Tranquillity of the Soul

Transcription

1 هلل للا طمئنية النفس أ م ا ب ع د ف ي ا ع ب ا د للا: ات ق وا للا ت ع ال ى و اع ل م وا أ ن د ين ن ا الح ن ي ف ه و د ي ن الح ي و ي ة و الق و ة و الص ح ة و الف ت و ة ج اء ف ي ت و ج يه ات ه الح ك يم ة و إ ر ش اد ات ه الق و يم ة م ا ي م د اإل ن س ا ن ب أ س ب ا ب الص ح ة ف ي ن ف س ه و ع ق ل ه و ب د ن ه و ر وح ه ح ت ى ت ك ت م ل ق د ر ت ه ع ل ى ت ح م ل أ ع ب ا ء الت ك ال ي ف الش ر ع ي ة و ال ي خ ف ى أ ن م ع ن ى ص ح ة األ ب د ا ن خ ل وه ا م ن األ م ر ا ض و األ س ق ام و م ع ن ى ص ح ة الع ق و ل ب ر اء ت ه ا م ن الع ت ه و الج ن و ن و النق ص ان و أ م ا ص ح ة النف و س ف ه ي ك ام ن ة ف ي س الم ت ه ا م ن الح س د و الق ل ق و الو س و ا س و األ ح ز ان و ت ن عم ه ا ب الر ض ا و الس ك ين ة و اله د و ء.و االط م ئ ن ان أ يه ا الم سل م و ن: إ ن الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة ال ت ت ح ق ق أل ي م ن ا إ ال ح ا ل است ش ع ار ه ب أ ن ه ع ب د هلل و أ ن ن ف س ه م ل ك ل ه ن م ال ك ه ا و ف يم ا ي س م ح ب ه الم و ل ى س ب ح ان ه و ي و س ع ف ي ه ل ع ب اد ه و است ح ض ا ر ت ع ال ى ال ي ت ص ر ف ف يه ا إ ال ب إ ذ الع ب ود ي ة ب ه ذ ا الم ع ن ى ه و م ع ن ى إ س ال م الو ج ه ر ب الع ال م ين و ب س ب ب ه أ ث ن ى الم و ل ى ع ل ى الخ ل ي ل إ ب ر اه ي م - ال م ن س ف ه ن ف س ه و ل ق د اص ط ف ي ن اه ف ي الدن ي ا و إ ن ه ف ي ع ل ي ه الس ال م - ع ن د م ا ق ا ل: )و م ن ي ر غ ب ع ن م ل ة إ ب ر اه ي م إ ا ل خ ر ة ل م ن الص ال ح ي ن )031( إ ذ ق ا ل ل ه ر ب ه أ س ل م ق ا ل أ س ل م ت ل ر ب ال عال م ي ن )030( )سورة البقرة( و م و اق ف ه ذ ا الن ب ي الع ظ ي م - ع ل ي ه الس ال م - ت د ل ع ل ى ت م تع ه ب أ ع ل ى م ا ي م ك ن أ ن ت ت م ت ع ب ه الن ف س اإل ن س ان ي ة م ن ص ح ة ن ف س ي ة ك ام ل ة و ح س ب ن ا م ن ذ ل ك ت و جه ه ب الن ص ائ ح الم ت ع د د ة أل ب يه ر غ م إ ص ر ا ر ذ ل ك األ ب ع ل ى م و اق ف ه و ع د م است ج اب ت ه ل و ل د ه و م ا ك ا ن ش ي ء م ن ذ ل ك ل ي ؤ ث ر في ن ف س ي ة س ي د ن ا إ ب ر اه ي م -ع ل ي ه الس ال م - م ع ك ون ه صغ ي ر الس ن ش ل م ا ع ر ض ه ق و م ه ع ل ى الن ا ر ل ي ل ق وه ف يه ا و ب ق ي ط الج أ و م ا ز اد ه إ ال ش د ة ع ز يم ة و ق و ة م ض اء.و ه ك ذ ا ك ا ن ر اب و اض ط ر اب ف ي ن ف س ه ي الز م ه ب ق ي ة ح ي ات ه. م ت ف ان ي ا ف ي النص ح و اإل ر ش اد و ل م ي ك ن ع ق اب ه م م ؤ ث ر ا أ ي خ ل ل أ ع ب اد للا:م ن م ث ل ت ل ك الم و اق ف ل أل ن ب ي ا ء و الص ال ح ي ن م ن ع ب ا د ي ت ب ي ن ل ن ا أ ن الن ف س اإل ن س ان ي ة ال ت ن ع م ب ص ح ة ن ف س ي ة ج ي د ة إ ال ب ق د ر م ا و ق ر ف ي ق ل ب ص اح ب ه ا م ن إ ي م ان ف اإل ي م ا ن الم ت ك ام ل ت ن ع ك س آث ار ه ع ل ى ص اح ب ه و ت ب د و م ظ اه ر ه ف ي السل و ك و الت ص رف ات و الم و اق ف و االست ج اب ات ف إ ن م ن ك ا ن ذ ا إ ي مان ث اب ت و ي ق ين ق و ي ب ا