Thoughts for Ramadan: Your Position With Yourself

Islam - Islam

Written by Administrator

Thursday, 19 August 2010 14:25

Ramadan is a great opportunity for standing with one’s nafs (soul/inner self), disciplining it, and bringing it to account, for leaving the accountability of one’s nafs is a sure path to negligence and a gateway for Shaytan to overcome a human being.

Such a person is rendered without a heart or intellect, his only aim in life being food, drink, and sleep. Allah, Most High, states, “Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” (Muhammad 12)

Allah, Most High, states, “O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow – and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do. And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient. Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of Paradise. The companions of Paradise – they are the attainers [of success].” (Hashr 18-20)

Ibn al-Qayyim stated, “Leaving self-accountability and being lax and accommodating in one’s affairs leads to one’s destruction. This is the state of vain and deluded people. [Such a person] turns a blind eye towards the consequences of his actions, is complacent with his current state, and relies on forgiveness, so he neglects taking his self to account and looking at consequences. If he did that, falling into sins would become easy for him, and he will grow accustomed to them. Weaning himself off sins would become difficult for him. If guidance had come to him, he would have known that guarding [himself from sins initially] would have been easier than weaning himself off of sins and leaving that to which he has become accustomed and habituated.” (Igathah al-Luhfan)

Some of the salaf stated, “From amongst the signs of abhorrence is for a servant to mention the faults of others and overlook his own faults, assuming bad of others and admiring his own self with certainty, and leaving self-accountability and self-scrutiny out of negligence of Allah, Most Esteemed and Glorious. Those who are negligent in this world are the losers in the Hereafter, because the best outcome is for the muttaqun (God-conscious/righteous).”

Al-Hasan al-Basri said regarding the explanation of Allah’s statement: “And I swear by the reproaching soul [to the certainty of resurrection]” (al-Qiyamah 2), “A mu`min (true believer) is not encountered except that he disciplines himself: What did I intend by my statement? What did I intend by my partaking in food? What did I intend by my partaking in drink? On the other hand, a corrupt person goes forward without disciplining himself.” (Imam Ahmad’s al-Zuhd 396)

A man came complaining to ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was occupied, so he said, “Do you leave the khalifah while he is free and come to him while he is busy with the affairs of the Muslims?” and hit him with his whip, so the man left upset. ‘Umar recalled that he had wronged the man, so he had him summoned and gave him the whip, saying, “Hit me as I hit you.” The man refused and stated, “I forgo my right for the sake of Allah and for you.” ‘Umar said, “Either you forgo it for the sake of Allah alone, or you take your right.” The main then stated, “I forgo it for the sake of Allah.” ‘Umar then left to his home and prayed two rak’ahs, subsequently sitting and saying to himself, “Oh son of Khattab, you were a lowly individual, and Allah raised your status. You were misguided, and Allah guided you. You were lowly, and Allah honored you, making you a khalifah. Then, a man comes seeking your assistance to remove oppression and you oppress him! What will you say to your Lord tomorrow when you meet him? He continued to take himself to account until the people began to grown concerned over him. (ibn al-Jawzi’s Manaqib Amir al-Mu`minin ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab 171)

al-Ahnaf ibn Qays used to approach a lantern and place his finger in it. He would then say, “Oh Hunayf, what lead you to do what you did on such and such day? What lead you to do what you did on such and such day?”

al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Indeed, the servant remains in a good state as long as he admonishes himself and is determined to take himself to account.”

Tawbah ibn al-Simmah was from amongst those individuals who took their selves to account. One day, he calculated that he was sixty years old and 21,500 days old. He then cried out, saying, “Woe unto me, I will meet my Lord with 21,000 sins? How can that be, whereas thousands of sins are committed each day?” He then fell unconscious and died. The people heard someone saying, “Oh how you race towards al-Firdaws al-A’laa (highest level of Paradise)!” (Ihya` ‘Ulum al-Din 4/406)

There are a number of benefits for taking account of one’s self, from amongst which are:

- Getting acquainted with one’s own faults, because the one who is not acquainted with his own faults cannot cure and remove them.

- Repentance, regret, and setting right what one did in the past.

- Realizing the rights of Allah, Most High, because the basis of taking account of one’s self is giving preference to the rights of Allah over it.

- Absolute humility and servitude of the slave in front of his Lord, Most Blessed and Exalted.

- Realizing the favors of Allah, Most Exalted, and the extent of his forgiveness and mercy on his servants in that he did not hasten their punishment in spite of their disobedience and sins.

- Abstaining from worldly pleasures, suppressing the nafs, and freeing oneself of pride and vanity.

- You will find that the one who takes account of himself strives in obedience and leaves disobedience until it subsequently becomes easy for him.

It is now incumbent on you, oh Brother or Sister, to ask yourself, and before and during Ramadan: How many prayers did you miss? How much charity were you too stingy to give? How many good deeds were you too lazy to do? How many misdeeds did you remain silent about? How many times did you view that which is unlawful? How many vulgar words did you utter? How many of those who were afflicted with tribulations did you not attempt to help? How many and how many? Will Ramadan leave me this year with my sins and shortcomings constant?

Indeed we celebrate the amount of days we lived, and each day our demise draws near.

So strive towards deeds for yourself before death, for gain and loss are only obtained through deeds.

Likewise, Ramadan is an opportunity to review and reform one’s self. It is related from Abu Hurayrah, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and greet him, stated, ‘Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1903)

[Source: This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared on Andalus.Org]