Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

A Thankful Heart Leads to Inner Peace

Being thankful is a sign of a heart at peace.

It's a sign of a spiritual heart which is content.

When we thank God, we remember His blessings ... we look at the full half of the cup.

Those who don't thank God and complain for what they want and don't have, look at the empty half of the cup.

Be positive and grateful. When you reach the level of contentment you will be pleased with what you have, even if it is not a lot.

As Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

"The true richness is the richness of the heart."

If you are really searching for peace, be content and thank Allah.

 

[Cordoba]

Peace in Obeying God

God's Path is the Straight Path which leads to peace in this world and in the Hereafter

By obeying God's Commands and following His Straight Path, a believer finds peace, because he knows that what God has commanded is for our own good, and what He has forbidden is to protect us from harm.

When you love someone, you listen to what they say and a believer who loves God listens to His commands and does the best effort to please Him by obeying Him.

If you are really searching for peace, obey God and follow His Straight Path.

 

[Cordoba]

Peace in Less Consumerism

The culture of consumerism is the dominant culture in today's world.

But is it making people happy?

The answer is no, it is making people more busy and distracted from Allah, the real source of peace.

If you are really searching for peace, consume less and pay more attention to the real source of peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Peace of a Tranquil Heart

Tranquility is a gift God gives to believers who accept what happens in life with serenity.

Believers understand that there are things which happen in life that they cannot change.
They believe in God's Wisdom and submit to His Will.

If you are searching for inner peace, submit to God's Will

 

[Cordoba]

Peace of Mind Leads to Inner Peace

When one is too worried about the future or too sad about the past, the mind is not at rest.

Living the present in a positive way is the wise approach for reaching peace of mind, which leads to a general state of inner peace.

If you are searching for inner peace, be positive; don't worry about the future and don't be sad about the past

 

[Cordoba]

Empty Your Heart from the Love of This World

The spiritual heart is like a cup.

If it is filled with the love of this world, it will not have space for the love of Allah.

This is why for finding peace through the love of God it is so important to empty the heart from other distractions in order to dedicate the heart to the love of Allah.

Does that mean a believer should neglect this world?

The answer is no. Do your best effort for a better life for your family, but in doing so don't put this world into your heart.

Keep for example wealth in your hand and don't love it to the extent that it occupies your heart.

Keep your spiritual heart for Allah's love, if you are really searching for inner peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Seek Forgiveness on a Regular Basis

One of the purposes of the 5 daily prayers is to help us remember Allah throughout the day, and to seek His forgiveness to erase our sins.

In addition to that, Muslims are encouraged to seek forgiveness during the last third of the night.

Why?

Because each sin done during the day leaves a black spot on the "spiritual" heart.

When sins increase, the black cover on the heart grows, and eventually prevents the light of faith from illuminating the heart.

When we seek God's forgiveness, these black spots are cleaned, and the heart shines with faith and tranquility.

It becomes more receptive to receiving more lights of faith from God, as the believer grows in faith and peace.

If you are really searching for peace, seek forgiveness and minimize your sins.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Lose Your Precious Time in Trivial Issues

Time is precious for a believer, and should be spent in the most efficient way which brings us closer to our Creator.

On the other hand, we cannot spend all day in worship and doing good deeds, as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, advised us to dedicate time to recreation in order not to be saturated.

At the same time, don't waste hours watching football or other entertainments or trivial matters.

Finding the right balance is therefore very important for a successful journey to Allah, and each time of the day has its special features which requires a special order of priority in selecting what to do.

For example, if you are awake during the last third of the night, then seeking Allah's forgiveness and asking Him what you need takes priority.

When you hear the call to prayer, then the best thing you can do at that time is respond and go to pray.

When you receive a visit from relatives or friends, then the best thing to do is to welcome them... and so on.

With good time management, and good order of priority of what you do, you will get closer to Allah, and find more peace.

If you are really searching for inner peace, be careful with good time management

 

[Cordoba]

Remember God Before Sunrise & Sunset

These are two special times of the day.

Sunrise gives hope in a new day, as darkness turns into light, birds wake up and start singing and we can see the beauty of nature.

This is an important time to remember God and to feel inner peace.

Sunset is also another special moment, as day turns into night, the moon and the stars start to be visible in this amazing universe and birds again give us sweet background noise as they go to sleep.

Another important time of the day to remember the Creator of this world, praise Him and thank Him for His many bounties.

If you are searching for inner peace, remember God morning and evening.

 

[Cordoba]

Read Qur'an at Dawn

Why read the Qur'an?

Because it is God's Guidance for a happy life here and in the Hereafter.

The Qur'an gives light and peace to a believer, as reading it is like listening to God talking to us.

There is a special time of the day for reading mentioned in the Qur'an, which is at dawn, when angels descend to earth. God says:

"Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur'an of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed." (17:78)

Start a new day with inspiration from God's Words, with serenity and with the light of Qur'anic guidance if you are really searching for peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Peace in Times of Turmoil and Chaos: Don't Despair

How does one find inner peace with so much chaos around the world every day on the News?

The answer is to be logical and recognize that there are many things beyond our control.

Human suffering is painful to see, even on the News, and if nothing can be done about it directly, at least we can pray for them.

At the same time, keep your relation with God as strong as you can, and ask Him to protect you and your loved ones from this turmoil.

If you are really searching for inner peace, don't give in to sadness and despair

 

[Cordoba]

Always Remember That God is Near

Why worry when God is near?

He says in the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon 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)

God knows what we are worried about, and He invites believers to call upon Him, and He will respond.

He is near believers with His Love

He is near believers with His Kindness and Mercy

This reminder brings peace to the heart, so don't forget

 

[Cordoba]

Peace in Being Positive

Being negative is not encouraged in Islam, as a believer must always have hope.

Being positive about the future helps open the doors of hope and this helps motivate a believer to do a better effort to achieve what they want.

This leads to a state of mind which is full with optimism and tranquility, which contributes to inner peace.

Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an:Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53)

So do your best and ask God for help.

If you are really searching for peace, be positive: there is always hope

 

[Cordoba]

Peace of a Thankful Heart

Don't complain for what you don't have, but be thankful for what you do have.

Sometimes God does not give you what you want because you are unaware that it may cause you more harm than benefit.

So rather than complain for what you don't understand, it's best for your spiritual heart and inner peace to thank Allah for all the blessings you have, which you can't even count.

If you are searching for inner peace, be grateful and thank Allah for what you have

 

[Cordoba]

Why Being Content is So Important

A heart that is not content with what God has decreed will never find peace.

This person will always be complaining about what they don't have, instead of being thankful with all what they have.

So don't be that person.

Be a person who is aware that this worldly life is only a transition, it is not the final destination.

And as long as you have what is sufficient to keep you going in peace, why worry and be distracted by things that don't last?

Keep going in life in peace and serenity, be thankful and be content

That is when you will find inner peace

 

[Cordoba]

Do Your Best, Be Patient Then Relax

God does not burden us with more than we can stand.

Sometimes when people are faced with hardships, they start wondering why God put them in such a difficult trial.

But God does not expect us to solve all the problems we face in one go, He asks us to do our best, seek His help and trust in Him with patience.

He has a plan for the events we go through in life, though sometimes we may not understand some of them at first sight.

Patience is an important key to inner peace, so just relax.

He is in charge, not you.

 

[Cordoba]

Be a Free Person to Find Peace

In our path to Allah, we often find that it is sometimes difficult to break free from life's chains and shackles.

There are prohibitions in Islam which God warned us from, like alcohol, to help us stay free people, free from addiction.

There are other types of chains in this world, like love of status, career and wealth, which are also dangerous if we allow them to take over our hearts.

If you want to be free and at peace, beware from both types of chains (the dangerous ones like alcohol and drugs and the more subtle ones like career and status...)

If you are really searching for peace, don't enslave yourself to this worldly life, and keep your heart attached to the Creator

 

[Cordoba]

Be Calm - God Has a Plan

Keep your calm when you face difficulties, as getting nervous will not help solve the problem

It's actually the opposite

In order to think well and find the right solution, you need to keep calm

So keep calm and peace will come

P.S. Important Disclaimer:

Inner peace is not the ultimate goal.

It is a spiritual state that helps a believer get closer to Allah

 

[Cordoba]

Spread Peace

As I was praying a little while ago, in ending the prayer we turn to the right and say:

as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatul-Allah (may the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you), then we turn to the left and repeat this salam a second time.

When praying in congregation, one ends up spreading peace to all those on his right hand side and all those on his left.

And it struck me that this is a summary of what Islam is all about:

Connect with the Creator in prayer and find peace, then when the prayer is over spread that peace around you in your dealings with others.

This is our mission in this life: worship God, find peace then spread peace.

And accomplishing our mission is what brings us peace in this world and eternal peace in the world to come

So if you are really searching for eternal peace, don't forget to spread peace around you.

 

[Cordoba]

Liberate Your Soul By Going Back to Your Creator

The human soul needs nourishment, in the same way that the body needs nourishment.

And the nourishment of the soul is the remembrance of Allah.

When a person is away from God, either claims He does not exist, or if they know He exists they don't make the effort of communicating with God, the soul becomes impoverished.

It becomes sad, though a person may pretend to be "happy" through material means.

The only way to find peace is to go back to Allah, to communicate with Him through prayer and reading His words and to follow His Guidance.

If you are really searching for peace, return to Allah.