Nafs

Is Your Body Your Temple?

The custom of most of us is to lavish attention on our bodies and neglect our spirits. The love of life drives us to ensure that we remain healthy so that we can live longer. We train and exercise to …

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Ramadan Day 23

Ramadan Day 23: Ramadan is the month of mujaahadah (striving) and our greatest mujaahadah would be to overcome the laziness and lack of motivation of the nafs in reciting the Qur’an.

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Ramadan Day 17

Ramadan Day 17: More than anything else Ramadhan is about the nafs and taqwa. Ramadhan is the month of mujaahadah (striving) and if we cannot strive against our nafs in this blessed month when the shayaateen are locked up, then …

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Ramadan Day 16

Ramadan Day 16: 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. …

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Ramadan Reflections 1

1. Fasting curbs our animalistic indulgence and carnality, and enables us to break free of the shackles of bestiality and soar to spirituality. 2. The Islamic purpose of fasting is to create taqwa: the soul’s own immune system, which develops …

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Self-Reflection

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in the Holy Qurān, فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ So let man look – from what is he created. [at Tariq 85/5] This verse reminds us that we should focus on …

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Abandon that which does not Concern you

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an, وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولاً “Do not pursue that regarding which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, the sight and …

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Control the Nafs

In a hadeeth Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentions: الكيس من دان نفسه وعمل لما بعد الموت والعاجز من اتبع نفسه هواها وتمنى على الله Intelligent is he who suppresses his nafs and works for that which is to …

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The Resident Enemy

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ “O believers, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you so that you may attain taqwa(consciousness of …

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Die Before Your Death

At the time of death, the dying man possesses certain attributes whose inculcation is understood from the following aphorism: “Die before your death.” The attributes that are in the perfect state in the dying man are tawba (repentance), zuhd (abstention), …

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Adorn Your Character

Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi  رحمة الله عليه, a great a scholar of the Indian subcontinent who died in 1905, wrote an article in which he listed the attributes and characteristics that are manifested in those who reach the rank of …

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Annihilate Your Nafs

One of the goals of tazkiya is to annihilate one’s nafs before one’s death. We should realise that in order to extinguish the nafs and thereby to be instilled with sublime qualities, much sacrifice has to be made. We will …

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The Real Passenger

Our whole life hangs by a thin thread and that thin thread is the spirit (ruh). It is amazing that we devote our entire attention to our body not our spirit. This body is a cage; the real spirit resides …

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Constancy in Remembrance of Allah and Negating Stray thoughts

Allah  سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an: أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find contentment [Sura al Ra’ad 13:28] A person should strive to remember Allah سبحانه وتعالى in every situation, whether …

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