Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] In Search for Inner Peace [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Contentment: The Secret to Happiness in Life [/FONT]

As we all pass through life looking at people and materialistic things around us, we often tend to look at people above us and desire to be like them.

But Islam advises us to look at those below us and feel content at what God has provided us.

Listed below would be some practical suggestions on achieving this contentment and repelling the greed of want of more.

It is said that a man complained about his old shoes until he saw a man who had no feet...

Contentment: The Secret to Happiness in Life - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Satisfaction: A Godly Gift

In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says:

His most perfect blessing on you is to give you just enough, and to deprive you from what will cause you to do wrong.

When you have less to be happy with, you will have less to be sad about.

This stage of our journey to Allah relates to the issue of providence and how to understand it correctly. The Prophetic hadith that says: "The little that suffices is better than the abundant and alluring", has been re-worded by the Sheikh in this word of wisdom.

The Sheikh says: "His most perfect blessing on you is to give you just enough, and to deprive you from what will cause you to do wrong".
Allah the Almighty may give a believer just enough, not more or less. When this happens, it is a perfect blessing from Allah. If Allah gives abundant providence to someone, there is a risk of that person transgressing boundaries...

Satisfaction: A Godly Gift - Advice - Shari`ah - OnIslam.net

 

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In Search for Inner Peace

How to Find Contentment & Happiness (Dr. Imad Bayoun)

One of the secrets of happiness is the feeling of contentment, satisfaction, or rida in Arabic. So if the person is pleased with a certain situation, even if it’s bad, then this will bring him happiness.

But if the person on the other side is displeased with a certain situation even if it’s a good situation then he will never be happy.

That’s what the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“Richness is not the richness of possession, but the richness of the soul.”

So, if the person is rich inside, then, no matter actually what he has, he will be happy...

How to Find Contentment & Happiness (Imad Bayoun) - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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How to Live a Good Life

The American dream defined it to be richer, better, and fuller for everyone in the form of good education, a well-paying job, and a comfortable life. The state of Nebraska even chose ‘A Good Life’ to be it’s promotional slogan.

God’s Word, on the other hand, sets a slightly different standard for a good life. It bases a ‘good life’ on spiritual contentment. It does not limit a good life tied to superior education, material plenty, or the perfect body. It brings happiness not from what lies outside, but from within. More accurately, a ‘good life’ is God centered....

How to Live a Good Life - Living Islam - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Peace with God

True peace, both internally and externally, can only be the result of the correct implementation of Islam. Of course, what is meant here is not simply peace as in “an absence of a state of war.” Peace means much more than that. One can be free of war yet still suffer from anxiety or despair and lack peace. Here, it is referring to a complete sense of peace.

Islam brings about a complete tranquility and peace of mind that is the result of realizing that one believing and acting in accord with the guidance of one’s Creator.

This internal peace can then spread to the family, the community, the society and the world as a whole. It is a special form of tranquility that can only be produced by the proper belief in God...

Peace with God - Belief - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Partnership Between Body and Soul

The spiritual aspects of prayer are our devotion, humility, and submission to God in full sincerity and devotion. It entails our recognition of God’s greatness and divinity that inspires us with a sense of reverence and awe.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Why do We Pray and Fast?[/FONT]
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Is there any relationship between our concern for the physical aspects of prayer and our concern for the spiritual?
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Indeed, there is. When we carry out the outward aspects of prayer, we are, without doubt, obeying our Lord and fulfilling His command by upholding one of the pillars of our faith. At the same time, should not we know why our Lord, in His infinite wisdom, commands us to offer prayers at fixed times in a prescribed manner?
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Should we not wonder about the effects that these prayers should have on our persons and our lives? The same can be said for fasting. Why do we fast? Surely God does not need our fasts...[/FONT]


The Partnership Between Body and Soul - Prayer - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Living a Happy Life with a Strong Faith (Folder)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Do you want a stronger faith?

Do you want to love God?

Find out how to grow in faith, acquire better manners and lead a happy life in the Shade of God's Guidance...

