Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Inner Peace in Ramadan

Though inner peace comes from within, there are also a number external factors which help us reach the state of Inner Peace

Though they don't last all the time, they do help a lot as they help us increase our level of Iman

Examples:

- Going on pilgrimage (Hajj) or Umrah. Each visit to Madinah and Makkah give a tremendous boost to the level of Iman, and increase the feeling of inner peace. But just being in these blessed places, one can feel an immediate difference, the soul somehow becomes "lighter" and one can feel the anxieties of daily life disappear

- Reading The Qur'an: Reading and listening to God's words and advice makes the heart at rest. (In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest)

- Going to the masjid, especially on Friday. Again a blessed place and on Friday a blessed time of the week. The best place to find inner peace.

- The Month of Ramadan. The best month of the year. The last 10 nights include a very special night of peace and serenity.

In Ramadan, the test of life for a believer becomes easier somehow, as there is less evil, and doing good deeds (like reading the Qur'an and doing Salat) becomes easier compared to the rest of the year.

It's an excellent opportunity to increase in faith and inner peace

May Allah increase us in faith, peace and knowledge, and accept our deeds in Ramadan

Ameen

 

[Cordoba]

Purification of the Heart

by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Book Description
This exploration of Islamic spirituality delves into the psychological diseases and cures of the heart. Diseases examined include miserliness, envy, hatred, treachery, rancor, malice, ostentation, arrogance, covetousness, lust, and other afflictions that assail people and often control them. The causes and practical cures of these diseases are discussed, offering a penetrating glimpse into how Islam deals with spiritual and psychological problems and demonstrating how all people can benefit from these teachings.

About the Author
Hamza Yusuf is the founder of the Zaytuna Institute, which is committed to inspiring a traditional understanding and study of the core Islamic sciences. He has also served as an advisor to President Bush on Islamic affairs. He lives in Hayward, California.

[URL="http://www.moezmasoud.com/articles/articles80.html"]http://www.moezmasoud.com/articles/articles80.html[/URL]

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The Spiritual and Moral Health of the Heart [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Diseases of the Heart[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]According to Imam Al-Ghazali in his book Ihyaa' `Uloum Ad-Deen [The Revival of Religious Sciences], every organ of our body has a function. When it fails to do its function, that's a sign of it being not well.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The function of the soul or the spiritual heart is to know its Creator, to love Him, and to seek closeness to Him. If the heart fails in this function, then we must realize that it is sick.[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]What are the major diseases that affect the heart? What is there to do to take precaution? What are the cures in case one is affected with these ailments? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Scholars have spoken about seven major diseases of the hearts:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]1. Arrogance and conceit (kibr and ghurur)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]2. Ostentation (riyaa')[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]3. Jealousy or envy, hate and deceit (hasad, hiqd, and ghish)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]4. Suspicion (sou' azh-zhan)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]5. Anger (ghadab)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]6. Stinginess (bukhl)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]7. Love of power, position, and fame (hub al-jah)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]These are called "diseases of the heart" and they lead to major sins if they are not controlled and carefully treated. In the Qur'an and Sunnah and in the spiritual writings of Muslim scholars such as Al-Ghazali and Ibn Al-Qayyim, we find a lot of discussion on the treatment of these ailments.[/FONT]

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1189064956719&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout

 

[Cordoba]

The Art of Happiness

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Among the greatest of blessings is to have a calm, stable, and happy heart. For in happiness the mind is clear, enabling one to be a productive person. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]It has been said that happiness is an art that needs to be learnt. And if you learn it, you will be blessed in this life. But how does one learn it? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]A basic principle of achieving happiness is having an ability to endure and to cope with any situation. Therefore you should neither be swayed nor governed by difficult circumstances, nor should you be annoyed by insignificant trifles. Based on the purity of the heart and its ability to endure, a person will shine. When you train yourself to be patient and forbearing, then hardship and calamity will be easy for you to bear. [/FONT]




http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/psychology/dont_be_sad31.html

 

[Cordoba]

Contentment

If you are a seeker of happiness, be satisfied with the looks Allah has favoured you with, with your family situation, with the sound of your voice, with the level of your understanding, and with the amount of your salary.

