Tazkiyah: Purification of the Soul
Islam has three dimensions or levels, which in Arabic are called islam, iman, and ihsan. Islam (submission) refers to having the correct actions, that is, ones that are in accordance with the Quran and Sunna. Iman (faith) refers to having the correct knowledge (aqidah). Ihsan (excellence) refers to having the correct motivations.
Much attention is given to islam and iman and to matters of Shari'a and aqidah. But ihsan is important too. Having the correct motivations means purifying our souls from hypocrisy, caprice, heedlessness, and everything else that keeps us from serving Allah SWT for His sake alone. This purification of the soul is called tazkiyah.
The Writings of Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah.

"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al Muttaqoon." (Surah al Imraan: 133)

1. BRINGING THE SELF TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS DEEDS

Allah subhana wa ta'ala says in the Qur'an:
"O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do." (Surah al Hashr :18)
When a Muslim takes account of his own deeds he is able to realize his mistakes and correct them. Those who do not engage in accounting their own deeds, only condemn themselves in front of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Allah aza wa jal said in the Qur'an:
"So, by your Lord (O Muhammad) We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do." (Surah al Hijr:92-93)
Ibn Qayyim rahimuh Allah said "Condemning oneself is a practice of the truthful. A servant draws closer to Allah in a moment (when he condemns himself) much more than he would do so through actions."
When a Muslim takes account of his actions, he is able to realize the right of Allah over him. Ibn Qayyim also said "A benefit of understanding Allah's right over the servant is that it breeds condemnation of oneself and delivers one from showing off and vanity. It also opens the door of humbleness in front of Allah and closes the doors of conceit. It allows one to realize that salvation is only through Allah's grace and mercy. It is Allah's right that He should be obeyed and not disobeyed: that He should be remembered and not forgotten and that He should be appreciated and not unappreciated. Whoever thinks over these things will know with certainty that he cannot fulfill these conditions and, thus, has to resort to Allah's mercy. Such a person will be convinced that he cannot rely on his actions, lest he be destroyed. Many people think about their rights over Allah and do not about His rights over them. This is how there are detached from Allah and deprived of the desire to meet Him. This is the epitome of ignorance of their Lord and of themselves." (Ighathatul lahfaan 1/99-101; secondary reference)
A'isha radi Allahu anha was once asked about the verse,
"Then We gave the Book the Qur'an) for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose (the followers of Muhammad) Then of them are some who wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are, by Allah's Leave, foremost in good deeds. That (inheritance of the Qur'an), that is indeed a great grace." (Surah Fatir:32)
She answered "'My son! They are in Paradise. Those who raced towards good deeds are those who lived during the time of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who testified to their sustenance and Paradise. As for those who were moderate, they followed him among his companions and caught up with him. And as for those who wronged themselves are concerned., they are people like me and you."
Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu said "No one can achieve complete understanding of Islam until he condemns people for the sake of Allah and then returns home and condemns himself even more."
Imam Ahmed rahimu Allah related from Wahab ibn Munabbah rahimu Allah "It is written from the family of Dawood alayhi salam "An intelligent person should not be distracted on four occasions; when he is supplicating to his Lord, when he is auditing himself, when he is being informed by his friends about his shortcomings, and when he is alone with himself."
Omar radi Allahu anhu said "Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account [by someone else], weigh your deeds before they are weighed [by someone else]."
Hasan al Basri rahimahu Allah said about the verse "No. I do swear by the criticizing self..." (Surah Qiyamah:2) : A believer will always be critical of himself in his food, his drink and his speech. A sinner will not criticize himself." He also said "A believer is a guardian over himself: he acounts himself for Allah. Those who take account of themselves in this world will be audited lightly in the Hereafter. Those who take this issue lightly will find their auditing very difficult."

2. DISCIPLINING ONE'S SELF FOR ITS SHORTCOMINGS

We are not made perfect by Allah subhana wa ta'ala and we inevitably have our shortcomings. The pious predecessors differed with us in that they were harsh on themselves when it came to their shortcomings because they knew that obedience can be very difficult.
In the Qur'an we are told that (Iblis) said:
"Because you have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones." (7:12-17)
The pious predecessors were always fully aware of this and did everything to their capability to take their souls into account for its shortcomings, all out fear, love and hope in Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
Tameem Dari radi Allahu anhu failed to wake up for Tahajjud one night and he stayed awake at nights in prayer the whole of the next year. Talhah radi Allahu anhu became preoccupied with a bird on his wall on his orchard while he prayed and he donated the wall as redemption for that shortcoming. Imam Muhammad ibn Sireen narrated that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said "Sometimes I fell unconscious in between the mimbar of rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the chamber of A'isha. People would say "Maybe he is mad!" However, Allah knows best that I am not mad, but my hunger made me fall." Omar radi Allahu anhu gave a piece of land when he missed 'Asr prayers in a group, and ibn Omar used to stay awake the whole night if he missed a group prayer and then he would free two slaves.
Allah said in the Qur'an
"And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein." (Surah al Zumar:73)

3. BRINGING THE SELF TO DO ACTIONS OF OBEDIENCE

When a Muslim knows the value of the Hereafter, making an effort to have a pleasant abode is no longer difficult. This is why the pious predecessors acted upon the Qur'an and Sunnah. Abu Bakr Siddiq radi Allahu anhu said "Whoever enters his grave without any provisions is like the one who mounts the sea without a ship."
Bringing the self to do actions of obedience to Allah has a great deal to do with being content by Allah's subhana wa ta'ala decree. This state can only be attained by those who seek to have great knowledge and love. And so, by this it is possible to find pleasure in whatever they have been given by Allah whether it is a trial or a tribulation, JUST BECAUSE, it comes from Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
Allah said in the Qur'an
"Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely give him life with a good life, and We will surely give them their reward in accordance with the best of what they used to do..." (16:97)
Ahmad bin Bindar narrated that Abu Hurairah cried during his last illness, and when asked about it he said "Surely I am not crying being attached to your world, but rather for the long journey awaiting me, and the little provisions I have prepared for it. This morning, I am descending upon either paradise, or hell, and I have no idea towards which of the two I will be taken!"
Narrated Muawiya: I heard the Prophet saying, "A group of people amongst my followers will remain obedient to Allah's orders and they will not be harmed by anyone who will not help them or who will oppose them, till Allah's Order (the Last Day) comes upon them while they are still on the right path." (Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 56, Number 835)
Abdu Rahman ibn Abdullah bin Mas'ud narrated that someone asked his father "O Abu Abdu Rahman, teach me a few words that are all-encompassing and beneficial, so that I will need no further elaboration!" Ibn Mas'ud said "Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him. Live by the dictates of the Qur'an and pursue its guidance. Accept the truth and justice even if they come from a stranger you do not recognize, or even from someone you disregard as despicable, and refute falsehood even if it comes from a sibling you love."
Yahya ibn Mu'adh rahimu Allah said "Congratulations to those who leave the world before it deserts them; to those who build their graves before they enter them; and to those who please their Lord before they meet Him."
Thus we should try to bring ourselves to the very best of our abilities to do actions of obedience to Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
In Sahih Muslim it has been related that on the authority of A'isha radi Allahu anha that rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, and declares Allah to be one, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that having removed himself from hell."
Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu reported "Some of the people from among the companions of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him: "O rasulullah the rich have taken away all the reward. They observe prayer as we do; they keep the fasts as we keep, and they give sadaqa out of their surplus riches. Upon this rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Has Allah not prescribed for you by following which you can also do sadaqa? In every declaration of the glorification of Allah there is sadaqa, and every takbir there is sadaqa and ever declaration that He is One is a sadaqa, and enjoining of good is a sadaqa, and forbidding of that which is evil is a sadaqa, and in man's sexual intercourse with his wife there is sadaqa." The companions said "Rasulullah is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us?" He said "Tell me if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he should have a reward." (Muslim)
Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu asked rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam "Which action is best?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Faith in Allah and Jihad in the way of Allah." He asked "Which neck is best for emancipation?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "That which is dearest of them in price and most valuable of them near its masters." He asked "If I cannot do it?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "You shall help a laborer or work for one who is disabled." He asked "If I cannot do it?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "You shall call the people from wrong doing, because it is charity which you bestow upon yourself." (Agreed upon/Riyadhus saleheen)
Allah subhana wa ta'ala said in the Qur'an
"If anyone does a righteous deed, it is for his own soul." (45:15) And, He has promised us in the Qur'an "And whoso does good an atom's weight will see it then." (99:7)