هلل ر الم ن ع م ج ل و ع ال ع ل ى الم و اه ب و ي د ل ه إ ي م ان ه ع ل ى الم خ ر ج ت ع ال ى ي و ف ق ه للا ف ي الص ب ر ع ل ى الن و از ل و ش ك م ن االض ط ر اب ا ت الن ف س ي ة م ن ح ز ن و غ ض ب و ب ط ر و ك ب ر و ح س د و م ق ت و غ يب ة و ب ه ت و ك ذ ب و خ ي ان ة ن س ا ن ف ي أ ح س ن ت ق و يم )4( ث م ر د د ن اه أ س ف ل س اف ل ي ن )5( إ ال ال ذ ي ن آم ن وا و ع م ل وا ي ق ول للا س ب ح ان ه: ل ق د خ ل ق ن ا اإل الص ال ح ات ف ل ه م أ ج ر غ ي ر م م ن ون )6( )سورة التين ( أ ي غ ي ر م ق ط وع ف ب ي ن س ب ح ان ه ف ي ه ذ ه ا لي ا ت أ ن اإل ي م ان ه و ال ذ ي م ن ع ه م م ن الت ر د ي أ س ف ل س اف ل ين و ج ا ء اإل ي م ا ن م ق د م ا ع ل ى ع م ل الص ال ح ا ت و ك ال األ م ر ي ن ال ب د م ن الج م ع ب ي ن ه م ا ل م ن أ ر ا د ص ح ة ن ف س ي ة ك ام ل ة ي ت ن ع م ب ه ا ط و ا ل ح ي ات ه و م ن ع اق ت ه الش ي خ وخ ة ع ن أ ف ع ا ل الخ ي ر ال ت ي اعت ا د إ ت ي ان ه ا و ه و ش اب ف ا لي ة ت ب ش ر ه ب ج ر ي ا ن ث و اب ه ا ل ه م ث ل م ا ك ا ن ي أ ت يه ا و ه و ي ت ن ع م ب ن ض ار ة الش ب اب و ق د أ ط ل ق الك ت ا ب الع ز ي ز ع ل ى أ ف ع ا ل الخ ي ر و ص ف "الب اق ي ات الص ال ح ا ت" ح ين م ا ق ا ل: ال م ال و ال ب ن و ن ز ين ة ال ح ي ا ة الدن ي ا و ال ب اق ي ا ت الص ال ح ا ت خ ي ر ع ن د ر ب ك ث و اب ا و خ ي ر أ م ال )46) سورة الكهف( و ق ال : و ي ز يد للا ال ذ ين اه ت د و ا ه د ى و ال ب اق ي ا ت الص ال ح ا ت خ ي ر ع ن د ر ب ك ث و اب ا و خ ي ر م ر د ا )66( سورة مريم أ يه ا الم ؤ م ن و ن:ال ي خ ف ى ع ل ي ك م د و ر الع ب اد ا ت الد ين ي ة و الش ع ائ ر الت ع بد ي ة م ن آث ار و اض ح ة الم ع ال م ف ي ت ن م ي ة الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة ح ي ث ي ك س ب ه ا ك ل م ح اف ظ ع ل ى الص ال ة ب ش ر وط ه ا و أ ر ك ان ه ا م ل ت ز م بس ن ن ه ا و آد اب ه ا ي ق و ل للا ت ع ال ى: ات ل م ا أ وح ي إ ل ي ك م ن ال ك ت ا ب و أ ق م الص ال ة إ ن الص ال ة ت ن ه ى ع ن ال ف ح ش ا ء و ال م ن ك ر و ل ذ ك ر للا أ ك ب ر و للا

2 للا للا ي ع ل م ما ت ص ن ع و ن )45( )سورة العنكبوت (و ك ان س ي د ن ا الم ص ط ف ى صلى للا عليه وسلم إ ذ ا ح ز ب ه أ م ر ف ز ع إ ل ى الص الة و ق د أ و ض ح الم و ل ى ع ز و ج ل م ا ل لص ال ة م ن ت أ ث ير ف ي ص ف ا ت اإل ن س ا ن الج ب ل ي ة ف ض ال ع ن ت ل ك ن س ا ن خ ل ق ه ل وع ا )01( إ ذ ا م س ه الش ر ج ز وع ا )01( و إ ذ ا م س ه ال خ ي ر م ن وع ا ال ت ي ت ك ت س ب ع ن د م ا ق ا ل: إ ن اإل )00( إ ال ال م ص ل ي ن )00( ال ذ ين ه م ع ل ى ص ال ت ه م د ائ م و ن )03( سورة المعارج ) ث م ب ي ن ب ع د ذ ل ك أ ن ل لز ك ا ة م ث ل ه ذ ا الت أ ث ي ر ف ي الن ف س ع ن د م ا ع ط ف ع ل ى الم د او م ي ن ل لص ال ة ق و ل ه: )و ال ذ ين ف ي أ م و ال ه م ح ق م ع ل وم )04( ل لس ائ ل و ال م ح ر و م )05( سورة المعارج( و ع ل ل س ب ح ا ن ه ف ر ض ي ة الص ي ا م ب ن ي ل الت ق و ى ال ت ي