Purification of the Soul

What a bad servant of the Lord is he! I am speaking of a servant who fits the following description:

1. He asks for forgiveness (maghfirah), while he is actively engaged in sinful disobedience (ma'siya).
2. He behaves in a humbly submissive manner, so that he may be credited with loyalty (amana), but he is only pretending, to hide his disloyalty (khiyanah).
3. He forbids what is wrong, but does not refrain from it himself.
4. He enjoins what is right, but does not act upon his own instructions.
5. If he gives, he does so very stingily, and if he withholds, he offers no apology.
6. If he is in the best of health, he feels secure, but if he falls sick, he becomes remorseful.
7. If he is impoverished, he feels sad, and if he gets rich, he is subject to temptation.
8. He hopes for salvation, but does not act accordingly.
9. He is afraid of punishment, but takes no precautions against it.
10. He wishes to receive more benefit, but he does not give thanks [for what he has received].
11. He likes the idea of spiritual reward, but he does not practice patience; and
12. He expedites sleep and postpones fasting.

(s) Ghunyat at-Talibin of Shaykh 'Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani rahimahullah

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." [Al-Qur'an 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 light of what He detests. When it gives, it gives for Allah. If it withholds, 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 base his actions and speech on those of any other person except Allah's Messenger. He must not give precedence to any other faith or words or deeds over those of Allah and His 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." [Al-Qur'an 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 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 shaytan. Life angers and pleases it, and passion makes it deaf and blind 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 and the akhirah; and the other calling it to the fleeting pleasures of this world. It responds to whichever one of the two happens to 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.

It is not possible to encompass one of Iblis' evils, let alone all of them. Since Iblis' evil is of six types, Iblis remains behind the son of Adam until he gets him to do one or more of these six evils.

THE FIRST EVIL IS THE EVIL OF KUFR AND SHIRK and enmity to Allah and His Messenger sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. If he gains this from the son of Adam, his moaning is eased, and he rests from his ordeal with this man. Further, this is the first thing Iblis wants from al-'Abd (the worshipper). If Iblis gains this, he makes this person part of his army, one of his soldiers, and he appoints him as a deputy or agent against other human beings. Then, this person becomes one of the deputies or callers of Iblis.

If he despairs of enticing him with the first evil, and if this person is one of those for whom it was written that he would be a Muslim in his mother's womb, Iblis tries the SECOND CLASS OF EVIL. THIS IS BID'AH (innovation). Iblis loves bid'ah more than debauchery and disobedience because the harm of bid'ah is in the essence of the religion. Moreover, it is an unrepentable sin and is against the call of the messengers and is a call to a message different from the one conveyed by ar-Rasul. Bid'ah is a gate to kufr and shirk. Therefore, if Iblis gains the performance of bid'ah from a person and makes him one of the people of bid'ah, he also becomes one of his agents and a caller of his.

If Iblis fails and is unable to trap al-'Abd at this class, and if he is one of those who were granted by Allah the gift of as-Sunnah and hatred of the people of bid'ah and error, he proceeds to the THIRD CLASS OF EVIL, which is the class of MAJOR SINS in their various forms.

Iblis is very covetous of letting a person fall into major sin, especially if he is a scholar who is followed. Iblis is covetous of that, so that he may repel people from him and spread his sins and disobedience amongst the people. He uses some people as his agents to spread this person's sins under the false pretence that this will help them to get closer to Allah. But in fact this person is the deputy of Iblis without knowing it. For those who would like abomination to be spread amongst the believers there is a great torment in this life and in the Hereafter especially if they take charge of spreading about enormities, not out of advice, but by obeying Iblis and being his agent. All this is to repel people from the scholar and from his benefit.

Furthermore, the sins of this person (scholar), even if they reach the sky, are less to Allah than the sins of those who would like to spread his sins about. The scholar's sins are wrongdoing to himself. If he seeks forgiveness from Allah and repents, Allah will accept his repentance, and He will change his bad deeds to good deeds. However, the sin of those who spread about abominations are doing wrong to the believers by looking for their mistakes and by intending to expose them. Allah is in close observation, and He knows about this ambuscade. Nothing hidden in the chest or soul is hidden to Allah.

If Iblis is unable to snare al-'Abd at this degree he moves him to the FOURTH CLASS, or the MINOR SINS. These sins may ruin a person if they accumulate. That is why ar-Rasul sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Be aware of the minor sins, because the simile of the minor sin is like the people who went to a desert." Then he sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam mentioned a hadith the meaning of which is that every one of them brought a stick of wood until they had kindled a huge fire (just as the minor sins add up little by little until they become a major sin). The person continues taking the matter of minor sins easily until he considers them inconsequential. Therefore, a person who commits major sins but fears their effect is in a better condition than he is.

