"O believers! When you face an enemy, stand firm and remember Allah often so you may triumph." [8:45]
Allah ta'ala desires that we become His friend. He has spoken about a clash. One is a small clash and one is a greater clash. Nabi ﷺ said, that the greater battle is the enemy within you. It is an invisible enemy which you must keep fighting for the sake of Allah ta'ala. When you fight the force within you, then, you are fighting to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness.
If it is a physical battle, then the purpose is to attain Allah ta'ala's deen and if it is regarding the clash within, then that is to become closer to Allah ta'ala. The inner battle is greater because the battle with the desires and Shaytan is always present and it constantly seeks to take a person towards wrongdoing. Through this battle, a person attains martyrdom many times over, not just once, as he continuously battles with his inner self.
We must crush our desires when it takes us towards wrongdoing and makes us believe that we can't become successful in this world without committing Haraam.
We fight our inner selves for the sake of Allah ta'ala. Either we overcome our desires and destroy it, or we spoil our worship. A person who follows his desires is breaking Allah ta'ala's orders. All his prayers and night worship evaporate due to one unlawful action.
On the other hand, a person who destroys his desires, is he who abstains from wrongdoing no matter how tempting. He gives up all things which are prohibited by Allah ta'ala.
Every second of our life, we are required to crush our desires and become a martyr. If we leave a sin for the sake of Allah ta'ala, then our faith reaches the height of the skies.
A person may perform ten Hajj, but it is very difficult for him to abandon sins. It is difficult to make the heart soft. This is because there are thousands of wrongdoing in this world. Due to this, when you then take the weapon of Allah ta'ala's pleasure and crush your desires, you gain the reward of many martyrs. Imagine the reward of a person who constantly crushes his desires during the day!
The first subject of attaining Allah ta'ala's nearness is that we must crush our desires.
We should become a martyr daily in order to become a Wali Allah.
To win this battle. We must be firm and not weak. We must not compromise with our sins. We must not turn back after we have abandoned our old ways. If we have left something for the sake of Allah ta'ala, then we must erase it from our memory as it was restricting us from Allah ta'ala.
Allah ta'ala wishes to see how much we give up for His sake. Nafs and Shaytan are the two enemies who will encourage us to return to the sin repeatedly.
If we promise to leave sin, Allah ta'ala will grant us the level of Wilaayah. We must fulfil the promise to Allah ta'ala not to return to sins and thus, Allah ta'ala will assist us on this path.
To be steadfast on deen, a person is in need of Allah ta'ala's help. When a student comes to take Bay'ah, the Sheikh takes a promise from him that he will abandon his sin. He must be steadfast on this and remembering Allah ta'ala in abundance, assists him to be steadfast. This steadfastness improves every part of our life. It develops fear and it enables one to adorn the Sunnah.
The students who turns their back from the path of Allah ta'ala, it is as though he has fled the battlefield. His reckoning will be worse than those who fled the physical battlefield.
What is the main objective of Tazkiah? There is no physical worship required. No Wali Allah reached the heights through their worship alone. They didn't have hope in their deeds. Rather, they had trust and hope in His mercy.
How to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness?
Worship does not prepare ourselves to take his name. We try to take the easy route and shortcuts, like praising the Prophet ﷺ in order to attain miracles and vision and closeness to him. This worship will only give us empty dreams.
In reality, we worship due to fulfilling Allah ta'ala's orders and not to attain His nearness. People go to the Holy lands, yet come back deprived because they don't have manners. They have lost out as it is disrespectful to take the Prophet ﷺ's name whilst being spiritually impure.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
"And you ﷺ are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence." [68:4]
This is the path to Wilaayah and nearness of Allah ta'ala. Nabi ﷺ was sent so that we can attain Allah ta'ala's nearness through him. He was given excellent mannerism and through adopting his high level conduct, we can become a friend of Allah ta'ala.
Hadhrat Hakimul Ummah Rahmatullahi alayh mentioned, that it is compulsory upon every human being to learn the subject of mannerism and conduct.
My Hadhrat sahib used to say, "If you want to become a Wali Allah, then there's only one way and that is to remove your impure character and adopt the character of Nabi ﷺ."
When you adopt good character, then you will develop so much trust in Allah ta’ala that all the world may end, but you accept Allah ta'ala's commands to be the truth.
There is a Hadith narrated in Mishkat Shareef by Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه mentioning; when Nabi ﷺ migrated to Madinah Shareef, the people from the surrounding areas would come to meet him and accept Islam. From amongst them, was a tribe called Abdul- Qays and the leader of this tribe was called Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه. He entered Madinah with a unique and beautiful style and he upheld great humility. He took his steps calmly with ease. Then, he dusted down his bags and goods. Thereafter, he took a bath, changed his clothes and made himself neat and tidy. At this point, he was not yet a Muslim.
