Powerful Detergents for the Spiritual Heart
There are many laboratories in the world working and specializing in detergents. Each one is trying to produce the best detergent that would be the easiest to remove stains. Each company claims its detergents are the best, giving you a power-cleaning wash and removing the toughest stains. In the spiritual world, we find that the spiritual heart is a sensitive entity and easily stained. Some stains are easy to remove; others are tough to do away with. Thus, the spiritual heart also requires detergents for the heart to remain ‘whiter than white’, ‘brighter than bright’ or ‘super bright’ – as we read in different advertisements. Those stains of the spiritual heart (i.e. one’s minor sins) are easy to remove and are washed away with the water of Wudhu (ablution), Salah, and many different Ibadat, all of which have the effect of removing the stains of sins, according to the Ahadith. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever performed Wudhu and performed it well (i.e. according to the prescribed rules), all his sins will go out, even from under his nails.’[1] Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Each of the five Salahs expiates the sins committed since the Salah preceding it.’[2] The ‘Ulama mention that Ahadith of this nature refer to minor sins. Major sins require sincere Taubah. Major sins leave ‘tough’ stains, requiring a hard wash with a strong detergent. The power detergents, which remove the big and unsightly blotches and splotches of major sins on the spiritual heart, are sincere taubah and Istighfar. If one wants a bright white spiritual heart, then the ‘bleach’ of Zikrullah should be used – just as we use bleach to whiten garments. Of course, its effect on our hearts depends on our sincerity, abstinence from all sins, and obedience to Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) If the stains of major sins are not removed, the heart not only becomes pitch black, it becomes hard, and at this stage, the person’s Iman is on dangerous ground. Allah Ta’ala mentions in the Qur’an Sharif: “… No! But that which they used to commit has covered their hearts with rust.” [Surah Mutaffifin 83:14] The rust that accumulates with indulgence in sins covers the heart and deprives the person of the ability to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, Haq (Truth) and Batil (Falsehood). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained: “When a Mu’min (believer) sins, a black dot appears on his heart. If he repents and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, his heart becomes cleansed and polished. If he continues to commit more and more sins (without repenting), the spot continues to spread and ultimately covers all of his heart.”[3] [1] Sahih Muslim [2] Sahih Muslim [3] Tirmidhi
Mirror Reflections
Mirror Reflections by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) It is said: ” The room in which there is no mirror is worse than a prison cell for a woman”. Of course, the same can be said about many men who spend hours in front of the mirror for the sole purpose of beautification. This statement gives us an idea of how often a person looks into the mirror, so much so that one will say that the mirror is indispensable. To look into a mirror, comb one’s hair, etc., is not Haram (forbidden). To do so is the Sunnah of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We will also find amongst the duas of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) the dua when looking into a mirror: “O Allah, You have beautified my features, so beautify my character as well.”[1] Even so, the mirror must not become an obsession. The efforts in beautifying the face and maintaining the physical body in good shape have turned into a multi-billion dollar industry. The interest and concern are directed towards something that will inevitably turn to dust, whereas we have not been created for just the beautification of the face and body -that from the morning until the night, the person is fixated on nothing but his physical appearance. Be that as it may, we find that there are various kinds of mirrors: There are those mirrors that give a true and correct reflection. There are mirrors that magnify the person’s features. There are even mirrors that reflect a distorted or twisted image. The face may be the same, but the reflection varies depending on the type of mirror used. Then again, there are times when a person’s beauty is affected by other factors. When we travelled by train in India, we travelled in third-class coaches and sometimes long distances. Due to some of the windows of the carriage being left open, or the windows being broken, dust would cover the carriage. We would be covered with dust from head to toe. Anyone seeing us would see a different appearance. Accordingly, certain factors, like sickness, sleep, travel, etc., affect a person’s appearance. Similarly, the same can be said about our physical as well as our spiritual hearts. The spiritual heart is also not always in the same condition. The heart is called ‘Qalb’ in the Arabic language because it is perpetually in a state of change. It has been narrated regarding the heart: ‘The heart (Qalb) takes its name from its constant changes (Taqallub). The likeness of the heart is that of a feather at the base of a tree, being turned over and over by the wind.’ [2] ‘The heart of the son of Aadam changes more quickly than a pan of rapidly boiling water.’ Just as we are conscious of maintaining the beauty of our appearance and physique, there has to be a sense of consciousness, more so, in maintaining the beauty of the spiritual heart. As a poet aptly says: We looked into the mirror for blemishes on our faces, But we did not look at all the blemishes of the heart. The mirrors for the spiritual heart are the Quran Sharif, Ahadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the advice of the Ahlullah (People of Allah). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has also informed us: ‘A Believer is the mirror for a Believer.’