akadmin, Author at Al Kawthar Academy

Hard of Heart

Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Auf رضى الله عنه repeatedly made the dua ‘Oh Allah! Protect me from the greed of my own soul’. A person who is greedy becomes enslaved to his own nafs and not to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Such a person becomes hard-hearted and it is very difficult to talk sense into a… Continue reading

Pause and Reflect

One of the main teachings of tazkiyah is muraqabah. Most people think that muraqabah is to sit in a dark room with one’s head bowed and meditate. The original meaning would literally mean ‘to watch over and monitor oneself’. We should, in general, meditate and reflect over our condition all the time, whenever we have… Continue reading

Attraction of Worldly Life

It is easy to be fooled in to thinking that happiness lies in wealth and successful education, employment and careers. Although none of these things should be overlooked and belittled altogether, we should question ourselves as to what lies in the heart and mind as opposed to the hand. There were sahabah رضى الله عنهم… Continue reading

High Expectations

In a hadeeth reported by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others it is reported that Sufyan ibn Abdullah al Thaqafi رضى الله عنه said: ‘I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I cannot ask anyone other than you.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah and… Continue reading

Experience True Love

Our religion has a lot to teach us about love. Once a person becomes immersed in the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم, nothing else means anything at all as the person reaches such a degree of imaan that he actually tastes the sweetness of imaan. How can this… Continue reading

Oh Allah! Grant my soul its taqwah and purify it

A famous du’a (supplication) of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is: اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَ مَوْلَاهَا ‘Oh Allah! Grant my soul its taqwa and purify it, for you are the best who can purify it, for you are the Master of my soul and you are… Continue reading

When my nafs tells me to remain silent…

An alim (scholar) was asked ‘How do you learn to control your tongue?’. His reply was amazing. He said ‘My way of controlling my tongue is as follows; whenever my nafs tells me to speak, I remain silent. Whenever my nafs tells me to remain silent, I speak’. There is a wealth of information in… Continue reading

Oh Nafs! Isn’t it true…?

One great scholar in a classical piece of writing addresses his nafs (soul) and says ‘Oh Soul! Admit! Isn’t it true that when I recite the Qur’an you feel fatigue, tiredness and you remind me of the need for the body to rest. You feel the desire to go away and lie down. You remind… Continue reading

Why do we still sin in Ramadhan?

Why do we still fall victim to desire and continue to sin during Ramadhan? We know that the shayateen (devils) are locked up in Ramadhan so why do we still persist in sin during this blessed month? This is not due to the shayateen misleading us but rather our own nafs. Committing certain sins has… Continue reading