Living a Happy Life with a Strong Faith (Folder) - In Focus - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net[/FONT]

 

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Introduction to the Status of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Dhikr is the greatest of God’s doors that remains open between Him and His servant as long as the servant does not close it with his heedlessness.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Al-Hasan al-Basri, may God have mercy on his soul, said: “Seek the sweetness [of faith] in three things: in prayer, in dhikr, and in the recitation of the Qur’an. If you find it [then be it], otherwise know that the door is closed.”[/FONT]
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With dhikr, the [believing] servant prevails over Satan, while Satan prevails over those who are heedless and forgetful [of God].[/FONT]
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Dhikr is also the soul of good deeds...
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Introduction to the Status of Dhikr

 

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How to Attain Inner Peace

Can’t Stop Worrying? Watch This!

The topic for today’s thought is attaining inner peace; a pursuit that we all seek to have in life, living day to day peacefully, comfortably, not having a lot of concerns, not worrying about poverty and not worrying about whether we are going to eat tomorrow or not, or whether we are going to have our job, or whether we are going to be successful or not.

Just simply floating day to day comfortably and not worrying about all the details.

A Divine Hadith

There is a remarkable Hadith Qudsi where Allah Almighty through the Prophet (peace be upon him) says:

“My servant, I’ve created you so that you may worship Me, so don’t play around so much.

And I have portioned off your sustenance, so don’t live in anxiety. If it’s a little don’t be sad, and if it’s a lot don’t be so happy.”

Allah Almighty continues to say:

“If you are content with what I have portioned off for you then I’ll bring peace and comfort to your mind and your heart, and I will praise you in My presence.

And if you are not content with what I have portioned off for you, then I’ll bring aches and discomfort to your body and your mind and I will belittle you in My presence.”...

Relieve Yourself of Anxiety After Planing

As Ibn Atta' Allah Al-Sakandary says in his wisdoms “Relieve yourself of anxiety after planning.” That once you have planned and once you have tried, then leave it up to Allah Almighty, because you have no room to play in that field. I mean that’s not your part of the equation. Your part is to try and to plan.

So for example you are going to a job interview, yes you should study the company, you should learn about the company, understand who is interviewing you, and what kind of questions you are going to be asked. But at the end of the day, once you have planned and you have tried and you have gone to the interview, once you leave know that whether you are going to get that job or not is not in anyone’s hand except Allah Almighty.

So be relaxed, don’t live in anxiety and fear for no reason. Know what you have to do, do it to the best of your ability and just live comfortably, and Allah Almighty will engulf you in that peace and in that comfort and relaxation...

Can

 

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How to Have A Sound Heart?

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in a hadith:

“In the body there is a lump of flesh, and if that lump of flesh is set right then the entire body is set right, and if that lump of flesh is corrupted then the entire body is corrupted, and verily it is the heart.”...

What Does a Sound Heart Look Like?

The question we have to ask then is what is a heart that is sound? What does it mean? And how do we attain it?

In terms of talking about what a sound heart means, God is saying, through the words of Abraham, peace be upon him, that nothing is going to benefit us on the Day of Judgment except the one, the only one who is going to be successful, is the one who has this thing; which is a sound heart. So it is very important for us to understand what this means.

The heart that is sound and healthy is one that is free from any defect. And defect here means diseases that take over the heart at times, and basically the worst disease that can take over a heart is any form of shirk, which literally means to associate something with Allah (SWT)...

So a heart that is sound is a heart that is free of these things; it’s a heart that loves Allah and His Messenger and strives in His cause more than everything else, even the halal things that we legitimately love. That is what is so interesting about this ayah (verse) that describes and lists these things that all of them are legitimate to love; our fathers, our children, our spouses and our jobs, all of them are halal and are legitimate to love...

How to Have a Sound Heart? - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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A Life of Remembrance

In a verse of the Qur’an that I love very much, Allah, Most Gracious and Loving, commends:

{Remember Me and I shall remember you. Be grateful unto Me and deny Me not.} (Al-Baqarah 2:152.)

Can you imagine a more gratifying state than this, where, when you remember Allah, the Creator, Sustainer and Lord of the Universe, He remembers you in return?...

Dhikr Purifies the Hearts

The importance of dhikr then is not difficult to understand. It is dhikr that purifies your qalb or heart and makes it sound. And you can only attain salvation and true success by having a pure and sound heart.

The qalb or heart referred to here is not the pump in your breast that pushes blood around your body but rather the centre or locus of your personality which pumps out your desires and motivations and which makes you conduct yourself as you do. It is this qalb that lies at your centre and dictates your actions which is the key to your ultimate success...

