Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Hardships also Have Advantages

This may sound a bit strange, but hardships also have their advantages
It's important to look at both sides of the coin, as difficult times also bring with them some benefits, though most of us are unaware of them

If you read in the Qur'an how all of God's prophets went through difficult times, and how they were patient when faced with these threats (Prophet Abraham when his people threw him in a great fire, Prophet Moses when faced with a mighty army on one side and the sea on the other side, Prophet Joseph who was thrown in jail for many years, ... etc.).

All these hardships had in them another important side which is to bring the prophets closer to God, as in such difficulties they become certain that only God can bring them out of such hardships.

This certainity and strong attachment to God increases faith in the heart of a believer, and this "growth in faith" leads to a higher level of inner peace

So look at the positive side, it's not all doom and gloom

And as hardships are always followed by better times of ease and relief, there is always hope.

After a long night, dawn will arrive and there will be light In-Shaa-Allah

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Raise Your Expectations too High in Worldly Matters

One of the lessons I remember from business studies is the theory of outcome vs. expectations. It is a positive motivation factor for an employee if the outcome of his evaluation exceeds expectations. The opposite is also true.

As the "material world" has an impact on how we feel and our state of inner peace, it's a wise position not to raise expectations too high

Some people go a bit further and prepare themselves for "the worst case scenario", and by doing that they are not affected by any outcome which may happen in the future.

This may be going too far, but the main idea is not to be attached too much to the material world, and that its love should not fill one's heart, as in that case there would be no room left for the love of God.

Accepting destiny and future events which God has planned for us is an important element to live in peace.

He is the All-Wise, and He knows what is best for us, so don't worry.

 

[Cordoba]

Be Content

Be content with the job you have, your car, family, house, ... and you will find that your heart will be at peace
This does not mean you should not do your best to improve, but means that after doing your best, be pleased with the outcome

This feeling of contentment and gratitude leads to peace of mind, as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: (Be contented with what Allah has apportioned for you and you will be the richest of people).

He also said: (Richesness is the richesness of the soul)

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Miss the Dawn Prayer​

Dawn is the best time of day for calmness and serenity

As night changes to day and darkness retreats, light slowly gives a new start to a new day. Before the sun rises, birds start singing and all the universe praises Allah, including believers ​

It is at this time of day when we need to make an effort to wake up and pray, to follow God's command and be in harmony with the universe.

In these precious moments of peace, as the Qur'an is recited, angels descend and serenity prevails ​

Don't miss these precious moments as they are important to charge the spiritual batteries for the day and to get off to a good start, in peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Charity Brings Peace to the Giver

Giving to those in need is an act of mercy and compassion that leads to an increase in faith and bringing a believer closer to God

As in general faith increases with good deeds, giving to charity is a sign that a believer trusts in God and wants to please Him through helping others

Give and don't be afraid of poverty, as God loves those who have compassion

You will feel good as you will feel more humane, and with a sincere intention you will surely increase in peace

 

[Cordoba]

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

Deal with others the way you would like them to deal with you

With a clear conscience one can sleep well at night, and is not tormented with worries and anxiety

One of the main objectives of Islam is to establish justice among people, and our inner conscience is an important key to control our actions. The more one's heart is filled with piety (taqwa), the stronger the conscience and the more alert one becomes in not doing injustice to others

Being fair and just towards others leads to a clear conscience, which leads to inner peace

 

[Cordoba]

Be in Harmony with the Universe

Our planet earth is a very small planet in a vast and amazing universe

The whole universe glorifies The Creator, and beeing in harmony with the universe, a believer glorifies God, by his own free will

Prayers and remembering God at different times of day and night is part of this process, also keeping the natural state of waking up early at dawn and sleeping early at night

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Going agaisnt the natural laws by sleeping all day and staying up all night is not healthy for the body nor for one's spiritual health[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Wake up early, watch the sun rise and glorify God[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Do the same at sunset, and be in harmony with the universe as this will help you find inner peace[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Look Back at the Past, Look to the Future with Hope

Sometimes one gets a thought that "had I done such and such in the past, I would be in a better position today"

This type of negative thinking is not advised for a believer to follow
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in a hadith advised his companions not to say (had I done such and such), as this opens the door for satan to misguide people

One of the things satan does is to make a person remember negative events in order to make him/her despair from God's Mercy and Kindness

If you find yourself on that negative path of thinking, just say that was God's decree, and what happened is by His will

