Towards a tranquil soul Flashcards
What is Tazkiyyah
The science that leads to Ihsan
Purifying your mind/ heart and doing things for the sake of Allah only
What is the difference between Islam, Iman and Ihsan
Islam - 5 pillars
Iman - belief
Ihsan - you pray and see Allah or know that Allah sees you
Tazkiyyah is a sunnah? true or false
False, it is fardh, you should cleanse your heart and purify yourself
Have to be able to recognise this in order to change
What are some ailments of the heart
pride, jealousy, envy, arrogance, hard hearted
Why is the human referred to as ‘al-Insan’
- due to his negligence and forgetfulness (nisyan)
- provides and requires affection (uns) from others
- attains knowledge and understanding through perception (iynas)
explain this: the three people to enter hell are the outwardly good, scholar and philanthropist
was it sincerely done for Allah or just for the praise and approval of others
Always review your actions and ask why am I doing this
What are the 4 elements - what makes us human
heart - qalb
intellect - aql
soul - ruh
spirit/ego - nafs
heart - qalb
used to refer to the organ
in tazkiyyah, means to indicate a subtle spiritual and cognitive force
intellect - aql
refers to the force of knowledge and the capacity through which one knows
mind should lead you to the truth
soul - ruh
refers to a subtle entity which lies in the cavity of the physical heart
existed before your body
is the real deal
ego - nafs
refers to the destructive side of man within which anger exists
greater enemy than shaytan
if it is not worked on, it can be your downfall
the nafs remains the same throughout a person life, true or false
false it goes through stages of development throught the process of discipling the nafs
what are the three stations of the ego/nafs
- Al-nafs al-Ammarah bil Su’u
- Al-nafs al-Lawwamah
- Al-nafs al-Mutma’inna
Al-nafs al-Ammarah bil Su’u
the spirit/inside voice that commands to evil
constant struggle
battle between you and ego
What things can you do to weaken your nafs
eat little
sleep little
speak little
be patient with people if they harm you
Al-nafs al-Lawwamah
the self blaming soul
what are the 2 impulses in Al-nafs al-Lawwamah
one from an angel which calls towards good and confirms truth
another from the enemy (nafs or shaytan) causing doubt and forbids good
in Al-nafs al-Lawwamah, the person is attempting to rectify their soul, true or false
true, eg through fasting, charity and upholding justice
Al-nafs al-Mutma’inna
the tranquil soul
this is the ultimate goal
calls you towards good and pushes against evil
you feel so calm and serene that wordly pressures are nothing
use of the term - heart
refers to the subtle spiritual faculty within man that is the seat of understanding and moral responsibility
get the heart right, get the whole body right
true
Allah looks at that place that no-one else can, what is it
qalb
not money or influence, rather the goodness or darkness of your heart
Two main categories of spiritual diseases
defective understanding and doubts - shubuhat
carnal desires - shahawat
Two main categories of spiritual diseases
defective understanding and doubts - shubuhat
carnal desires - shahawat
2 types of hearts in the sunnah
trials will affect hearts
dark in your heart - black mark, unable to recognise good nor reject evil
pure heart - not harmed by trials, light in your heart
the heart can be strengthened or weakened, explain
if it is weakened it falls victim to an array of spiritual illness - arrogance, backbiting…
the pure heart, light of faith is bright, it rejects trials which further increases light and strength
The heart is akin to the controlling centre of the human
other parts of the body are subservient to it
what are the signs of a healthy heart
- believers are those whose hearts tremble when God is mentioned and faith is increased when His signs are recited and those who put their trust in Him
- whoever is pleased with their good actions and saddened with their bad actions
what are the signs of a dead heart
fail to reflect over the signs that God has placed in the universe
neglectful heedlessness. Lack of remorse over ones spiritual state. No regret over committing wrong actions. Normalise or devalue the enormity of the sin, treat it as something light.
dont let your past hold you back from achieving high ranks
true
examples: Malcolm X
dont let your past hold you back from achieving high ranks
true
examples: Malcolm X
hold your rage and forgive people, and do good
true
what causes death of the heart
- love of the world
- heedlessness of the remembrance of God
- allowing the limbs to freely commit acts of disobedience
life is given to the heart by 3 things
- making do with little of the world
- being constantly engaged in the remembrance of God
- keeping company with those beloved to God
signs of the heart being dead
- lack of remorse over missing out on good acts
- no regret over committing wrong actions
- keeping company of those who are like the dead
the company you keep will affect you
true
spiritual awakening - feeling heartfelt remorse over wasted days
a feeling in your heart that you need to turn your life around, start to do good to make up for previously doing bad
3 things that heighten one’s remorse for wasted days
- knowledge
- giving one’s ear to good counsel - careful who you listen to
- keeping the company of the righteous
if you are sincere, your actions will match your intentions
true
8 diseases of the tongue
lying breaking one's promise backbiting argumentation talking oneself up cursing other people praying against mankind jest and mockery
is it always forbidden to lie or relay fiction
if there is an overwhelming benefit in relaying an untruth, then it becomes permissible
what is al-tawriyyah
being disingenuous with the truth, omitting certain pieces of information, using ambiguous language
can be used in a situation of need
is backbiting ever permitted
it is permitted and sometimes an obligation to convey information about someone which they may not like to be known with the condition that there is a well defined wider benefit in doing so, otherwise it is haram
also when seeking a fatwa
or when it comes to marriage e.g. they drink alcohol…
tell them as minimum as possible
plan of action with regards to your tongue
solitude and holding to silence
committing oneself to a regime of leaving the diseases of the tongue
being vigilant of one’s words
Prophetic gems regarding the tongue
do not talk excessively without remembering God, because it can cause the heart to harden
define taqwah
to seek to protect oneself
God-consciousness
acting in obedience to God with the intention of seeking His pleasure and leaving the acts of disobedience
sincere love of God
what are the 5 stations of taqwa
- disbelief which is the station of submission (al Islam)
- the forbidden which is the station of repentance (al-Tawba)
- doubtful matters which is the station of scrupulousness (al-Wara)
- extraneous matters which is the station of doing without (al Zuhd)
- ‘other than God’ occupying the heart which is the station of vigiliance (al Muraqabah)
how many ‘organs’ of the body are there to protect from wrong action
7 through taqwa
these are:
ears, eyes, tongue, stomach, private parts, hands and feet
what is ijtinab
leaving wrong actions
what is imtithal
performing good actions
how to rectify the limbs (2 acts)
ijntinab and imtithal
how to rectify the heart (2 acts)
takhali and tahali
what is takhali
ridding oneself of blameworthy traits
what is tahali
acquiring praiseworthy qualities
how many doors does jahanam have
7
how are the ears mentioned in the Quran
in Surat al Kahf, they are the one faculty by which sleep is disturbed
how can one protect their hearing
through ijtinab and avoiding listening to backbiting etc…
how to protect one’s eyes
lower your gaze and guard modesty
What is ikhlas
sincerity
checking and rectifying one’s intention to the point that whatever we do corresponds to what our intention is
speech gives an insight into the health of our heart, true or false
true
eat and drink but don’t be…
excessive
4 things to be wary of
eating too much
arrogance
considering ones actions to be substantial
forgetting ones wrong actions
benefits of hunger
- purification of the heart and awakening of intuition
- tenderness and purity of the heart
- submission
- not forgetting the trials and torments from God on those that are afflicted by them
- curbing the lusts of all defiances
- warding of sleep and maintaining continuous wakefulness
- facilitating continuous worship
- soundness of the body as a result of little food
- lessening of ones financial outgoings
- being responsive and generous
how to avoid overeating
avoid excess - cut down slowly
regime of regular fasting - Mondays and Thursdays, 13/14/15th of the month…
eating what is halal and wholesome
if you are invited to eat at someones house whose income is haram…
if their income source is >50% haram then do not
overconsumption of food has a strong link to increased sexual desire, true or false
true
how to protect the hands from injustice
dont strike anyone, handle unlawful wealth, harm any of God’s creations, misappropriating a trust or something that belongs to someone else, writing something that is not permissible to utter
be careful of anything you cant defend on the day of judgement
true
how to protect ones feet from wrong actions
prevent them from going to seek what is haram e.g. nightclub and instead go to the mosque
what is an important step in spiritual awakening
realising that you need to change
importance of gradual change
cultivating good habits doing little by little everyday can result in big changes in the long run
3 R’s of tawbah
Removing oneself from prohibited acts
Remorse over previous conduct
Resolve not to return back to former ways