Certain educators go further than this by saying that you should imagine being contented with even less than you have now

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad22.html

The important attitude to reach a state of contentment and inner peace is to remember those who have less and never envie those who have more

Thank God for His blessings, do your best to improve, but at the end of the day be satisfied with what you have

This world is only a transition. It is not the final destination.

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]In The Remembrance Of Allah Do The Hearts Find Rest[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The remembrance of Allah is His paradise on earth, whoever does not enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter. Remembrance is not only a safe haven from the problems and worries of this world, but it is also the short and easy path to achieving ultimate success. Read the various passages in revelation that refer to the remembrance of Allah, and you will appreciate its benefits. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]By remembering Allah, clouds of worry and fear are driven away, and the mountains that make up your problems are blown away. We should not be surprised when we hear that people who remember Allah are at peace.[/FONT]


http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad9.html

 

[Cordoba]

Remember those worse off

Look around you, to the right and to the left. Do you not see the afflicted and the unfortunate? ...

Find consolation with those that are worse off than you

... praise Allah for His kindness, be thankful for what He has left for you, seek recompense from Him for what He has taken, and seek consolation with those that are afflicted.

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad17.html

The above approach in life is very important to reach inner peace: never compare yourself to those who have more. Always think of those who have less, and thank God for His many blessings

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Inner Peace: The World's Dire Need[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]We need inner peace and the whole humanity needs it. Inner peace is always important but it is most needed now. It is the peace of heart and mind. Inner peace makes people steadfast, strong and capable to face the problems. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If there is no inner peace people lose courage and strength to face the difficulties. People become sick and develop many other physical, emotional or psychological problems. They would certainly have spiritual problems. Those who do not have inner peace become irritable, angry, have difficulty to maintain their daily work, good family relations or other commitments and responsibilities. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Inner peace on the other hand makes people optimistic, friendly and productive. Inner peace makes people strong to deal with their personal, family, local as well as national and international problems.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]How to Achieve Inner Peace?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]It is important to remember that inner peace comes from Allah. It does not come from material things. It does not come from drugs or painkillers. It does not come from sinful lifestyle. Unless our relations with Allah are good, we can never have real inner peace. In order to have inner peace, we must:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]- Have strong faith and trust in Allah. Make Dhikr of Allah as much as we can. Dhikr brings comfort. We must follow the right path of Islam. Neither misfortune nor prosperity should turn you away from Islam.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]- Be patient in all circumstances.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]- Be with good people and be good to others. We must always say good words and do good deeds. Deeds of charity bring real inner peace.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]- What we do not like others to do to us, we should not do to others.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]- Be most forgiving. Forgiveness is the best healer and it first heals the person who forgives.[/FONT]


http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545394

 

[Cordoba]

Leave The Future Alone Until It Comes

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Be not hasty and rushed for things that have yet to come to pass. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Do you think it wise to pick fruits before they become ripe? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Tomorrow is non-existent having no reality today, so why should we busy ourselves with it? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Why should you have apprehensions about future disasters? Why should you be engrossed by their thoughts, especially since we do not know whether we will even see tomorrow? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The important thing to know is that tomorrow is from the world of the unseen, a bridge that we do not cross until it comes. Who knows, perhaps we might never reach the bridge, or the bridge might collapse before we reach it, or we may actually reach it and cross safely. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]For us to be engrossed in expectations about the future is looked down upon in our religion since it leads to our having a long-term attachment to this world, an attachment that the good believer shuns.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad3.html[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Worrying too much about the future prevents inner peace from entering the heart. Trusting Allah (SWT), being positive and optimistic, and taking one day at a time is a better approach for peace and tranquility[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]May Allah make tomorrow a better day In-Shaa-Allah[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Ameen[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

