Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

The Paradox of Our Age​

[SIZE=-1](Author Unknown)[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=-1]We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We have bigger houses and smaller families; more coveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes; but lower morals; more food but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort but less success. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Think about it. Read it again. Value and embrace your family, your faith, your friends, and your life dearly.[/SIZE]

Source: Islam The Modern Religion
http://www.themodernreligion.com/index2.html


​

 

[Cordoba]

Striving for Excellence in Achieving Piety

Regarding Ihsan, the Prophet, peace be upon him, responded: "It is that you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him. For though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you."

Obviously, our worship will be at its best when performed with that feeling. Ihsan, therefore, means striving for excellence in achieving piety, through an overwhelming feeling of closeness to Allah.

For anyone seeking spiritual purification, this is the goal.

http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/charac/essay_ihsan.htm

 

[Cordoba]

[SIZE=-1]Time is NOT Money[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Time is Life [/SIZE]​

[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Time is money. So goes the most used metaphor for time in the English language. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]There is some truth in it as time can be used to produce wealth and wasting time may also mean losing opportunities to produce wealth. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Yet this metaphor also implies something about the purpose of life itself that we should examine carefully. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]If a child says that money is candy, he'll be right in the sense that money can be used to buy candy. But adults will laugh at him because the statement implies that candy is the most important object that money can buy. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Similarly "Time is money" implies that money is the most important object in life: One must value time as he or she values money !! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Historically this has been one of the key metaphors driving the engine of industrial revolution and technological development in the past few centuries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]A lot of inventions and new technique have aimed at saving time and therefore money. And certainly the list of such inventions and their achievements in speed are mind-boggling. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Today men, materials, and ideas can be moved from one place to another at an astonishing speed. The tasks that used to take months and years can be finished in minutes. And yet there is something ironic about all this development. Despite the tremendous explosion in timesaving gadgets, life has become busier than ever before. Overall we can't show much for all the time that has been saved.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]We are very busy, but at the end of the day we can't tell what we have been busy doing. Where all the saved time has gone? In what way our lives have become more productive? ...[/SIZE]

http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/charac/essay_time.htm

 

[Cordoba]

Depression
the price we pay for economic development and the islamic view of it

Feelings of isolation, hopelessness and anxiety surround a major proportion of the world's population. The spirit of man has been damaged and snapped away from its nature. Families separte, justice cannot be found, people feel like used up, little consumers whose only role in life is to look good and enjoy, enjoy enjoy! Spend! Spend! Spend! and make the rich get richer, while the majority wallow in indebtedness and rising interest rates.

Without money and beauty in today's world, a person is left behind; feeling of little value. Eating disorders, failed relationships and ever increasing low self esteem form a bitter, vicious circle of self destruction.

But people do survive all this, and with the Mercy of Allah, are able to grow and be better for their experiences. Returning to the natural way of life as prescribed by Islam, is the cure for all diseases of the body, heart, mind and soul. Drugs may stabilize body hormones and chemicals but at the end of it all, the soul needs peace - and that peace, which is the final cure.

http://www.islamicgarden.com/depression.html

 

[Cordoba]

Peace

At the individual level, peace can be viewed as an absence of the ruinations of the heart. One free from such ruinations, will succeed, God-willing, when he/she meets his/her Lord.

Therefore, he/she will enter safely into the Abode of Peace (Dar as-Salaam). God says in that regard,

“[On] the day no amount of wealth or children will be of any benefit. [The only one benefited] will be one who comes before God with a rectified heart.”

http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=49

 

[Cordoba]

The Patience of Noble People

Every person has to exercise patience in order to face difficulties, whether he does so willingly or unwillingly.

The noble person exercises patience willingly, because he realizes the benefits of patience, and he knows that he will be rewarded for his patience and will be criticized if he panics.

He is aware that if he does not have patience, panicking and impatience will not help him to regain missed opportunities, and will not take away things he dislikes. Whatever is decreed and is qada' wa qadr cannot be prevented from happening, and whatever is decreed not to happen cannot be made to happen. So an attitude of impatience and panic actually causes harm.

http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=301

 

[Cordoba]

Faith and Trust in Allah​

We must have strong and deep faith and trust in Allah. Allah knows everything and He is with us wherever we are. He has power and might. He is wise and merciful. ​

We should trust in Allah in all situations, whether happy or sad, whether successful or confronted with difficulties and problems.​

Monotheism (Tawheed) affects our lives, our personalities, and our behavior. It gives us the following:

