Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Be Content With The Wealth You Have

Remember the many blessings you have, including health, knowledge, a roof above your head, and many other blessings you know and many you don't know

Inner peace and happiness comes from within.

Never be a slave to money, and always thank God for what you have

Being greedy and wanting more wealth all the time can only lead to unhappiness, anxiety and worry.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that the slave of the dinar will never be happy, so don't be that person if you are really searching for inner peace

 

[Cordoba]

Be Generous and Help Others

Helping those in need is a sign of kindness and mercy in the heart. It is something God loves, and those who do good deeds He increases them in faith and brings them closer to Him.

God is The Most Generous, and He encourages us to be generous, not only with wealth, but also with time. Spending a few minutes to talk to an elderly neighbor to cheer them up and make them feel that they are not alone brings them relief and gets them out of their loneliness. Making others happy is highly encouraged in Islam and highly rewarded.

And this is not limited only to humans, but to animals also. In a hadith it is mentioned that a prostitute gave water to drink to a thirsty dog, and God forgave her for that act of kindness

So don't underestimate any act of kindness, and help others if you are really searching for inner peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Seek Forgiveness from Allah

God loves those who repent and return to Him

One important thing to always remember is not to lose hope in God's forgiveness and mercy. His doors are always wide open, and He loves to see believers return to His Straight Path, which is the only path that gives them peace in this world and in the Hereafter.

God confirms His love in the Quran in this verse:

"... Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (2:222)

If you are really searching for God's love, repent to your Creator for your misdeeds, and you will increase in faith and in peace

 

[Cordoba]

Learn to Forgive

Forgiving others for minor issues is key to finding inner peace.

If your attitude is to take revenge from each person who does something you consider wrong, you will always be busy following other people's mistakes instead of being busy getting closer to God. Inner peace will then be difficult to obtain.

Try to minimize the distractions to your spiritual heart.Don't waste time and energy in trivial matters. Forgiving others makes the heart shine with serenity and leaves plenty of room for peace, as God loves those who treat people with mercy and forgiveness.

He is the All-Forgiving, so try to forgive if you are really searching for His forgiveness and peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Be Calm

Calmness is one of the important features of a person at peace.

They normally don't get into unnecessary arguments, they are polite with others, they don't rush from one place to another always in a hurry, they give enough time in the tasks they plan in their day, and they are patient.

All these and related attributes and manners help a believer remain calm from external factors, which is reflected in their internal state of peace.

If you are really searching for peace, don't lose your temper, and be as calm as you can.

 

[Cordoba]

Fill Your Heart with the Love of God

Love is a great blessing, as it brings peace to the heart

The foundation of any sound love is the love of God, our Creator, who loves us and gave us so many blessings, and to whom one day we shall return.

Through this love, a believer loves people to whom he/she is attached, like parents, spouse, children, friends, ... etc.

But before worldly love, divine love should take priority as it guides the heart in the right direction to finding peace in this world and in the Hereafter.

How to love God?

Follow His guidance, and remember that He is watching all your deeds and He hears all what you say, so do good and speak good.

If you are really searching for inner peace, remember God and fill your heart with His love.

 

[Cordoba]

Be Positive & Optimistic

Hope is an important factor a believer needs to have to attain inner peace

Islam is all about hope in a better future, here and in the Hereafter.

We have hope because we know that God hears our prayers, and that He responds to sincere prayers. This on its own is a door wide open to hope and optimism.

Being in a negative frame of mind does not help facing the hardships of life, its challenges and problems, so be positive, and take positive action to solve the problems you face in life.

God tells us in the Qur'an that having hope is one of the characteristics of believers:

"Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people." (12:87)

Do your best, trust in God and always have hope if you are really searching for peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Make God the Center of Your Life

When you make money the center of your life, you are worried all the time that it may decrease or that it may be stolen

This worry leads to anxiety, and always being in a state of unrest

If you make your career the center of your life, if there is a recession and you lose your job, this would be like the end of the world, and such a hardship would lead to misery

The same applies to all other distractions of this worldly life

The only way to save yourself from these worries and anxieties is to make God the center of your life.

When you do that, all the problems of life and all its challenges become trivial issues because now your heart is attached to God, the Creator. You are "awake" and you understand that this life is a test to bring us close to God, not a place we will live in forever.