4. SEEKING THE COMPANY AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PIOUS

Unnecessary company is a disease that causes much harm. The wrong kind of companionships often afford one to be deprived of Allah's blessings Companionship in this life should be beneficial for one's akhirah. Ibn Qayyim rahimu Allah cites four different kinds of companionships:

a) People whose company is like food. It is indispensable, night or day. Once we have taken our need from this company we can leave it until we need it again. These are people with knowledge of Allah, who are pious, who wish well for Allah, His prophet and His servants. Associating with them is an achievement in itself.
b) People whose company is like a medicine. Their company is only needed when a disease sets in. When you are healthy you have no need for them, but mixing with them is sometimes necessary such as livelihood, business and consultation. Once what you need has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.
c) People whose company is harmful. Mixing with these people is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees. You will never benefit from them in this life or in the next life if you have them for company. You will lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established then it becomes fatal.
Among such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls. Their words are like lashes, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words. They cause distress to their company, while believe they are the center of attraction. Mixing with such a person will inevitably come to an end and is destined to be doomed. In such cases a person should just hold on to good behavior, only presenting such company with his outward appearance, until Allah subhana wa ta'ala offers him a way out of this company and out of its afflictions.
d) People whose company is evil in itself. This is like taking poison, its victim either finds an antidote for it or dies. Many belong to this category. They are people of shirk and misguidance who abandon the Sunnah and bring their personal beliefs as the truth. A Muslim should not sit in their company nor mix with them. The result of which will be a death of the heart.
With these kinds of companionships, we need to be more aware of what we choose to surround ourselvers with. In addition, Hasan al Basri said "The heart becomes corrupt in six ways: commiting sins in the hope of repenting, seeking knowledge and not applying it, practice without ikhlas (sincerity), eating the sustenance of Allah without appreciating Him, not being please with Allah's decree and burying the dead without learning from them."
Thus, in our effort to have increased taqwa we must surround ourselves with company who only seek to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala in speech and in actions. We must also take time to acquire knowledge from the pious of the past and of the present. And finally, we likewise must make an effort to keep company of those who are hungry for knowledge about Allah subhana wa ta'ala and Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

There are also many other states of purification:
The State of Repentance
The state of repentance, tawbah, is at the beginning, the middle and the end of all states of submission to the will of Allah. The servant who seeks the pleasure of Allah never abandons tawbah. He remains in the state of tawbah until his death. Whatever his state of belief, the servant makes tawbah his constant companion. Thus, tawbah is at the beginning and at the end of his servitude to his Creator. His need for tawbah at the end, just as at the beginning, overrides, and supersedes all other needs. Allah says: "And turn to Allah altogether (make tawbah), O you who believe so that you may succeed," (24:31)
The verse above is contained within a Madinan Surah (revealed after the migration to Madinah), in which Allah addresses the people of emaan, who are the best of His creation. He calls upon them to make tawbah "turn in repentance" to Him after they had already believed, gone through hardships, trials of faith, executed patience, migrated and performed jihad. Allah then made success conditional on perfecting such tawbah, as the effect is often conditional on the cause. No one can hope for success, except: those who make tawbah. Allah says: "And those who do not make tawbah are indeed the dhaalimoon (wrongdoers)." (49:11)
Allah divides His servants into two categories only: the repentant and the wrongdoers. There is no third category. Allah calls those who do not make tawbah, "dhaalimoon" (wrongdoers and transgressors) and no one is more of a wrongdoer and a transgressor than a person who does not repent for his evil actions. This state is a result of a person's ignorance of his Lord and the rights due to Him, as well as, his own defects and the evil of his deeds. The Prophet, sallallahu alayeh wa sallam, is reported to have said: "O people, make tawbah to Allah. By Allah, I make tawbah to Him more than seventy times each day." (Bukhari)
His companions used to count for him in each congregation his saying one hundred times: "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are At-Tawwab (the One who accept repentance), Al-Ghafoor (The Oft Forgiving)." The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, is also reported to have said: "No one will be rescued (on the Day of Judgment) by his deeds. They (his companions) asked even you Messenger of Allah? He said, even me, unless Allah would grant me His mercy and Grace."
May Allah's blessings and peace be upon His Messenger, the most knowledgeable among His creation of Him, His Rights, His Greatness and what servitude He deserves. He is the most knowledgeable of servitude and its requirements and the most committed in servitude to Allah.

The Starter (Fatihah) of Tawbah
Tawbah is the return of the servant to Allah. It is also his turning away from the path of those with whom Allah is angry and those who are astray. This returning cannot be done except by Allah's guidance to the Straight Path. The servant will not attain guidance except through Allah's help and the servant's submithrough tawheed. Suratul-Fatihah explains this concept in the most complete and eloquent manner.
Whoever appreciates Surat-ul-Fatihah and gives it is right estimate, through knowledge, contemplation upon its facts and by living its directives, will realise that one cannot recite it, with the true recitation of a servant, unless one makes sincere tawbah. The perfect guidance to the Straight Path cannot be attained with the indifference to sins or the persistence on sins. Indifference to sins negates the knowledge of guidance. Persistent sinning negates the intention and the will of the servant. Thus, tawbah will not be valid except after one recognises the sins, admits to them and seeks to rid oneself of their evil consequences.