[3] Whilst a mirror discloses any defect in our physique, these mirrors disclose to us the neglect and weakness of our spiritual hearts. We are thus able to gauge our spiritual condition, and we are able to see the blemishes of our hearts in these mirrors. As I have said, some mirrors give a magnified and enlarged reflection or a distorted, twisted or skewed image –which is not a true and honest reflection of the person standing in front of that mirror. Similarly, some Muslims do not give a true reflection: If a Muslim is of bad character, and his actions are “twisted” and “distorted” due to his indulgence in sins, he will not offer a proper reflection. Just as we appreciate the mirror that gives us a true reflection or draws our attention to that part of our face or body that requires cleaning or improvement, we should be grateful for these spiritual mirrors. These spiritual mirrors are the mirrors of the Quran Sharif, Ahadith, wise teachings of the learned, and the advice of righteous and sincere Muslims —by which we can clean, improve, and beautify our spiritual hearts. If we assume the role of the mirror, we should keep in mind that a good mirror only discloses weakness or defect. A good mirror does not criticise, exaggerate and advertise to all and sundry another person’s weakness. Being a “mirror” to another could also mean that a person should become righteous so that whoever sees him will be encouraged to do good deeds, like a person who looks into a mirror and then tries to perfect his appearance. For example, A Muslim who wears the Sunnah dress will insha Allah, be a means of guidance and encouragement to those who see him and are not dressed accordingly. They will be more conscious of their Muslim identity, and will, insha Allah, adopt the correct attire. The same would follow regarding good actions, behaviour, dealings etc. If we are concerned about the beautification of our Iman, we will make every effort to remove any trace of ‘unsightliness’ (i.e. pride, show, vanity, jealousy, malice, etc.) or even sins such as lying, cursing, casting evil gazes, interest, fraud and so forth. In the beauty industry, we will find all kinds of products and innumerable beauticians and consultants offering various treatments and packages. There are so many kinds of washes, scrubs, lotions and creams advertised for facial and body beauty —detoxifying wash, day cream, night cream, nourishing cream, replenishing cream, moisturising cream, etc. —so too,
The Wash Cycles for the Heart
The Wash Cycles for the Heart by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) Once, on viewing the Mataf from one of the upper levels of Masjidul Haram, the scene of thousands of people engaged in Tawaf brought to my mind the following analogy: Seeing thousands of people moving around the Baitullah reminded me of the wash cycles of the washing machine. Indeed, we find that we can draw parallels between the Tawaf and the work of the washing machine. The purpose of the washing machine is to wash our clothes clean. We place dirty clothes into the drum of the machine, and we add the detergent, bleach and softener. With a press of the Start button, the drum starts to spin, water pours in, and the machine does its work of extracting the dirt repeatedly until the final rinse. Once the drum stops, the clothes are taken out, hung up to dry, and when dry, they are ironed —with the result being well-pressed, crease-free, clean clothing. Tawaf resembles the purpose and work of the washing machine, except that we are not washing dirty clothes; instead, we are washing our hearts —our spiritual hearts Like how dirty clothes are placed into the washing machine, we put our dirty hearts into the Tawaf —hearts which are stained with all kinds of sins, including the ‘tough’ stains of major sins. What is not found in this heart? So much has soiled and spoilt our hearts: Pride, Jealousy, Malice, Vanity, Hubbe Dunya, Hubbe Jah, and the deep, dirty stains of lustful gazes, backbiting, and other such evils have blotted our hearts, smeared and blackened them. Before washing badly stained clothing, a stain remover is used. Accordingly, we apply to our hearts the stain remover of regret and remorse over our sins and earnest intention that what has passed has indeed passed. The Hajre Aswad can be likened to the ‘START’ button. The intention of Tawaf and the raising of the hands with ‘Bismillah Allahu Akbar wa- lillahil Hamd’ signify the commencement of the Tawaf. Simultaneously the washing of the heart commences. The detergents of Istighfar, Durud Sharif, and Zikrullah then contribute to the cleansing of the heart. Just as water gushes into the drum, Allah Ta’ala’s Tajalli, special mercy, and noor cascading onto the Baitullah drench those in Tawaf. These are the ones who are the first to benefit, and they benefit more than all others. Their hearts, too, are soaked with this Noor, similar to how dirty clothes become soaked with water. The detergent of sincere Istighfar and Taubah wash the heart. The amount of detergent a person needs for washing his clothes depends on the load size. So if our hearts are heavily loaded with sins, then naturally, the demand will be of plenty of Taubah and Istighfar. If we want our hearts to be white, the bleach of Zikrullah is added to the Tawaf, just as bleach is used when a person wants his white clothes to be as white as possible. If we want our hearts to be soft, then the softener of Durood Shareef is also released into the washing of our hearts. Each round of the Baitullah is similar to the wash and rinse the dirty clothing goes through for a good wash. Round and round, each cycle is completed with Istighfar and Taubah, Durud Sharif, Dua and Zikrullah. Together with that Tajalli, the dirt of the heart is extracted until the final rinse and —the 7th round. Now the heart is clean and purified. If we enter the Tawaf with total concentration on Allah Ta’ala and complete focus on the great privilege of Tawaf of Baitullah – which is, in reality, Tawaf of Rabbul-Bait, then we will experience that beautiful Noor and that Tajalli. Naturally, for the full benefit of Tawaf, the gaze has to be controlled. If a person has ‘khauf-e-Khuda’ and ‘Azmat’ of Baitullah, he will not raise his glance towards strange women; he will not cast an evil gaze – in the Tawaf and out of Tawaf. If during Tawaf, the person is engaging in lustful gazes and other sins, there will be just an accumulation of darkness and dirt. Once the heart is washed, it is taken out of the Tawaf – clean, bright, and white. After completing the 2 Rakats of Wajib Salah after Tawaf, the person proceeds to the Multazam, where he places his chest against the wall. That pressing of his chest is akin to pressing and ironing the “creases” of his heart, similar to how clothes are ironed, making them ‘crease-free’. The tears shed at the Multazam are like droplets of sweet musk which now fragrance that heart. SubhanAllah, what a sparkling heart, emitting the sweetest of scents. Whilst we will sense it – Insha Allah – we will have to thereafter look after this cleanliness and this sparkle. We have to make sure that we fulfil the rights of Taubah by making amends for our shortcomings in Huququllah (the rights of Allah Ta’ala) and Huququl Ibad (the rights of the servants of Allah Ta’ala). Whatever is outstanding of Salah, Zakah, and fasts will have to be made up for, and whatever is due to people will have to be returned to them, or forgiveness secured from them. May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufiq of making such Tawafs, which only increase our hearts in purity and whiteness and increase that Qurb (proximity) to the Owner of the House, Aameen.