Hadhrat Jibraeel عليه السلام came down to the Prophet ﷺ with a message from Allah ta'ala. When Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه presented himself to the Prophet ﷺ, Nabi ﷺ praised him and said, "You possess two qualities that Allah loves. These are clemency and tolerance". [Muslim]
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ لأشج عبد القيس: “إن فيك خصلتين يحبهما الله: الحلم والأناة”. ((رواه مسلم))
There were two groups of people rushing to see the Prophet ﷺ. One was disrespectful in their approach and the other was beloved to Allah ta'ala for their calm and gentle mannerism.
Clemency and forbearance refers to a person being calm and cautious. When you make decisions in life, you should never panic and be in a rush. Nabi ﷺ says that such an action will always be a fail.
Perhaps you notice a temporary gain, but you should take your time in analysing and taking guidance from Allah ta'ala through istikhara before making a decision, just like Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه was calm and collected.
A person who acts in a rush and is anxious, will always be unsuccessful in his pursuits, although it may appear to be beneficial. This is because his desires are attached to it. Always be cautious and consult your Sheikh and seek his duas. Otherwise, you may regret taking those steps later on and you will end up with wrong conclusions.
Even today, if we want to be a wali Allah, you should take the balanced path and be careful whilst considering every action you perform. You should avoid running after everything which is sparkling and appears beautiful, as this equals worldly inclination and greed. You should turn to Allah ta'ala and seek His guidance.
During tazkiyah, we replace every disease with a good quality. We must remove greed and replace it with contentment. We must remove envy and replace it with love.
If we want clemency and tolerance, then we must remove our anger. Anger is very common in society. Spouses get divorced over anger and then seek excuses to escape the divorce.
Hadhrat Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is nothing swallowed with a greater reward from Allah than a servant who swallows his rage, seeking thereby the countenance of Allah.” [Ibn Majah]
You will receive such an enjoyment that your Imaan will be strengthened and this enjoyment becomes apparent in your worship. This is the enjoyment of belief. Those who don't enjoy their worship, it is because their faith is without enjoyment.
There are two types of anger. It is compulsory to control the anger when it comes immediately. If you don't control it, it is unlawful.
The other anger is related to the deen. It is for the sake of Allah ta'ala. For example, when you see someone disrespect the Prophet ﷺ and you can't bear that. In such a situation, there is permissibility to express anger but even then you should control it.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ فِئَةً فَاثْبُتُوا وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"O believers! When you face an enemy, stand firm and remember Allah often so you may triumph." [8:45]
Allah ta'ala desires that we become His friend. He has spoken about a clash. One is a small clash and one is a greater clash. Nabi ﷺ said, that the greater battle is the enemy within you. It is an invisible enemy which you must keep fighting for the sake of Allah ta'ala. When you fight the force within you, then, you are fighting to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness.
If it is a physical battle, then the purpose is to attain Allah ta'ala's deen and if it is regarding the clash within, then that is to become closer to Allah ta'ala. The inner battle is greater because the battle with the desires and Shaytan is always present and it constantly seeks to take a person towards wrongdoing. Through this battle, a person attains martyrdom many times over, not just once, as he continuously battles with his inner self.
We must crush our desires when it takes us towards wrongdoing and makes us believe that we can't become successful in this world without committing Haraam.
We fight our inner selves for the sake of Allah ta'ala. Either we overcome our desires and destroy it, or we spoil our worship. A person who follows his desires is breaking Allah ta'ala's orders. All his prayers and night worship evaporate due to one unlawful action.
On the other hand, a person who destroys his desires, is he who abstains from wrongdoing no matter how tempting. He gives up all things which are prohibited by Allah ta'ala.
Every second of our life, we are required to crush our desires and become a martyr. If we leave a sin for the sake of Allah ta'ala, then our faith reaches the height of the skies.
A person may perform ten Hajj, but it is very difficult for him to abandon sins. It is difficult to make the heart soft. This is because there are thousands of wrongdoing in this world. Due to this, when you then take the weapon of Allah ta'ala's pleasure and crush your desires, you gain the reward of many martyrs. Imagine the reward of a person who constantly crushes his desires during the day!
The first subject of attaining Allah ta'ala's nearness is that we must crush our desires.
We should become a martyr daily in order to become a Wali Allah.
To win this battle. We must be firm and not weak. We must not compromise with our sins. We must not turn back after we have abandoned our old ways. If we have left something for the sake of Allah ta'ala, then we must erase it from our memory as it was restricting us from Allah ta'ala.
Allah ta'ala wishes to see how much we give up for His sake. Nafs and Shaytan are the two enemies who will encourage us to return to the sin repeatedly.
If we promise to leave sin, Allah ta'ala will grant us the level of Wilaayah. We must fulfil the promise to Allah ta'ala not to return to sins and thus, Allah ta'ala will assist us on this path.