Seeking Refuge from Sin
The first aspect of tawbah, then, is to see how one was taken away from seeking the pleasure of Allah, by committing sins. Next, one has to recognize that Allah didn't safeguard him from sin. One should also ponder how happy one was while sinning and being persistent on the sin, while knowing with surety that Allah ever watches over whatever is done in the heavens or on the earth. If the servant had sought refuge in Allah, he would not have gone away from the guidance of obedience, "And whoever holds firmly to Allah, then he is indeed guided to a Right Path." (3:101)
If one's holding onto Allah is firm, one would never be forsaken by Allah, "And hold firmly to Allah, He is your Mawlaa (Protector) and what an excellent Mawlaa and what an excellent Naseer (Helper)." (22:78)
In other words, whenever we hold firm to Him, He will become our Protector and He will support us against our nafs (inclinations) and the Shaytan. These two enemies, the nafs and Satan, are the ones that do not leave the servant for even a moment. Their enmity is more harmful to the servant than the enemies from without. Attaining victory over such enemies is more difficult, and the servant's need for such a victory is far more important. The degree of help rendered to defeat these enemies is dependent upon the degree of our dependence and holding onto Allah. If we do not hold firmly to Allah, we will go away from Allah's protection. This is indeed the true loss. Allah could have aided us in staying away from sins, however, because we deserted Him, we were allowed to listen to any obey our nafs. If He wished to protect us, the sin would not have found a way to get to us.
When the servant becomes heedless of the consequences of sin, he finds pleasure when he satisfies unlawful desires. This pleasure in disobedience is evidence of his ignorance of the Greatness of the One of disobeys, and his ignorance of the evil consequences of sins and evil actions. His pleasure with sin has concealed all of this from his sight. In fact, his pleasure with sin is more harmful to him than perpetrating the sin itself. The believer can never have any pleasure from sin. He cannot have complete satisfaction with it. On the contrary, he would not even pursue it, except with grief in his heart. But the intoxication of the desires obscures one from feeling this remorse. When the heart becomes empty from such grief and one is happy with sin, then one should question his faith and weep for the death of his heart. If one were alive, he would be sad for the perpetration of any sin, big or small. The evil effects of sin, more times than not, go unnoticed in us and in our brothers and sisters in Islam. Diligences in constant self-evaluation is necessary in leading us away from sin and its destructive ends. One can do this by focusing on the following.

1. The fear of dying before making tawbah.
2. Remorse about the good that was missed because of the disobedience of Allah.
3. Working seriously on regaining what has been missed.

If one becomes completely heedless then one becomes persistent, which means constant disobedience with the intention to perform the sin again and again. This by itself is another sin that could be far greater than the first. Part of the punishment for sin is that it leads to a greater sin, then another, and so on until it completely and certainly destroys the person if he does not repent.
Persistence on sin is another sin. Not attempting to rectify the sin means persistence on it and satisfaction with it. This is the sign of ruin. Worse than all of that, is the commission of sin in public when we are sure that Allah watches and sees everything from above His Throne. If we believe that Allah watches us, yet we proceed to commit sins publicly, this is a great contradiction. But if we don't believe that He watches us, then we are completely out of the realm of Islam.
There are two considerations for a sinner: lack of embarrassment from Allah knowing that Allah's sight watches over all, and lack of fear to go out of the deen. Therefore, one of the conditions of the acceptance of tawbah is that a person should firmly believe that Allah was watching and that He will always watch over him. He sees everything during the perpetration of sins.
The reality of tawbah is to return to Allah is not sound or complete without the knowledge of the Lord's names and attributes and their manifestations within Himself and in the world. The repenting servant should know that he was running away from his Lord, captured in the grip of his enemy. He didn't fall into the claws of his enemy except as a result of his ignorance of his Lord and his daring to go against Him. He should know how and when he became ignorant, and how and when he was captured. He should believe that tawbah requires great determination and complete awareness to rescue himself from the enemy and be able to return and run back, to his Lord Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim. He should realise that returning to his Lord is actually turning away from the road of destruction, where his enemy had taken him. He should know the number of steps taken away from his Lord and the efforts and obstacles that he must strongly work on to get back to the Straight Path.

The Station of al-Khawf
The Al-Khawf or fear station is one of the most splendid stations of the road and the most beneficial to the heart. It is also mandatory upon everyone. Allah said, "So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers." [3:175], "And fear none but Me." [2:40], "So fear not men but fear Me." [5:44]
Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, also praised His people in His book, saying, "Verily! Those who live in awe for fear of their Lord . . . It is these who race for the good deeds and they are foremost in them." [23:57-61]
Aisha once asked the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, "O Messenger of Allah, when Allah says And those who give that (their charity) which they give with their hearts full of fear . ." [23:60] is he the one who commits adultery, drinks alcohol or steals?" He said, "No, daughter of As-Siddeeq. It is the man who fasts, prays, and pays sadaqah. But he fears that none will be accepted from him." (Tirmithi and others)
Al-Hasan al-Basri said, "By Allah, they performed the acts of obedience and struggled in them and they were afraid that their deeds will be rejected." The believer has combined good deeds and fear and the hypocrite has combined bad deeds and a sense of security.
Other terms have similar meanings to al-khawf but are not synonymous, such as wajal, khashyah and rahbah. Abu Al-Qasim Al-Junaid said, "Khawf is to expect punishment as long as you breathe." It has been said that khawf is the restlessness of the heart because of the remembrance of the cause of fear. It has also been said that khawf is the strength in knowledge of the rulings and decrees. This is the reason for khawf and not khawf itself. It was also said that khawf is the escape of the heart from the occurrence of adversity when the heart senses it.
Khashyah is more specific than khawf. Khashyah is a quality that is particular of the people knowledgeable of Allah. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah." [35:28]
As a result khashyah is associated with knowledge. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, is reported to have said, "Indeed I have the most piety for Allah and have the greatest khashyah for Him." (Bukhari and Muslim) And he is the most knowledgeable of Allah.
Khawf can be likened to a movement or a reaction but khashyah is involvement, action and tranquillity. A person who sees the enemy, floods or similar causes of fear will have one of the following two reactions: movement; i.e., running away from the cause, which is the state of khawf; or staying calm and staying in a place where the cause cannot reach him, and this is khashyah. Rahbah is diligence in running away from adversity. The opposite of this is raghbah or longing which involves the travel of the heart toward its desires. There is symmetry between raghbah and rahbah both in their pronunciation and meanings.
Wajal is the shivering and breaking of the heart when remembering the One it fears, His authority, punishment or seeing Him.
Haybah is khawf associated with glorification and reverence. It's peak is achieved when love and knowledge are strongly combined. Ijlaal is glorification associated with love.
Khawf is for the common believers, while khashyah is for the knowledgeable and the scholars. Haybah is for those who love and Ijlaal is for those who are close (to Allah). The presence of Khawf and khashyah is according to how much knowledge is there, as the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Indeed I am the most knowledgeable of Allah amongst you and have the most khashyah for Him." (Bukhari and Muslim) He also said, "If you would know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much. You would not have joy with your wives in bed and you would go out to high places and pray fervently to Allah, The Mighty." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others)
The person with khawf resorts to fleeing and holding. The person with khashyah resorts to holding to knowledge. Their similitude is like a person who has no knowledge of medicine and a skilled, highly trained and educated physician. The former resorts to diet and escape for treatment of his ills while the doctor resorts to knowledge of diseases and medicines.
Abu Hafs said, "Khawf is the whip of Allah. He corrects with it those straying from His door." He also said, "Khawf is a light in the heart, with it one can see the good and evil. Everyone you fear you run away from except Allah. When you fear Him, you run away to Him." The person with khawf is a person fleeing from His Lord to His Lord.
Abu Sulaiman said, "When khawf departs from any heart, it falls apart." Ibrahim bin Sufyan said, "When khawf settles in the heart, it burns the places of vain desires within it and it kicks out the love for this world." Thun-Nun said, "People are on the road (meaning the Straight Path) as long as they have khawf. When they lose it, they stray from the road."
Khawf is not sought itself. It is simply a means sought to obtain something else. It disappears when the cause of khawf disappears. That is why the people of Paradise will have no khawf, nor will they grieve.
Khawf is related to deeds and actions, while love is related to Allah and His Attributes. The love of the believers to their Lord multiplies when they enter the House of Bliss and they will have not fear. For that, the station of love is greater and higher than the station of khawf.
The truthful khawf is what comes between the person and the prohibitions of Allah. If khawf exceeds that, then there may be a concern for getting into despair and hopelessness. Abu Uthman said, "The true khawf is being cautious of committing sins manifest or hidden."
I heard Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah say, "The commendable khawf is what restrains you from the prohibitions of Allah."
Al-Harawi said, "Khawf is to slip away from comfort and security by recognizing the warning of Allah." The beginning of khawf is to fear the punishment. This is the kind of khawf that produces sound emaan (faith). This can be attained by believing in the warnings of Allah and remembering the sin. Khawf is preceded by feeling and knowledge. It is impossible that a person may have khawf without having feelings of fear.
Khawf is associated with two things: first, the thing feared; and second, any thing that may lead to it. Khawf can then be as great as the feeling of the person to the feared thing and what leads to it. When a person doesn't think that something would lead to the object that should be feared, then would not fear that thing. The same is true if he does not know the measure of the fearful thing then, he would not have the correct fear.
Khawf (fear) and rajaa' (hope) complement one another. The similitude of the heart in its travel to Allah is like a bird. Love is its head, and khawf and rajaa' are the wings. When the head and both wings are sound, the bird is capable and skilled in flying. However, when the head is cut off, the bird will die. When the bird loses a wing, it then becomes a target for every hunter and predator. The scholars favored, however, the wing of khawf over the wing of rajaa', especially wh en the person is young and healthy. They favored the wing of rajaa' over the wing of khawf when the person is about to leave this world.
Abu Sulaiman said, "The heart ought to have more khawf. When rajaa' dominates, it ruins it." It was also said, "The best state is to have the same amount of khawf and rajaa', but to have more love. Love is the boat, rajaa' is the leader, khawf is the driver, and Allah is the One Who helps those reach the goal by His Grace and Generosity."