Watering the Root
Watering the Root The main reason for being unable to solve the many problems the Muslim community is presently facing is that we are misdirecting our energies by ‘watering leaves’ when in fact, the ‘root’ is in dire need of water. We are not getting to the root of the problem since we are too preoccupied with watering the leaves of our problems. Take the example of Zina (adultery and fornication), which is the scourge of our society: The consequences are illegitimate children, abortions and various physical and deathly diseases. It is common knowledge that many physical ailments today point to immoral, unrestrained behaviour as the cause. Having moved away from the Nasihah (advice) of Qur’an Sharif and Sunnah, and drawing from the manner in which the non-Muslims try to remedy their problems, many will suggest that a home be built for illegitimate and abandoned children, that more awareness is instilled in the youth on Aids and other transmitted diseases, and more programmes are held, encouraging the youth and others to take more precaution. As we all know, drugs are another major problem among our youth. Our attention to remedying the situation is the building of rehabilitation centres. Whilst these efforts offer some benefit, these are, in reality, short-term measures and are not solutions to the problems. Because we have adopted the Western way of thinking, we consider these as the solutions. The root cause is the heart. Change the heart’s condition, and sins will automatically be given up. The actions will be good if the spiritual heart is in good condition. The actions will be bad if the heart is not in good condition. The person will suffer due to his own evil and mischief, and others will also suffer as a result. The supreme qualities of the heart are Iman and Taqwa, which are lacking in most people. Shariah has laid tremendous emphasis on the purification of the heart. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lived amongst people who were immersed in sins such as adultery, liquor and gambling. His approach and method in eradicating those major problems in that society was to create the love of Allah Ta’ala, the khauf (fear) of Qiyaamah and accountability, and the awareness that Allah Ta’ala is watching every deed: A person can hide and conceal his sins from people, but there is Someone who is always watching from above. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an Sharif : “Indeed your Lord is Ever–Watchful (over them).” [Surah Al-Fajr 89:14] “…He is with you wherever you are, and Allah is watchful of whatever you do.” [Surah Hadid 57:4] In this manner, so many problems are solved in one capsule – The capsule of the Love and Fear of Allah Ta’ala. This is the real solution: – Change the condition of the heart. – Make the heart conscious of Allah Ta’ala. – Awaken the spiritual heart. Otherwise, funds are being burdened on projects that are only short-term measures and not the solution. The purpose of the Qur’an Sharif is to learn, understand and practice its teachings. It is the Qur’an Sharif that works on the heart: If the person keeps before him the four witnesses who will either testify in his favour or against him on the Day of Qiyaamah, he will undoubtedly opt for abstinence from sins. These four witnesses are : 1. The Earth: “On that Day, the earth will recount everything,” [Surah Zilzal 99:4] 2. The Angels who take note of all our actions: “While (appointed) over you there are watchers, who are noble, writers (of the deeds), (they) know whatever you do.” [Surah Infitar 82:10-12] 3. One’s Book of Deeds: “And the book (of deeds) will be placed (before them), then you will see the guilty people scared of its contents and saying, “Woe to us! What a book is this! It has missed nothing, minor or major, but has taken it into account.” Thus they will find whatever they did present before them, and your Lord will not wrong anyone..” [Surah Kahf 18:49] 4. One’sBody: “On this Day We will seal their mouths, their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to what they used to commit.” [Surah Yasin 36:65] If the root of Imaan, which is in the heart, is watered, then the tree of Imaan will bear the fruit of obedience. The above is the solution to all our problems.