بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We live in a world full of temptations. It is a world of trials and challenges. We find ourselves battling with our nafs (self/base desires) a lot while making decisions between right and wrong. We are constantly battling with choices.
As we go through life, we are faced with three scenarios: there is 1) a commandment of Allah that we need to obey-- are you going to obey it or not?, 2) a prohibition that we need to avoid-- are you going to leave or avoid it or not?, or 3) a decision of Allah (qadr of Allah) that we need to be patient about or at a higher level, be pleased or content with-- are you going to be patient about it or kill yourself over it.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) dispatched a contingent of the army (to the battlefront). Upon their (successful) return, he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Blessed are those who have performed the minor jihad and have yet to perform the major jihad. When asked, what is the major jihad? He Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)replied: The jihad of the self (struggle against self-i.e., our own Nafs).
A human soul is the scene of a struggle of two competing powers. Divine power attracts him towards heavenly spheres, and inspires him to acts of goodness. Satanic power tempts him towards realms of darkness and shame, and invites him to acts of evil. When the divine forces are victorious, a person emerges as a virtuous and blessed being, in the company of prophets, saints, and the pious. When, however, the satanic forces dominate, the person becomes rebellious and vicious and is grouped with infidels, oppressors, wrongdoers and those who are cursed.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "There are two impulses in the soul, one from an angel which calls towards good and confirms truth; whoever finds this let him know it is from Allah and praise Him. Another impulse comes from the enemy which leads to doubt and denies truth and forbids good; whoever finds this, let him seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil." Then he recited the verse: "The devil shows you fear of poverty and enjoins evil upon you" (2:268) [Tirmidhi, Nisa'i]
Hasan al-Basri Rahmatullahi alaih said: "Two thoughts roam over the soul, one from Allah, one from the enemy. Allah shows mercy on a servant who settles at the thought that comes from Him. He embraces the thought that comes from Allah, while he fights against the one from his enemy. To illustrate the heart's mutual attraction between these two powers the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The heart of a believer lies between two fingers of the Merciful" [Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]... The fingers stand for upheaval and hesitation in the heart... If man follows the dictates of anger and appetite, the dominion of shaytan appears in him through idle passions [hawa] and his heart becomes the nesting-place and container of shaytan, who feeds on hawa. If he does battle with his passions and does not let them dominate his nafs, imitating in this the character of the angels, at that time his heart becomes the resting-place of angels and they alight upon it...
What is the struggle against the self?
Jihad al-nafs is the struggle against evil ideas, desires and powers of lust, anger, and insatiable imagination, placing all of them under the dictates of reason and faith in obedience to Allah's commands, and finally, purging all satanic ideas and influences from ones soul. This struggle is considered as the major struggle (al-jihad al-Akbar) as it is much more difficult than fighting in the battlefield, for in the struggle against the self, one has to constantly battle enemies that are hosted inside his own existence.
Islamic ethical teachings indicate that the one who succeeds in this struggle can rise above and beyond the level of angels, and one who fails in this struggle will descend to a level lower than the level of animals, and may even be grouped among the legions of the devil.
No battle takes place without the presence of weapons. The victory belongs to those who are well equipped with not only the best of weapons but also the best of skill and strength.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala constantly reminds us that shaytan is our enemy and orders us to treat shaytan as such. And how we treat an enemy should certainly differ from how we deal with friends.
In addition, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala makes it clear for us that the only enemy that humanity has is the shaytan and his likes. For this reason, favoring what makes shaytan rejoice and detesting what fills shaytan with rage is a form of misguidance and foolishness.
When our souls detest whatever brings joy to the shaytan and his allies, the victory is heading our way. When it’s the other way around, only destruction awaits us, both in this world and the next.
Allah has divided humans into two categories: Waliullah which refers to the allies and servants of Allah, The Most Beneficent, and waliush-Shaitan which refers to the allies, associates and servants of shaytan, the outcast. Anyone who disbelieves (including the hypocrites) is, in effect, counted amongst the allies of shaytan. Such people essentially choose to be in shaytan’s army. Shaytan utilizes them to serve, support and assist him in his battle against the Believers. Allah informs us,
Know shaytan's tricks (Read The 7 Entrances For Shaytan)
If we are to distinguish our friends from our enemies we need proper and authentic knowledge originating from Qur'an and the Sunnah. Our weapons are our knowledge, our skill is our faith, and our strength is our courage and determination to succeed in this battle.
In order to overpower us, shaytan strives against us while opposing all that we put into the battle. For instance, to deprive us of knowledge he beautifies ignorance; to deprive us of faith, he beautifies disbelief; and to deprive us of our courage and determination, he beautifies cowardice, laziness and hopelessness.
Be aware
Shaytan’s most secret yet powerful weapon is to inflict our lives with discontentment until we feel that there is absolutely no contentment to be found anywhere in the whole of this world no matter what we do or where we go. Thus he beautifies ungratefulness, depression, and hopelessness, putting many on the road to suicide.