To be steadfast on deen, a person is in need of Allah ta'ala's help. When a student comes to take Bay'ah, the Sheikh takes a promise from him that he will abandon his sin. He must be steadfast on this and remembering Allah ta'ala in abundance, assists him to be steadfast. This steadfastness improves every part of our life. It develops fear and it enables one to adorn the Sunnah.
The students who turns their back from the path of Allah ta'ala, it is as though he has fled the battlefield. His reckoning will be worse than those who fled the physical battlefield.
What is the main objective of Tazkiah? There is no physical worship required. No Wali Allah reached the heights through their worship alone. They didn't have hope in their deeds. Rather, they had trust and hope in His mercy.
How to attain Allah ta'ala's nearness?
Worship does not prepare ourselves to take his name. We try to take the easy route and shortcuts, like praising the Prophet ﷺ in order to attain miracles and vision and closeness to him. This worship will only give us empty dreams.
In reality, we worship due to fulfilling Allah ta'ala's orders and not to attain His nearness. People go to the Holy lands, yet come back deprived because they don't have manners. They have lost out as it is disrespectful to take the Prophet ﷺ's name whilst being spiritually impure.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
"And you ﷺ are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence." [68:4]
This is the path to Wilaayah and nearness of Allah ta'ala. Nabi ﷺ was sent so that we can attain Allah ta'ala's nearness through him. He was given excellent mannerism and through adopting his high level conduct, we can become a friend of Allah ta'ala.
Hadhrat Hakimul Ummah Rahmatullahi alayh mentioned, that it is compulsory upon every human being to learn the subject of mannerism and conduct.
My Hadhrat sahib used to say, "If you want to become a Wali Allah, then there's only one way and that is to remove your impure character and adopt the character of Nabi ﷺ."
When you adopt good character, then you will develop so much trust in Allah ta’ala that all the world may end, but you accept Allah ta'ala's commands to be the truth.
There is a Hadith narrated in Mishkat Shareef by Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه mentioning; when Nabi ﷺ migrated to Madinah Shareef, the people from the surrounding areas would come to meet him and accept Islam. From amongst them, was a tribe called Abdul- Qays and the leader of this tribe was called Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه. He entered Madinah with a unique and beautiful style and he upheld great humility. He took his steps calmly with ease. Then, he dusted down his bags and goods. Thereafter, he took a bath, changed his clothes and made himself neat and tidy. At this point, he was not yet a Muslim.
Hadhrat Jibraeel عليه السلام came down to the Prophet ﷺ with a message from Allah ta'ala. When Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه presented himself to the Prophet ﷺ, Nabi ﷺ praised him and said, "You possess two qualities that Allah loves. These are clemency and tolerance". [Muslim]
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ لأشج عبد القيس: “إن فيك خصلتين يحبهما الله: الحلم والأناة”. ((رواه مسلم))
There were two groups of people rushing to see the Prophet ﷺ. One was disrespectful in their approach and the other was beloved to Allah ta'ala for their calm and gentle mannerism.
Clemency and forbearance refers to a person being calm and cautious. When you make decisions in life, you should never panic and be in a rush. Nabi ﷺ says that such an action will always be a fail.
Perhaps you notice a temporary gain, but you should take your time in analysing and taking guidance from Allah ta'ala through istikhara before making a decision, just like Hadhrat Ashajj رضي الله عنه was calm and collected.
A person who acts in a rush and is anxious, will always be unsuccessful in his pursuits, although it may appear to be beneficial. This is because his desires are attached to it. Always be cautious and consult your Sheikh and seek his duas. Otherwise, you may regret taking those steps later on and you will end up with wrong conclusions.
Even today, if we want to be a wali Allah, you should take the balanced path and be careful whilst considering every action you perform. You should avoid running after everything which is sparkling and appears beautiful, as this equals worldly inclination and greed. You should turn to Allah ta'ala and seek His guidance.
During tazkiyah, we replace every disease with a good quality. We must remove greed and replace it with contentment. We must remove envy and replace it with love.
If we want clemency and tolerance, then we must remove our anger. Anger is very common in society. Spouses get divorced over anger and then seek excuses to escape the divorce.
Hadhrat Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is nothing swallowed with a greater reward from Allah than a servant who swallows his rage, seeking thereby the countenance of Allah.” [Ibn Majah]
You will receive such an enjoyment that your Imaan will be strengthened and this enjoyment becomes apparent in your worship. This is the enjoyment of belief. Those who don't enjoy their worship, it is because their faith is without enjoyment.
There are two types of anger. It is compulsory to control the anger when it comes immediately. If you don't control it, it is unlawful.
The other anger is related to the deen. It is for the sake of Allah ta'ala. For example, when you see someone disrespect the Prophet ﷺ and you can't bear that. In such a situation, there is permissibility to express anger but even then you should control it.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen