Spiritual Health and Purification of the Soul

[Cordoba]

Strengthen Your Faith by Spending More Time with God

When you love someone, you want to spend more time with them.

The same applies to a believer's relation with God.

The more time you spend with Him, praying and reading the Qur'an, the more your faith becomes stronger.

By reading the stories of God's Prophets in the Qur'an, we learn many spiritual lessons and increase in wisdom and understanding. And by praying, we feel closer and feel a direct relation with Him.

The stronger the faith, the stronger the peace.

So if you are really searching for peace, spend more time with God, and He will increase you in faith and peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Strengthen Your Faith by Fasting

Fasting makes a person focus less on the material, and focus more on the spiritual.

It helps a believer come closer to God

More spirituality leads to more peace

If you are really looking for peace, fast and prepare for Ramadan

 

[Cordoba]

The Triangle of Inner Peace

I read yesterday an article titled The Triangle of Inner Peace, which gives three main components for finding peace:

1- Contentment

2- Trust in God

3- Love of God

Without contentment, we will never have peace, because "starting on the path to peace means deciding to be content"

Trusting God is important to get rid of worry and anxiety, as we believe that God is in control, and He takes care of the lives of believers.

Finally, loving God is important, as He is the Source of all love, and to Him our love should be directed in return.

If you are really looking for peace, be content, trust in God and love Him.

 

[Cordoba]

Do Your Best and Trust God's Plan

God loves those who put their trust in Him and rely upon Him (those who have tawakkul), as mentioned in the Qur'an:

"So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you.

So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]." (3:159)

Trusting that God is always there, that He cares for His creatures and that He responds to them when they call upon Him is a great source of inner peace.

If you are really searching for peace do your best and don't worry.

He is in charge, not you.

 

[Cordoba]

Find a Serene Mosque

Some mosques are more serene than others

The location is important and also the people there

I recently entered a mosque for the first time.

It was in the afternoon, there were few people there, and as I prayed I felt a sense of inner peace.

When I finished praying, birds were singing outside, and a nice gentle wind was blowing in from the window

There was serenity all over the place, and a lot of peace

If you are really searching for peace, find a serene mosque ... It will make a lot of difference

 

[Cordoba]

Remember that This Life is a Transition: It is Not the Final Destination

In order to find inner peace and remain in a state of tranquility, one needs to be focused on the final destination.

If your final objective is an eternal happy life in Paradise, then always keep that goal in mind.

What helps us to do that is our daily recitation of (Al-Fatiha) in our prayers, as we ask Allah to guide us to His Straight Path a minimum of 17 times per day.

If you are really searching for peace, remain focused and keep calm.

 

[Cordoba]

The Human Soul Can Only Find Peace When Connected to Its Creator

I was recently listening to a famous Muslim scholar talking about the human soul which God gives each human being at birth.

One of the interesting things he said was that the human soul longs to be connected to God, and this is one of the reasons why God prescribed the daily prayers.

For a Muslim, each of the five daily prayers is a golden opportunity to put this worldly life on hold for a few minutes, and give the soul precious moments of connection with the Divine.

So if you are searching for inner peace, pray, read the Qur'an or simply remember God.

This is how the human soul finds rest and peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Nourish Your Soul

When people feel sad or depressed, most often they forget to nourish their soul.

We have a tendency to forget that we are both body and soul.

If you focus on nourishing and caring for the body only, the physical side will be OK, but not the spiritual.

If you are really searching for inner peace, nourish your soul with the remembrance of your Creator

 

[Cordoba]

Help Those Who Need Help

One day, many years ago, a policeman saw two men on the street.

The stronger among them had taken the possessions of the weaker, and as Malik (the policeman) came closer to the scene, he heard him say God will ask you on the Day of Judgment that you took away the gifts I was taking home to my small little girls to make them happy.

On hearing that, Malik intervened, took the gifts from the oppressor and returned them to the other man.

Before leaving, he asked him to ask his daughters to pray for him (Malik at that time was an alcoholic far from God's Path).

Upon returning home, something happened and the light of faith entered his heart, he gave up alcohol and became a righteous person.

The morale of this story is always be on the side of those who need help, and never be with the oppressors if you want God to fill your heart with faith and peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Living in Peace is the Opposite of Living in Fear

Q: Why do some people suffer from fear?

A: Often it is due to worry about the future.

And why should a believer worry about the future if they believe in "Qadar" (i.e. measured destiny)?

This is one of the six pillars of faith in Islam, and a tremendous source of inner peace for believers.

Faith gives you calmness and peace, as you know that your sustenance was already determined before you were born.

The "monopoly" mentality of maximizing profits is not the objective of believers, as they know one day they will leave this world and won't be able to take their wealth with them.

So why worry about something which will be of no benefit?

Do your best, ask God's help, be content with what you have and don't worry about the future. God will provide.

 

[Cordoba]

Finding Peace in Daily Prayers

The five daily prayers in Islam are a time of spiritual uplifting, a golden opportunity to forget life's problems for a few minutes and connect with the Divine.

It's a time for the human spirit to take over from the body.

Though we move while praying and prostrate to our Creator, it is the soul which ascends closer to Allah, where it belongs.

