Tazkiyat An-Nafs is one of the
pillars and basics of the Salafi Da’wah. It means to purify and cleanse
the soul from sin and evil, so the slave’s status and grade with Allah
is enhanced. There are many ways and means to achieve At-Tazkiyah and
following are some of them, as derived from the Quran and Sunnah.
Being excellent in worshipping
Allah is one of the most important elements that will help achieve
Tazkiyat An-Nafs and will help purify the soul, by Allah’s leave.
Al-I’hsan also elevates the slave’s grade with Allah. Being excellent in
the manner one performs the acts of worship, by adhering by the Book of
Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, is a requirement that when
implemented, it will ensure Allah’s acceptance of the acts of worship.
Furthermore, Al-I’hsan requires sincerity with Allah while performing
the acts of worship. Also, Al-I’hsan requires following the guidance of
the Messenger of Allah, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, so as to ensure
Allah’s acceptance of the various good deeds. Allah said, "…that He may test you which of you is best in deed."
[67:2]
Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyadh said that
Allah will accept the act of worship that is, “Sincere and accurate. The
sincerity comes from performing the acts of worship for the sake of
Allah alone, not to show off (or to acquire fame). As for the
correctness, it results from abiding by the commands of Allah and the
Sunnah of His Prophet.” The Messenger of Allah has ordained Al-I’hsan in
everything. Shaddad ibn Aws narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, “Allah has ordained Al-I’hsan in everything.
Therefore, when you kill (such as when the authority executes a
murderer), kill with excellence and when you slaughter (animals),
slaughter with excellence and let the one of you sharpen his knife and
bring quick relief to his animal.” [Muslim]
"And Allah increases in guidance
those who walk aright [true believers in the Oneness of Allah who fear
Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has
forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He
has ordained). And the righteous good deeds that last, are better with
your Lord, for reward and better for resort." [19:76]. Muslims are
required to read these Ayat and frequently think about their meanings
and implications, for they clearly state that worshipping Allah the way
He has ordained with sincerity and following the guidance of the Prophet
will guide to elevating and purifying the souls, Allah willing.
2 — Reciting the Book of Allah and implementing its commands:
Muslims are required to recite
the Quran, to seek knowledge in its meanings and to implement its
commands. They are also required to abandon the prohibitions and fulfill
the obligations ordained on them in it. They will also benefit from
reading the life stories of the Prophets and the Messengers of Allah and
the righteous generations that lived before their time. Further, they
will benefit from reading about the evil end of the tyrant and unjust
persons and nations that are mentioned in the Quran. This way, the Book
of Allah will be the way of life that the Muslims abide by as long as
they live, all the while awaiting and anticipating the meeting with
Allah.
To further expand on this subject, we should note here that Muslims need two matters concerning taking Islam as their way of life:
a – They need and require what will bring life
b – They need and require what will enlighten their path. Allah said, "Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?" [6:122]
The Islamic creed brings life
unto the heart after it had neared death and shatters the darkness with
its brightness. This is a type of life that will make the believer able
to feel the taste of everything again and to look at all things from a
different perspective that was not available to him before. Kufr, on the
other hand, effectively ends life, for it brings about the death and
the demise of the Fitrah (the natural and pure way that Allah created in
mankind). As we have previously stated, Allah created mankind able to
recognize Islam as the true religion, but most of them disregard this
fact and change the Fitrah that Allah has created in them.
Furthermore, Kufr shields the
soul from the light of knowledge and belief. Also, Kufr leads one away
from obeying the way Allah created mankind, all the while bringing about
distress, depression and sadness to the heart.
3 — Studying the Seerah
(life-story) of the Messenger of Allah, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam,
will encourage the Muslims to take him as their example in the way he
worshipped Allah:
Also, studying the Seerah is one of the most important means that
will help Muslims purify their souls and rid themselves from the
darkness of imitating other than the Prophet. This way, one will truly
take the Messenger as his example, as Allah has commanded, Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Mohammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the last day. [33:21]
4 — Remembering Allah in
zikr is indeed one of the greatest means and methods that the Muslim
relies on to achieve Tazkiyat An-Nafs and to elevate his status with his
Creator, all praise be to Him:
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “And among the grades of "You (Alone) we worship and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)." [1:5]
is the grade of Ath-zikr, the
greatest grade with which people obtain their sustenance and the means
to conduct their trade and to which they always return. Ath-zikr is the
goal of the Wilayah that connects those who acquire it with Allah, while
those who do not have it are truly destitute. It is the fuel of the
hearts and if it departs the heart, then the bodies will become as
graves. It is the weapon with which people fight the bandits; the water
with which they extinguish the fire; and the medicine for their ills
which if it is lost, their hearts will suffer serious setbacks. It is
also the connection and the relationship that connects them with He Who
knows the Unseen. With it, they repel the ills and relieve the
hardships. With it, they lessen the effects of the disasters when they
befall them, as they take refuge with zikr when such trials strike them.
zikr is also their refuge and the gardens of their paradise in which
they live and move about
and which ensures their happiness. It is also their capital with which
they conduct their trade. zikr turns the sad heart into a happy one and
connects the Zakir (who performs zikr) to the Mathkur (meaning Allah).
Every part of the body has a type of slavery to perform. zikr is the
slavery of both the heart and the tongue. It is not a temporary type of
slavery. Rather, the believers are required to remember the One Whom
they worship and love in all situations, while standing and while laying
down. In addition, the hearts are truly empty and deserted without
Furthermore, Imam Al-’Hasan Al-Basri said, “Seek sweetness in three
matters: during prayer, while performing zikr and while reciting the
Quran. If you feel the sweetness of such exalted acts of worship, then
you have tasted the sweetness of Iman. Otherwise, the doors are shut
closed in your Finally, the slave can and should defeat Satan with zikr,
just as Satan defeats those who forget to perform
zikr. zikr is the soul of good deeds and when the good deeds do not
have it, they become just like the lifeless body.
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