If you attain Allah ta'ala's blessings of Sha'ban and Rajab, you'll be successful in Ramadan, otherwise you wont be successful in Ramadan. Thus, we must strive to attain the blessings of Allah ta'ala during these months.
How do we attain the blessings of Allah ta'ala?
We earn blessings and goodness when we supplicate and perform those actions which earn His pleasure, for example, praying and engaging in dhikr.
If we sin during these months, we are wasting these months and we will have also wasted Ramadan despite fasting throughout.
Abandoning Salah and engaging in the unlawful whilst supplicating to Allah ta'ala, will not grant us any blessings. Instead, the blessings from our home and our children will be removed from us and we will lose out on these blessed months, as well as Ramadan.
Nabi ﷺ stated that if you attain the blessings today, it will continue showering until Ramadan. We must begin to change our lives from now, at least until Ramadan. We should keep our beards, stop the music and sinning, correct our schedule and appearances and also perform prayers in congregation.
Every intellectual person should change his routine. If you abstain from futile actions and talk, Ramadan will become easy for you. The habits we create today will be maintained until Ramadan. This is because when we create good habits, Allah ta'ala places blessings within it.
In Surah Fatihah we ask Allah ta'ala for the straight path and this is the path upon which we should travel. We have been instructed to recite this Surah in every raka'h so it reminds us of our actions. Where are we travelling to? Which path have we adopted in life?
We fail to ponder over the Quran and this is what destroys us. A person who has faith and the Quran, but does not engage in good actions, will not enter Paradise.
The doctor investigates your illness, and diagnoses the problem by performing tests upon you before prescribing you with medication.
Similarly, the Awliyah Allah are given the capacity by Allah ta'ala to understand and ponder over the Quran. They extracted the cure from the Quran. A person sins because he is immersed in the love of the world and if he is distant from Allah ta'ala's deen, it is due to his love for wealth.
The Awliyah Allah investigated and summarised that there are two reasons for a person's misguidance. The first obstacle is our enemy of the Hereafter which is Shaytan. He wishes for us to enter Hellfire so he inclines us towards sins. Today, we have made friendship with him despite Shaytan being our enemy. We must remember that our sins have nobody's influence besides Shaytan.
On the other hand, Allah ta'ala has granted us protection from Shaytan. If we wish to be safe from Shaytan, we must engage in dhikr otherwise Shaytan is released upon those who abandon dhikr and Shaytan stays with them up until their death and even afterwards.
The only thing which protects a person from Shaytan is Allah ta'ala's dhikr. If you're heedless from Allah ta'ala even for a second, Shaytan attacks you immediately.
Engage in abundant dhikr. When you learn dhikr from your teacher, your heart is alive. This is why Allah ta'ala commanded us to be a dhaakir, so that we can persevere the evil and corruption from these generations.
There are seven points within us where we can remember Allah ta'ala and these are signs from Allah ta'ala so that we may recognise the truth.
We should always be in the state of dhikr because Shaytan will definitely impact you without it. The first thing he does is distant you from the path of Allah ta'ala. He distances you from prayer and fasting and practicing deen. This is a sign that Shaytan has overwhelmed you. The second sign is that he will not allow you to take heed to anyone's admonition and advice. He has made you deluded to your own wrongdoing and this is why you do not wish to be rectified.
The second barrier is the carnal desires of a human. This is our real enemy. The desires of Shaytan (his pride), is what caused him to be destroyed, not due to failing to obey Allah ta'ala's order. He was worshiping his desires and not Allah ta'ala. This is why he was punished.
All the spiritual diseases within us are a result of our desires which lead us to wrongdoing.
How do we crush our desires?
Nafs Ammaarah, the evil-commanding soul, is what causes us to have spiritual diseases.
There are two types of shirk. One is apparent shirk like worshipping idols and trees, and the other is shirk haqeeqi. In reality, we are all engaged in shirk haqeeqi because Nafs Ammaarah enables a person to commit shirk and that is when a human disobeys the orders of Allah ta'ala and obeys the orders of his desires which are very stubborn and persistent. Thereafter, he has no shame nor remorse, rather, he is stuck in his ways and he argues and debates with others. He commits sins whilst fasting and whilst sitting in the mosque. Due to the influence of Nafs Ammaarah, he fails to pray in congregation. He neglects the Quran and considers himself correct. He is extremely stubborn. Such a person is going to Hellfire unless he repents.
A person will lose himself if he sits in such a person's company as it is dangerous to sit in the company of the one who worships his desires and to hold belief in his words. At the same time, we shouldn’t shun him. We should wish well for him and try to reform him. We should have love for him and assist him. We shouldn’t hate him even if he curses us.
How to be protected from Nafs Ammaarah?