By doing so, you close the door of despair and open the door of hope in God's Mercy to resume your journey towards God in peace

May Allah increase us all in peace

Ameen

 

[Cordoba]

Seek a Clear Conscience

One of the things which helps a person sleep well at night is having a clear conscience

There are many elements involved to reach that stage, including the following:

- Doing justice to others and not being involved in acts of injustice

- Doing one's best at work (or studies), and earning a living in a lawful way

- Not doing injustice to oneself through intentional sins, and repenting to God when that takes place

- Complying with social duties and responsibilities

- Being close to Allah by performing daily prayers and other acts of worship, and remembering Him

A clear conscience brings peace to the heart, and without it we feel there is something wrong or missing

 

[Cordoba]

Be Wise

It is said that wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action

So what are the traits of a wise person?

There are many pre-requisites to reach the state of wisdom, and among them are the following:

- Seeking knowledge. Wisdom and knowledge go together, and a wise person is normally someone who has knowledge, and puts it into good practice

- Not harming others, and doing to people what one would like them to do to us. This includes not talking much, as silence helps contemplation and reflection.

- Controling one's desires, whether it is for money/fame/power, ... etc, as these things don't last. A wise person controls these desires and does not aspire for wordly gains.

- Being patient, as this is an important feature of a wise person. It takes time to understand the wisdom behind most events that surround us, so don't jump to conclusions.

- Being kind and doing good to others, starting by the closest to us (family), then neighbors, and gradually widening the circle of good deeds. By "fixing" or improving our surroundings and environment, there are better chances for society to live in peace. Living a life or virtue and truth also leads to peace.

- Keeping good company, as it is by human nature that we are influenced by the people who surround us

- Being humble. Just look at the sky at night and reflect on this amazing universe and you will realise who small and insignificant we are. So why be arrogant?

- Being thankful, and accepting destiny after doing one's best. The outcomes are not in our hands, as it is God who decides

- Following God's Guidance. He is The All-Wise, and by following His commands for sure we will become better and happier. We may sometimes not understand His wisdom, but it is for our own good, so remembering His Guidance and remembering Him often is the right way to take

- Being sincere in serving God, as He only accepts sincerity

And the path of wisdom eventually leads to enlightment and inner peace

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Promote Peace Around You[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]One of the best deeds which brings a believer closer to God is to promote peace among people, and reconciliate between those who are fighting each other or those who are angry with each other[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]A Muslim promotes peace wherever he goes through the salutation of peace which he exchanges with people he meets: (Assalamo Alaikom wa Rahmatul-Allah), i.e. May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]When a Muslim finishes his prayer, (the five daily prayers and any other optional prayer) he ends it by a greeting of peace saying the same words twice: once towards his right, and once towards his left. He cannot complete his prayers without doing that, and spreading peace around him (to the angels and to human beings next to him)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]By promoting peace and solving problems and fights among people with wisdom and justice, a believer will find a closer relation with God as faith increases with good deeds, and this leads to an increase in inner peace[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
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[Cordoba]

Remember that God is Close and that He Hears Your Prayers

In Surat Al-Baqarah (chapter 2 of the Qur'an), God tells Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to inform us of the following:

"And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided." (2:186)

Knowing that God is near and that He responds when we are in need of help and ask Him for relief is a very reassuring feeling, which fills the heart of a believer with hope, strength and confidence

You know when in your business transactions you assign a trustworthy person to take care of your business, you are confident that he would take the best possible care of your matters.

If you have God as your support and help, don't you think He will take good care of your needs?

With this feeling and reassurance, hearts find peace

All what we have to do is ask

 

[Cordoba]

Remember the Hereafter

We often forget, especially with a busy life, that there is another life to come

When a believer remembers the Hereafter, his heart receives two main signals: hope and fear

Hope in God's Mercy and fear from His anger

Both feelings are important to keep the right balance in life and remain on the Straight Path.