The Station of Firasah
Firasah is a sense of visual acumen, perception and insight. Allah says, "Surely! In this are the signs for the mutawassimeen." [15:75]
And with the regard to the meaning of mutawassimeen, here is what some of the great interpreters of the Qur'an said about it: Mujahid said it is "those who have visual acuity". Ibn Abbas said that it means "those who watch closely". Qatadah said that it means "those who learn the lessons". And Muqatel said that it means "those who reflect". There is no contradiction or apparent incompatibility amongst these interpretations. For example, one who sees the ruins and houses of those who belied Allah's Messengers would receive insight, admonition and reflection.
Alllah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, says the following with the regards to the hypocrites, "Had He willed, We could have shown them to you and you would have known them by their marks, but surely you will know them by the lahn of the speech!" [47:30] The first thing mentioned is the firasah of the eye and watching and the second thing noted is the firasah of the ear and hearing. The lahn of their speech is namely two varieties. One is proper and the other is wrong.
The proper lahn may mean eloquence as stated in the hadeeth: "And perhaps some of you are more eloquent in their claim than others." (Bukhari and Muslim) Or it may mean an indirect reference or indication. The wrong lahn is the speech that has grammatical mistakes. By using it, people tend to change the meaning to something incorrect or to a hidden meaning which may not have been intended.
The meaning of the verse is that Allah has confirmed to His Prophet, sallallahu `alayhe wa sallam, that he would know them from the lahn of their speech. It is more likely that one may know more about the speaker and what is within his mind from his speech and the tone of his voice than from his physical appearance. The words and the tone of voice can tell much more, than the appearance, about the intention of the speaker. Firasah can be either visual or auditory. The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhe wa sallam, is reported to have said, "Beware of the firasah of the believer, for he sees with the light of Allah," then he recited the verse, "Surely, mutawassimeen." (Tirmidhi) The firasah of the believer is always truthful.
The firasah is a light which Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, deposits in the heart of His servant. By this light, His servant distinguishes between truth and falsehood and between right and wrong.
The reality of firasah is a sharp thought that enters the heart and dominates its opinion. It overwhelms the heart just as the lion does to its pray, fareesah. Note the similarity between firasah and fareesah in Arabic. However, in their linguistic forms, fareesah is an object whereas firasah is similar in form to wilayah (authority and power), imarah (authority and command) and siyasah (administration and leadership).
The strength of firasah is dependent on the strength of faith. A person with stronger faith has sharper firasah. Amr bin Nujaid said that Shah al-Kermani had sharp firasah and was never wrong. He also used to say that whoever lowers his gaze away from prohibitions, restrains himself from vain desires, constructs his interior according to muraqabah (knowledge that Allah is watching over us), his exterior according to the Sunnah, and accustoms himself to eat only halal, his firasah will never be wrong.
Ibn Masoud said, "There are three people with the sharpest firasah. The Egyptian who bought Yusuf and then said to his wife, 'Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit for us or we shall adopt him as a son.' [12:21]. The other was the daughter of Shuaib, who said to her father with regards to Musa, 'Hire him!' [28:26] And Abu Bakr, for he appointed Omar as his successor." Another narration includes the wife of Pharaoh who said about Musa, "A comfort of the eye for me and for you. Kill him not, perhaps he may be of benefit to us, or we may adopt him as a son.' [28:9]
Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq is considered to be the one with the greatest firasah in the ummah and Umar was the second. The incidents that prove Umar's firasah are numerous, familiar and well-known. He never said with regards to anything, "I think this is so," but it was what he thought. The fact that the Quran approved of his opinion sin many incidents is sufficient evidence of his sharp firasah. One of which was his opinion regarding the redemption of the captives from the Battle of Badr.
Once a man named Sawad Bin Qarib passed by and Umar dind't know him. Umar said, "This is either a soothsayer or he was so in the days of jahiliyyah." Upon sitting before Umar, Sawad said, "O commander of the faithful! You never received any of your guests the way you did me." Umar said, "What we used to do in the days of jahiliyyah is worse than this. But tell me about what I have asked you." Sawad said, "You were true, O commander of the faithful! I was a soothsayer in the days of jahiliyyah, then he told him the story."
The sahabah, in general, had the most accurate and sharpest firasah. The true firasah is obtained from life and from the light Allah grants to whom He wishes from amongst His true servants. The heart receives life and light and then its firasah will almost never be wrong. Allah says, "Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness from which he can never come out?" [6:122]
The verse describes the person as "dead" because of the disbelief in his heart and the life of jahiliyyah or ignorance he was leading, but then Allah gave him life through emaan or faith of knowledge. Upon his acceptance of these gifts, the Qur'an and faith become the light by which he sees his way out of the darkness (of disbelief and ignorance) and onto the straight path.
Firasah is linked to three human organs: the eye, ear and heart. His eye examines the look and the signs, his ear examines the speech, the over expressions, oblique inferences and hints, content, logic and tone of voice. And his heart analyzes both what is seen and hear to perceive hidden thoughts of others. His analysis and examination of the interior compared to the exterior is like one who examines currency to see if it is counterfeit after examining the outside. It is also similar to Ahlul-Hadeeth (scholars who specialize in the knowledge of the hadeeth), who will read a hadeeth that has a sound isnad (chain of narrators) but upon examination of the matn (text of the hadeeth), it is found that it is a fabricated hadeeth.
There are two factors in firasah. One is the quality of one's mind, the sharpness of the heart and the intelligence. The second is the appearance of the signs and indications on others. When both factors are present than one's firasah may not be wrong. Iyaas bin Mu`awiyah had great firasah and he was well-known because of it , as was Imam Shafiee who was also reported to have written about it.