1. Dignity and Self-Esteem​

A believer in tawheed knows that Allah alone is the possessor of all power and none besides Him can benefit or harm a person, provide for his needs, give or take away life, or wield authority or influence. This makes a person independent and highly dignified. Such a person would not disgrace himself by bowing in homage to any creature, or begging anyone else. Such a person is not overawed by any person’s greatness. A person of tawheed has great determination, patience and perseverance. He is unshaken by any difficulty. He relies on Allah and places his trust in Allah. When such a person makes up his mind and devotes to do Allah’s commands, he has full confidence in the support of the most powerful Lord.​

2. Modesty and Humbleness

A believer in tawheed knows that Allah is the ultimate power and only Allah controls everything. Whatever one has is given by Allah. Allah can take away just as He can give. He knows that whatever happens in this world, big or small, good or evil, advantage or disadvantage, success or loss, increase or decrease, life or death, richness or poverty, health or sickness, everything happens by the will of Allah. A believer in tawheed cannot be arrogant and self conceited because he believes that his merits or achievements are not due to his own worth, they are gifts from Allah. Such a person is always thankful to Allah and recognizes how much he depends upon Allah.​

3. Morality, Tolerance and Open-Mindedness​

The believer in tawheed is always morally upright. All his standards come from one and the same authority, the authority of Allah. He does not have double or multiple standards. There is only one Lord and the Lord treats all people equally. The rules of Allah are universal and they are applicable to all people in all places. A believer in tawheed knows that Allah has created everything in this universe, and every thing and every being belongs to Allah. This makes a person very open minded, tolerant, and caring. Sometimes people say that monotheism makes people intolerant, but we say that this is the most tolerant and compassionate belief system. Because we do not believe that this thing belongs to our God and that thing belongs to some other god. It is polytheism and atheism that divide the people and create intolerance and dissentions, not tawheed.​

4. Ultimate Peace and Contentment​

The belief in tawheed purges the mind of jealousy, envy, and greed, and keeps away the temptation of resorting to base and unfair means for achieving success. The believer has faith that everything is in the hand of Allah. Honor, power, reputation, authority, and everything are under His control and He gives to whomever He wills. The duty of the human being is to struggle, to do good, and to trust in Allah.​

Source:
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]http://www.islamonline.net/english/OnthePathofReturn/articles/2005/09/01.shtml[/FONT]​

 

[Cordoba]

Time : The Precious Asset​

During our lifetime, we will encounter hardship and prosperity, grief and happiness. Allah will test us, with success and with suffering, to see who is best in faith, to test our iman. To the believer, time is a wonderful asset, it is a chance to seek Allah's mercy, to ask forgiveness, and to do more good deeds.

We must use our time wisely, because wasted time can never be recovered. Time and tide wait for no man. Time passes on, used or abused. And the two angels on our shoulders write down every action in our book of deeds.

Don't we often wish that we could live our lives again from the start, so that we could put right the wrong things we did? And that our successes could be repeated over and over again? The very fact that we now want to forget our mistakes, or, we want to repeat our good deeds, shows that we have learnt from our experiences in time. Yes, Allah has placed Time at our service as our teacher: it is a teacher that allows good and bad things to happen. But the decision is made by our own free will.

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]http://www.islamonline.net/english/OnthePathofReturn/articles/2006/03/01.shtml[/FONT]​

 

[Cordoba]

Polishing the Heart

by ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The polish for [this rust] is the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]And hearts become rusty due to two things:- [/FONT]

• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]neglecting remembering Allah, and [/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]committing sins. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The polish for these two things is:- [/FONT]

• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]seeking Allah's forgiveness and [/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]remembering Allah (dhikr) [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Confusing Truth with Falsehood

Whoever neglects (remembering Allah) most of the time, then his heart will become rusty in accordance with how neglectful the person is. And when this rust accumulates on the heart, then it no longer recognises things as they really are. Thus, it views falsehood as if it is the truth, and truth as if it is falsehood. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]This is because this rust darkens and confuses the heart's perception, and so it is unable to truly recognise things for what they really are. So as the rust accumulates, the heart gets blackened, and as this happens the heart becomes stained with this filthy rust, and when this occurs it corrupts the heart's perception and recognition of things. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The heart (then) does not accept the truth nor does it reject falsehood, and this is the greatest calamity that can strike the heart. Being neglectful [of dhikr] and following of whims and desires is a direct consequence of such a heart, which [further] extinguish the heart's light and blinds its vision. [/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/Polish_heart.html

 

[Cordoba]

Self-Criticism​

It is necessary to pause at the end of each day in order to assess themselves and run through their achievements: What have they done in the course of the day? Why have they done it? What have they omitted? And why have they omitted it?​

How excellent it would be if this self-criticism were to take place before retiring to bed. This period of self-criticism and appraisal should certainly be counted among one’s moments of progress; it is a moment when one impartially sits as a judge over oneself and reviews yearnings and motivations.