This "awakening" leads to an important change of paradigms in one's life, as a believer in mainly concerned in being close to God, and in doing so good deeds, faith and inner peace increase.

So if you are really searching for peace, make God the center of your life, as He is the source of peace, and to Him one day we shall return.

So seek the Abode of Peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Free Yourself from Debt

Being in debt is not a nice situation to be in, especially when they are not repaid.

A debt causes worry and anxiety, in some cases, when it is difficult to repay

The consumer society encourages people to buy what they don't really need, and to "upgrade" to the latest model and the newest technology. Buy now and pay later is the slogan we see in many marketing campaigns, but what happens when people can't repay their debts?

Living within one's means is the wise approach for a believer to take.

Remember this worldly life is a transition, it is not the final destination. We are not here just to consume, consume, consume ... but we are here on a temporary journey to the Hereafter, so why chain yourself with debts for objects you don't really need?

If you are really searching for peace, get out of debt as soon as you can, and be self-dependent for your peace of mind

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Be Distracted By This Worldly Life

Do you love money?

Do you love status?

Are you deeply attached to the pleasures of this worldly life?

If the answer is yes, then you are not a free person.

To be "free" a believer needs to be liberated from the shackles of attachment to these pleasures. You know why?

Because they are not the final destination.

We are on a journey here, and our final destination is not money, as when we leave this world we can't take it with us to the Hereafter.

Remember that the final destination which all believers hope to reach is Heaven. So don't let life control you, YOU should be in control, not the other way round. Don't be a slave to money or status, be a free person and liberate yourself from these worldly distractions.

When you earn money, make it a tool to help you reach your final destination, but don't let it control you and don't make it your main objective in life.

If you are really searching for inner peace, don't be distracted from your main objective and remember your final destination.

 

[Cordoba]

Seek Perfection in Marriage

- If you are not yet married, do your best to choose the right spouse who will help you increase in faith and peace.

As Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

"A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. You should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a loser." (Al-Bukhari)

The same principle applies for a woman choosing her future husband.

A person who has God at the center of their lives and who have good manners are the best spouses for life's journey because they will help each other stay on the Straight Path, and will make their home a place of peace and tranquility.

- If you are already married, be good to your spouse, and help them increase in faith and in peace. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"The best of you are those who are the best to their wives. (At-Tirmidhi)

By being the best of people in the sight of Allah, God loves this good spouse and increases them in faith and peace.

At the level of the home, husband and wife who are in harmony and in peace together help each other on their path to God.

If you are really searching for inner peace, choose a religious, kind spouse and be good to them, so that you both increase in faith and peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Rise Up Quickly If You Fall: Repent and Learn

Have you ever watched a toddler learning to walk?

Next time you see one, reflect on the learning process that is going on.

After months of crawling, it's time for walking. The toddler gets up, takes a few steps, falls, then gets up again, takes a few more steps, then falls again.

This process goes on for a few weeks, or a few months, and it is an interesting reminder of the state of the believer on their path to God.

In the early stages of the path, it is normal to experience many falls.

Why?

Because the learning curve is very steep, and also because Satan does his best to misguide the new believer from God's Path.

So if we fall, we must get up quickly to resume the Path, or else we won't progress and we will stay in the same position.

That is why repentance is so important in Islam, because it brings the believer back to God's Path quickly, it gives hope, and it allows the journey to resume.

And that is why also learning in Islam is so important, as through learning we get to know where the pitfalls are and we avoid them in the future.

So repent and learn, repent and learn, repent and learn ... all your life if you want to have a safe journey to God, and by doing so increase in faith and increase in peace.

May Allah keep us all on His Straight Path

Ameen

 

[Cordoba]

Learn Islam: Knowledge is Light

On the long path to Allah, a believer needs knowledge to be able to follow the Straight Path till reaching the Abode of Peace, the final destination in the Hereafter.

Knowledge of Allah is the light which makes the Straight Path clear and visible, and without knowledge the believer may lose his way in the darkness of this world.

The first command revealed from God to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was (Read), a sign of how important reading and seeking knowledge and understanding is in Islam.

God's Guidance is summarized in the Qur'an, and detailed in the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and seeking knowledge should be with a pure intention for success in this world and in the Hereafter. When this is the case, as believers increases in knowledge and understanding, they also increase in faith and peace, as they get closer to Allah.