The Station of Muraqabah
Murâqabah is knowing that Allâh is watching over us. Allâh, subhânahu wa ta‘âla, says, “And know that Allâh knows what is in your minds, so fear Him.” [2:235] “And Allâh is Ever a Watcher over all things.” [33:52] “And He is with you wherever you may be.” [57:4] There are many other similar verses stating the same concept.
In the hadîth of Jibrîl, when he asked the Prophet about ihsân (goodness and excellence), the Prophet replied, “Ihsân is to worship Allâh as if you see Him, but since we do not see Him we should know that He sees us at all times.” (Bukhârî and Muslim) The meaning of this hadîth is the definition of murâqabah. Namely, the endurance of the servant’s knowledge and his conviction and certainty that Allâh is watching over his internal and external affairs. To have this knowledge and certainty at all times is called murâqabah. It is the fruit of the servant's knowledge that Allâh is his Watcher, Over-seeing him, Hearing his utterances, and Observing all of his deeds at all times.
Al-Junaid said, “The one firm in murâqabah fears the waste of even a moment for other than his Lord.” Dhun-Nun said: “The sign of murâqabah is to favor what Allâh has sent down (of the revelation), to glorify what Allâh has glorified, and to despise what Allâh has despised.”
Ibrahîm Al-Khawâs said: “Murâqabah is the sincerity of both the internal and external to Allâh.” It has been said that “The best that man may cling to on this road to Allâh is muhâsabah (reckoning of the self), murâqabah, and governing his conduct with knowledge.”
The people of true knowledge have unanimously agreed that having murâqabah for Allâh in one’s hidden thoughts is a means for it to manifest in the deeds and the behavior externally. So, whoever has murâqabah for Allâh in secret and internally, Allâh will preserve him in his actions and behavior, both internally and externally.
One of the finest definitions for murâqabah is the following: murâqabah of Allâh is being on the way to Him at all times with over-whelming glorification, inciting nearness and urging joy. The overwhelming glorification is to have the heart filled with glorification of Allâh. Such a state makes the servant unconcerned with glorifying others or paying attention to others beside Allâh. A servant should always have this state, especially when he is remembering Allâh. To be with Allâh provides one with intimacy and love. If these are not associated with glorification, they may take one outside of the limits of servitude. Any love that is not associated with glorification of the Beloved One is a reason to distance him away from the Beloved and lose His respect.
The overwhelming glorification includes five components: walking towards Allâh, constantly walking towards Him, presence within the heart for Him, glorification of Him, and being overwhelmed by His glorification to be concerned with others. The inciting nearness is the closeness to Allâh that incites the servant to have these five components. This closeness makes him glorify Allâh in a manner that he pays no attention to himself or others. The closer the servant becomes to Allâh, the more he glorifies Him and the less mindful he will be for others. The urging joy is happiness and glorification. It is the delight one finds in this nearness. There is nothing in this world comparable in any way to the joy and happiness of the heart and the delight of the eye with Allâh and His closeness. This is one of the states in Paradise. A knowledgeable person said, “There are times when I would say that if the people of Paradise can be in a state like this, they are indeed living a good life.” This joy, no doubt, urges him to be constant in walking to Allâh and doing his best to seek Allâh’s Pleasure. If one didn't achieve this joy or even a portion of it, then one should doubt their faith and deeds. Faith has grace and sweetness. If one has not tasted it, then one should go back and achieve the true faith and its sweetness.
The Prophet mentioned the sweetness of faith in many ahâdîth, including: “...tasted the taste of faith, those who take Allâh as their Lord, Islam as their religion and Muhammad as a Messenger.” (Muslim and Ahmad) He also said: “Whoever possesses the following three qualities attains the sweetness of faith: To have Allâh and His Messenger dearer to him than anything else, to love a person only for the sake of Allah, and to hate to return to kufr after Allâh has rescued him from it like he hates to be thrown into fire.” (Bukhârî & Muslim) I heard Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah saying: “If you don’t find sweetness and joy in the deed you perform, then doubt its sincerity, for Allâh is Shakûr (Most Appreciative and Rewarding).” He meant that Allâh will certainly reward His servant for his deeds in this world as long as the servant is delighted and happy with his deeds. But if he doesn’t find the delight and the joy in his heart, then his deed is imperfect, defective.”
This imperfection and defectiveness is the reward of what the servant receives for his deeds. Deeds have consequences and effects that return to the servant that performed them, affecting his life and all of his affairs. Salâh, for example, prevents the servant from unlawful and evil deeds. It also refines his morals and brings him up in the best manner that Allâh loves.
Siyâm strengthens his will and enlightens self-reproach and insight, so the person may see the straight path and become among the righteous. Such are all the good and righteous deeds, they have a reward that affords prosperity in all of man’s affairs. As a result, family life and the society become joyful and prosperous. The evil deeds have their consequences as well. Allâh said, “For those who have done good is best (reward).” [10:26] and “The evil was the end of those who did evil.” [30:10]
The opposition in people is of three kinds. Only those that Allâh protects are free from these. The first kind is the opposition to His Names and Attributes by presenting false and unclear matters. These falsities are negated because of what Allâh and His Messenger have ascribed for Him. These people have ascribed to Allâh what He negated for Himself. By doing so, they became loyal to His enemies and enemies to His Allies. They changed the words from the correct status and have abandoned, as a result, a great part of what was sent to them.
They are those that have divided their religion into differing sects with each group rejoicing in its belief. The only thing that protects from this is the pure submission to the wahî (Divine inspiration). When the heart submits to the wahî (revelation), it will witness its soundness, realize intellectually and in the light of fitrah (sound nature) that it is the truth. Such a submissive person submits by way of hearing, the mind, and the fitrah. This is the most perfect faith.
The second type of person is the one who is in opposition to His Message and Command. These people can vary slightly and can be further categorized. Some may oppose with their opinions and analogies. They make lawful what Allâh has made unlawful, and make unlawful what Allâh has made lawful. They void what Allâh has made obligatory and make obligatory what Allâh has voided. Another type amongst these people are those that oppose the facts of faith and the Message with their visions, personal experiences, and false devilish inspirations. These compose a religion that Allâh has not allowed, invalidate the religion that Allâh sent to His Messenger, and oppose the facts of faith using the devil’s tricks. These people have religions to worship other than Allâh’s religion and place these before Allâh’s religion. Because of their analogies, opinions and personal experiences, the entire world could have been ruined and the pillars of the religion destroyed. But Allâh has preserved this religion and promised to protect those that will preserve and protect it from the plots of these plotters.
Another group of those in opposition are those that oppose the Law of Allâh with their unjust rules. They put their rules before the rules of Allâh and His Messenger . Thus they suspend Allâh’s Law, justice and His Hudûd (legislated punishments).
The third type of opposition is of those who oppose Allâh’s actions, decrees and ordinances. This opposition comes primarily from ignorant people. It has many forms, some are clear and some are not. This kind of opposition exists within many souls. If we were to contemplate our utterances, actions and desires, we would see this clearly. Most of us have some kind of opposition to Allâh’s decree and His portioning of livelihood.
The ones that are free of this type of opposition are those that know Allâh with a true knowledge and accept Him with complete satisfaction.

The Station of Toma'aneenah
Toma'aneenah is tranquillity. Allah says, "Those who believe and whose hearts find toma'aneenah in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find toma'aneenah." [13:28]
"O you the one with toma'aneenah! Come back to your Lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter you, then among My honored slaves, and enter My Paradise." [89:27-30]
Toma'aneenah is the satisfaction of the heart with circumstances without any sense of anxiety or restlessness. It was mentioned in one narration that: "Truthfulness is a cause of toma'aneenah and lying is a cause of suspicion and doubt." This suggests that one who hears the truth will have toma'aneenah and satisfaction within his heart as a result, whereas lying causes disturbance and doubt within the heart. This meaning is also seen in the hadeeth which states: "Righteousness is what the heart has toma'aneenah with." This shows that the heart feels satisfied with truth and has no anxiety or sense of unease because of it.
There are two opinions regarding the meaning of remembrance of Allah in the (aforementioned) verse. The first opinion holds that the remembrance is of the servant to his Lord. This remembrance causes toma'aneenah to settle within the heart. Should the heart become anxious or disturbed, then the servant will have no means for attaining toma'aneenah except through the remembrance of Allah. The second opinion holds that the meaning of this remembrance is the Qur'an, and this is the more sound. It is His Remembrance that he revealed to His Messenger. The hearts of the believers will have toma'aneenah as a result of it. For the heart will not have trust or toma'aneenah except by faith and certainty. There are no means of attaining faith and certainty except through the Qur'an. The toma'aneenah of the heart is due to its firm faith. The heart's anxiety and disturbance are a result of its doubts and uncertainty. The Qur'an is the means to attain certainty and firmness in faith, and to remove doubts. That is why the hearts of the believers cannot have tranquillity except through the Qur'an. It is impossible for anyone who doesn't study the Qur'an, or deeply understand it, to have a benefit from it and its guidance. The benefit from the Qur'an, will not be sound unless one's heart perceives the reflections of His Lord's Names and Attributes, in His Laws within himself and in everything around him within this universe. The same two opinions are also applied to the meaning for the remembrance of Allah, as stated in the following verse, "And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of Ar-Rahmaan, We appoint for him a shaytaan to be an intimate companion to him." [43:36]
Again, the sound opinion here is that Allah's Remembrance is that which He sent to His Messenger, i.e., His Book. Whoever turns away from this, Allah will appoint a shaytaan for him, who will misguide and deter him from the straight path although the person may think that he is righteously guided. The two opinions are also prevalent with the verse: "But whosoever turns away from My Remembrance, verily for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." [20:124]
The sound opinion is that Allah's Remembrance is His Book that He sent to His Messenger. This is why the one that turns away from it will say, "O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind while I had sight before?" [20:125] And Allah will respond by saying, "Like this, Our Aayat came unto you but you disregarded them, and so this Day you will be neglected." [20:126]
Allah deposits toma'aneenah in the hearts and souls of the believers. He will then grant the joy, delight and good news of admission into Paradise to those with toma'aneenah. As a result, for these people there is great happiness and a beautiful place for the final return. The verse "O you with toma'aneenah! Come back to your Lord . . ," indicates that the soul will not return to Allah unless it is characterized by toma'aneenah. Then it will return to Him, be from among His honored slaves and be allowed to enter His Paradise.
Toma'aneenah's final product is tranquillity. At that final stage the heart will have tranquillity with a sense of sound security. There is a difference between a sense of sound security and a deceitful sense of security. It is possible that the heart may have a feeling of satisfaction caused by a deceitful sense of security, but this satisfaction and peace do not endure. Besides the sound security because of the tranquillity produced by toma'aneenah, there is an atmosphere of joy and attachment.
Toma'aneenah is something more than tranquillity. It includes knowledge, faith and the attainment of what is known. The example of this is the toma'aneenah the hearts find with the Qur'an. When hearts believe in it and attain knowledge of its guidance, it is sufficient for them. Their total loyalty is to the Qur'an. They rule their lives with it and go to it when they have a dispute.
Toma'aneenah is extremely beneficial for those overwhelmed by obligations and responsibilities, especially for those who call others to Allah and struggle against Allah's enemies. These people face and bear much more than others. They are faced by many circumstances that may weaken their patience. So if Allah wishes to relieve them of the heaviness of their obligations, He will have tranquillity descend upon them and toma'aneenah with His Commands and Decrees. If the servant has toma'aneenah with Allah's Commands, then he knows that Allah's religion is the truth and that Allah will certainly support him and be sufficient for him and his family. If the servant has toma'aneenah with Allah's Decrees then he knows that nothing will reach him except for what Allah has written for him. This servant knows that whatever Allah wishes will be and whatever Allah doesn't wish will not be. Therefore there is no reason for worries or concerns, unless there is weak faith. Nothing will happen unless it is written and if it is written, nothing can stop it. Therefore, there should be no fear or concern for those with faith. If an adversity occurs and the believer can do something, then he should do so. However, if he cannot, then he should not be annoyed or dismayed.
Toma'aneenah is also beneficial for those who are subjected to trials and hardship. There is no doubt when a person is suffering and has strong faith in the reward for his patience, then his heart will be content. He will have tranquillity and toma'aneenah. The adversity may become stronger against him and he may not see the reward. Seeing the reward may become so powerful that there may be a sense of joy felt from the adversity and be considered a gift. This is not surprising. Many wise persons upon seeing the results of distasteful medication may begin to like the taste of the medicine. Observing its benefit makes one not pay attention to the taste.