It is a moment when the believer appoints, out of conscience, an investigator to probe his or her actions, and a judge to condemn or acquit. In this way, one progresses from the state of “the soul that incites to evil” to the state of “the self-reproaching soul,” which reproaches its owner whenever he or she plunges into sin or falls short of expectations.​

It is narrated in one hadith that “it behooves any wise person to have four periods of time” and one of the four periods is “a period in which one engages in self-criticism.”​

The Second Caliph, `Umar ibn Al-Khattab said, “Criticize and appraise yourselves before you are criticized and appraised on the Day of Judgment, and weigh out your deeds, before they are weighed out for you.” ...​

If a believer fails to observe this brief period of soul-checking daily, then that person should at least try to do so once every few days or once a week. In this way, people can draw up the balance sheets of their lives, depicting their spiritual assets and liabilities.​

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Serif]http://islamonline.net/English/EuropeanMuslims/Figh/2005/12/06.SHTML[/FONT]​

 

[Cordoba]

Facing Life Without Bitterness
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Yes, forgiveness is the highest and most noble of virtues. When you are hurt by careless words, say, 'For all the times I've spoken thoughtlessly, I forgive you.' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If someone oppresses you, say, 'For all the times I've misused my power, I forgive you.' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If someone cheats you and betrays you, say, 'For every time I've been a fool, I forgive you.' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Then the One who is the source and owner of love, forgiveness, and mercy will take you close to Him and your heart will be free."[/FONT]

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/volunteers/2006/05/03.shtml

 

[Cordoba]

Encounter with the Universal

Humans are beings endowned with knowledge as well as ignorance, memory as well as forgetfulness. In contrast to the rest of creation, they have to live with dignity and the risk of freedom, all at once.

What the Transcendent demands of their consciousness is to know Him, or more precisely to recognize Him, and He has given them the means by which they can meet His demands.

The idea that an intelligent being may find itself alone, abandoned, a pray to doubt with no landmarks in the midst of the "tragedy of life" is alien to Islam: God always makes available to humankind tools and signs on the road that leads to recognizing Him.

(Tariq Ramadan)

http://www.tariqramadan.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=6

 

[Cordoba]

All Virtues, Big and Small

A big hang up of our times -- sometimes found even in those involved in Islamic work -- is the focus on doing something BIG. We want to be associated with BIG projects. We want to serve the cause of Islam in a BIG way. Big deeds, big rewards. Big success, here and in the hereafter. Who can argue with that?​

• [SIZE=-1]Well, though the logic appears to be bullet proof, there actually is a problem with it. It assumes that the reward for a good deed is based on its value as perceived by us.
  [/SIZE]
  [SIZE=-1]That is the problem. The reward for every good deed is based on the actual goodness in it and only Allah can judge that. That is why even after performing the greatest meritorious acts, our salaf (predecessors) used to be worried whether or not their deeds would be accepted. [/SIZE]
• [SIZE=-1]At the same time they approached even the smallest virtues with the enthusiasm of a desperate person who knows he needs all the help he can get. They had fully understood the message that many seemingly great deeds may not carry much weight in the hereafter because of some inherent flaw that the doer may not even be aware of.
  
  Yet it is possible for some apparently minor charitable act to save a believer from hell. For example one hadith in Bukhari and Muslim mentions the case of a woman of ill repute who once helped a thirsty dog by making extra effort to fetch water from a well. She was saved from hell for that small kindness alone.[/SIZE]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/all_virtues.html

 

[Cordoba]

Taking The Middle Course

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]'... Do (good) deeds which are within your capacity (without being overtaxed) as Allah does not get tired (of giving rewards) but (surely) you will get tired, and the best deed (act of Worship) in the sight of Allah is that which is done regularly."[/FONT]

(Hadith in Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said,
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]" ... Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)."[/FONT]

(Hadith in Al-Bukhari)
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Our prophet (peace be upon him) was consistently asking us to take the middle course. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]This was and is for our own good.[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Signs of Spiritual Soundness
A spiritually sound person

• is always willing to repent
• does not stop remembering Allah nor get bored of worshipping Him
• feels more pain from missing a good deed than he does for losing money
• enjoys worship more than he enjoys food and drink
• finds rest in prayer from all his pains and suffering
• is always eager not only to do good deeds, but to perform them as perfectly as possible

 

[Cordoba]

