Sheikh As – S’adee (may Allah have mercy on him) said in some beautiful advice to the Muslim Ummah;
All the praise is for Allah, the one that opened up the gates of good for His awliyah. He poured his favors and gifts upon them. He is the one that humiliated those who were in opposition to His awliyah and left them misguided .
I bear witness that nothing has the right to be worshiped other then Allah, The Originator of the earth and the heavens, The One that is not in need of anything and The One that gives to all of the creation.
I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.
Oh Allah send prayers and peace on Muhammad, on his family, his companions.
As to what comes next;
Oh mankind, fear Allah inwardly and outwardly. Try your hardest to gain a closeness to your Lord by way of good intentions as well as good actions.
Allah said in His book,
{ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا * وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا}
{Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). (9) And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds). (10)}
[Ash-Shams: 9-10]
As well He said,
{قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ * وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ}
{Indeed whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and accepting Islamic Monotheism) shall achieve success, (14) And remembers (glorifies) the Name of his Lord (worships none but Allah), and prays (five compulsory prayers and Nawafil additional prayers). (15)}
[Al-‘Alaa: 14-15]
He tied achieving success, to one’s purifying their soul and cleansing their hearts from bad mannerisms and actions. As well He tied it to remembering the name of ones Lord along with adorning oneself with different types virtues. Then He explained that the feelings of regret and loss are connected with one that corrupts his own soul and leaves it in bad situation.
Success was not tied to purifying ones soul for any other reason except that it is something that is very important as well as its being somewhat difficult. So when the slave does this, then he will receive all kinds of good.
May Allah have mercy on the slave that corrects the situation of his heart, and purifies it by way of truth and sincerity. This is done by refraining from being amazed by oneself and being arrogant. Also by not being of those that cheat the people and look down on others. Rather the successful individual is one that beautifies it by wanting good and sincerity for everyone. He tries to stop it from leaning toward and desiring disobedience, always following it’s desires, and having doubt.
He corrects and beautifies it by an intellect which leans toward the good and being determined to stay away from those things that Allah has made forbidden. This is the type of individual that runs after beneficial knowledge and coming across authentic proofs and evidences.
This is how this individual will find a cure from the different desires and whims. By way of this, they will be successful in becoming of those who are guided. This does not happen except that Allah has written for this individual success and aide.
Allah said in Surah an Nur verse 21;
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
[An – Nur : 21]
The Prophet () used to humble himself before his Lord when asking for Taqwah (the fear of Allah), as well as purifying the soul from all bad things. He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) used to say,
“اللّهُمَ ، آتِ نَفْسِى تَقْوَاهَا ، وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ، انْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاهَا”
” ““Oh Allah give my soul it’s share of taqwah, and purify it as you are the best to purify it. You are the one that is it’s protector and its owner.”
(Related by Imam Muslim)
So that which is upon you, oh Worshiper of Allah, is to try to be serious about trying to purify your soul so that you can be successful. You must seek Allah’s aide in trying to correct your hear, because He is Al-Jawaad, Al-Fattaah. Allah does not look at your shapes or actions, but rather He looks at the purified hearts and the truthfulness of the actions.
[Taken from The Compilation of Sermons of As Sheikh Abdur Rahman As S’adee]
[Translated by Abu Abdillah Abdul Lateef]