Fasting and Self Purification
Fasting is an exercise in self-discipline. During the month of Ramadan, the believer abstains in the daytime from food and drink of his own free will. It is only after sunset that he satisfies his hunger and quenches his thirst. In this way, he builds up his self-control. By practicing restraint for one month in a year, he is able to lead a life of self-discipline in all matters for the rest of the year.
 Apart from man, there are in the universe innumerable other things, all of which - having no free will of their own - adhere strictly to Allah's law. Man, however, is not in the same category as these things, for Allah has given him the freedom to choose which path he will tread. Not withstanding this divine gift of freedom of will, it is still the desire of the Almighty that man should, by his own choice, tread the path of obedience.
 It is therefore to condition him to follow the path of restraint that the rule of fasting has been laid down. No mere annual ritual, fasting is a form of training undergone every ninth month of the Muslim year. It is not just a matter of temporarily enduring hunger and thirst; it is a lesson in the permanent practice of patience tolerance throughout one's entire life.
 While on a fast a man may have food and water before him, despite his hunger and thirst, he will make no move to eat or drink. He exercises self-control and then Allah desires that he should also exercise the same restraint whenever he has the opportunity to display his ego and his arrogance. He must not fall into unjust ways just because the bait is tempting and all doors have been opened for him. If man is to earn Allah's favor, he must eschew the path forbidden by Him, and set his feet firmly on the path of modesty and humility.
 The path followed perforce by the universe has to be adopted by man of his own free will. That is why it is desirable that he should lead a life of self-imposed curbs. The unflinching self-restraint, which prevents him from eating or drinking while on a fast, is the virtue that will guaranty moral behavior throughout his life.

MORAL PIETY
In the Hadith, Ramadan is called "month of patience" (Mishkat al-Masabih, 1/613). This month is meant to serve as a training course, which will enable the individual to lead a successful life in this world by keeping his negative feelings under control. Negative feelings, it must be remembered present the greatest obstacle to human progress. Fasting is the pious way to solve this biggest of human problems.
 As the Hadith says: "There is a Zakah for all things, and the Zakah of the body is fasting" (mishkat Al-Masabih 1/639). Here, the expression Zakah is used in the sense of purification. There is, indeed, a way of purifying everything. Just as bathing purifies the body, so fasting purifies the soul.
 According to Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad observed: "Whenever one of your is invited to a meal while he is on a fast, he should inform his host that he is fasting" (Mishkat 1/611). According to another tradition the Prophet gave this very sound advice; whenever one of you is on a fast, he should be soft in his demeanor. In the event of being abused or provoked, he should simply say that he is on a fast" (Mishkat, 1/611).
 Leading a life of restraint for a whole month produces a transformation in one's thinking. It enables one to offer a positive response even to others negative behavior. Even strong abuse and other types of provocation will not push the fasting-believer into retaliating in the same coin. Rather than sink to that level, he will simply explain that he is on a fast. His own heart tells him that by observing a fast he has pledged himself to piety and that he cannot contemplate any evil action.
 In this way, fasting inculcates in man the necessity to abstain at all costs from anti-social activities, and from all ungentlemanly words and deeds. He is thus brought to a life of moral restraint in this world.

Purity and Cleanliness
Islam greatly approves cleanliness. According to the Qur’an: Allah loves those that turn to Him in repentance and purify themselves (2:222).
When man rues his mistakes and returns to the path of truth, this is called an act of repentance. As such, it purifies man’s inner self. Just as by using water we can cleanse the dirt from the body, so by repentance we can purify the soul—the inner-self. That is why Islam lays great stress on both these things.
According to a hadith: "Purity is half of faith." Similarly the Prophet of Islam once observed: "God is clean and loves cleanliness." (Ibn Majah)
Man is a creature who has been specially granted the quality of sensitivity. That is why man naturally likes cleanliness, and since Islam is a religion of nature, it lays great stress on cleanliness. Man’s body, his clothing and his home, should all be pictures of cleanliness.
It was due to the importance given to cleanliness that the companions of the Prophet used to bathe daily. According to Muwatta Imam Malik, Abdullah ibn Umar spoke of how his father used to take a bath before each prayer. In this way he used to bath five times a day. The third Caliph, Usman ibn Affan, used to bath daily (Musnad Ahmad).
The cleanliness of body and soul is one of the basic demands of Islam.

Self Purification and the Forgotten Ideal

‘Before we commence our proceedings, I think we should be very clear in our mind where we are heading. Let’s begin with the ideals. What are your ideals in life?’, the teacher grasped the attention of the class with an important question. ‘I want to be a great engineer’, one student rose and uttered his intentions. ‘That’s very ambitious of you, sir. Ok! Keep it up’, said the teacher. ‘I want to be Bill Gates, your majesty!’, another student unfolded his plans in a rather over ambitious fashion. ‘But then I will not be the Majesty, rather it will be you, man’, the teacher made it clear. ‘I will work for the supremacy of Islam’, said one excited pupil with great vehemence. ‘Hey, that’s great’, said the teacher sparkling with delight and not being able to control his emotions. ‘I want to be a great leader of my country’, said another one with great determination. ‘Self-purification! This is my ideal, sir’, said Kim in rather composed voice.
' What do you mean my dear? Self-purification? This can’t be end in itself’, asked the teacher. For him, Kim had said something incomprehensible. 
For the common readers, the discourse above may seem to be a strange one. Like the honorable teacher, who failed to understand self-purification as an ideal in itself, many of us in our society and the Muslim world do not accept it as the real objective of our life. For a common man, either it is a minor goal of one’s life or it is something not to be striven for. It is the goal of a saint or some super-natural being who can afford to tread this near-to-impossible path. But if one has the courage to know the truth, it is the brightest of the truths revealed by God. The true message of Islam rests on this pillar. It was this pearl that was desired and cherished by all the Divine messengers. Be it the Jesus (sws) or Muhammad (sws), all these great people stressed on achieving self-purification.
With the fall of Muslim Empire and after losing the glory that we enjoyed for nearly thousand years, we lost this golden principle as well and thereby diverted our attention from ourselves. We started concentrating on others to mend their ways instead of ameliorating ourselves. Instead of letting people come up as natural leaders, we attempted to make them leaders of need -- because for us, the only area to work for was the supremacy of Islam, as is very aptly epitomised by an expressive poet of the modern era:
Mayri zindagi ka maqsad, tayray din ki sarfarazi
Mayn isi liyayn musalman, mayn isi liyayn namazi
(The supremacy of Islam is the objective of my life; I am a Muslim only for this purpose and pray only to achieve this goal) But a careful thought on the message of the Holy Book will bring to light a fascinating feature of our lives. Self-purification is the most soul-satisfying, soul-embellishing of the processes that we can master. To cleanse our souls from the filth we encounter, off and on, is not something specific to extraordinary people. It is an art if we happen to understand it from within. It is not the kind of a thing that is achieved in a day; only those can experience it who start their journey towards it and who do not waste time in searching for some mentor to help. And as you gain strength during this very journey, you feel that something foul had been poured over you. And then you can’t be carried away by undesirable acts so easily. A blaming-self monitors you and warns you perpetually to be away from the path to perversion. A stage comes as you traverse further when you find yourself a great artist who adorns his masterpiece with final touches. But here he is the masterpiece himself. 
Despite the force of this great truth, the mist of ideas that have been spread over centuries is something very difficult to argue with. Today looking towards our inner selves with a view to reform it is considered to be an act of sheer selfishness. It is deemed against the message of Islam. But as one great eastern poet has said: 
Ik tarzi taghaful hay, so woh un ko mubarak
Ik ‘ardi tamana hay, so ham kartay rahayn gay
(If they have the power to refuse us, we have the courage to continue)
But, at the same time, we can’t help a serious thought enkindling in our heart, a worry that we feel for those who vociferously advocate the supremacy of Islam as the real destination of our lives: What would happen if the Almighty asks the question on the Day of Reckoning : ‘What was your ideal in life ?’

