Purification of the Soul

Do we really love Allâh? Do our actions really convey what we profess with our tongues? How do we fair in comparison with our pious forefathers?

It was narrated that in the days that Musa - alayhis salam - wandered with Bani Israaeel in the desert a grizzly drought befell them. Together, they all raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain. Then, to the astonishment of Musa - alayhis salam - and all those watching, the few clouds that scattered the sky vanished, the heat scorched down, and the drought intensified.

Death is a reality isn't it? You can't read the paper or watch the news without being confronted by it. But we are reminded in verse after verse that there is someone who has power over death. That someone is Allah, glorious and most high.

At any given moment, a person is in a situation where he has to obey a command of Allâh, or he has to stay away from something which Allâh has prohibited, or he has to accept a decree of Allâh, or he has to give thanks (show gratitude) for a blessing which he has received from Allâh. All of these situations demand patience, so up until the time of death, no-one can do without patience.

As patience is fard (obligatory), Allâh has provided us with ways and means of obtaining and strengthening the quality of patience, for He has never instructed us to do something without providing us with help and support to do it, and ways and means of achieving it. He has never created a disease without creating a cure for it, and He has guaranteed cure when medicine is used. Even so, patience is difficult, but it is not impossible to attain

"Verily those who were given knowledge before it (the Qur'ân), when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration, and they say, "Glorified is our Lord! Indeed the Promise of our Lord has been fulfilled." And they fall upon their faces weeping, and it (the Qur'ân) increases them in humility." [Sûratul-Isrâ' 17:107-109]

Bad patience means having patience in keeping away from Allâh and His love and His will, because this prevents a person from fulfilling his potential of attaining perfection and doing what he was created for.

No two words can invoke as much hope and confidence as, "I promise." As children we are taught that promises are unbreakable pledges which cannot be defaulted on under any circumstances. But, as we grow older, the old adage of, "promises were meant to be broken," more often justifies the lack of commitment and follow-through placed behind these two words.

Patience can also be divided into categories following the five categories of deeds, namely wâjib (obligatory), mandûb (encouraged), mahdhûr (forbidden), makrûh (disliked) and mubâh (permissible).