Wake up!

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

SubhanAllah, How many times do we look at others, raise an eyebrow, make a comment/remark, laugh at other, or backbite about our so called friends and family? But yet, when it comes to Nasiha (advise) we're there, standing tall, looking down on everyone and everything that just aint right. "Islam says this...Islam says that..."...so we're their focussing day in day out on other peoples flaws, faults, and mistakes, waiting, just waiting to knock someone down for a minor flaw, when we are standing there, with more holes in our character than we could even imagine! But no, we're so in awe of everything and everyone else, we forget about the one thing we have most control over....our nafs....yet this, is the one thing, we fail to acknowledge.

I MEAN WHO ARE WE TRYIN' TO KID HERE!

Most of us fall into the traps of our "old friend" shaytaan day in day out...when we least expect it...but how much of what we do wrong is really down to shaytaans lure and how much of it really is our own rotten nafs?

How many of us sit there and really focus on our flaws, or even like to be told we are travelling in the wrong direction? Far to many of us so called Muslims are all there for Ramadhan, we're fasting, we're reading our salah, reciting the Quran, and praying out Taraweeh and Tahajjud. But what are we doing this all for? Anyone can go about in a robotic fashion and fulfil a duty, or starve themself from dawn til dusk, but what are WE really gaining from this all. Do we really thinking that one month of super active ibadah is enough to clean our sins away? Do we really think that chilling with our mates each night at the masjid (during Ramadhan) is gunna help us?

Oh Muslims!Look at yourselves!

I mean, stop, stare, contemplate, really look at yourself.

Are we really clean inside and out, can we afford to be a one month a year Muslim?

Are we really doing all this for the right reason???

Is our intention, REALLY as pure as we think it is?

......

Well...the simple answer to the above...whether we like it or not

is NO

So....

What are we gunna do about it? Are we really bothered where you stand with Allah SWT, or is shaytaan and your worldly affairs on this dunya all your bothered about???

Ramadhan is around the corner...the one month where Shaytaan is locked away and YOU have NOONE to blame for your ill deeds and actions but yourself (Your Nafs). So it goes without saying that this is the month we should all be attempting to fix the flaws in our nafs, spiritually cleanse ourselves and seek mercy from Allah SWT!

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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
"O who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves. (2:183)

The first step is to avoid what is halal (permitted) on every day except during Ramadan. Eating and drinking and having sexual intercourse are halal; but in Ramadan, the permitted thing becomes haram--forbidden--during the daytime. That is the basic level of cleanliness, but it is of a higher purpose to seek even greater cleanliness.

To attain greater cleanliness, the second step is to try to be clean from sins: we must guard our eyes, our tongue, our ears, our hands, our feet and all the parts of our body from wrongdoing. We must tell ourself, " O my tongue! Just as you are keeping yourself from tasting food and drink, yet still you must be careful. Don't say anything that is prohibited."
That second step--to clean ourselves from all prohibited actions and sins makes us physically and spiritually lighter; we may move toward higher spiritual stations. Yet it is not enough.
The third step is for hearts: you must attend to your heart. Allah Almighty is telling us: "your heart belongs to Me." Among the Children of Adam, every part of the body belongs to him but one. "Your heart belongs to Me, not to anyone else," He says, "Therefore I am asking that it be clean, absolutely clean."1

1 This is one tafsir of the hadith qudsi: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allah said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it, as he (the one who observes the fast) leaves his sexual desire, food and drink for My Sake. Fasting is a screen (from Hell) and there are two pleasures for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk." [Bukhari]

How can it be clean? Everything except Allah Almighty and His Pleasure must be put out of your heart. Every time you are by yourself, we can look into our heart to see if we are with our Lord or with someone or something else. Whenever we examine our heart and find ourself with our Lord, Almighty Allah, we must deem ourself fortunate. At that time divine light will enter our heart, and we may reach the true pleasure of faith.

The Prophet (s) said, "The lustful glance is one of the poison arrows of Satan. He who because of pity abstains therefrom will receive from Allah a belief, the sweetness of which will fill his heart."
Thus it is important for every believer to control his or her every action. Without guarding our actions we are destined to lose. And every action begins with a thought. Satan is well-aware of the nature of mankind. In every kind of thought he has put some of his tricks.

Whoever is able to control his thoughts, may be safe from Satan’s promptings; but whoever is unable to control them will have his mind filled with evil ideas and falsehood.

Whoever is under Satan’s control cannot be an obedient servant to his Lord.

As Muslims and believers this must be our first concern--to control ourselves. If we find any of Satan’s control affecting ourself, in either actions or thoughts, we must strive to make them clean.

The one who is able to control himself during Ramadan is going to be able, with Allah Almighty’s support, to take control of himself for the other eleven months. Everything begins small and grows, good things and bad things, good habits and bad habits; for each one we have a beginning. And the beginning is difficult, but you must be patient and continue; if you know that something is right, you must continue to keep on that way, even though it may be so difficult. Difficulties may be overcome by a strong faith and strong faith is with those people who are able to control themselves. Therefore make a firm and continuous intention to increased devotion, not only for for this holy month, Ramadan, but make it continuous always.

So the 4 main points are: "Focus (on self/Nafs), Reflect on Intentions (behind actions), Control (of Nafs/actions), Cleanliness (getting rid of sins, flaws, the illness of your heart)!"

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