Steps Towards Spiritual Health

• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Fill your heart with the love for God[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Concentrate in prayers[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Remember Allah and seek His forgiveness all the time[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Improve your manners[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Give to charity[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Be kind to orphans and care for them[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Thank God for His bounties and be content with what you have[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Types of Souls[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]There are 2 kinds of people, one are those whose Nafs have overcome them and led them to ruin because they yielded to them and obeyed their impulses. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The other kinds are those who have overcome their Nafs (Souls) and made them obey their commands. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Nafs (pl. Anfus or Nufus) lexically means soul, the psyche, the ego, self, life, person, heart or mind. (Mu'jam, Kassis)
[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Although some scholars have classified the Nafs up to 7 stages, there is agreement that in the Qur'ân, Allâh has described at least 3 main types of the Nafs. And these are in rank from the worse to better: Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (the Soul that urges evil), Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames) and Nafs al-Mutma'inaa (the Soul at Peace).[/FONT]​

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/Dhikr/nafs_meaning.html​

 

[Cordoba]

How to Keep Away From Pride
By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

How do we develop humility?

As Imam Aal-Ghazali stated, the only way one who is guilty of pride (kibr) can condition himself to be humble is by using both cognitive and practical resources and using them to acquire the habit of humility.

1. The cognitive steps involve knowing first why you are acting so proudly and then convincing yourself to be against it. For instance, if you are proud because of the wealth you possess, then you should think of what became of those who were wealthy and acted proudly. Think of the terrible fate of Pharaoh, Nimrod, and Qarun. Think of those rich people who never benefited from their riches, rather their riches became a source of doom and gloom for them.

2. You should also remind yourself of your true status as a creature of Allah. You were born of a despicable drop of semen; that was your beginning. As for your end, you will be reduced after death to a rotten corpse eaten by worms and finally disintegrating into the earth. How can anyone who is aware of his true nature act so proudly?

On the other hand, think of the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who, in spite of being the chosen servant of Allah, was always so humble that he never set himself apart from his people in any way. Thanks to his humility, Allah has exalted his status. As opposed to this, the status of those who acted proudly became diminished in the sight of Allah as well as in the sight of people. People today only remember them with the utmost contempt and derision.

3. To reinforce this concept further, list as many verses and hadiths as you can find that speak about the terrible punishment or fate awaiting those who are proud.

Now, we come to the practical tips to counter pride and learn humility. We cannot break any bad habit unless we acquire the opposite habit. So, if you wish to break the habit of pride, you should do what the humble people do, consistently, until humility becomes second nature to you.

This will be easy if you use every opportunity to be humble when you meet people. You should be consistent in this behavior until humility is acquired as a habit, just as you acquired the habit of being proud.

http://www.islamonline.net/english/OnthePathofReturn/articles/2005/06/03.shtml​

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]God's Words in The Hereafter[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Allah will say to the inhabitant of Paradise: O inhabitants of Paradise! [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]They will say: O our Lord, we present ourselves and are at Your pleasure, and goodness rests in Your hands. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Then He will say: Are you contented? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]And they will say: And how should we not be contented, O Lord, when You have given to us that which You have given to no one else of Your creation? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Then He will say: Would not like Me to give you something better than that? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]And they will say: O Lord and what thing is better than that? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]And He will say: I shall cause My favour to descend upon you and thereafter shall never be displeased with you [/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/Dhikr/hadith_qudsi.html -
(Hadith Qudsi # 40)

 

[Cordoba]

The Soul and its Purification

I Want to Fight My Soul So What Is The Way?
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]We find some of them saying 'I have tried many times, repeatedly, to turn my soul away from committing these specific acts of disobedience but my efforts have failed.' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Another one says: 'I tried to get my soul to perform acts of obedience (to Allaah), good and righteous deeds but I am not able to remain firm upon them, I leave them so quickly.' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]And we hear a third one say: 'I have repented from many evil actions and promised myself that I would not commit them again. However after the passing of time and being occupied much it did not take long before I returned to them. In fact I fell into others and increased in them.' [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If we were to look at the condition of these people we would realise that among the reasons for their not being able to dominate and control their souls and not being able to remain firm upon what they have promised themselves is their lack of striving against their souls. In fact they have left the fetters and reins for the soul so that it leads them and plays with them however it wills. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The soul is such that if it is not fought against and controlled it commands its possessor to commit evil and obscene deeds. These people, because they have not fought against their souls and controlled them in that which Allaah loves and is pleased with, are not able to remain constant in their (good) actions. For this reason it is necessary for them to control their souls for Allaah's pleasure and His obedience. Not that it should control them and as a result destroy them[/FONT]

http://www.sahihalbukhari.com/sps/sbk/