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The greatest need of our time is for us as believers to return to Allah and focus on purifying our souls (tazkiyat al-nafs). The root of most of the world’s problems is diseased hearts. Hearts which do not know Allah, hearts which are full of arrogance, greed and selfishness. Hearts which have become corrupted by sins and no longer taste the sweetness of īmān. Hearts torn apart by pride, envy and hatred, resulting in a fractured ummah.
Whilst we have external enemies – the shayāṭīn of the jinn and humans – we have a greater enemy lurking within: the nafs (inner self/ego). Our nafs encourages us to disobey Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) and to give preference to this worldly life.
In an era where we are bombarded with doubts (shubuhāt) and desires (shahawāt), it is even more important that we learn about the nature of our nafs, what purifies it and what beautifies it. Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا
“Successful indeed is the one who purifies their soul, and doomed is the one who corrupts it!” (91:9-10).
The Prophet ﷺ would ask Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) to purify his heart:
اَللّٰهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِيْ تَقْوَاهَا ، وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا ، اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّىْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَّا يَنْفَعُ ، وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَّا يَخْشَعُ ، وَمِنْ نَّفْسٍ لَّا تَشْبَعُ ، وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَّا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا.
O Allah, grant my soul taqwā (piety) and purify it, for You are the Best of those who can purify it. You are its Protector and Master. O Allah, I seek Your protection from knowledge which does not benefit, a heart which does not submit, a soul which is not satisfied and a supplication which is not accepted. (Muslim)
The Three Types of Nafs
There are three types of the nafs (inner self):
1. The inciting soul (al-nafs al-ammārah bil-sū’): This is when the nafs commands the person and tells it what to do, and the person willingly obeys. This person is controlled by their nafs, and sins unashamedly.
2. The self-reproaching soul (al-nafs al-lawwāmah): This type of person sins, but then feels shame and blames himself for sinning. This leads him to repent. This type of person is in a constant battle with their nafs.
3. The tranquil soul (al-nafs al-muṭma’innah): This person is content with what Allah has ordained, and finds tranquillity in that which pleases Allah. He desires only good and hates evil.
The nafs is not static. It changes between these states. When we reflect on the purpose of fasting and Ramaḍān, we will realise that one of its key aims is to elevate the soul to its intended station: the tranquil soul.
This is perhaps why in Ramaḍān, many of us feel more at peace, as we sin less and focus on pleasing Allah.
The Sound Heart
If we wish to be successful on the Day of Judgement, then in this world we must develop a sound heart (qalb salīm). Allah (ʿazza wa jall) has informed us:
“…The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart (will be saved)” (26:88-9).
In order to achieve a sound heart, we must:
1) Purify our hearts from its ‘diseases’ and evil characteristics, such as shirk, showing off (riyā’), envy, hatred, pride, greed, heedlessness, hypocrisy, and the love of the world and leadership.
2) Beautify our hearts with the ‘actions’ of the heart and praiseworthy characteristics. These include: firm belief (īmān), knowledge of Allah (maʿrifah), sincerity (ikhlāṣ), piety and mindfulness (taqwā), trust in Allah (tawakkul), hope (rajā’), fear (khawf), gratitude (shukr), patience (ṣabr), love (ḥubb), yearning for Allah (shawq) and certainty (yaqīn), and excellent character when dealing with the creation of Allah, such as kindness, mercy, love, forgiveness, generosity, humility etc.
“Occupying yourself with purifying your heart is better than an abundance of prayer and fasting whilst your heart is corrupt.” – Ibn Rajab (raḥimahullāh)
Fasting & Purification
Fasting purifies the body from toxins, revitalizes it, and cleanses the body’s inner system. More importantly, if performed properly, fasting purifies the (spiritual) heart of the believer. Desires (of the stomach, private parts, wealth and fame) form a barrier between our hearts and Allah. Our hearts were created to know and worship the One who created them (ʿazza wa jall). When we move away from Him, and sin, our hearts become imbalanced and agitated. Thus, fasting takes our hearts back to a state where we are more aligned with our Creator.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Fasting the Month of patience (i.e. Ramaḍān) and three days of every month removes the poison (waḥar) of the heart” (Aḥmad).
Waḥar includes hatred, anger, hypocrisy, hard-heartedness, and the whispers of shayṭān.
The more we fill our stomachs, the lazier we feel to worship Allah. By fasting, we remove the fuel (food and drink) for our desires, thereby increasing the space within our hearts to remember Allah and worship Him.
One of the best ways to purify the soul is to always remember and think that Allah is with you. A companion asked the Messenger ﷺ, “What is the tazkiyah (purification) of oneself, O Messenger of Allah?” He ﷺ replied, “To know that Allah is with him wherever he may be” (Ṭabarānī).
Constantly reminding ourselves that Allah is watching us (also known as murāqabah) is an integral component of taqwā (piety). And taqwā is the primary goal of fasting. Whilst taqwā manifests itself in outward forms of obedience, its primary residence is in the heart. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ told us, “Taqwā is here, taqwā is here, taqwā is here,” whilst pointing to his chest (Muslim).
This close connection with Allah, where we are always mindful of Him, makes us aware of what thoughts and feelings we let into our hearts. This helps us to purify our negative thoughts and actions, including the ill-feelings we have towards fellow believers, and the whisperings of shayṭān. In this manner, our hearts are purified from waḥar.
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Ramadan Tips, Plans, & Challenge.
Non-Fiction"By Allah, if it was said to the people of the grave, 'make a wish!' they would wish for one day of Ramaḍān." - Ibn al-Jawzī (raḥimahullāh) This book's aim is to make the best out of our Ramadan.