A Life of Remembrance (Part 1) - Advice - Shari`ah - OnIslam.net

 

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Know Why You Are Here

Our mentality in this life should be that I’m leaving this place, this place is temporary, and the place that I’m going to is not temporary. The place that I’m actually preparing for is the one that lasts. This one does not last. Nothing in this life lasts. And this is a sign for us...

Hold on to What Lasts

This life is just like that plant, just like that garden, that for a while it’s very beautiful, and you feel very happy about it. But then it withers away, and what’s left, as Allah said, is either Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell). That’s what’s left!

So this is how we have to understand this life, and we need to look at the signs around us that teach us about these things, that nothing here lasts.

Another example is our youth. You guys don’t feel this because you are all young now, but if I were talking to a room of sixty years old or seventy years old they would feel what I would say. How I was young, like yesterday man! Where did it go?! But even when you think about when you were in school it does not seem like it was that far away.

Know Why You Are Here - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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Satisfaction: A Godly Gift

In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says: His most perfect blessing on you is to give you just enough, and to deprive you from what will cause you to do wrong. When you have less to be happy with, you will have less to be sad about.

This stage of our journey to Allah relates to the issue of providence and how to understand it correctly. The Prophetic hadith that says: "The little that suffices is better than the abundant and alluring", has been re-worded by the Sheikh in this word of wisdom. The Sheikh says: "His most perfect blessing on you is to give you just enough, and to deprive you from what will cause you to do wrong".

Allah the Almighty may give a believer just enough, not more or less. When this happens, it is a perfect blessing from Allah. If Allah gives abundant providence to someone, there is a risk of that person transgressing boundaries. Allah says:

{Nay, but a human does transgress all bounds. Is it because he looks upon himself as self-sufficient? Verily, to your Lord is the return of all.} (Al-`Alaq 96:6)

Allah also tells us about our human nature in the following verse:

{For, if Allah were to grant in this world abundant sustenance to His servants, they would behave on earth in transgression and rebellion beyond all bounds: but as it is, He bestows His grace from on high in due measure, as He wills.} (Ash-Shura 42:27)

This is a universal law pertaining to human nature; if Allah grants us abundant providence, we will do wrong. Thus, Allah {bestows His grace from on high in due measure, as He wills}.

Allah, in His infinite knowledge, knows that if He gives a certain person wealth, that person will not do wrong. So, He gives him wealth. At the same time, He knows that if He gives him power, you will do injustice to people. Therefore, Allah does not grant him power, and vice versa.

This applies to different kinds of giving and depriving. Whatever you are given is from Allah's bounties on you and He is protecting you, even from yourself. So, do not look only at what you are deprived from and wish to get something that might cause you to do wrong because "the little that suffices is better than the abundant and alluring", as the Prophet peace be upon him said...

Satisfaction: A Godly Gift - Advice - Shari`ah - OnIslam.net

 

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Keeping the Heart Alive Series (Part 4)

Stay Afloat in the Ocean of Life

Life is a Test

If people go through this life and think it’s just a scrap piece of paper they don’t do very well. They think that everything has no purpose, nobody is watching them, you just do whatever you want; you just doodle on that paper. So then they don’t perform very well. But if you know that this life is a test, you will handle that final exam and your professor is going to grade it, you are going to do a lot differently. You are going to act a lot differently. You are going to do a little better...

Lastly and the fourth thing for understanding dunya is knowing how to succeed in this life; how to stay afloat in the ocean of dunya. Now if you think about dunya as an ocean, if you go to that ocean with a boat, what happens if the boat lets the water in? You start to sink- right?

Now if you think about this life as an ocean, and think about the boat as your heart: as long as that boat stays on top of the water- on top of the ocean (the dunya) and doesn’t let the water in, it’s fine. It stays floating and it is ok. But as soon as that boat allows water into it, that’s when it sinks.

And this is the same way with dunya; as soon as we let dunya into our hearts and we start to become attached to it, we start to love it- when dunya no longer is a means, and instead you make it your end, you will sink. It is just like a person who says ‘the ocean is my end’.

What’s going to happen to you then when asked ‘where are you going?’ and you say: ‘the ocean. That’s where I’m going. That’s my goal.’?
If that’s your end you’re going to sink.

But if you use the ocean as a means you are just passing through: ‘I’m just passing through the ocean in order that I get to the next continent, we will manage to get to the next place.’ This is how dunya is...