On one hand, fear from God's anger is an important deterrent against sin. As for hope in God's Mercy, this is an important motivation factor which makes a believer look forward to meeting God in the Hereafter

Both hope and fear lead directly and indirectly to inner peace, as hope leads to an immediate impact of inner calm, despite the hardships of this life, and fear leads to an indirect increase of faith through avoiding sin and increasing good deeds, which lead to an increase in faith and inner peace

May Allah increase us in peace

Ameen

 

[Cordoba]

Freedom and Inner Peace

Freedom is a wide notion and for some difficult to define, as it does have a relative dimension

Whatever the definition, freedom leads to inner peace, as in life there are many "addictions" for example which "enslave" people. That's one of the reasons why Islam is against addiction to alcohol for example, as God wants us to be free from this dependency

Another important type of freedom is to be free from a strong attachment to material aspects of life, money, power, status and fame. All these are issues which take away part of our freedom if we concentrate on them. A balance is needed in life, that's true, but once the balanced becomes "titlted" towards the material aspects of life, freedom and inner peace start to decrease

Finaly, one of the worst things which take away a lot of people's freedom is to be in debt. Whether it's loans, credit cards, mortgages, ... etc, a debt is a great burden which takes away one's peace of mind

When we are "free" we can live a balanced and happy life and have time to reflect on the bigger more important issues of life, and search for answers to these questions, getting to know God more closely and thereby finding inner peace

May Allah increase us in peace

Ameen

 

[Cordoba]

Remember that God is Watching

God sees what we do, each movement and each action, and He knows what we are thinking of, as He is The All-Knowing

Nothing we do escapes His knowledge, as He hears each word we say

When a believer grows in faith and taqwa (God consciousness), he/she feels God's presence more, till reaching the stage of Ihsan where he worships God as if he can see Him, knowing that He sees us

At the level of Ihsan, a believer's heart is full with the love of God and this leads to a strong feeling of peace

That's the stage of paradise on earth: a spiritual paradise

 

[Cordoba]

Forgive and Don't Get Angry

Anger for worldly matters has a very negative impact on the spiritual heart

Why?

Because when a person is angry it is easier for satan to trick him, and make this person aggressive, either by words or actions, which may end in a fight or more than a fight.

(Don't get angry) was the advice of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to one of his companions

And try to go one step further by forgiving those who have wronged you

The trivial matters of life are not important, so don't waste time and energy, and focus on improving your relation with God by being more kind towards people

This is important for finding inner peace

 

[Cordoba]

Patience and Good Manners

As mentioned in the last post, anger for worldly matters has a very negative impact on the spiritual heart

The remedy of anger is patience, which is a virtue Allah loves. In the Qur'an, God says that He is with the patient

Good manners are best maintained when one is patient even when faced with a situation which would make him angry

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a role model in these two virtues: he was very patient when harmed for inviting people to God's path, and he was always of excellent manners: truthful, trustworthy, kind, caring, generous, ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Patience and good manners bring a believer closer to Allah and increase inner peace[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Travel to Other Places[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Travel brings happiness to the soul[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]In the Qur'an, God encourages us to travel and learn from other cultures and reflect on past civilizations. This is mentioned in several verses, including (10:101), (12:109), (29:20)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]There is a lot to learn and benefit when traveling, and a well-planned trip with good company that reminds you of God is an excellent change to refresh the soul and bring peace[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Be Calm

The best decisions are taken when one is calm

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, advised his companions to make a special prayer (Istikhara) before taking any decision and he advised them to seek advise from others concerned with the matter and those of knowledge before making up one's mind.

When you have an important decision to make, give it enough time so that you can consider the best alternative from all angles, thereby reaching a wise and sound decision. If you can sleep and wait till the next day, then that would also be useful, as somehow matters seem clearer in daylight after a good night sleep

Being calm when dealing with others makes a believer serene, and this reinforces his sense of contentment and inner peace.

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Not always easy to do, but highly recoomended for all those searching for peace[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Each Problem Has a Solution, So Don't Worry

Sometimes we are faced with situations which seem to be hopeless, or problems that seem to be so complicated that it's very difficult to find a way out

Whether it is a debt to be repaid next month, or an illness that seems beyond cure, or a difficlut exam in a few days, ... we have all been there or seen such problems around us

After doing one's best to find an answer or a way out, one should simply submit to God's will and ask Him for help. When a hardship becomes very difficlut, a believer loses hope in fellow human beings and asks God for help, as it is only God who can really provide help

This is what happened to Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, when his people made a great fire and tried to burn him alive in that fire. He was very calm and as he trusted God, he knew that only God could save him. And that is in fact what happened: as the people threw Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, in the fire God commanded the fire not to burn Prophet Abraham. And by a miracle of God, that's what happened and he came out of the fire unharmed

So trust in God and submit to His will. Each problem has a way out, and God chooses for believers what is best for them, even though they may not understand the wisdom at first.