Conclusion

Why Should I Study?
Many years ago in Uzbekistan, a baby boy was born blind. His Mother, the strong Mu'minah that she was, did not lose sight of He who had the Power to cure him. She prayed and prayed for her sons sight. And within a few years the boy regained his eyes.
She was widowed, the boy an orphan. She traveled with him to Makkah so that he could receive an Islamic Education. She arranged that he attend the circles of the scholars, and in those circles, he began excelling in the science of Hadeeth. He traveled to distant villages in search of the most authentic sayings of Rasul Allah (pbuh). He would pray two raka'at before accepting a Hadeeth. His mother named him: Muhammad ibn Isma'il. And many of us know him today by the book he compiled, the book that stands after the Qur'an in authenticity: Saheeh Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!
In another land, in another time, chilly Baghdad winds would wake up another boy. Much before Fajr, his mother would bundle him in warm shawls and escort him through the darkness, making sure he reached the Masjid safely. After Fajr, she would wait for him as he read Hadeeth to the biggest scholars of the land. Then, long after the sun had come up, she would meet him outside and together they would walk home. She was a strong mother indeed, for her son grew up to become an Imam of the Muslim Ummah, an Imam by the name of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. (Manaaqib Ahmad, by Ibn Al-Jowzee)
Imam Suyuti authored his first book, Tafseer Bismillaah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheeem, when he was in grade 2!
Dear brothers and sisters, why should we try to follow in the footsteps of these many other stars of Islam? The information that we shall in sha' Allah learn is not like anything else. This knowledge is the law of Allah and the inheritance of the Prophets. It is our duty to preserve and protect the estate of Rasul Allah (pbuh), something that cannot happen without there being serious and sincere brothers and sisters spending long days and nights reading, reflecting, and teaching others.
Every Islamic revival that takes place is built on something. Some revivals are built on emotions, others on politics. Do you know which shall remain firm when the wind of woe blows? It shall be the one that was built on sound knowledge of the words of Allah and the Sunnah of Rasul Allah.
A sincere man once stood on the beach shore watching, to his dismay, the waves thrashing a fish up and down, left and right. The man concluded that he must save the fish. He thrashed into the water and grabbed the fish by the tail. He then thrashed back to shore and threw the fish on the beach, satisfied that he had saved it from the water!
Dear brothers and sisters, when we work for the sake of Allah without knowledge of what the path of Allah is, many times we do as that young man did.
We are living in an age of information. We have lights in every corner of the house when only yesterday our ancestors read by the light of the moon. We have publishing houses when only yesterday our ancestors wrote the books they owned with their own hands. We have CD's to search the Hadeeth archives when our scholars spent days upon days searching for proof and evidence in their libraries. Shouldn't the knowledge increase with all this ease? It should. But it has not.
Dear brothers and sisters, we know that when a prize is great, the responsibility, and the work required for that prize shall also be great. And because of this, we see the enormous reward promised to those scholars and students of Islam due to the heavy work required.
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever seeks out a path to acquire knowledge (of the deen), Allah makes easy a path for them to Jannah!" - Muslim
Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa'dee said, "Thus any path a person takes, whether physical or otherwise, something that will help them in acquiring knowledge of the Deen, they enter in the words of the Prophet, "Whoever seeks out a path to acquire knowledge (of the deen), Allah makes easy a path for them to Jannah." "
Rasul Allah told us that when a person seeks out a path to learn about Islam, this is a sign that Allah loves them and that He wants good for them in this life and the next.
From Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever Allah wishes good for, he grants them Fiqh (understading) of the Deen."
And Rasul Allah told us that the sincere scholars have a place with Allah that no one else can reach, and that they are the inheritors of the Prophet's estate in passing it on to the world.
Rasul Allah said, "The virtue of the scholar to a worshipper (Aabid) is similar to the virtue of the moon when it is full to the rest of the stars. And verily the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. Verily the Prophets did not leave behind dirhams and deenars, but rather they left behind knowledge. Thus whoever takes it, takes it as a bountiful share." - Authentic, narrated by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah.
The position of the people of Islamic knowledge reached such a level that Allah (Jalla Thanaa'uhu wa taqaddasat Asmaa'uhu) and the Angels pray for them!
From Abu Umaamah: Rasul Allah said, "Verily Allah and His angels, even the ant in its hole and the fish in the sea, verily (they all) pray for he who teaches people good." - authentic, narrated by Tabraanee.
Rasul Allah prayed for them also. He said, as narrated by Zayd ibn Thabit, "May Allah grant light (and happiness and beauty in the face) of someone who hears a hadith from us and memorizes it until he passes it on to others!" - authentic, narrated by Tirmidhi.
One of the Hadeeth scholars that Imam Bukhari took from, Hisham ibn Ammar narrates a story that happened to him when he was 8 years old. He says, "My father sold a house of his for 20 Deenaars so that I could go for Hajj (and study Islam). When I arrived in Madinah, I went to the circle of Imam Maalik. He was sitting amongst his students like a king. People would ask him questions and he would answer. When I entered the crowd and my turn came up I said, 'Haddithnee (recite to me)!' He said, 'Rather you read.' I said, 'No, you haddithnee!' Imam Maalik said, 'No you read!' When I talked back and argued, he got angry and said to another student, go with this boy outside and smack him 15 times!' That student took me outside and smacked me 15 times with a stick and then brought me back to Imam Maalik. I said, 'You have Dhulm (wronged) me! My father sold his house so that I could come to you and be honored by listening to your teaching and seek knowledge from you. And you smacked me 15 times without any crime on my part, I shall not forgive you!' Imam Maalik then said, 'What is the expiation for this Dhulm (wronging)?' I said, 'You have to recite 15 Ahadeeth to me, that is the expiation.' So Imam Maalik began reciting the Ahadeeth to me until he completed 15. When he ended I told him, 'Beat me more and read more Hadeeth to me." Imam Maalik laughed and said, 'be off.' - From