We have assembled together to improve our Character and Dhikr is the means to rectify oneself and attain Good Character. This method is known as Tazkiyah.
The main part of Deen and the glory of Islam is Good Character. Islam spread due to Good Character, but today we have sufficed ourselves with worship and we have made up our own standard and criteria of the Deen.
Nabi ﷺ said, "The best thing to be given to Mankind is Good Character." He also stated that "The best human being is he who has excellent mannerism." In Mishkat, Hadhrat Aishah رضي الله عنها narrates a Hadith stating that a person who has Good Character, is equal in rank to the one who worships and fasts all day.
Good character is not merely smiling at others and inviting them over for food. The definition of Good Character is to fulfil the rights of others which are due upon you. To improve our character is compulsory, just like praying is compulsory.
Ninety percent of our Deen is based upon Good Character and only ten percent is based upon worship. Most of us focus on worship, but disregard improving our character. We must work hard on this because the acceptance of a person's worship is based upon his character.
Nabi ﷺ was asked about a woman who prays and fasts, but her neighbour is troubled by her. He responded that she was destined for Hellfire. He was then asked about a woman who fulfils her Faraaid and doesn't perform any voluntary actions, but is good to her neighbour. Nabi ﷺ stated that she was destined for Paradise. This shows that we must focus on our character.
The Quran, Sunnah and Shariah are given to us so that we can reform our character. The Messengers were sent to us with the objective of improving the character of Mankind, just like Nabi ﷺ came to complete the character of mankind.
Often, husband's neglect the rights of their wife and order her to work and fulfil her own needs. He deprives her right of food, shelter and clothing. On the other hand, sometimes the wife places the husband beneath her. She prevents her husband from meeting his relatives and from maintaining ties. There should be a balance in place. Both should not go beyond the boundary set by Shariah. We should give the rights to all according to the limits which Nabi ﷺ has defined.
To learn this, we must improve our hearts. When our hearts are reformed, it will recognise and accept the good and bad and Dhikr is adopted to help achieve this.
Allah ta'ala wants us to improve our society. He created a balance and gave us each duties and tasks. We should treat everyone according to their own standard and we should learn how to distribute our time well and give others their due time and rights.
The person who breaks ties with his relatives is not forgiven even upon the blessed nights of the year. If you desire an increase in your sustenance and you desire a long life, you should mend ties with your relatives and you should work hard upon this day and night.
There is a lot of enmity today due to which our whole society is spoilt. A person who suffices on abundant worship and disregards his bad character, can never be successful and can never be forgiven, nor enter Paradise.
There is a Hadith in Muslim which narrates that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I wish to improve relations with my relatives. I even give them gifts, but they look down upon me and treat me wretchedly." Nabi ﷺ said, "If you truly desire to mend relations with your relatives and you have pain upon their negative responses, then Allah ta'ala will place destruction upon them and make them wrecthed and disrespected. Your duty, however, is to keep trying and Allah ta'ala will assign two angels for you who will help you in this objective. You will never become wretched and you'll be respected."
We should keep trying to maintain ties with those who break them. We should make the intention to maintain ties for the pleasure of Allah ta'ala. In this way, we will never feel pain from their negativity because we are rewarded and elevated by Allah ta'ala. You should give them three chances and use these three opportunities to extends gifts and invite them with love and compassion. After this, you are absolved from this duty and they have incured punishment upon themselves.
To improve our character and to be successful, we should adopt the company of the pious. If our character isn't good, then we can't become successful and our worship won't be accepted. The biggest Wali is he who improves his character and rids himself of bad character.
We have evil instilled within us and we are also surrounded by evil which is a great test for us. This is why Messengers were sent alongside the books, as a guide for us. After the Messengers, Allah ta'ala sent the Awliyah Allah and they carry out the work of the Messengers. They reform the people and help to improve their character so that they can attain Paradise. A person cannot rectify himself until he has this source of guidance.
In the company of a Wali Allah, a person's character becomes improved because ta'ala has instilled certain qualities within him. When we adopt his company, the same qualities also rub on to us. This is why a person is never in loss in his company. Rather, he will always benefit for as long as a person has the intention of improving himself in his company.
If you find an authentic Sheikh today, then consider that you have attained a big blessing from Allah ta'ala. You will recieve the world and the Hereafter through him so don't waste your time pondering and doubting.
Take up the means which pleases Allah ta'ala ta'ala and the best method to please Allah ta'ala, is to mend the heart of a broken person.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement. Ameen.
We have assembled together to improve our Character and Dhikr is the means to rectify oneself and attain Good Character. This method is known as Tazkiyah.
The main part of Deen and the glory of Islam is Good Character. Islam spread due to Good Character, but today we have sufficed ourselves with worship and we have made up our own standard and criteria of the Deen.
Nabi ﷺ said, "The best thing to be given to Mankind is Good Character." He also stated that "The best human being is he who has excellent mannerism." In Mishkat, Hadhrat Aishah رضي الله عنها narrates a Hadith stating that a person who has Good Character, is equal in rank to the one who worships and fasts all day.
Good character is not merely smiling at others and inviting them over for food. The definition of Good Character is to fulfil the rights of others which are due upon you. To improve our character is compulsory, just like praying is compulsory.
Ninety percent of our Deen is based upon Good Character and only ten percent is based upon worship. Most of us focus on worship, but disregard improving our character. We must work hard on this because the acceptance of a person's worship is based upon his character.
Nabi ﷺ was asked about a woman who prays and fasts, but her neighbour is troubled by her. He responded that she was destined for Hellfire. He was then asked about a woman who fulfils her Faraaid and doesn't perform any voluntary actions, but is good to her neighbour. Nabi ﷺ stated that she was destined for Paradise. This shows that we must focus on our character.
The Quran, Sunnah and Shariah are given to us so that we can reform our character. The Messengers were sent to us with the objective of improving the character of Mankind, just like Nabi ﷺ came to complete the character of mankind.
Often, husband's neglect the rights of their wife and order her to work and fulfil her own needs. He deprives her right of food, shelter and clothing. On the other hand, sometimes the wife places the husband beneath her. She prevents her husband from meeting his relatives and from maintaining ties. There should be a balance in place. Both should not go beyond the boundary set by Shariah. We should give the rights to all according to the limits which Nabi ﷺ has defined.
To learn this, we must improve our hearts. When our hearts are reformed, it will recognise and accept the good and bad and Dhikr is adopted to help achieve this.
Allah ta'ala wants us to improve our society. He created a balance and gave us each duties and tasks. We should treat everyone according to their own standard and we should learn how to distribute our time well and give others their due time and rights.
The person who breaks ties with his relatives is not forgiven even upon the blessed nights of the year. If you desire an increase in your sustenance and you desire a long life, you should mend ties with your relatives and you should work hard upon this day and night.
There is a lot of enmity today due to which our whole society is spoilt. A person who suffices on abundant worship and disregards his bad character, can never be successful and can never be forgiven, nor enter Paradise.
There is a Hadith in Muslim which narrates that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I wish to improve relations with my relatives. I even give them gifts, but they look down upon me and treat me wretchedly." Nabi ﷺ said, "If you truly desire to mend relations with your relatives and you have pain upon their negative responses, then Allah ta'ala will place destruction upon them and make them wrecthed and disrespected. Your duty, however, is to keep trying and Allah ta'ala will assign two angels for you who will help you in this objective. You will never become wretched and you'll be respected."
We should keep trying to maintain ties with those who break them. We should make the intention to maintain ties for the pleasure of Allah ta'ala. In this way, we will never feel pain from their negativity because we are rewarded and elevated by Allah ta'ala. You should give them three chances and use these three opportunities to extends gifts and invite them with love and compassion. After this, you are absolved from this duty and they have incured punishment upon themselves.
To improve our character and to be successful, we should adopt the company of the pious. If our character isn't good, then we can't become successful and our worship won't be accepted. The biggest Wali is he who improves his character and rids himself of bad character.
We have evil instilled within us and we are also surrounded by evil which is a great test for us. This is why Messengers were sent alongside the books, as a guide for us. After the Messengers, Allah ta'ala sent the Awliyah Allah and they carry out the work of the Messengers. They reform the people and help to improve their character so that they can attain Paradise. A person cannot rectify himself until he has this source of guidance.
In the company of a Wali Allah, a person's character becomes improved because ta'ala has instilled certain qualities within him. When we adopt his company, the same qualities also rub on to us. This is why a person is never in loss in his company. Rather, he will always benefit for as long as a person has the intention of improving himself in his company.
If you find an authentic Sheikh today, then consider that you have attained a big blessing from Allah ta'ala. You will recieve the world and the Hereafter through him so don't waste your time pondering and doubting.
Take up the means which pleases Allah ta'ala ta'ala and the best method to please Allah ta'ala, is to mend the heart of a broken person.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement. Ameen.