If the al-'Abd has prevented Iblis from trapping him at this level, he moves him to the fifth level. The FIFTH LEVEL IS TO OCCUPY HIM WITH PERMISSIBLE THINGS that do not gain him reward or punishment. However, the punishment of this level is caused by passing the reward missed by being occupied with these deeds. If al-'Abd has kept Iblis from succeeding at this level, and if he is careful about his time, being covetous with it, knows the value of moments, and knows the value of what comes of comfort or torment, Iblis transfers him to the sixth level. The SIXTH CLASS is to OCCUPY HIM WITH DEEDS OF LESSER REWARD to keep virtue away from him and to prevent him from attaining the reward of the favoured deed.

Therefore, he orders him to do a good action with less reward if that includes leaving a better action. Very few people are aware of this. Because if a person feels a strong urge to some kind of obedience, he does not doubt that it is true obedience and that he is getting closer to Allah. He never thinks that this call is from Iblis because he believes that Iblis never calls one to do good. Therefore, he thinks that this call is from Allah. Actually he is excused because he never knew that Iblis would call one to seventy doors of good deeds either to get him to one door of evil or to let a better deed than these seventy deeds pass away from him.

This cannot be known except by a light from Allah, a light he instils in the heart of al-'Abd. The source of this type of knowledge is following the way of ar-Rasul sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and taking care of the levels of deeds with Allah, the deeds of His favoured ones, the deeds more pleasing to Him, and those more beneficial to al-'Abd, and deeds that have more nasihah (guidance) from Allah, His Rasul, His Book, and His believing worshippers. No one has this type of knowledge except the inheritors of ar-Rasul sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his deputies in the Ummah, and his successors on earth. In addition, most of the creation is screened from this. This call does not come to their hearts. Allah gives His favour to whomever He wills from among His worshippers.

If al-'Abd prevents Iblis from trapping him at any of these six levels, and if it becomes difficult for Iblis, he empowers his party of jinn and human beings with different kinds of harm, IMPUTING DISBELIEF TO HIM, CALLING HIM MISGUIDED AND AN INNOVATOR, WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST HIM, and intending to weaken him and to disturb his heart. Iblis, by using this method, tries to confuse this person's thinking and tries to PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BENEFITING FROM HIM. Therefore Iblis expends his utmost effort to empower the defenders of falsehood, from human beings and from jinn, against him. Then the believer is at war until death. Whenever he gives up, he is hurt or is taken captive. Hence the believer is in Jihad until he meets with Allah.

(s) At-Tafsir al-Qayyim (published in Al-Hijra magazine)

Since the matter reaches the level of danger and seriousness that it has there is no doubt that being rescued from riya' and those things which nullify actions will make the truthful Muslim concerned. The first thing which requires caution and alertness is knowing the causes of this very dangerous disease.

Know that your enemy, the Shaytan and his troops will not stop at trying to bring about the cause of the destruction of your actions and seducing you into riya'. Look at the warning about the plan of Shaytan which has come in the Book and the Sunnah as it is the best healing for the worst disease.

Allah the Exalted said:

"Indeed Shaytan is to you an enemy, so take him as an enemy." [Al-Qur'an 35:6]

He the Sublime also said:

"Shaytan threatens you with poverty and commands you with evil and obscene deeds." [Al-Qur'an 2:267]

The Sublime also said:

"Indeed, Shaytan is an open and manifest enemy to mankind." [Al-Qur'an 12:5]

The Exalted also said:

"If any does follow the footsteps of Shaytan he will but command the evil and obscene." [Al-Qur'an 24:21]

The Exalted also said:

"Shaytan has made their actions alluring to them and has prevented them from the path." [Al-Qur'an 27:24]

The Messenger of Allah said: "Shaytan is present with one of you in all of his affairs until he is present with him while he takes his food. When one of you drops a morsel let him pick it up, remove whatever remains on it and then eat it. Let him not leave it for the Shaytan and when he he departs (from his food) let him lick his fingers as he does not know in which part of his food the blessing lies." [Reported by Muslim]

In this is evidence that Shaytan is present with you in all of your affairs. He is present in order to corrupt the intention, speech or action. If your intention is good he will direct you to an action which has not been legislated so that you engage upon it with this good intention. If your action is good he will spoil and ruin your intention. If your intention is good he will corrupt the way you speak with others so that enmity and hatred develops between you and them. He will try to achieve that with whatever ability he has over it.

The Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "There is none amongst you except that there has been appointed to him a qarin (companion) from among the jinn and a qarin from the angels." They said: "And you also?" He said: "And me also except that Allah has aided me against him and so he has submitted. He does not command me except with good." [Shaykh al-Albani declared it sahih in Sahih al-Jami', no 5676]

He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also said: "There is none amongst you except that with him is a shaytan." They said: "And you also O Messenger?" He said: "Yes, except that Allah has aided me against him so he has submitted." [Shaykh al-Albani declared it sahih in Sahih al-Jami', no.5677]

He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also said: "Iblis has placed his throne above the water and then he sends his detachments. The closest of them to him are those who cause the greatest trial. One of them comes back to him and says: 'I did such and such.' Shaytan replies: 'You have not done anything.' Then another comes to him and says: 'I did not leave him alone until I caused division between him and his wife.' So Shaytan brings him closer to himself and says: 'You did well.' " [Reported by Muslim]

He, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also said: "Indeed Shaytan flows in the son of 'Adam like blood." [Reported by Bukhari, Muslim and others]

Be cautious, therefore, of this despised and accursed enemy and know that he does not take a rest as the Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, has said: "Take a nap / siesta as Shaytan does not take a rest." [Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Awsat and Abu Na'im in at-Tibb. Shaykh al-Albani declared it hasan in Sahih al-Jami', no. 4307]

Shaytan is not able to get to you if you seek help from Allah against him and carefully observe Allah in all your actions whether small or large.

(s) The Book of Sincerity

The Most High said:

" ... and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good ... " [Al-Qur'an 21:35]

And:

"Alif-Lam-Mim. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: 'We have faith', and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make known, those who are true, and will certainly make known those who are liars." [Al-Qur'an 29:1-3]

And:

" ... and We tried them with good and evil in order that they might turn (to Allah's obedience)." [Al-Qur'an 7:168]

Al-'Allamah ibn al-Qayyim – may Allah have mercy upon him – said, "It is a must that a man is afflicted with that which harms him, so no one at all is free from that which harms him. This is why Allah the Most High has mentioned at various places in His Book that it is a must that He afflicts people. And the trial happens with goodness and with badness, and it is a must that a man is afflicted with which makes him happy and that which hurts him. So he is required to be patient and thankful (to Allah)."

The Opinion of Ash-Shafi'i in Regards to Afflictions

A man asked ash-Shafi'i, "O Abu 'Abdillah! Which is better for a person, to gain power or to be afflicted?" So ash-Shafi'i said, "One will not gain power until he is afflicted. For indeed Allah afflicted Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, 'Isa and Muhammad, may the salawat of Allah and salam be upon them all. So when they were patient, they gained power, so let not anyone think at all that he is free from pain." [Madarij as-Salikin by Ibn al-Qayyim 2/283]

Afflictions in the Noble Qur'an

1 – Allah the Most High said:

"Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed." [Al-Qur'an 67:2]

Allah created the death, and created the life and whatever is in it from the afflictions and problems, to test us which one of us is better in deed than others.

2 – And the Most High said:

"Verily We have created man in toil." [Al-Qur'an 90:4] (i.e. in tiredness, hardships, afflictions and difficulties)

3 – And the Most High said:

"Alif-Lam-Mim. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: 'We have faith', and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make known, those who are true, and will certainly make known those who are liars." [Al-Qur'an 29:1-3]

Therefore, the fitnah (trial) is Allah's test for the faithful ones, so that Allah will know the truthful ones and He will know the liars in hardships.

4 – And the Most High said:

"Or you think that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty, ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who had faith with him said, 'When will the Help of Allah come?' Yes! Indeed Allah's help is close!" [Al-Qur'an 2:214]

Do not think that the entrance to Jannah is easy without Jihad, for those before you were afflicted with wars and diseases ... and were shaken that, even the Messenger and those with him said when the help to them was delayed: "'When will the help of Allah come?' Yes! Indeed Allah's help is close!"

5 – The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"The world is the prison of the mu'min, and a Paradise for the kafir." [Sahih Muslim, Kitab az-Zuhdi wa'r-Raqa'iq (18/93) - Sharh an-Nawawi]

So the truthful mu'min has patience upon what afflicts him in the world so that it becomes for him the everlasting delights, and the kafir is delighted in the world as if it is his paradise, and it becomes his everlasting punishment on the day of reward.