ه ي م ن أ ب ر ز م ظ اه ر الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة ع ن د م ا ق ا ل: ي ا أ يه ا ال ذ ي ن آم ن وا ك ت ب ع ل ي ك م الص ي ا م ك م ا ك ت ب ع ل ى ال ذ ي ن م ن ق ب ل ك م ) ل ع ل ك م ت ت ق و ن )083( سورة البقرة و ه ك ذ ا ب ي ن ع ز و ج ل أ ن إ ق ام ة ش ع ائ ر الح ج إ ن م ا ه ي م ن ت ق و ى الق ل وب ال ت ي ه ي ل ب ا ب الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة و ق و ام ه ا ع ن د م ا ق ا ل: ذ ل ك و م ن ي ع ظ م ش ع ائ ر للا ف إ ن ه ا م ن ت ق و ى ال ق ل و ب )30( سورة الحج إ ن ه ذ ه الع ب اد ا ت - أ يه ا الم سل م ون إ ن م ا ي ج د الم سل م آث ار ه ا الط ي ب ة ع ل ى ن ف س ه م ت ى م ا أ د اه ا م ن غ ي ر ت ك لف ح ا ل األ د اء و إ ن م ا ي س ع ى إ ل ي ه ا م ن ش ر ح الص د ر ف ي ؤ د يه ا ب ك ل ر ض ا و ت س ل يم و إ ذ ا م ا و ق ف ب ي ن ي د ي ر ب ه م ص ل ي ا ح ر ص ع ل ى إ ت م ا م الخ ش وع و الخ ض وع أل ن ه ي ن اج ي ف ي ص الت ه م ل ك الم ل وك و م ال ك ي و م الد ين ال ذ ي خ ل ق ه ل ع ب اد ت ه و أ م ر ه ب ط اع ت ه و أ ن ع م ع ل ي ه ب ص ن و ف الن ع م و د ف ع ع ن ه ع ظ ي م الب ال ء و ج م ي ع الن ق م ف ل ي ست ح ض ر ك ل و اح د م ن ا ج م ي ع ه ذ ه الم ع ان ي و ل ي س ت ش ع ر د الئ ل ص ف ا ت ت ع ال ى الد ال ة ع ل ى ع ظ م ت ه و ك ب ر ي ائ ه و ج الل ه و ع ظ ي م ر ح م ت ه و إ ح س ان ه و ع ل ي ه أ ن ي س ت د ع ي إ ل ى ذ ه ن ه ت ق ص ير ه ف ي ح ق ه ذ ا الخ ال ق الم ن ع م الع ظ يم الم ت ص ف ب ج م ي ع ص ف ا ت الع ظ م ة و س م ات الك م ا ل و الج الل ث م إ ن ر ك ع أ و س ج د ت ص و ر ر ك و ع و س ج و د ك ل ع ظ م و ع ص ب و م ف ص ل ف ي ج س د ه و م ش ار ك ة ج م ي ع أ ج ز ا ء ب د ن ه ف ي أ د ا ء ج م ي ع أ ر ك ا ن الص ال ة م ن ق ي ام و ق ر اء ة و ر ك وع و س ج ود و ق ع ود ح ت ى ي س ت ح ض ر أ د اء ه ل لص ال ة ب ق ل ب ه و ق ال ب ه و ظ اه ر ه و ب اط ن ه و ه ذ ا م ا ي ف ص ح ع ن ه م ا و ر د ع ن ن ب ي ن ا صلى للا عليه وسلم م ن أ و ر اد ي ق ول ه ا ف ي ر ك وع ه و س ج ود ه ك ق و ل ه: ))س ب ح ان ر ب ي الع ظ ي م(( ف ي ر ك وع ه و))س ب ح ان ر ب ي األ ع ل ى(( ف ي س ج ود ه و ق و ل ه: ))ر ب ن ا ل ك الح م د ح م د ا ك ث ير ا ط ي ب ا م ب ار ك ا ف ي ه ك م ا ت ح ب ر ب ن ا و ت ر ض ى(( و م ن د ع ائ ه ف ي الن و اف ل ق و ل ه صلى للا عليه وسلم : ))س ج د و ج ه ي ل ل ذ ي خ ل ق ه و ص و ر ه و ش ق س م ع ه و ب ص ر ه (( و ق و ل ه : ))خ ش ع ل ك س م ع ي و ب ص ر ي و ع ظ م ي و ع صص ب ي و ش ع ر ي و ب ش ر ي(( و ق و ل ه : ))الل ه م ل ك الح م د م ل ء.