There awaits a free one-way ticket straight to the Hellfire, reserved in shaytan’s company, for those who follow his path.
Strive, struggle and sacrifice
The best and most superior deed in Islam is jihad (striving and struggling against evil) after firm faith in tawheed, and the best jihad is jihad an-nafs— the inner jihad, battling with satanic thoughts, ideas, feelings, and emotions to prepare a sound (clean) heart to meet Al-Mighty Allah.
Fighting, striving and struggling against these bright glamorous sparks of the fires of Hell will surely hurt and may require us to bear some painful burns.
However, when we compare the eternal torment with the slight pain of the heart, the mind, and all the temporary uneasiness we come across day in and day out, no pain would feel too severe to continue our battle to its victory.
The victory
Many glad tidings about this victory are given to us from Al-Mighty Allah through His speech. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says,
Don’t become disheartened
• No matter what temporary trial and uneasiness you face during this battle, remain content and grateful to your Lord
• No power is greater than the power of Al-Mighty Allah, so trust Him, seek His help, and depend only on Him
• Nothing happens without His will or knowledge. The good that may result from the temporary difficulty you may be in, is worthy to strive and struggle for.
We have to overpower satanic ideas and convert the spheres of our mind into divine realm by driving out the evil forces and inviting the divine hosts, so that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala may help and protect us in the dangers threatening to befall us in this battle. Do not have any expectations from anyone but Allah. With all humility and all the tears our eyes can offer, pray to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and seek His assistance to emerge victorious in this crucial battle against our Nafs.
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أنتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أنتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا
O Lord! Bestow taqwa on my Nafs and safeguard it from all kind of evils. Only You can purify it in the best manner. And You are Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ، أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، وَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ
O Ever Living One, O Eternal One, by Your Mercy I call on you to set right all my affairs. Do not place me in charge of my Soul (Nafs) even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment).
May Allah grant us the ability to gain and implement authentic knowledge of His Deen, strengthen our faith, and guide us to be determined to win the battle of our nafs. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ ﴿٢٢٢ ...[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:222]
...Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.
We live in a world full of temptations. It is a world of trials and challenges. We find ourselves battling with our nafs (self/base desires) a lot while making decisions between right and wrong. We are constantly battling with choices.
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it (7) And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, (8) He has succeeded who purifies it, (9)[Qur'an, Ash-Shams 91:7-9
As we go through life, we are faced with three scenarios: there is 1) a commandment of Allah that we need to obey-- are you going to obey it or not?, 2) a prohibition that we need to avoid-- are you going to leave or avoid it or not?, or 3) a decision of Allah (qadr of Allah) that we need to be patient about or at a higher level, be pleased or content with-- are you going to be patient about it or kill yourself over it.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) dispatched a contingent of the army (to the battlefront). Upon their (successful) return, he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Blessed are those who have performed the minor jihad and have yet to perform the major jihad. When asked, what is the major jihad? He Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)replied: The jihad of the self (struggle against self-i.e., our own Nafs).
A human soul is the scene of a struggle of two competing powers. Divine power attracts him towards heavenly spheres, and inspires him to acts of goodness. Satanic power tempts him towards realms of darkness and shame, and invites him to acts of evil. When the divine forces are victorious, a person emerges as a virtuous and blessed being, in the company of prophets, saints, and the pious. When, however, the satanic forces dominate, the person becomes rebellious and vicious and is grouped with infidels, oppressors, wrongdoers and those who are cursed.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "There are two impulses in the soul, one from an angel which calls towards good and confirms truth; whoever finds this let him know it is from Allah and praise Him. Another impulse comes from the enemy which leads to doubt and denies truth and forbids good; whoever finds this, let him seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil." Then he recited the verse: "The devil shows you fear of poverty and enjoins evil upon you" (2:268) [Tirmidhi, Nisa'i]
Hasan al-Basri Rahmatullahi alaih said: "Two thoughts roam over the soul, one from Allah, one from the enemy. Allah shows mercy on a servant who settles at the thought that comes from Him. He embraces the thought that comes from Allah, while he fights against the one from his enemy. To illustrate the heart's mutual attraction between these two powers the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The heart of a believer lies between two fingers of the Merciful" [Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]... The fingers stand for upheaval and hesitation in the heart... If man follows the dictates of anger and appetite, the dominion of shaytan appears in him through idle passions [hawa] and his heart becomes the nesting-place and container of shaytan, who feeds on hawa. If he does battle with his passions and does not let them dominate his nafs, imitating in this the character of the angels, at that time his heart becomes the resting-place of angels and they alight upon it...
What is the struggle against the self?
Jihad al-nafs is the struggle against evil ideas, desires and powers of lust, anger, and insatiable imagination, placing all of them under the dictates of reason and faith in obedience to Allah's commands, and finally, purging all satanic ideas and influences from ones soul. This struggle is considered as the major struggle (al-jihad al-Akbar) as it is much more difficult than fighting in the battlefield, for in the struggle against the self, one has to constantly battle enemies that are hosted inside his own existence.