No life without Faith

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]In proportion to the level of your faith - strong or weak, hot or cold - you will he happy and at peace.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he/she is a true believer; verily, to him/her We will give a good life. And We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do." [The Qur'an, Surah An-Nahl – Ayah 97.] [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The good life that is mentioned in this verse refers to having a firm faith in the promise of our Lord, a steady heart that loves Him. People who lead this good life will also have calm nerves when afflicted with hardship; they will be satisfied with everything that befalls them, because it was written for them, because they are pleased with Allah as their Lord, with Islam as their Religion, and with Muhammad as their Prophet and Messenger j[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad14.html

 

[Cordoba]

Turn to Allah

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If you are beset with fear and anxieties, stand up on such occasions and pray: your soul will find comfort and solace. The prayer - as long as you perform it sincerely with a wakeful heart - is guaranteed to have this effect on you. ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]By leaving your affairs to Allah, by depending upon Him, by trusting in His promise, by being pleased with His decree, by thinking favourably of Him, and by waiting patiently for His help, you reap some of the greater fruits of faith and display the more prominent characteristics of the believer. When you incorporate these qualities into your character, you will be at peace concerning the future, because you will depend on your Lord for everything. As a result, you will find care, help, protection, and victory.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad18.html

 

[Cordoba]

Doing Good To Others Brings Comfort To The Heart

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The first person who benefits from an act of charity is the benefactor himself, by seeing changes in himself and in his manners, by finding peace, by watching a smile form on the lips of another. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If you find yourself in difficulty or distress, show kindness to others: you will be the first to find solace and comfort. Give to the needy, defend the oppressed, feed the poor, help those in distress, visit the sick: you will find that happiness surrounds you from all directions. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]An act of charity is like perfume - it benefits the user, the seller, and the buyer[/FONT].

Doing Good To Others Brings comfort To The Heart

 

[Cordoba]

Pre-Ordainment

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]You will never completely feel at ease until you firmly believe that Allah already pre-ordained all matters. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The pen has dried and has written all that will happen to you, so do not feel remorse over that which is not in your hands. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Do not think that you could have prevented the fence from falling, the water from flowing, the wind from blowing, or the glass from breaking. You could not have prevented these things, whether you wanted to or not. All that has been pre-ordained shall come to pass.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad5.html

 

[Cordoba]

The Past is gone forever, Today is all you have
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Do not live in the nightmares of former times or under the shade of what you have missed. Save yourself from the ghostly apparition of the past. Do you think that you can return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, milk to the udder, or tears to the eye? By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a very frightful and tragic state of mind. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present. ...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Today is all you have [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Yesterday has passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet arrived. Your life’s span is but one day, as if you were born in it and will die at the end of it. With this attitude, you will not be caught between an obsession over the past, with all its anxieties, and the hopes of the future, with all its uncertainty. For today only should you expend energies, concerns, and efforts. In this day you should pray with a wakeful heart, recite the Qur’an with understanding, and remember Allah with sincerity. In this day you should be balanced in your affairs, satisfied with your allotted portion, concerned with your appearance and health.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Organise the hours of this day, so that you make years out of minutes and months out of seconds. Seek forgiveness from your Lord, remember Him, prepare for the final parting from this world, and live today happily and at peace. Be content with your sustenance, your wife, your children, your work, your house and your station in life.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Live today free from sorrow, bother, anger, jealousy, and malice.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad2.html

 

[Cordoba]