If you want to be safe from the traps of Nafs Ammarah, the only solution is to be in the company of the Awliyah Allah.
A person never leaves the company of a pious person empty handed. In his company, the effect always takes place. The Awliyah Allah love those who come to visit them and they exchange that love. Their connection and discussion is beautiful. Allah ta'ala has filled the Awliyah Allah with love, so whomsoever visits them, also falls in love with them and enjoys their company. Sometimes the student gets diverted, but he keeps returning to his company and in the end, he sticks to his company.
Through this company, the person is impacted immediately. His mind-set and ideology is changed and the light of understanding enters his heart. This is the first sign of change.
Depression is just a name for a person who is drowned in Nafs Ammaarah. He is despondent and he complains to Allah ta'ala. However, when he sits in the company of the Sheikh, he becomes positive and accepts his decree.
He fights with his desires, the spiritual diseases are removed and humility, love and perseverance enters him. When he commits a sin, he immediately regrets. He has the awareness of his mistakes and he flees to repentance. He begins working hard and it becomes easy for him to practice and attain Allah ta'ala's nearness. He engages in those actions which he previously found difficult and is going towards promotion. He has learnt how to fight his desires and this is called Mujaahadah.
Sometimes it takes time to have the impact and to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness, but we must keep attending the company of the pious without abandoning it.
We should transform our Nafs Ammaarah to Nafs Lawwaamah, the self-critical soul. One can never eradicate the Nafs, rather, he may transform and improve it.
We must assess ourselves, if we commit oppression and injustice upon anyone, do we feel regret? Do we seek forgiveness? Do we have shame?
If one feels regret, it means the company of his Sheikh is having a positive effect on him, although it may take time.
This fight is constant but the company of the Sheikh should be constant too. Eventually the student wins over his desires, and gains the habit of fighting his desires. This is when his desires are transformed to Nafs Mutma'innah and this is shown at the time of death. Allah ta'ala is pleased with such a person and this person is pleased with Allah ta'ala he enters paradise. If you follow this method, you will hear the call of paradise when you depart this world.
Let's all analyse ourselves regarding which stage where we are at. We should assess ourselves and then visit a Sheikh for rectification. We must constantly battle against our desires. We should earn good deeds, become successful and then depart this world. This is our mission of life.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen
21st Jan, 2024
Millions of times grateful that Hadhrat Sheikh sahib speaks the truth no matter what, the true deen is presented even if people criticise. May Allah preserve and protect our Sheikh sahib. A treasure from Allah to useless people like me.
If you attain Allah ta'ala's blessings of Sha'ban and Rajab, you'll be successful in Ramadan, otherwise you wont be successful in Ramadan. Thus, we must strive to attain the blessings of Allah ta'ala during these months.
How do we attain the blessings of Allah ta'ala?
We earn blessings and goodness when we supplicate and perform those actions which earn His pleasure, for example, praying and engaging in dhikr.
If we sin during these months, we are wasting these months and we will have also wasted Ramadan despite fasting throughout.
Abandoning Salah and engaging in the unlawful whilst supplicating to Allah ta'ala, will not grant us any blessings. Instead, the blessings from our home and our children will be removed from us and we will lose out on these blessed months, as well as Ramadan.
Nabi ﷺ stated that if you attain the blessings today, it will continue showering until Ramadan. We must begin to change our lives from now, at least until Ramadan. We should keep our beards, stop the music and sinning, correct our schedule and appearances and also perform prayers in congregation.
Every intellectual person should change his routine. If you abstain from futile actions and talk, Ramadan will become easy for you. The habits we create today will be maintained until Ramadan. This is because when we create good habits, Allah ta'ala places blessings within it.
In Surah Fatihah we ask Allah ta'ala for the straight path and this is the path upon which we should travel. We have been instructed to recite this Surah in every raka'h so it reminds us of our actions. Where are we travelling to? Which path have we adopted in life?
We fail to ponder over the Quran and this is what destroys us. A person who has faith and the Quran, but does not engage in good actions, will not enter Paradise.
The doctor investigates your illness, and diagnoses the problem by performing tests upon you before prescribing you with medication.
Similarly, the Awliyah Allah are given the capacity by Allah ta'ala to understand and ponder over the Quran. They extracted the cure from the Quran. A person sins because he is immersed in the love of the world and if he is distant from Allah ta'ala's deen, it is due to his love for wealth.
The Awliyah Allah investigated and summarised that there are two reasons for a person's misguidance. The first obstacle is our enemy of the Hereafter which is Shaytan. He wishes for us to enter Hellfire so he inclines us towards sins. Today, we have made friendship with him despite Shaytan being our enemy. We must remember that our sins have nobody's influence besides Shaytan.