Islamic ethical teachings indicate that the one who succeeds in this struggle can rise above and beyond the level of angels, and one who fails in this struggle will descend to a level lower than the level of animals, and may even be grouped among the legions of the devil.
No battle takes place without the presence of weapons. The victory belongs to those who are well equipped with not only the best of weapons but also the best of skill and strength.
Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze. (6)[Qur'an, Fatir 35:6]
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala constantly reminds us that shaytan is our enemy and orders us to treat shaytan as such. And how we treat an enemy should certainly differ from how we deal with friends.
In addition, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala makes it clear for us that the only enemy that humanity has is the shaytan and his likes. For this reason, favoring what makes shaytan rejoice and detesting what fills shaytan with rage is a form of misguidance and foolishness.
When our souls detest whatever brings joy to the shaytan and his allies, the victory is heading our way. When it’s the other way around, only destruction awaits us, both in this world and the next.
Allah has divided humans into two categories: Waliullah which refers to the allies and servants of Allah, The Most Beneficent, and waliush-Shaitan which refers to the allies, associates and servants of shaytan, the outcast. Anyone who disbelieves (including the hypocrites) is, in effect, counted amongst the allies of shaytan. Such people essentially choose to be in shaytan’s army. Shaytan utilizes them to serve, support and assist him in his battle against the Believers. Allah informs us,
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe. (27)[Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:27]
Know shaytan's tricks (Read The 7 Entrances For Shaytan)
If we are to distinguish our friends from our enemies we need proper and authentic knowledge originating from Qur'an and the Sunnah. Our weapons are our knowledge, our skill is our faith, and our strength is our courage and determination to succeed in this battle.
[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all (39) Except, among them, Your chosen servants." (40)[Qur'an, Al-Hijr 15:39]
In order to overpower us, shaytan strives against us while opposing all that we put into the battle. For instance, to deprive us of knowledge he beautifies ignorance; to deprive us of faith, he beautifies disbelief; and to deprive us of our courage and determination, he beautifies cowardice, laziness and hopelessness.
Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]." (17)[Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:17]
Be aware
Shaytan’s most secret yet powerful weapon is to inflict our lives with discontentment until we feel that there is absolutely no contentment to be found anywhere in the whole of this world no matter what we do or where we go. Thus he beautifies ungratefulness, depression, and hopelessness, putting many on the road to suicide.
Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (268) He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding. (269)[Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:268]
There awaits a free one-way ticket straight to the Hellfire, reserved in shaytan’s company, for those who follow his path.
[Allah] said [to Iblees], "Get out of Paradise, reproached and expelled. Whoever follows you among them - I will surely fill Hell with you, all together." (18)[Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:18]
Strive, struggle and sacrifice
The best and most superior deed in Islam is jihad (striving and struggling against evil) after firm faith in tawheed, and the best jihad is jihad an-nafs— the inner jihad, battling with satanic thoughts, ideas, feelings, and emotions to prepare a sound (clean) heart to meet Al-Mighty Allah.
Fighting, striving and struggling against these bright glamorous sparks of the fires of Hell will surely hurt and may require us to bear some painful burns.
And that Allah may purify the believers [through trials] and destroy the disbelievers. (141) Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast? (142)[Qur'an, Ale-Imran 3:142]
However, when we compare the eternal torment with the slight pain of the heart, the mind, and all the temporary uneasiness we come across day in and day out, no pain would feel too severe to continue our battle to its victory.
This [Qur'an] is a clear statement to [all] the people and a guidance and instruction for those conscious of Allah. (138) So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers. (139) If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers - (140)[Qur'an, Ale-Imran 3:139]
The victory
Many glad tidings about this victory are given to us from Al-Mighty Allah through His speech. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says,
And We will have removed whatever is within their breasts of resentment, [while] flowing beneath them are rivers. And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us... (43)[Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:43]
Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. (31)[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:31]
Don’t become disheartened
• No matter what temporary trial and uneasiness you face during this battle, remain content and grateful to your Lord
• No power is greater than the power of Al-Mighty Allah, so trust Him, seek His help, and depend only on Him
• Nothing happens without His will or knowledge. The good that may result from the temporary difficulty you may be in, is worthy to strive and struggle for.
We have to overpower satanic ideas and convert the spheres of our mind into divine realm by driving out the evil forces and inviting the divine hosts, so that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala may help and protect us in the dangers threatening to befall us in this battle. Do not have any expectations from anyone but Allah. With all humility and all the tears our eyes can offer, pray to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and seek His assistance to emerge victorious in this crucial battle against our Nafs.
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أنتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أنتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا
O Lord! Bestow taqwa on my Nafs and safeguard it from all kind of evils. Only You can purify it in the best manner. And You are Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ، أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، وَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ
O Ever Living One, O Eternal One, by Your Mercy I call on you to set right all my affairs. Do not place me in charge of my Soul (Nafs) even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment).
May Allah grant us the ability to gain and implement authentic knowledge of His Deen, strengthen our faith, and guide us to be determined to win the battle of our nafs. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Wassalaam
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