The Pure of Mind

There are so many people who hold Qur'an diplomas and ijazas. They frequently attend lectures and memorize Surahs but they have very little Islam (gentleness, mercy, forgiveness) to show for it. Sometimes they are the most disappointing, rudest, condescending people you will ever meet. 

Where is the Islam gone among the people who claim to know it so well? The people frequent the Masjid day in and day out? Who have all the answers to all the fiqh questions? Why don't they act like God-fearing people?

    أُوْلُو  ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ  The pure of mind are discussed in Surah Ale-'Imran, verse 7. 

لۡبَ Lub is a sound mind, pure from vanity.

Aqal or intelligence is to tie something up. It is to have control over your emotions and then being able to think clearly. If you have a bias of anger, fear, love, lust, greed – any kind of emotional bias that clouds your judgement, then you are not fully exercising your intellect. Only when you put your emotions in check and you put your biases aside, are you able to think about something clearly. This equates to using your aqal.

Jahl or ignorance is having a lack of emotional control. Something comes into their head and you just blurt it out. If you feel like eating something, you will gobble it down without a thought. If you feel like doing something, you will just act on impluse  There is not rational human behaviour. This can only be described as reckless endangerment of oneself and others. Jahl is your inability to control and restrain yourself.

The highest form of clarity of thought  is lub. Lub is the pinnacle use of a human mind – the ability to think, ponder and reflect clearly essentially distinguishes humans from animals. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said: (and I am paraphrasing it here) that the people who do more taddabur (reflect deeply in Quran) have more reward than those who pray the entire night. In other words, rather than mindlessly performing one ritual after another, the pure of mind make a sincere effort to remember Allah and to connect with Allah on a intellectual and emotional basis, which completely revamps their perspective on self and others. 

A pure mind is a mind that is free from vanity, a mind that is not preoccupied by

 greed, pride, jealousy, lust, gluttony, Or filled with filth,  like with unnecessary sport statistics, names of movies, awards ceremonies, characters and, yogi-o cards etc. You can have that stuff  in your head but if your mind is full of that garbage then you won't have a clear mind or the ability to think clearly. You will not be able to really remember Allah. Even when you try to engage with Allah, your heart will immediately say, finish the salah quickly and go back to the movie. People who have sound minds, they are able to take time in their salah, really reflect on what they are saying to Allah - even cry in prayer and feel Allah's presence inside and outside of prayer. 

Surah Ale-'Imran, verse 7 began with people who are deeply rooted in knowledge (وَٱلرَّٲسِخُونَ فِى ٱلۡعِلۡم  Ra seen kha means absorption. They have absorbed knowledge, it has become a part of them, they have internalized knowledge) yet Allah mentions ذَّكَّرُ  remembrance which happens in the heart. Those who are deeply rooted in knowledge are more committed to remembering Allah by first keeping their hearts clean. This leads to the next ayah, the private dua of the people of knowledge.

  رَبَّنَا لَا  تُزِغۡ  قُلُوبَنَا 

O our Lord, don't deviate our hearts

The more you know, the more you realize, the danger you are in. However, for most people, increase in knowledge means increase in legitimacy. The more I know, the better I can argue with others, the better I can put others down in debate. The more I know, the more I can assume to a school. The better I can acquire a teaching position etc.

The people who have fully incorporated knowledge as part of their conscious and personality, are the ones who are most worried about their hearts. They reflect deeply not only in the verses of the Qur'an but at the same time, they also frequently scrutinize their own character and manners. They are not concerned with judging others. The more you know, the more you realize, the danger you are in. However, for most people, increase in knowledge means increase in legitimacy. The more I know, the better I can argue with others, the better I can put others down in debate. The more I know, the more I can assume to a school. The better I can acquire a teaching position etc.

They are scared of becoming deviated at heart (seeking intellectual pursuits which don’t really improve the quality of their obedience to Allah or the amount of their remembrance of Allah). They are scared of appearing or talking like scholars and imams on the outside but internally, their hearts are rotting and chasing after fitnah.

May Allah make us of those who are pure of mind and deeply rooted in knowledge, in a way that He has described and is pleasing to Him aameen. 

   

Life after Ramadan - Don't Give Up on Qur'an

Life as a Muslim in Ramadan this year was quite an adventure. It was like the amazing journey that Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee went on in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. You may progress from hiking along a treacherous mountain trail (fasting for 18+ hours), to braving a fierce storm (facing Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism - depending on where you live: US, UK or Canada), to battling the enemy (your own naps and emotions), to sailing on a placid lake or strolling through a pleasant field (praying Taraweeh 2 hours into midnight).

There were ups, downs, and unexpected turns this Ramadan. Though you may not stick to exactly the same routine and timetable after Ramadan, the one thing you don’t want is to go backwards, spiritually.

Backsliding after Ramadan refers to going backwards in emaan (faith) and in good deeds.