If you are really seeking inner peace, seek knowledge of Allah's Guidance and follow this guidance in your life as best as you can.

 

[Cordoba]

Keep the Company of Those Who Remind You of God

Friends have an important impact on us, as we are influenced by their ideas, their advice and the issues that interest them.

If you keep the company of a friend who is only interested in say football, it's very likely that most of your conversations will be about football.

When on the other hand your close friends love Allah, then most of your conversations will be about God, and this will help you remember God more often.

You will learn from their wisdom and knowledge, and gradually increase with them in faith and peace.

If you are really searching for peace, choose your friends very carefully

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Renew & Improve Your Intentions

The more sincere a believer, the more sincere is his intention in all what he does and says.

Before talking, a believer checks his intention to make sure that his intention in what he is about to say is for the sake of Allah, not for his ego or to take revenge, ... etc.

Talking too much without the right intention is very dangerous because these words will not bring you closer to Allah, and often can distance you from Him.

One thing you can do is to renew your intentions at least 5 times a day before or after the 5 daily prayers. Take yourself to account and make a determined resolution not to act or speak based on wrong intentions, as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

"[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Actions are (judged) by intentions (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended..."[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] (Hadith in Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

So do your best to refine your intentions on a daily basis if you really want to increase in peace and faith.[/FONT]

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Feel Sorry For What You Missed in The Past

One of Satan's tricks to make us unhappy is to remind you of past events, and make you regret worldly issues which you can't change.

For example, "if I had accepted that other job offer, it would have been much better for me."

The past is over, and won't come back, so forget about such issues if you want to find peace.

We learn from our past mistakes, yes, but in a constructive way to improve the present and the future, but don'tfeel sad and get into a negative frame of mind about what you can no longer change.

Thank God for what you have, ask Him for what you need, and be content in all cases if you are really searching for inner peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Spend Quality Time With God

When people are asleep at night, when it is quiet and calm before dawn, this is one of the best times to pray.

God informs us that He is near, and that He responds to those who invoke Him:

"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..." (2:186)

It is a time of peace, a time of serenity.

If you are really searching for inner peace do your best to be awake and praying before dawn, and spend the best time of your day being close to your Lord.

 

[Cordoba]

Be Certain That Your Prayers Will Be Answered

When you ask God for something you need, be certain that God will respond.

He may not respond to exactly what you asked immediately, but He answers it at the best suitable time which is good for you, whether in this life or in the Hereafter.

Having this trust in God is very important to increase in faith and peace, as it strengthens our belief in one of God's attributes that He answers prayers (Al-Mujeeb)

When all doors seem closed, remember that God's door is always open and that He responds to our prayers.

Never lose hope.

If you are really searching for peace, when you ask God ask Him with certainty that He will respond in the best way for you, and always keep hope.

 

[Cordoba]

Read The Qur'an and Reflect

One of the direct ways of finding peace is to read the Qur'an with reflection and contemplation.

Reading the Qur'an is as if God is speaking to us, as they are God's words.

Sometimes we may read the Qur'an quickly to finish a certain number of pages each day, but what is much better is to read slowly, ponder and think to understand and benefit from God's Guidance.

There are so many examples of believers in the Qur'an, God's Prophets and other righteous people. God mentions their stories and struggles as case studies for us to benefit from and as inspiration for us when we go through times of hardship, or times when we try to be closer to God.

Reading their stories gives peace and inspiration, and inspires patience and dedication. This increases the reader in faith, and when we increase in faith we increase in peace.

If you are really searching for peace, read the Qur'an and ponder on its wisdom, lessons and guidance.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Eat and Sleep Too Much

Human beings have two main components: the spiritual and the material.

In Islam, God encourages us to keep the right balance between the two: to care for the body and to care for the soul.

Taking care of the body should be with moderation, so don't eat and drink too much as if you do that you would harm your body, and you will sleep too much, and make your soul lazy and not responsive to acts of worship which bring you closer to God.

In Ramadan, during one month of the year, we starve our body to nurture our soul. Ramadan is approaching, and will be here in a few weeks, so get ready to benefit of the spirituality of Ramadan by reducing your intake of food, to increase in spirituality and peace.

If you are really searching for peace, reduce the quantity of food in your meal, sleep less and increase in worship and spirituality.