(( الس م او ات و م ل ء األ ر ض ي ن و م ل ء م ا ش ئ ت م ن ش ي ء ب ع د أ ح ق م ا ق ا ل الع ب د و ك لن ا ل ك ع ب د م م ق و م ا ت الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة ل د ى ك ل ف ر د ت ن م ي ة األ خ ال ق الف اض ل ة ف ي الن ف س أ يه ا الم ؤ م ن و ن:ا ن م ن أ ع ظ ذ ال ي ن ك ر م ا ل أل خ ال ق الح م يد ة ل م ن ت م س ك ب أ ه د اب ه ا م ن آث ار ن ف س ي ة ب ي ن ة ف ي س ل و ك ك ل ف ر د اإل ن س ان ي ة إ و ت ع ام الت ه و ح س ب ن ا أ ن ن ب ي ن ا صلى للا عليه وسلم ج اء ت ب ع ث ت ه ل ت ت م ي م م ح اس ن األ خ الق و ق د أ ث ن ى ع ل ي ه ج ل ج الل ه ب ق و ل ه: و إ ن ك ل ع ل ى خ ل ق ع ظ يم 4( سورة القلم ر بن ا و ك ان صلى للا عليه وسلم إ ذ ا ن ظ ر ف ي الم ر آ ة ق ا ل: ))الل ه م ك م ا ح س ن ت خ ل ق ي ف ح س ن خ ل ق ي(( ف ي إ ش ار ة و اض ح ة إ ل ى م ا ل أل خ ال ق م ن أ ث ر ف ي الص ح ة الن ف س ي ة ذ ل ك أل ن ه ا ط ه ار ة ب اط ن ي ة و ج م ال د اخ ل ي ي ق اب ل ه ج م ا ل الخ ل ق الخ ار ج ي و ي ن ب ه صلى للا عليه وسلم أ ص ح اب ه ل ق يم ة األ خ ال ق الع ال ي ة و أ ث ر ه ا في الن ف س اإل ن س ان ي ة ع ن د م ا ي ع ل م ب ع ض ه م أ ن ي د ع و ب ق و ل ه: ))الل ه م إ ن ي أ س أ ل ك ص ح ة ف ي إ ي م ان و إ يم ان ا ف ي ح س ن خ ل ق و ص الح ا ي ت ب ع ه ف الح و ر ح م ة م ن ك و ع اف ي ة و م غ ف ر ة م ن ك و ر ض و ان ا((. ف ات ق وا للا ت ع ال ى - ع ب اد - و الز م وا ط اع ة للا

3 للا للا ( ت ع ال ى ل ت ج د وا ث و اب ه ا ف ي ت ن عم ك م ب ن ع م ة الر اح ة الن ف س ي ة ف ي الدن ي ا و الر اح ة ي ن ف ع م ال و ال ب ن و ن )88( إ ال م ن أ ت ى للا ب ق ل ب س ل يم )81( و أ ز ل ف ت ال ج ن ة الك ب ر ى ف ي ج ن ة الم أ و ى ل ل م ت ق ي ن سورة الشعراء ال ي و م الثانية الخطبة ا م ا ب ع د ف ي ا ع ب ا د للا:ه ل ي ع ي ش ذ ا ن ف س ي ة س ل يم ة م ن ال ي ح د د أ ه د اف ه و م ن ال ي ق ي م أ ع م ال ه و م ن ال ي ر اق ب أ ق و ال ه و أ ف ع ال ه و م ن ال ي ح اس ب ن ف س ه ع ل ى إ ق د ام ه و إ ح ج ام ه و أ خ ذ ه و ع ط ائ ه و ع ج ز ه و ن ش اط ه ال ر ي ب أ ن ص اح ب الن ف س الس و ي ة و م ن ي ت م ت ع ب ص ح ة ن ف س ي ة ق و ي ة ه و م ن ي خ ط ط ل ي و م ه و غ د ه و ي س ع ى ل ت ح ق ي ق أ ه د اف ه و إ ن ج از م ش ار يع ه و ي ط م ح ل ل م ز ي د م ن الب ذ ل و الع ط ا ء ل لرق ي ب ن ف س ه و ب أ ح و ا ل الم جت م ع م ن ح و ل ه س اع ي ا ب ك ل ه م ة و ن ش اط ل ت ذ ل ي ل م ا ي ع ت ر ض ط ر يق ه م ن م ص اع ب و ع و ائ ق م ح ت س ب ا ج م ي ع م ا ي ل ق اه ف ي ذ ل ك م الس ب يل م ب ت س م ا أ م ا م الن و از ل م ت ف ائ ال ف ي ح ي ات ه م ه م ا د ع ا الح ا ل إ ل ى ال تش اؤ م ي ت د ر ع ب الص ب ر الج م يل ال ي س ت و ل ي ر م و اله ح ا ل ت ر اد ف الن ع م وت و ال يه ا ف ال ي ه م ل ع ل ي ه الج ز ع و ال اله ل ع ع ن د ح ل و ل الح اد ث الج ل يل ي ش ت غ ل ب ش ك ح ق ع ز و ج ل ع ن د ه ا و ه ل ك ن ف س ر س ول ن ا الك ر ي م صلى للا عليه وسلم ف ي الطم أ ن ين ة و الث ب ا ت م ن ن ف س ل ق د اجت م ع ع ل ي ه ف ي ع ام و اح د و ف اة ز و ج ه خ د يج ة - ر ض ي للا ع ن ه ا - و ع م ه أ ب ي ط ال ب ح ت ى د ع ي ذ ل ك الع ا م ب ع ا م الح ز ن ف ه ل ر ك ن إ ل ى االست س الم أ م ه ل ت خ ل ى ع م ا ن د ب إ ل ي ه م ن ه د اي ة األ ن ام و ه ك ذ ا ك ا ن ص اح ب ه الص د ي ق - ر