times by just saying Subhanallah=Praise to Almighty Allah and a
good deed will be written for you or a thousand sins will be wiped away.” (Muslim#2073)
10. LIVE IN PARADISE, SPRINT AWAY FROM HELL:
When you read the Qur’an or standing in prayer and you come across words indicating Paradise, such as Jannah (Paradise); imagine it. You will never die, and you will never fear all the things which brought so much worry and difficulty to you in the Dunya (world).
At that moment, you will understand what Allah says when He describes the believers in Paradise saying:
“And they will say, ‘Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative, He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind].” (35:34-35)
And then, when you hear a word describing Hellfire, such as Naar (Hellfire); imagine it. Imagine the intensity of the Hellfire; imagine the pains of being burned to the point where you have no skin and it is recreated for you, only to continue the agony; where you want to die, but will never die, where you yearn to have just a cold drink of relief but are given a drink which boils your insides and experiencing boiling water poured upon your head. Beg Him from the depths of your heart and allow your tears to pour to Him.
11. HAVE AN OBJECTIVE:
In every prayer, have an objective. Whether obligatory or extra, make the objective to come out of that prayer purer than you did when you were born. Ask Allah for `Afiyah which means health, safety, and protection from all harmful objects. Focus like someone who aims to be forgiven. In every unit of prayer have a unique purpose and beg of Allah to make those desires realities.
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said that:
“The most beloved Du’a in the sight of Allah is the one for ‘Afiyah.” (Al-Tirmidhi#3548)
Life is a test, and Allah has decreed different situations for all people to see who is best indeed. So, in a nutshell, our main goal is to worship Allah in the manner he deserves to be worshipped in, and by doing this we gain tranquillity in our hearts because we believe as Muslims, the want or yearning to worship something is intrinsic part of the human make up.
Allah loves when we go back to Him with sincerity and humility, carrying the burden of our sins to Him, with hopes of having them obliterated and being completely forgiven.
(“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire”)
Credit Khalid Hussain
Allah knows Best.
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Almighty Allah is the highest and most knowledgeable, and the attribution of knowledge to him is the safest.
Right from Almighty Allah and wrong from me and Satan
Prepared by Mohamad Mostafa Nassar- Australia.
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Arrogance is not only a sign of insecurity, but also a sign of immaturity. Mature and fully realised persons can get their points across, even emphatically without demeaning or intimidating others.