TAZKIYA (PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL) - QUOTES, ARTICLES AND ANECDOTES
Extracts from speeches and writings of Scholars on Islamic Spirituality and Purification of the Soul!
Saturday, November 18, 2023
The danger of taking sins lightly :
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Arrogance of knowledge- Qarun's quality
Many people today become arrogant and start feeling superior to others when they get some degree in modern education and they look down upon at the less educated. Indeed, the way modern education is taught almost invariably makes one arrogant! But a Muslim must realise that such arrogance of knowledge is a character trait of the cursed Qarun mentioned in the Holy Quran and we must be humble when Allah gives us knowledge.
Though Qarun was from Musa’s (AS) people, Bani Israel, he rebelled against him and became an ally of the Firaun. Allah had made Qarun the wealthiest man on earth to the extent that the keys to his treasure were so heavy they could not be carried by the strongest men.
إنَّ قَـٰرُونَ ڪَانَ مِن قَوۡمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ ۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلۡعُصۡبَةِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡقُوَّةِ إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُ ۥ قَوۡمُهُ ۥ لَا تَفۡرَحۡۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡفَرِحِينَ
Indeed Qarun was from the people of Musa, then he rebelled against them. And We had given to him such treasures as their keys would weigh too heavy for a strong group of people. (Remember) when his people said to him, “Do not exult. Surely, Allah does not like the exultant. (28:76)
In his Tafseer of Surah Qasas, Imam Ibn Katheer RA says:
Allah informs us how Qarun responded to the exhortations of his people when they sought to guide him to what is good.
﴿قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِندِى أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعاً وَلاَ يُسْأَلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴾
(Surah Qasas:Ayah 78. He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.''...)
meaning, `I have no need of your advice; Allah has only given me this wealth because He knows that I deserve it and because He loves me. ' In other words: `He has given it to me because He knows that I am fit for this.'
This is like the Ayat:
﴿فَإِذَا مَسَّ الإِنسَـنَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَـهُ نِعْمَةً مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ﴾
When harm touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We have changed it into a favor from Us, he says: "Only because of knowledge I obtained it.' '(39:49)
An alternative interpretation of this Ayah says that the meaning is: "Only because of what Allah knows about me did I obtain this favor.''
This is like His saying:
﴿وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَـهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِن بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَـذَا لِى﴾
"And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from Us, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say: "This is from me.'' (41:50)
meaning, "I deserved it.''
Imam `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam explained this Ayah very well. Concerning the phrase,
﴿قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِندِى}
He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.''
He said: "Were it not for the fact that Allah is pleased with me and knows my virtue, He would not have given me this wealth.''
Ultimately Allah destroyed Qarun and he was swallowed up by the earth along with his wealth..
"Then We caused the earth to swallow him up, along with his home. There was no one to help him against Allah, nor could he even help himself." (28:81)
This arrogance can also be because of Religious knowledge, particularly if it's self acquired with out sitting at the feet of real Ulama. That's why proper Spiritual Tarbiyah and Tazkiya is considered by the ulama as essential for the students of Deeni Ilm too.
May Allah protect us from the arrogance of knowledge. Aameen.
Monday, August 14, 2023
A sign of Mudāhanat (compromising & diluting the Deen) is having lots of friends & followers
Monday, June 19, 2023
Wisdom behind not cutting one's hair or nails in the first 10 days of Zul Hajj until Qurbani and it's Fiqh status:
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Submitting and surrendering our intellect before the Deen:
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Three Ahadith on Dangers of Cursing:
Hadith 1.
Sayyiduna Abu Darda narrated that he heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ say, ''When a person curses anything (man or an inanimate object), the curse rises up to the heaven but the gates of heaven are locked against it, so it comes down to earth but its gates are locked against it. So, it turns to the right and the left. If it does not find any point of entry, it comes again to that which was cursed (and effects it) if it deserves the curse. If not then it reverts on him who had uttered the curse." Abu Dawud.
COMMENTARY: People take the curse very lightly but this hadith points out how serious it is and the one who curses is himself liable to fall prey to it.
Hence, no one may be cursed unless one is confident that he deserves it, but this can only be known when the Prophet ﷺ tells us who deserves it.
Hadith 2.
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas narrated that (one day) the wind blew away the cloak of a man, so he cursed it. Allah's Messenger said,
"Do not curse it, because it is under command. If any one curses something and it is not liable to it, then the curse rebounds to him." Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud.
COMMENTARY: the wind is not independent but it follows the command of Allah. Hence, it is very bad to curse it and it is contrary to servitude.
The same command applies at other occasions like when facing reverses of fortune or grief, etc. One must keep one's tongue in check. No complaint must be made. It is against Islamic teachings.
Hadith 3.
Sayyiduna Abu Darda narrated that he heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ say, "those who are accustomed to curse often will not be witnesses or intercessors on the day of resurrection." (Muslim)
COMMENTARY: On the day of resurrection, the ummah of Muhammad ﷺ will be presented as witnesses over the previous peoples. They will testify that the Prophet ﷺ had conveyed to those peoples the messages of Allah and had invited them to Allah's path. But, they did not listen to them. Allah says about it:
{And thus have we made you mid-most justly balanced) community so that you may be witnesses to mankind.} (2: 143) The Prophet ﷺ said that on the day of resurrection such people who are given to cursing will not be honoured as witnesses over the past ummahs, they will also be deprived of the honour of interceding (doing Shifa'at) for anyone on the day of resurrection.