ض ي للا ع ن ه - ف ي س ك ين ة الن ف س و ط م أ ن ين ت ه ا ف ل م ا ت و ف ي الن ب ي صلى للا عليه وسلم ج ز ع الن ا س و ذ ه ب ت ال ر س ول أ ح الم ك ث ير م ن ه م ف و ق ف - ر ض ي للا ع ن ه - ي ع ظ الم سل م ي ن و ي ذ ك ر ه م ب ق و ل ت ع ال ى: و م ا م ح م د إ ق د خ ل ت م ن ق ب ل ه الرس ل أ ف إ ن م ا ت أ و ق ت ل ان ق ل ب ت م ع ل ى أ ع ق اب ك م و م ن ي ن ق ل ب ع ل ى ع ق ب ي ه ف ل ن ي ض ر للا ش ي ئ ا و س ي ج ز ي للا الش اك ر ي ن)سورة ال عمران )044( ف ت ل ق ف ه ا الس ام ع و ن م ن ف م ه و أ خ ذ وا ي ت ل ون ه ا ك أ ن م ا أ ن ز ل ت ف ي.ذ ل ك م الح ي ن ف ات ق وا للا - أ يه ا. و ج ل ل ك م س ائ ر الم سل م و ن و أ ص ل ح وا ن ف وس ك م و ر بوه ا ع ل ى الطم أ ن ين ة أ ح و ال ك م و ي ث ب ك م ث و اب ا ج ز يال و أ ج ر ا ح س ن ا ج ميال و الر ض ا و الث ب ات ي ص ل ح للا ع ز

4 Tranquillity of the Soul There can be no doubt that Islam, being the final revelation for the betterment of all mankind, safeguards our interests in such a way as to fulfil and satisfy our needs in a manner that is consistent with our biological and spiritual makeup. While there are clear and obvious rulings that relate to our physical well-being and health, it is sometimes overlooked that the Islamic texts go to great lengths looking after our spiritual health in a way that brings about both contentment and tranquillity. This khutba briefly describes the manner in which Islam attends to the spiritual development of man in the context of the mundane life in this world. The first step in this direction is Iman (faith). It means that the idea which should hold supreme in the mind and heart of a man is that God alone is his Master, Sovereign and Deity; seeking His Pleasure is the aim of all his endeavors; and His Commands alone constitute the law of his life. This should be his firm conviction, not merely cognition of the intellect, but also of the will. The stronger and deeper this conviction, the more profound the faith will be, and it will enable man to tread the path of spiritual development with patience and steadfastness and face all the vicissitudes firmly and squarely. The second stage is of obedience, meaning that a man divests himself of his independence altogether, and accepts subservience to God in practice after having proclaimed faith in Him as his creed. The subservience is called Islam (obedience) in the language of the Qur an. Thus, it means that man should not only acknowledge God as his Lord and Sovereign but should actually submit before Him and fashion his entire life in obedience to the Lord. The third stage is that of Taqwa (piety or God-conscounsness) which consists in the practical manifestation of the faith in God in the mode of daily life. Taqwa also consists in desisting from everything which God has forbidden or even that which he disapproves even slightly, in a readiness to undertake all that God has commanded and in observing the distinction between lawful and unlawful, right and wrong, and good and bad in life. Let us now cast a glance at the mechanism of spiritual training which Islam has laid down for preparing individuals and society for this purpose. The physical aspect of the spiritual system of Islam rests on four fundamentals. The first is prayer (Salat) which brings man into communion with God five times a day, reviving His remembrance, reiterating His fear, developing His love, reminding man of the Divine Commands again and again, and thus, preparing him for obedience to God. These prayers are not to be offered individually but it is obligatory to offer them in congregation so that the whole community and the society may be prepared for this process of spiritual development. It is a tool of individual as well as social training in the path of spiritual elevation in Islam. The second is Zakat which develops the sense of monetary sacrifice, sympathy and cooperation among Muslims. There are people who wrongly interpret Zakat as a mere tax although the spirit underlying Zakat is entirely different from that which lies at the root of a tax. The real meaning of Zakat is sublimity and purification. By using this word, Islam desires to impress on man the real value of Zakat which is inspired by a true love of God, that the monetary help he renders to his brethren will in fact, purity and benefit his soul. The third is fasting (Saum) which for a full month every year, trains a man individually and the Muslim community as a whole, in piety and self-restraint. Enables the society, the rich and the poor alike, to experience the pangs of hunger, and prepares the people to undergo any hardship to seek the pleasure of God. The fourth is Hajj (Pilgrimage) which aims at fostering universal brotherhood of the faithful as the basis of worship of God, and has culminated in a movement which has been answering the call of truth throughout the centuries and will, God willing, go on answering this call till eternity. Allah (swt) says in the Noble Qur'an after He swore several times in surat Ash-Shams, (Ayahs 9&10), what can be translated as, "Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (Zak-Kaha), and indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (Das-Saha)".

