I Want to Fight My Soul So What Is The Way?

How Do I Call Myself to Account?

Holding oneself to account is of two types: One before the action and the other after the action.

The First Type:

It is necessary for the one who calls himself to account before he engages upon saying something particular or a particular action or any action for that matter, that he stops and looks with clear insight, not with his whim or desire, at this action.

Is this action in itself good for him, will he acquire recompense and reward for it from Allaah? Or is this action disobedience which will lead to earning evil and increasing ones burdens?

If he sees that this action is good and there is benefit in it for his religion, his life and the Hereafter he then moves onto another matter.

And this is to see whether Allaah's Face, His pleasure and the home of the Hereafter is desired by this action or is it merely for showing off, fame and seeking to be heard of?

If he had desired Allaah's Face by it then he should proceed with this action, whilst relying upon Allaah and seeking help from Him.

When he has finished from his action it is still necessary for him to call himself to account after he has acted. This enables him to see whether he made it sincerely and purely for Allaah or whether he was deceived (into thinking that it was) and satisfied with just merely performing the action, perhaps due to the praise of people. Then he forgets his initial desire and intention which was seeking the Face of Allaah. Was it better for him to perform that action or to fall short in executing it and abandoning it?

For this reason we find that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) has strongly encouraged us to be quiet if we do not find any good and useful words to speak. He said: "Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day let him speak good or remain silent." [Reported by Bukhaaree and Muslim] Imaan an-Nawawi said: "When a person desires to speak, if there is definite goodness in his words for which he will be rewarded then let him speak and if it does not appear to him that there will be good in his words and that he will be rewarded then he should refrain from speaking."

When a servant is strict and hard upon himself in such a way he will travel upon the path of goodness and success as a result of it.

However, if he abandons his soul and neglects it he will be lead to the path of destruction and ruin by it, and into committing sins very easily without having the desire to seek forgiveness and repent from them.

The Second Type: Calling the soul to account after the action has been completed.

This itself is of three types:

The first:
A person brings the soul to account for an act of obedience which was performed and which fell short in fulfilling Allaah ’ s right.

This means that it was not performed in the best possible way.

The right of Allaah upon the servant in every act of obedience consists of six matters:

1. Sincerity in the action (for the sake of Allaah alone) ,
2. Pure devotion to Allaah in it,
3. Following and imitating the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in it,
4. Seeing and observing excellence in it
5. Seeing Allaah ’ s Benevolence in it
6. Seeing one ’ s shortcomings (in performing this action) after all of this.

So a person will call himself to account. Has he considered all these things with care and attention, the way they ought to be? And did he fulfil them all in this action?

The second:

A person calls himself to account for every action that he did, the abandonment of which would have been better for him than actually doing it.

The third:

A person calls himself to account for a matter that is mubaah (permissible - with no reward or punishment resulting from it).

Why did he do it? And did he desire the Face of Allaah and the home of the Hereafter by it so that he will have profited and succeeded?

Or did he desire by it, the world and its temporary rewards and delights as a result of which he loses that success

A person will call himself to account so that one day when he is sixty years old he will be counting his days and will find that they are twenty-one thousand and six-hundred in number. He lets out a scream and says: "Woe be to me, I will meet my Lord with twenty-one thousand sins. How will it be when there are thousands of sins in a day?!" Then he falls to the ground unconscious, and dies.

Let us therefore, look at the strictness and intensity of the way he called himself to account and the way in which he saw his sins to be against him. What then, will our condition be?!

One amongst the Salaf would choose a certain time, late at night, to call his soul to account. He would ask himself about the obligatory duties first and if he found any deficiency in them, he would complete them, either by fulfilling them or by making up for them.

Then he would call his soul to account with respect to the forbidden matters since he did something which the Sharee'ah has forbidden or which the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) warned against. So he would make up for it by seeking forgiveness from Allaah and then being remorseful and repenting from it.

Then he would hold his soul to account for its heedlessness. If he had been heedless of what he had been created for he would make up for it with the remembrance of Allaah, directing his attention towards Him and performing His worship. If he had been heedless with respect to a certain sin and went on to commit it, he would return to Allaah, seeking forgiveness from Him, repenting to Him.

He then goes on to call himself to account about what he said and uttered on a certain day, or to what his feet walked towards or what his hands grasped or what his eyes saw or what his ears heard and so on. He would therefore, see whether his action was in agreement with what Allaah is pleased with and whether he desired Allaah with his action and made it sincerely and purely for Him. Or did a blemish or impurity mix with his action such as showing off or seeking to be heard of, or opposing the command of Allaah (in the way that he performed his action).

Therefore, he throws against every one of his actions or his words two questions:

• For whom did I do it?! Was it for Allaah or other than Him? This a question about sincerity to Allaah.

• The other question: How did I do it?! Was it in agreement with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah? Was it in agreement with the Sharee'ah or did it oppose and contradict the Sharee'ah (this is a question about following and imitating the way of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)).

--- will be continued, Insha Allah

Wa Iyyakum Sister.