Backsliding can happen through neglect by getting lazy with Salah, not reciting and learning the Quran very often, and losing focus on living for Allah. A deliberate backsliding after Ramadan means a person is choosing to indulge in sin. I know whenever I am don't make an extra effort to make my Salah more meaningful or when I let my tongue loose or when I don't guard my gaze, my heart is saddened. Sins only add turmoil to our lives. We may think that we are lighting our load by backbiting but it only gives us more grief. Browsing on Facebook and prying into other people's lives is no way to relax or to entertain oneself. It eventually plagues us with the feelings of stress (sensory overload) and depression (superiority/inferiority complex). Don’t let the pleasures of sin deceive you. In time, sin will bring you pain. Also, do not let doubt or guilt hold you back from starting over.

First, pay close attention to matters of the heart. A Muslim's life is about having a personal relationship with Allah. Avoid focusing primarily on a list of Halal and Haram. Stay close to Allah throughout each day. Take the time to learn about Him. Trust me, it is more important to know Who He is and What He said then to read BBC and CNN updates every minute of every day. Keep your heart and mind focused upon Allah's Presence. 

Second, beware of the enemy’s schemes. Flee from situations that corrupt you. Shaytan constantly attracts the nafs towards sin. He makes the nafs feel as though the sins are pleasurable. Fortunately, shaytan has no physical control over us; he cannot make us do anything. While the nafs is like a cranky, needy child who wants everything in sight. It runs after the temptations presented by shaytan. So our job, especially in Ramadan is to train our nafs to develop a craving for beneficial things and to keep it busy in pursuing positive goals. 

أعداء الإنسان ثلاثة :

" دنياه ، وشيطانه ، ونفسه "

فاحترز من الدنيا بالزهد ، ومن الشيطان بمخالفته

ومن النفس بترك الشهوات! - يحيى بن معاذ

Human beings have three enemies:  The Dunya, the Shaytan and the Nafs

One can free herself from the Dunya through Zuhud (abstinence - freeing herself from greed, gluttony, pride,  etc).

One can free herself from shaytan by opposing him (disobeying him).

And from nafs, by curbing her carnal desires! - Yahya Ibn Ma'az

Finally, continue to let the Qur'an lead you, fill you, encourage you, and empower you as you go through each day. The greatest gift received by humanity from Allah, after the gift of life, is knowledge. Allah gave Adam (a.s) the source code of everything - every discovery, invention and every field of study - essentially everything we know today and will learn tomorrow, is an extension of the gift of knowledge, initially given to Adam (a.s). Along with this worldly knowledge, Adam (a.s) was also blessed with revelation. Knowledge of this world is crucial for human survival; it makes a person more resourceful but not more civilized or humane, which is outside the realm of worldly knowledge.. Knowing the kinetic energy, mass or speed of an object or a degree of a polynomial or advanced software architecture cannot substitute knowing revelation. Moral judgement, civility and humanity can only be procured from revelation.  

 وَلَكُمۡ  فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ  مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمَتَـٰعٌ  إِلَىٰ حِينٍ۬ 

Allah said to Adam (a.s), "The Earth is a comfortable, relaxing, beautiful and pleasurable place of utility for you. Stay here with ease, you will be provided provisions and things of enjoyment. However, your stay on earth is a temporary period. It is not your forever home." (Qur'an, 2:36)

This is where worldly knowledge comes in handy - it not only offers you fulfillment of your intellectual curiosity and personal development opportunities but also guarantees you, your dream job, loads of money and an expensive house. However, academic credentials and wealth is not a precursor to happiness. 
On an average, a teenager in Canada makes $15-$25/hour. They are a walking billboard for the latest clothes, accessories, and gadgets yet over a thousand of them commit suicide every year. Worldly knowledge and income doesn't not guarantee a placate life. 
The world was meant to be a place of مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ coolness, calm and peacefulness. But with each passing day, we undergo more and more violence and discord. Sometimes it feels that there is only fear and sadness in this world, no مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬. 

 بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ۬‌ۖ

"If you are not careful, shaytan will make you enemies of each other." (Qur'an, 2:36)

 This refers to the constant struggle between husband and wife inside the home; entire communities and cultures where women are silence, beaten into submission, mentally tortured, deprived from education and money. Entire societies and movements where women want to become men and feminize men as a way to fight back that oppression. Brother fighting brother over inheritance, mother causing problems and even separation between her son and his wife. Police officers shooting innocent children playing on the street. Countries going to war. Xenophobia.  Allah sent us revelation to establish peace on earth and to prevent men and women from becoming enemies.  

فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا  خَوۡفٌ  عَلَيۡہِمۡ  وَلَا  هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

Allah says, "I will give you a manual (a revelation, a guidance) that will help you navigate your fears and your sadnesses on earth for the duration of your temporary existence. Then you can come back Home to Jannah, to Me. Just live by this revelation and guidance for a little while. It will give you safety, security and serenity. " (Qur'an 2:38) 

There would be no massacre in Nice, no honour killing in Multan, no ambush in Dallas, no first degree murder of a mother and daughter in Calgary if the revelation, the Qur'an was more frequently read and fervently internalized. 

*All verses in the article are not translated literally but with slight interpretation and tafseer.