Our Emotions
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Emotions and sentiments flare up for two reasons: (1) joy and (2) affliction. ...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Unbridled emotions can greatly wear a person out, causing pain and loss of sleep. When such a person becomes angry, he flares up, threatens others, loses all self-control, and surpasses the boundaries of justice and balance. Meanwhile, if he becomes happy, he is in a state of rapture and wildness. In his intoxication of joy, he forgets himself and surpasses the bounds of modesty.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]So when a person curbs his emotions, when he controls his mind, and when to each matter he gives according to the weight of its importance, he will have taken a step toward wisdom and true understanding. ...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Indeed, Islam came as much with balance in morals, manners, and dealings as it did with its straightforward, holy, and a truthful way of life. ...[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Being just is an end that is called for in both our manners and in matters of jurisprudence. In fact, Islam is founded on truth and justice - truthfulness in all that we are told through revelation, and justice in rulings, sayings, actions, and manners.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]"And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][Surah Al An’am; 115]. [/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/psychology/dont_be_sad33.html

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Carry The Weight Of The World On Your Shoulders

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]My advice to you is this: do not carry the weight of the globe on your shoulders. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Let the ground carry the burden of those things that happen, and do not attempt to carry them. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Some people have a heart that is like a sponge, absorbing all kinds of fallacies and misconceptions. It is troubled by the most insignificant of matters, somehow being troubled by all that takes place. This kind of heart is sure to destroy its possessor.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Those who are principled and are upon the true path are not shaken by hardship; instead, their faith increases. ....[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If you desire for yourself a stable life, face all situations with bravery and perseverance.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad20.html

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Smile[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Laughing moderately can act as a cure or therapy for depression and sadness. It has a strong influence on keeping the soul light and the heart clear. ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Ahmed Ameen said in his book Fayd al-Khatir:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]"People who are always smiling not only make their own lives more joyful, but what is more, they are more productive people in their work and have a greater ability to live up to their responsibilities. They are more prepared to face difficulties and to find expedient solutions for them. They are prolific workers who benefit themselves and others." ...[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad27.html

 

[Cordoba]

Smile

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Most people do not open their eyes to the beauty of life, but open them only to gold or silver. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]They pass by a lush and luxuriant garden, a beautiful bed of roses, a flowing river or a group of singing birds, yet they are unmoved by such scenes. All that moves them is the coming and going of money into or out of-their pockets. Money is but a means to a happy life. They have reversed this fact, have sold their happy existence, and have made money to be an end in itself. Our body has been equipped with eyes to see beauty with, yet we have trained them to look on nothing but money. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Nothing can cause the soul or the face to frown as does despondency. If you want to be a smiling person, wage war with despondency and hopelessness. The door to opportunity is always open to you and to others, and so is the door to success.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad28.html

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Eid Mubarak In-Shaa-Allah[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Repel Boredom With Work

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]When you find yourself to be idle, prepare for depression and despair, because idleness allows your mind to wander in the past, the present, and the future, with all of their difficulties. Therefore, my sincere advice to both you and me is to perform fruitful acts instead of being idle, ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Being inactive means being negligent of one’s duties. Idleness is an expert thief and your mind is the victim of this perpetrator.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Therefore get up now and say a prayer or read a book; praise your Lord, study, write, organize your library, fix something in your house, or benefit others so that you can put an end to your inactivity. I say this only because I sincerely wish for your betterment.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Destroy boredom by working. When you apply this simple precept alone, the doctors of the world guarantee that you have travelled fifty percent of the way toward happiness.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Look at farmers, carpenters, and bread-makers, and observe how, when they are working, recite words as melodious as the singing of birds, because they are content. [/FONT]

Repel Boredom With Work

 

[Cordoba]

The Glass IS half Full - not half empty!

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]An intelligent and skilful person transforms losses into profits ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]if you are afflicted with a misfortune, look on the bright side. If someone were to hand you a glass of full of squeezed lemons, add to it a handful of sugar. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]So if you are surrounded by affliction, remember Him, call out His name, ask Him for help, and seek from Him victory. Place your forehead on the ground and mention His praises, so that you can obtain true freedom. Raise your hands in supplication, and ask of Him constantly. Cling to His door, have good thoughts about Him, and wait for His help! [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]You will find true happiness and success.[/FONT]

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/tafakkur/dont_be_sad12.html