5 Imam Ibn Katheer says: "This Ayah means: He who purified his soul obeying Allah (swt), and purified it from vices and bad manners, he succeeded. And he who corrupted it by immersing it in sins and disobeying Allah (swt), he utterly failed." This Ayah was also interpreted by Ibn Abbas (R.A.). He said: "He whom Allah (swt) purified his soul, he succeeded, and he whom Allah (swt) corrupted his soul, he failed utterly." The prophet (saas) frequently used to say in his supplication: "Oh Allah! Grant me the sense of piety and purify my soul as You are the best to purify it, You are its Guardian and its Master " Allah (swt) also said in surat Al-A'la, (Ayah 14), what can be translated as, "Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success." which means he purified his soul from the evil morals and followed what Allah (swt) revealed to His prophet (saas). Purifying the souls of people was one of the most important tasks of the great messengers including the prophet Muhammad (saas). Allah (swt) described him in surat Al-Baqarah, (Ayah 151), what can be translated as, "Similarly We have sent (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Ayahs and sanctifying you, and teaching you the book and Al-Hikmah" Also Allah (swt) said in surat Al-Emran, (Ayah 164), what can be translated as, "Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His Ayahs, and purifying them " He (saas) purifies them with what is revealed to him. He purifies their convictions and their conduct because man's life in this world and his destiny in the Hereafter do not succeed with knowledge only; rather there has to be purification. The process of soul purification is an on-going process as long as man is alive. It is implied by the sincere submission to Allah (swt) who created man and Jinn for no purpose other than the sincere submission to Him alone. Allah (swt) says the Noble Qur'an in surat Ath-Tharyat, (Ayah 56), what can be translated as, "I did not create the Jinn and the humans but to ya'bodoon (submit to me)." "The "ibadah" is a collective noun that includes every thing that Allah (swt) loves and accepts from sayings and the physical acts; the hidden (acts by heart) and the openly (acts by limbs). The acts by limbs are many, which we start with the useful knowledge: The Imam goes on to point out that in order to truly achieve tranquillity of the soul, it s important that there is a symmetry and harmony between one s beliefs and one s actions. Our behaviour, reflected in our morals, manners and akhlaaq both reflect our inner feelings an sincerity, but also have a profound affect on our sense of well-being. When we behave in a morally imbalanced way, violating our own standards of acceptable akhlaaq, this reflects on our own inner peace and self-esteem, bringing about discomfort and contradictory feelings that act as a barrier to tranquillity. Such behaviour may include the use of foul language, deceit and lying, oppression, selfishness or arrogance. By actively and consciously trying to rid ourselves of such bad manners and morals, we are doing ourselves a great service and are helping our souls achieve a level of harmony and tranquillity that reflects itself in everything we say and do. We ask Allah ta ala to purify us in this life, and to purify our souls and grant them tranquillity, to grant us taqwa and to make us among His obedient slaves. Ameen.

6 Tranquillity of the Soul There can be no doubt that Islam, being the final revelation for the betterment of all mankind, safeguards our interests in such a way as to fulfil and satisfy our needs in a manner that is consistent with our biological and spiritual makeup. While there are clear and obvious rulings that relate to our physical well-being and health, it is sometimes overlooked that the Islamic texts go to great lengths looking after our spiritual health in a way that brings about both contentment and tranquillity. This khutba briefly describes the manner in which Islam attends to the spiritual development of man in the context of the mundane life in this world. The first step in this direction is Iman (faith). It means that the idea which should hold supreme in the mind and heart of a man is that God alone is his Master, Sovereign and Deity; seeking His Pleasure is the aim of all his endeavors; and His Commands alone constitute the law of his life. This should be his firm conviction, not merely cognition of the intellect, but also of the will. The stronger and deeper this conviction, the more profound the faith will be, and it will enable man to tread the path of spiritual development with patience and steadfastness and face all the vicissitudes firmly and squarely. The second stage is of obedience, meaning that a man divests himself of his independence altogether, and accepts subservience to God in practice after having proclaimed faith in Him as his creed. The subservience is called Islam (obedience) in the language of the Qur an. Thus, it means that man should not only acknowledge God as his Lord and Sovereign but should actually submit before Him and fashion his entire life in obedience to the Lord. The third stage is that of Taqwa (piety or God-conscounsness) which consists in the practical manifestation of the faith in God in the mode of daily life. Taqwa also consists in desisting from everything which God has forbidden or even that which he disapproves even slightly, in a readiness to undertake all that God has commanded and in observing the distinction between lawful and unlawful, right and wrong, and good and bad in life. Let us now cast a glance at the mechanism of spiritual training which Islam has laid down for preparing individuals and society for this purpose. The physical aspect of the spiritual system of Islam rests on four fundamentals. The first is prayer (Salat) which brings man into communion with God five times a day, reviving His remembrance, reiterating His fear, developing His love, reminding man of the Divine Commands again and again, and thus, preparing him for obedience to God. These prayers are not to be offered individually but it is obligatory to offer them in congregation so that the whole community and the society may be prepared for this process of spiritual development. It is a tool of individual as well as social training in the path of spiritual elevation in Islam. The second is Zakat which develops the sense of monetary sacrifice, sympathy and cooperation among Muslims. There are people who wrongly interpret Zakat as a mere tax although the spirit underlying Zakat is entirely different from that which lies at the root of a tax. The real meaning of Zakat is sublimity and purification. By using this word, Islam desires to impress on man the real value of Zakat which is inspired by a true love of God, that the monetary help he renders to his brethren will in fact, purity and benefit his soul. The third is fasting (Saum) which for a full month every year, trains a man individually and the Muslim community as a whole, in piety and self-restraint. Enables the society, the rich and the poor alike, to experience the pangs of hunger, and prepares the people to undergo any hardship to seek the pleasure of God. The fourth is Hajj (Pilgrimage) which aims at fostering universal brotherhood of the faithful as the basis of worship of God, and has culminated in a movement which has been answering the call of truth throughout the centuries and will, God willing, go on answering this call till eternity. Allah (swt) says in the Noble Qur'an after He swore several times in surat Ash-Shams, (Ayahs 9&10), what can be translated as, "Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (Zak-Kaha), and indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (Das-Saha)". Imam Ibn Katheer says: "This Ayah means: He who purified his soul obeying Allah (swt), and purified it from vices and bad manners, he succeeded. And he who corrupted it by immersing it in sins and disobeying Allah (swt), he utterly failed." This Ayah was also interpreted by Ibn Abbas (R.A.). He said: "He whom Allah (swt) purified his soul, he succeeded, and he whom Allah (swt) corrupted his soul, he failed utterly." The prophet (saas) frequently used to say in his supplication: "Oh Allah! Grant me the sense of piety and purify my soul as You are the best to purify it, You are its Guardian and its Master " Allah (swt) also said in surat Al-A'la, (Ayah 14), what can be translated as, "Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success." which means he purified his soul from the evil morals and followed what Allah (swt) revealed to His prophet (saas). Purifying the souls of people was one of the most important tasks of the great messengers including the prophet Muhammad (saas). Allah (swt) described him in surat Al-Baqarah, (Ayah 151), what can be translated as, "Similarly We have sent (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Ayahs and sanctifying you, and teaching you the book and Al-Hikmah" Also Allah (swt) said in surat Al-Emran, (Ayah 164), what can be translated as, "Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His Ayahs, and purifying them " He (saas) purifies them with what is revealed to him. He purifies their convictions and their conduct because man's life in this world and his destiny in the Hereafter do not succeed with knowledge only; rather there has to be purification. The process of soul purification is an on-going process as long as man is alive. It is implied by the sincere submission to Allah (swt) who created man and Jinn for no purpose other than the sincere submission to Him alone. Allah (swt) says the Noble Qur'an in surat Ath-Tharyat, (Ayah 56), what can be translated as, "I did not create the Jinn and the humans but to ya'bodoon (submit to me)." "The "ibadah" is a collective noun that includes every thing that Allah (swt) loves and accepts from sayings and the physical acts; the hidden (acts by heart) and the openly (acts by limbs). The acts by limbs are many, which we start with the useful knowledge: The Imam goes on to point out that in order to truly achieve tranquillity of the soul, it s important that there is a symmetry and harmony between one s beliefs and one s actions. Our behaviour, reflected in our morals, manners and akhlaaq both reflect our inner feelings an sincerity, but also have a profound affect on our sense of well-being. When we behave in a morally imbalanced way, violating our own standards of acceptable akhlaaq, this reflects on our own inner peace and self-esteem, bringing about discomfort and contradictory feelings that act as a barrier to tranquillity. Such behaviour may include the use of foul language, deceit and lying, oppression, selfishness or arrogance. By actively and consciously trying to rid ourselves of such bad manners and morals, we are doing ourselves a great service and are helping our souls achieve a level of harmony and tranquillity that reflects itself in everything we say and do. We ask Allah ta ala to purify us in this life, and to purify our souls and grant them tranquillity, to grant us taqwa and to make us among His obedient slaves. Ameen.

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