Here is the link:
I Want to Fight My Soul So What Is The Way - Nawwal Bint Abdullah


Here are other 'heart' touching articles on Tazkiyah - Purification of Soul

• Az-Zuhd - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah - 34 pages - [PDF]
  Preoccupation with this world is very apparent in our times, when material greed and the desire to acquire more worldly goods have become widespread. Muslims today are exerting much energy in trade, commerce and the accumulation of shares. As such they have completely forgotten about the salvation of their souls. One of the most important tasks for which Prophet Muhammad was sent to this nation was, for the purification of the soul.
• The Dispraise of Al-Hawaa (Lowly Desire) - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [PDF]
  A description and clarification about matters of the heart through which many people today are mislead. Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim expounds upon the true understanding of Zuhd as held by the Salaf, and the innovated understanding that many Soofees stick to. The compiler of the book, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh also mentions the grave mistakes that occur in, "The Reliance of the Traveller," of Nuh Ha Mim Keller. Overall, Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him and grant him Firdous, mentions many beneficial words on the path to true rectification of the heart, and also provides an excellent refutation of many of the innovated beliefs held onto by the Soofees.
• How to Rectify Your Heart - by Shaykh Abu Islaam Abdul-Waahid - [PDF] - 43 pages - SalafiManhaj.com
  An ebook concerning the immensely important topic of how to rectify the heart, which is the part that controls the condition of the rest of the entire body.
• Hardening-of-heart - by Bilal Philips
• I Want to Fight My Soul So What Is The Way - Nawwal Bint Abdullah
• Purification Of Soul - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
• The Hardness of the Heart - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
• Enslavement of the Hearts - Shaykh Sulaymân as-Sulaymî
• The Four Poisons Of The Heart- , Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah , Ibn Rajab Hanabali
• Obsession of the Heart - by Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
• The Types of Heart - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
• Requirements of the Journey - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
• Weeping out of fear of Allâh - Husayn al-'Awâyishah
• The Keys to the Life of the Heart - Ibraaheem Ibn Abdullaah Al-Haazimee
  Compiler Introduction to Diseases of the Hearts and Their Cures - Translated By: Abu Rumaysah

JazakAllah!!

Article Continued ..

The Second Way:
Struggling Against the Soul by Opposing it and not Following its Desires

Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) says: "And this is by not following its desires and opposing what the soul desires. Opposing the soul occurs by opposing its desires and its desires do not arise except by following Shaytaan. Therefore it is vital to oppose Shaytaan and seeking refuge in and recoursing to Allaah from his whisperings and his plans. Shaytaan enters upon the soul and penetrates into it with two matters or from two doors. It is necessary for us to know them, oppose them and to close them tight in the face of Shaytaan the Accursed and Rejected:

The First:
Due to excessiveness and squandering. This happens by giving ones soul whatever it desires of food, speech, sleep and other such matters which the soul makes its owner aspire for, what it cannot do without and what it loves. Therefore it is incumbent upon a person that he does not give his soul its need and desire in its entirety. He should not be extravagant and excessive in giving it food, sleep and other such delights and pleasures. When he shuts this door, against his own soul and against Shaytaan he will acquire peace and security.

Thus, we will find that a person has been forbidden from excessive food and speech, letting the gaze wander too much, mixing with people and accompanying them in excess since giving the soul whatever it desires is among the things which if done excessively and continuously hardens to heart and makes it heedless. This leads to the hearts death and refuge is sought from Allaah! Thus, the door of fasting has been opened and we have been urged to fast. Even voluntary fasting has been strongly encouraged. Fasting puts an end to the desire and excessive eating. Thus Islam has encouraged fasting and made it beloved to its adherents.

Likewise, there is an excellence attached to the night prayer (tahajjud). It prevents a person from excessive sleep. A person will strive against his soul and wage war against it in order to pray during the night and fast during the day. He will continue in this until his soul submits and humbles itself to these acts of worship. The soul will then find the joy and delight of fasting and praying at night.

It is also, from the wisdom of Islam that urges the muslim to be silent unless he has something beneficial to say. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent." Perhaps, due to his excessive speaking and shouting he will not be on his guard from the danger of falling into backbiting, lying, slandering and other such matters.

The Second:
Being ignorant and heedless of Allaah's remembrance. Shaytaan exhausts himself in gaining mastery over the soul so that he can prevent it from Allaah's remembrance. The one who remembers Allaah is in a strong fortress, protected from Shaytaan as long as he does not forget or become heedless. Whoever becomes heedless, he will open up a small gap for the enemy by which he can get to him and then penetrate into his soul and whisper to it. This is why there is a strong encourangement and recommendation for making the various supplications and reciting portions of the Qur'an during every moment and in every place until they become a sanctuary and a preventive measure for the one who uses them.

There exist, for example, supplications for the evening, the morning, for entering into the house and leaving it, for sleeping and awakening and others besides them. Fighting against the soul occurs by checking and curbing the defiance of its desires and its lusts. And with the abundant remembrance of Allaah a preventive barrier is set up against every destructive lust or transgressing desire.

Abu Hafs said: "Whoever does not oppose his soul at every moment and situation and does not make it perform those things which it dislikes, at all times, is deceived and has destroyed it (his soul)."

Al-Hasan (rh) said: "A believer becomes amazed with something (that he likes) and says: By Allaah, I desire you and you are certainly one of my needs. But by Allaah, there is no way towards you. How far you are, there is a barrier between me and you!"

A person knows what his soul wants and desires. It is therefore, essential for him not to give it everything that it covets and desires. It is also vital for him to confine and straiten his soul so that he does not go to excesses in giving it what it seeks.

We know that Umar (ra), when his wife desired a sweet (dish), forbade her from it because he knew than if she asks for a sweet (dish) today, she will ask for something else tomorrow which is greater. So he closed the door upon her at the very beginning. The condition of most people however, is that a person will be generous to his soul and shower upon his soul whatever it asks of him and even what it does not even ask of him. So his soul becomes tired and fed up due to his extravagance and excess. What is our condition then, when compared to that of our Pious Predecessors? We direct our complaint to Allaah!!

fantastic!!! JazakAllah khayr

salaam

mashaAllah beutifull thread. j/khayr.

great thread...

to purify our soul and obey Allah with patient...