The heart opener

Bismillaahir Rah’maanir Rah’eem. All praise to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved unlettered Prophet, his family, and his noble companions. I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and I begin in the name of Allah, the Mosta Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

(If we reflect upon our Ramadan, we would have witnessed ourselves engaging in numerous commendable acts, Alhamdulillah. We stood long for Taraweeh, listened attentively to the recitation of the Quran, recited more Quran ourselves, abstained from permissible provisions and intimate relations, and performed many other righteous deeds. However, let us now contemplate if we are able to maintain the same level of commitment and engagement in good deeds after Ramadan. Are we able to even open the Quran regularly? Are we consistently performing Salatul Fajr as we used to pray Tahajjud during Ramadan? If we observe a lack in these areas, it signifies that we have lost the strength and motivation that we attained during Ramadan. The previous topic, ‘The Impact of Sins on Our Life and Soul,’ sheds light on this matter. Now that we are aware of the detrimental effects of sins, we should be determined to lead a life free from sin. If you find yourself struggling to navigate this path, this article is for you. It provides a starting point based on a lecture by my Sheikh, Maulana Abdus Sattar Hafizahullah.)

The following is a concise summary of his lecture. By avoiding five major sins, inshaAllah, with the blessings and mercy of Allah, we will be protected from all sins and be able to lead a life of taqwa (God-consciousness), which encompasses the goodness of both worlds. Here is the list of those five sins, along with a brief explanation of each:

1. Safeguard your tongue from backbiting. Today, we observe that many men engage in backbiting, and unfortunately, some women mainly gather for the purpose of backbiting. When one of our Muslim brothers passes away, despite any bitterness we may have felt towards them, we still show compassion and come together for their funeral. How terrible it would be to engage in backbiting, which is akin to consuming the flesh of a deceased brother. When the honor of our fellow brothers and sisters is not safe from our tongues, which are more sacred to Allah ﷻ than the Kaaba, how can we expect that Allah ﷻ will grant us a life of taqwa, which is more honored in both worlds.
2. Save yourself from takabbur, pride, and thinking oneself to be superior. Takabbur is the root cause of many sins. It is through pride that one considers oneself to be superior and, in order to maintain that image, puts others down through backbiting and slander. A person who possesses pride will eventually face humiliation in the eyes of others. Just like soil that remains in its rightful place is useful and beneficial, but when it rises up and becomes elevated, people will sweep it away.
3. Save yourself from anger. When a person becomes angry, they are in the grip of Shaytan, and they speak and act in ways that they later regret, sometimes for the rest of their lives. In an incident that took place in an Arab land, there was an argument between an old man and a young man. The old man, despite his weakness, became so enraged that he raised his stick to strike the young man. The people present urged him to control himself and advised him to recite durood (blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). As soon as he recited “Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,” his anger dissipated, and he became remarkably peaceful, as if he had never been angry at all. When we send peace and blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), Allah ﷻ bestows His mercy and blessings upon us tenfold. Therefore, it is highly recommended to seek refuge in Allah ﷻ from Shaytan, perform ablution (wudu), drink water, recite durood (blessings upon the Prophet), change our physical position (e.g., standing to sitting, sitting to lying down) to help control our anger.
4. Stay away from interactions with non-mahram individuals. This is one of the biggest fitnah of our times. Mobile devices and the internet have exacerbated these interactions. We often hear phrases like “she is like a sister” or “he is like a brother,” with seemingly good intentions. However, this is pure deception. Such interactions can easily turn haram, stripping away the honor of families and leading to children becoming rebellious towards their parents, among other detrimental consequences. When Allah ﷻ and the Prophet ﷺ highlight the dangers of such interactions, it is undoubtedly a grave sin. Who can be more truthful than Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ? We should contemplate the exemplary conduct of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. With their proximity to the Prophet ﷺ, their thoughts and intentions were undoubtedly pure. Likewise, the Sahabah, whose Taqwa (God-consciousness) is attested to by Allah ﷻ in the Quran, faced various trials, including hunger, wars, and wealth, yet Allah ﷻ found nothing but Taqwa in them. To these esteemed individuals, Allah ﷻ instructs that if they wish to seek guidance from the wives of the beloved Prophet ﷺ, who are pure and hold the esteemed status of spiritual mothers to the Sahabahs RA and the entire Muslim ummah, they should do so from behind the screen. Can we ever hope to attain their level of piety? Considering that they received divine instructions, where does that leave us? May Allah ﷻ assist us all in maintaining a distance from inappropriate interactions with non-mahram individuals. Ameen.
5. Take care of halal provisions. The utmost care should be taken to ensure that what we earn and consume is strictly halal. People can be categorized into two groups: The first group consists of those whose primary source of income is haram. Such individuals should swiftly repent to Allah ﷻ and make necessary changes in their means of livelihood. Engaging in haram practices invites the wrath and curse of Allah ﷻ, leading to the loss of numerous blessings. The second group comprises those who are blessed with halal income, but due to their greed and love for wealth, they engage in unlawful means of acquiring it.

When we prioritize the avoidance of the five aforementioned sins, inshaAllah, all other sins will be eradicated from our lives. One effective tip is to change our environment and surround ourselves with righteous company. It is in the company of such individuals that we can swiftly attain taqwa. We must remember that when we lead a life of God-consciousness, Allah ﷻ will provide for us in ways we cannot even imagine. If it is not feasible to be in their company throughout the week, we should strive to arrange gatherings with them for ourselves and our families at least 3-4 times a week, or at the very least, once a week.

The second tip is to always engage in sincere repentance (tawba) whenever we fall into sin. Despite repeated sins, if a person consistently and sincerely repents, Allah ﷻ’s mercy is so immense that He elevates even such a person to the status of His righteous servant (wali). Allah ﷻ raises their rank among the people of taqwa (God-consciousness) in both this world and the Hereafter, and they truly embody a life of taqwa. The Shaytan loses hope in such an individual who persistently seeks repentance, and when they perform two units of prayer (salah) after committing a sin, the Shaytan will flee from them.

The final tip is to express gratitude to Allah ﷻ after every prayer, acknowledging that without His assistance, one would have been among those who do not pray. Additionally, when one abstains from sin, they should immediately thank Allah ﷻ for His guidance and protection, recognizing that it is only by His power and control that they were able to obey Him and save themselves from disobedience. This is why the saying “laa hawla walaa quwwata illa billah” (There is no power and no might except by Allah) is considered to be a treasure of Paradise according to the teachings of our beloved Prophet ﷺ. By implementing this practice, Allah ﷻ will keep us away from sin and preserve our blessings. May Allah ﷻ grant us all a life of taqwa. Ameen, ameen, and once again, ameen.

-Sheikh Maulana Abdus Sattar (May Allah preserve him)