On the other hand, Allah ta'ala has granted us protection from Shaytan. If we wish to be safe from Shaytan, we must engage in dhikr otherwise Shaytan is released upon those who abandon dhikr and Shaytan stays with them up until their death and even afterwards.
The only thing which protects a person from Shaytan is Allah ta'ala's dhikr. If you're heedless from Allah ta'ala even for a second, Shaytan attacks you immediately.
Engage in abundant dhikr. When you learn dhikr from your teacher, your heart is alive. This is why Allah ta'ala commanded us to be a dhaakir, so that we can persevere the evil and corruption from these generations.
There are seven points within us where we can remember Allah ta'ala and these are signs from Allah ta'ala so that we may recognise the truth.
We should always be in the state of dhikr because Shaytan will definitely impact you without it. The first thing he does is distant you from the path of Allah ta'ala. He distances you from prayer and fasting and practicing deen. This is a sign that Shaytan has overwhelmed you. The second sign is that he will not allow you to take heed to anyone's admonition and advice. He has made you deluded to your own wrongdoing and this is why you do not wish to be rectified.
The second barrier is the carnal desires of a human. This is our real enemy. The desires of Shaytan (his pride), is what caused him to be destroyed, not due to failing to obey Allah ta'ala's order. He was worshiping his desires and not Allah ta'ala. This is why he was punished.
All the spiritual diseases within us are a result of our desires which lead us to wrongdoing.
How do we crush our desires?
Nafs Ammaarah, the evil-commanding soul, is what causes us to have spiritual diseases.
There are two types of shirk. One is apparent shirk like worshipping idols and trees, and the other is shirk haqeeqi. In reality, we are all engaged in shirk haqeeqi because Nafs Ammaarah enables a person to commit shirk and that is when a human disobeys the orders of Allah ta'ala and obeys the orders of his desires which are very stubborn and persistent. Thereafter, he has no shame nor remorse, rather, he is stuck in his ways and he argues and debates with others. He commits sins whilst fasting and whilst sitting in the mosque. Due to the influence of Nafs Ammaarah, he fails to pray in congregation. He neglects the Quran and considers himself correct. He is extremely stubborn. Such a person is going to Hellfire unless he repents.
A person will lose himself if he sits in such a person's company as it is dangerous to sit in the company of the one who worships his desires and to hold belief in his words. At the same time, we shouldn’t shun him. We should wish well for him and try to reform him. We should have love for him and assist him. We shouldn’t hate him even if he curses us.
How to be protected from Nafs Ammaarah?
If you want to be safe from the traps of Nafs Ammarah, the only solution is to be in the company of the Awliyah Allah.
A person never leaves the company of a pious person empty handed. In his company, the effect always takes place. The Awliyah Allah love those who come to visit them and they exchange that love. Their connection and discussion is beautiful. Allah ta'ala has filled the Awliyah Allah with love, so whomsoever visits them, also falls in love with them and enjoys their company. Sometimes the student gets diverted, but he keeps returning to his company and in the end, he sticks to his company.
Through this company, the person is impacted immediately. His mind-set and ideology is changed and the light of understanding enters his heart. This is the first sign of change.
Depression is just a name for a person who is drowned in Nafs Ammaarah. He is despondent and he complains to Allah ta'ala. However, when he sits in the company of the Sheikh, he becomes positive and accepts his decree.
He fights with his desires, the spiritual diseases are removed and humility, love and perseverance enters him. When he commits a sin, he immediately regrets. He has the awareness of his mistakes and he flees to repentance. He begins working hard and it becomes easy for him to practice and attain Allah ta'ala's nearness. He engages in those actions which he previously found difficult and is going towards promotion. He has learnt how to fight his desires and this is called Mujaahadah.
Sometimes it takes time to have the impact and to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness, but we must keep attending the company of the pious without abandoning it.
We should transform our Nafs Ammaarah to Nafs Lawwaamah, the self-critical soul. One can never eradicate the Nafs, rather, he may transform and improve it.
We must assess ourselves, if we commit oppression and injustice upon anyone, do we feel regret? Do we seek forgiveness? Do we have shame?
If one feels regret, it means the company of his Sheikh is having a positive effect on him, although it may take time.
This fight is constant but the company of the Sheikh should be constant too. Eventually the student wins over his desires, and gains the habit of fighting his desires. This is when his desires are transformed to Nafs Mutma'innah and this is shown at the time of death. Allah ta'ala is pleased with such a person and this person is pleased with Allah ta'ala he enters paradise. If you follow this method, you will hear the call of paradise when you depart this world.
Let's all analyse ourselves regarding which stage where we are at. We should assess ourselves and then visit a Sheikh for rectification. We must constantly battle against our desires. We should earn good deeds, become successful and then depart this world. This is our mission of life.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen