Salah Mentioned In The Quran

Salah Mentioned In The Quran

1) Establishing Salah Develops Taqwa (Fear and Awareness of Allah)

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
“This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those who have Taqwa; who believe in the unseen, and who establish Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for them” (Surah Baqarah 2: 2-3)

2) Salah Is the Sign of a Believer.
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

“The believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another; they enjoin good and forbid evil, and they establish Salah, and give Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them, and surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Surah Tawba 9: 71)

3) Establishing Salah Leads to Allah’s Eternal Blessings.

فَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَمَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ وَالَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
“So whatever you have been given is but (a passing) enjoyment for this worldly life, but that which is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. And those who avoid the great sins and lewdness, and when they are angry, they forgive. And those who answer the Call of their Lord, and perform the Salah, and who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them.” (Surah Ash-Shura 42:36-38)

4) Those Who Pray Shall Have Nothing to Fear on the Day of Judgment.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Truly, those who believe and do righteous deeds, and perform Salah, and give Zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah Baqarah 2:277)

5) Remain in Allah’s remembrance after prayer.

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنْتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ ۚ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَوْقُوتًا
“When have finished performing the Salah, remember Allah standing, sitting, and reclining, but when you are free from danger, perform the Salah. Surely, Salah is enjoined on the believers at
fixed times.” (Surah Nisaa 4:103)

6) Command to Pray with Congregation.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

“And establish Salah and give Zakah, and bow down (in worship) along with those who bow down (in worship)” (Surah Baqarah 2:43)

7. Special Command Regarding Punctuality of Prayer.
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ

“Guard strictly the Salah, especially the middle Salah. And stand before Allah with obedience.” (Surah Baqarah 2:238)

8. Allah’s Help Comes Through Salah.
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ

“Seek help through patience and Salah; truly it is extremely difficult except for the humble true believers.” (Surah Baqarah 2:45)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

“Oh you who believe! Seek help through patience and Salah. Truly, Allah is with those who are patient.” (Surah Baqarah 2:153)

9.) Special Emphasis on Friday Prayer.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“Oh you who believe! When the call is made for the Salah on Friday, come to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business. That is better for you, if you only knew! And when the Salah has ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much so that you may be successful.” (Surah Jumuah 62:09-10)

10) Shaytaan Tries His Best in Finding Ways to Take You Away from Salah
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنْتَهُونَ

“Shaytaan desires only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from Salah. So will you then not abstain (from these evils)?” (Surah Maeda 5:91)

11) Prayer Protects Against Evils.

اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
“Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book, and perform Salah. Verily, Salah prevents from lewdness and evils. And indeed, the remembrance of Allah (by you) is greatest. And  Allah knows what you do.” (Surah Ankaboot 29:45)

12)Friendship Should Be with Those Who Pray.
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

“Indeed, your protecting friend (Wali) is none other than Allah, His Messenger, and the Believers who establish Salah, and give Zakaat, and bow down (in prayer). (Surah Maeda 5: 55)

13) Allah’s Special Order to Women.

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform Salah, and give Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove uncleanness from you, Oh people of the House, and to purify you with a thorough purification.” (Surah Ahzaab 33:33)

14) Hypocrites Are Lazy in Salah.

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who deceives them; When they stand up for Salah, they stand with laziness, only to be seen by men; and they do not remember Allah but a little.” (Surah Nisaa 4:142)

15) Laziness in Salah Leads to Rejection of Sadaqah.
وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ

“And nothing prevents their Sadaqah from being accepted from them, except that they disbelieve in Allah and in His Messenger, and that they do not come to Salah except in a lazy manner, and that they do not give Sadaqah except unwillingly.” (Surah Tawbah 9:54)

16) Leaving Salah Leads to Shirk.
مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“(And remain always) turning to Him (only), and be fearful and dutiful towards Him, and perform Salah and be not of those who commit Shirk.” (Surah Room 30: 31)

17) Previous Nations Were corrupted when Salah Was Left.

فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا
“Then, there came after them a generation who gave up Salah and followed lusts; so they will be thrown in Hell.” (Surah Maryam 19: 59)

Perfect Our Salah

Perfect Our Salah

Salah is the pillar of Islam, the best act of obedience to Allah and the mainstay of conviction. Our consistency in prayers is the first thing Allah will question us. According to the Prophet (SAW) “There are five prayers which Allah has prescribed for his servants. For those who perform them properly, without disrespectful omissions, there is a guarantee that Allah will admit them to Paradise. To those who do not Allah offers no such guarantee. Allah may punish them or he may admit them to Paradise, as he wills.”
This is why we must try our best to be regular in our prayers, Allah does not need our prayers we need him. Labour towards your Lord laboriously and you shall meet him.
Performing the action is not enough, there the need for humility and conscious awareness this means we must not be intoxicated with temptations and worldly thoughts. After all the Allah says “And perform the prayers to remember me.”
Therefore prayers are obligatory, since heedlessness is the opposite of remembrance how can someone who is heedless and unaware throughout his payer be remembering Allah.
This fact can be seen in many of the Prophet (SAW) Hadith’s “a man gets credit for only the part of the prayer which he is conscious.”

INTERNAL STATES NECESARY TO PERFECT THE LIFE IN PRAYER
1) AWARENESS: Mind and feeling are in no way distracted from what one is saying, no wandering thoughts, when the mind is conscious of his Lord and prayer one is whole heartedly involved.
2) UNDERSTANDING: One should understand the meaning of the words they are saying; this also deters the mind from other thoughts.
3) REVERENCE: To consider or treat with awe and respect. This is a feeling of fear and wonderment of Allah that grows out of respect and a sense of majesty.

“As a believer one must magnify Allah, Great and Glorious is he, in fear and in hope and in humble awareness of ones shortcomings.”
This means that we must eliminate anything that distracts us such as something our eyes may fall on during prayer, devout people used to pray in small dark rooms for concentration, those who had conviction would pray in mosques with downcast eyes.
As for internal causes as stated before one must make an effort to dispel worldly thoughts and have consciousness of Allah and understand try to learn and understand the meaning of words being recited for concentration. Empty the heart and detach it from the cares of this world.
We should not have love of this world and its material desires we must live this life in peace through Islam including proper prayers which are our only sources of giving the heart true peace.
So let us start making provisions for the hereafter.

To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

Should someone is unreasonable, illogical and self-centered….
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives….
Do good anyway.

To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

If you are successful,

You will win false friends and true enemies….
Succeed anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable….

Be honest and frank anyway.

To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow….
Do Good anyway.
The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds….
Think big anyway.
To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

People favour underdogs but follow only top dogs…
Fight for some underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight…
Build anyway
To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth….
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
For we live this life

To Gain The Pleasure Of Allah.

and not to gain pleasure from others…

8 steps To Be Happy

8 steps To Be Happy

Everyone wants, Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety.

These are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.

1)Faith and righteous deeds:
This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allah says:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” (Surah al-Nahl 16:97)
Allah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allah, with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter,  follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief. They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allah.
The Prophet (SAW) expressed he said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” (Muslim)
The Prophet (SAW) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

2) Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good.
This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral alike, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُبِينًا

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward” (Surah al-Nisa’ 4:114)
Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.

3) Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts.

Occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing. The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allah knows best.

4) Ward off worry and anxiety.

Focus all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (SAW) sought refuge with Allah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one’s efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (SAW) said a du’aa or taught a du’aa to his Ummah (community), as well as urging them to seek the help of Allah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’a (supplication) must be accompanied by action.
So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (SAW) said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, “Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan.” (Muslim)
The Prophet (SAW) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types:
A) Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allah.
B) Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allah’s will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.

5) One of the greatest means of feeling content, to be relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind.

Remember Allah a great deal (Dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” (Surah al-Ra’d 13:28)
Remembering Allah (Dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.

6) Bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress

Striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown; he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’a which the Prophet (SAW) used to recite:
“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Muslim)
And he said, “Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).” (Abu Dawud).
If a person utters these Dua’s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

7) If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster.

One of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.

8) Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind.

When a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity. It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.

The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allah says:

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him” (Surah al-Talaaq 65:3) i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace.

We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them. If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.

“Allahommala sahla illa ma ja altaho shala wa’ntataj alol hazna itha shi’ta sahla.
O Allah! There is nothing easy except what you make easy and you make the difficult easy if it be your will.Aameen”

7 Levels of Being

7 Levels of Being

1) The Commanding self (Nafs-ul Ammarah):

A person who is in this level of being is a slave of his or her insatiable desires guided by the immediate drawing pleasures and avoiding pain and burden. He thinks he has ultimate freedom, but he is a slave to many masters (desires, fear, fame, wealth, people in higher power etc). His attitude is “life is too short to waste, I must enjoy it while I can,” According to Islam, a person in this state will never find contentment just like a person will never quench his thirst by drinking salty seawater.
2) The Accusing Self (Nafs-ul Mut’mainah):

After a trigger that leads to an awareness of Allah and seeing the need to enter into a path of spirituality, a person commits to a way of life (or religion) and tries to control his or her actions for the better. Since, he has not mastered his own helm as yet; he stumbles along the way. Blaming himself for not being true to his commitment, he learns from the experiences and resolves to a renewed commitment. The struggle (jihad) towards the ultimate goal continues this way until the person finds rest.

3) The Restful Self (Nafs-ul Mut’mainah):

Through the resilience and persistence, there comes a time when he succeeds in finding peace and tranquility in the heart. He now knows for certainty that there is Allah and understands who Allah is. All truths of belief become stark naked in his consciousness and heart. He also understands that one day unavoidably he will return to god with death. He realizes that being a servant of, Allah he gains real freedom from the multiplicity of masters racing to control him. His attitude becomes “life is too short to waste; I must collect as much yield from the fertile soil of life (in good deeds) and leave a lasting legacy.”
4) The inspired self (Nafs-ul Mulhimah):

Once a person finds rest in the heart and the mind, he practices his worship in complete serenity and sincerity. As the Prophet (SAW) said “when one practices what one knows, Allah teaches that person what he does not know”, a person at this level starts to attain knowledge through senses of the heart independent of the physical senses.

5) The pleased self (Nafs-ul Radhiyah:

The inspiration leads one to observe and appreciate the spiritual dimensions of the universe and events taking place all around. One realizes that Allah’s Power, Will and Knowledge is the creative source of behind everything in the universe – everything that is perceived good or evil. He realizes that there is no evil in that everything is beautiful in it self or by the results it produces and the ugliness and evil pertain to the layer of visible causes and misuse of human independent-will. One attains a new level of submission and a state of satisfaction with. Allah That is, one attains a spiritual level such that he or she would be just as satisfied with Allah if he or she were suffering or being in a state of pleasure. The Qur’an declares:

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“But it is possible that a thing you dislike is good for you, and a thing that you love is bad for you. But Allah knows, and you do not know.” (Surah Baqarah 2:216). Attaining such a level of spirituality would eliminate such many negative emotions, allowing one to achieve complete inner peace.

6) The Well-pleasing self (Nafs-ul Mardhiyah):

Since the self is now completely pleased with Allah, an unblemished love for Allah blossoms in his or her heart. Allah’s love fully manifests on the person in that now Allah is also completely pleased with His loyal servant. This is the station of intimate relationship with Allah. This intimacy and enlightenment leads to a complete surrender in Allah willingly looking forward to a time to meet Allah. At this point in time, the serene and pleased soul gets a divine invitation, Allah says:

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةًفَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِيوَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي

“O, the one in complete rest and satisfaction, come back to your lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing to Him, Enter you, then, among my honored servants and enter you in my Paradise.” (Surah Fajr 90:27-30).

7) The Perfect Self (Nafs-ul Kamilah):

 This is the level of a pure heart and enlightened mind and perfect behavior and deportment. The person would be stripped of all sin and the heart shines and fully reflects 99 names of Allah. It is the level of Prophets. The Prophet (SAW) said, “I have been sent to perfect human deportment and morals”.