Praying reminds us how tiny we are compared to God's universe, and this leads to humility, an important remedy which all humans need to overcome arrogance.

When you feel connected to God, that's when you will find peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Waste Time in Futile Arguments

Some people like to argue for the sake of arguing.

They are not searching for the Truth, and their only aim is to prove others wrong.

Don't waste your time with them, as time is the most precious thing you have.

Use your time in a productive way, and remember God more often.

That is the path of inner peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Be Happy with Material Possessions: They Come and Go

Most people are happy when their wealth increases, and are sad when it decreases.

Change is part of the nature of this world, and nothing stays the same.

If you have the basics covered, don't be happy with increase in your wealth so that later on you are not sad when it decreases.

Yes, a believer must thank God for His bounties, and part of thanking God is to give to charity to help others, but don't let the love of this world's possessions take over your heart.

A wise believer controls wealth, not the other way round, and does not fill the heart with the love of this wealth, as in the case their would be little space left for the love of God.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Be Deceived by the Glitter of this Worldly Life

Many people are deceived by this worldly life.

Some love money so much they dedicate all their effort and focus on making a fortune and always want more wealth, never satisfied with what they have.

Would such a person find inner peace if they continue this way all their life?

Others spend their lives in search of power and fame, but what happens when the media is no longer interested and the "star" fades away?

This is the real lesson from the dangers of being deceived by this worldly life: sooner or later power, fame, youth, beauty, strength and wealth fade away.

So wake up before it's too late, and seek what lasts forever if you are really searching for peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Close to God's Nature

Go out in the beautiful country side, to the mountains or near the ocean to enjoy the beauty of nature which God created.

There is something inside us which appreciates beauty, and when we see nature's beauty we remember our Creator.

Doing so brings inner peace to believers and it makes us "calm down" inside and relax knowing and remembering that He is out there, and that He cares for us and responds to our prayers.

On weekends and holidays, make the most out of it when you have time off to enjoy nature and find more peace.

A sample of the world's most amazing waterfalls:

 

[Cordoba]

Humbleness is Key to Finding Peace

In contemplating this amazing universe we live in, a believer who reflects and is sincere must come to the conclusion that our Creator is so Great, and we are so insignificant and small.

This conclusion should lead to an inner feeling of humbleness and this feeling leads to inner peace, as we submit to the will of God, and admit we are His servants.

The opposite of humbleness is arrogance, a trait God dislikes as how can a human being be arrogant in his/her relation with God when they are so small and insignificant?

So if you are searching for inner peace, be humble in your relation with God and with fellow human beings.

 

[Cordoba]

Patience & Thankfulness

These are the two main states a believer goes through.

Patience when faced with hardship, and thankfulness in times of ease.

For coming closer to God, and increasing in inner peace, always praise Him for His bounties, and thank Him for all what you have.

And when you face a difficulty, be patient and ask Him for help, as you know He responds. But be patient because the answer is not necessarily immediate, it can take time. So don't give up on your prayers, He wants you to persist.

Prophet Jacob, peace be upon him, faced a serious trial when his beloved son Joseph went missing for many years. He was patient, and though he lost his eye-sight at old age from grief, he kept hope and continued to pray to God.

After many years, he was finally reunited with Joseph, and the reward of patience was closeness to God.

So always be patient and thankful, as these are the two main paths for peace.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Raise Your Expectations in this Worldly Life

This life we live in has two main aspects: the material side and the spiritual side.

There is an important concept taught in HR courses related to motivation and demotivation: if the outcome is higher than expectations, people are satisfied and motivated (and vice versa).

So one of the secrets of finding contentment and balance in this world is not to raise expectations on the material side (wealth, power, health, ... etc.). Always remember those who have less than you and count your blessings, don't compare yourself to those who have more than you.

In doing that you will be content, and contentment leads to inner peace.

On the spiritual side however, strive to improve and to purify your soul and to rid your heart from spiritual diseases.

This world is a transition, so do your best for it to be a successful transition, and you will find peace In-Shaa-Allah

 

[Cordoba]

Be Content

One of the secrets of a heart at peace is contentment.

Many people feel unhappy because they believe what they have is not enough, or when they compare their wealth with their peers or neighbors they feel inferior.

"Superiority" is never a matter of wealth, as we read and hear of many people who are super-rich but despite that live a very unhappy life.

True richness is the richness of the heart, so don't be fooled by money.

To help you feel contentment, never compare yourself with those who have more than you, but always remember those who have less.

By looking at the full half of the cup, contentment will gradually enter your heart, so thank God and don't complain.

 

[Cordoba]

Don't Lose Hope

One of the secrets of a heart at peace is hope.

We know for sure that God can change any difficulty in the blink of an eye, and that after hardships there will be ease.

So why lose hope?

Allah (SWT) tells us in the Qur'an that it's only the disbelieving people who lose hope in God's Mercy.

He is the Most Merciful and He wants what is best for us, even though we may not understand the wisdom of some of the hardships we face in life.

Hope brings peace to a worried heart, so if you are searching for peace, never lose hope.

Tomorrow will be a better day In-Shaa-Allah.