The Types of Afflictions and Patience Upon Them

1 – Fear, hunger and murder. Allah the Most High said:

"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to as-sabirun (the patient ones)." [Al-Qur'an 2:155]

2 – War and Jihad. The Most High said:

"And surely, We shall try you till We know the mujahidin (those who fight in the way of Allah) from amongst you and as-sabirin (the patient ones)." [Al-Qur'an 47:31]

So the affliction with war is so that Allah will know the mujahidin and the patient ones.

3 – Disease. Sometimes, the affliction is caused by a diseases so that Allah may test the patience of a person and listen to his supplication. Allah the Most High said:

"And (remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord: 'Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.' " [Al-Qur'an 21:83]

4 – Imprisonment. A type of test so that Allah may know (and single-out) the patient one from others, as it happened to Yusuf – peace be upon him – when he remained in prison for eight years, for an accusation which touched his dignity. Then he came out free (of what he had been accused of), dignified and became a minister.

5 – The trial of wealth and children. Allah the Most High said:

"Indeed, your wealth and children are a trial." [Al-Qur'an 64:15]

The wealth and the children are a test from Allah to His slave, so that He may know his ability of (correct) upbringing of his children, and the payment of the zakah on his wealth. The Messenger of Allah said, "The best of wealth is the righteous for a righteous person." [Narrated by Ahmad and it is sahih]

And he, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "When a person dies, his action discontinues except for three: a continuing charity, or knowledge which proves to be of benefit, or a righteous son who supplicates for him." [Narrated by Muslim - Sharh an-Nawawi (11/85)]

6 – The harm from people. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "The mu'min who mixes with people and remains patient on their harms, is better than the mu'min who does not mix with people nor does he remain patient on their harms." [Narrated by Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi and it is sahih]

Therefore, all of the Prophets, their people harmed them and disputed with them, disbelieved in them, tried to kill them, and exiled them from their countries. But they remained patient and so the victory was their ally. Allah the Most High said:

"(They were reprieved) until, when the Messengers gave up hope and thought that they were denied (by their people), then came to them Our Help, and whomsoever We willed were rescued." [Al-Qur'an 12:110]

And He said concerning Luqman the Wise as he ordered his son:

"O my son! Establish as-salah , command the good and forbid the evil, and have patience on whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allah with no exemption)." [Al-Qur'an 31:17]

The Afflictions in the Purified Sunnah

The way the Noble Qur'an speaks about afflictions, the purified sunnah also speaks about it. So he, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said when asked which people are afflicted with the toughest of tribulations, "The Prophets, and then their like, and then their like. A person is afflicted according to his Din. So if his Din is firm, his afflictions become severe. And if in his Din there was mildness, then the affliction is in accordance with his Din. So the affliction does not leave the slave until it leaves him walking on the earth, and there is no sin on him." [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi and he said this hadith is hasan sahih]

And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah – may Allah be pleased with him – who reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "The afflictions do not seize to exist on a male or female person of faith, in his self and his wealth, until he meets Allah while there is no sin on him." [Extracted by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi and he said that hadith his hasan sahih]

And on the authority of 'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf – may Allah be pleased with him – who said, "We were afflicted with the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, during the bad days so we remained patient. Then we were afflicted during the good days after him, but we did not have patience." [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi who said this hadith is hasan)

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, sought refuge in Allah from trials, so he said:

"O Allah! By Your knowledge of the unseen, and Your Power over the creation, keep me alive for as long as You know that life is better for me. And give me death when You have known that death is better for me. O Allah! And I ask You for Your fear in the unseen and the seen, and I ask You for the word of truth in pleasure and anger. And I ask You for resolution in poverty and in affluence. And I ask You for delights that do not end. And I ask You for the consolation for the eye which does not seize to continue. And I ask You for the pleasure after the decree. And I ask You for the coolness of the life after death, and I ask You for the pleasure of the look at Your Face, and the love for the meeting with You, without any damaging adversity, nor any trial with the possibility of going astray. O Allah! Beautify us with the beauty of Iman and make us the guided leaders." [Sahih Sunan an-Nisa'i 1237]

(a) Muhammad ibn Jamil Zainu and Muhammad ibn Ahmad Sayyid Ahmad

(s) Tawjihul-Muslimin ila't-Tariqi'n-Nasri wa't-Tamkin

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