Stay Afloat in the Ocean of Life - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sustained Awareness of Allah[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1- Say to yourself: I am in Allah's presence; He is watching me

2- Say to yourself: Everything I have has been given to me by Allah

3- Say to yourself: Nothing in this world can happen without His permission

4- Say to yourself: I am going to return to Allah one day and that day could be today.

[/FONT]Sustained Awareness of Allah - Advice - Shari`ah - OnIslam.net

 

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The Secret of Inner Peace: What the Prophet Knew

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions knew something that is not often displayed today.

They were able to face difficulty with a certain determination in their heart; they were grateful for even the seemingly small blessings; they took pleasure in praying at night while the people were asleep.

What they knew was this: if they sought Allah Almighty, they would not be let down...

So when a person reads the Quran, and Allah tells us He is with the patient – let us take comfort in that. When the Prophet tells us that Allah is too shy to turn away the hand that asks Him with nothing, let our hearts find rest in that Allah indeed has heard our supplication and will give us something.

Therefore, as we near the end of this section of things to know in seeking tranquility of the heart, let us take the Prophet as the example we should aspire to. He knew that if he followed the path to Allah, no matter the physical hardships, Allah's promise would prevail. And that gave him ultimate peace at heart.

What The Prophet Knew - About Muhammad - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

[LaaIlahaIllAllah]

JazakAllahu khair

 

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Thinking Well of Allah

Once we slip up or feel that we do not have the strength to continue, we do not think well enough of Allah (swt) to believe that He will guide us through. We must understand that when we think well of Allah, that is what we will find.

Think well of Allah (swt) when embarking on something difficult, even if you fail...

Think well of Allah when you are tested

Tests come to us in a myriad of ways. We have already discussed why tests happen in a previous post, so I will not discuss it too much here. We should just know that thinking well of Allah (swt) should make us look beyond the test. This test is something from Allah (swt), and He wants to teach us, to purify us from sin, to strengthen us, and to bring us closer to Him. We do not have a cruel God; our God is the Most Merciful of those who show Mercy. When we approach our tests with that frame of mind, we cannot but gain from our experience, insha’Allah.

So what does it mean to think well of Allah?

It means to take that step. When we mess up, even if we messed up in a major way, we return to Him. We return to Him recognizing that what we did was truly horrible, but we ask for His forgiveness because we know He is that forgiving, and that His Mercy encompasses everything. When we mess up again and again, and feel sick of ourselves, we return to Him with a sincere du’a (supplication) to help us stop, knowing that He will respond. It means having grand hopes and aspirations, and working towards them knowing that Allah (swt) “will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.” (Qur’an, 18:30)
Thinking Well of Allah

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Allah is Always Ready for You
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Allah Most High tells us in a hadith Qudsi,
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.”
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Let us have certainty that Allah will forgive us if we are sincere, and let us know that when we take steps towards Allah, Allah will come to us and bring us close to Him.[/FONT]
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As Imam Suhaib once reminded us,

“You might be far from Allah, but, He is close to you! Turn to Him and you will find Him.”
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Allah is Always Ready for You

 

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Contemplate Allah's Nearness to You
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There are many ways we can understand God’s nearness to us, and all of these increase our God-consciousness and strengthen our faith. One of these is that He is near to those who beseech Him and beg of Him...
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So many people who live only for the world never have the experience of such comfort and joy. They know only the physical pleasures of food, drink, and indulging their lusts. Yet, the most complete pleasure is that of nearness to God, which comes only through keeping His remembrance alive in our hearts and minds. We should teach our hearts to be more attached to God than to anything in creation. We should certainly feel close to our loved ones and friends. This is something natural and right.[/FONT]
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However, we should always remain aware of our relationship with God, which is beyond all of our worldly attachments. This is what brings true peace and happiness to every other aspect of our lives.[/FONT]
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God is with us when we remember Him, praise Him, and glorify His name. He is with us in His care and in the blessings that He showers upon us. Prophet Muhammad informed us that God says:[/FONT]
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"I am with someone when he remembers Me." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)[/FONT]
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When we are conscious of God’s nearness to us, we become acutely aware of His divinity, which in turn enhances our worship. We begin to worship God as though we see Him, and though we do not see Him. We see Him not with our eyes, nor do we hear Him with our ears, but we do so with our hearts and minds through the intensity of our awareness of Him...
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Contemplate Allah