Lisanu’l-Hal
Repent Anew, Repent Once Again
Abdullah bin Alawi al-Haddad (quddisa sirruhu), one of the great awliya, says about repentance:
“Pay heed to repent from every sin, be it small or large, hidden or overt. For repentance is the first step of a servant on the path to righteousness and the foundation of all spiritual stations. Undoubtedly, Allah loves those who repent. The Almighty Lord proclaims: ‘Surely Allah loves those who are most repenting, and loves those who keep themselves pure.’ (Al-Baqarah, 222)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘One who repents from sin is like someone without sin.’
(Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 30)
For repentance to be sincere, one must reject two particulars of the committed sin. They must feel regret for the wrongdoing, and make the intention to avoid repeating that sin for the rest of their lives.
There are certain signs of a person who truly repents. Some of these include: a softening of the heart, frequent weeping, consistent devotion to worship, the abandoning of unsuitable companions, and keeping a distance from places where Allah's commands are not followed…
Strive always to renew your repentance and hasten in this regard. For sins are plentiful. Even if a servant appears outwardly and inwardly pure, walks the straight path, and maintains unceasing devotion, they cannot escape sin. As a lesson in the necessity of constant repentance, consider the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who, despite being sinless and perfect in every way, repented and sought forgiveness from Allah more than seventy times a day. This should be an ample example for you."
Abdullah b. Alawi al-Haddad, al-Safar min al-Fana’ ila al-Baqa’
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Roots and Branches
One of the great awliya, Abul-Qasim Abdurrahman bin Yusuf al-Lujai (rahmatullahi alayh), speaks on contentment:
“Contentment is the adab of the arifs. Contentment is a root from which two spiritual stations sprout: one is "waraa,” scrupulous adherence to religious rules, and the other is "rida,” the station of being satisfied with divine decree.
If a servant's heart lacks contentment, there will be no trace of waraa or rida within them. The catastrophe associated with waraa is coveting worldly life. If worldly greed overcomes a servant, it leads them to immerse in dubious matters, forbidden acts, and ultimately to forgetfulness of Allah. Thus, they cannot find a way to acquire waraa. Contentment, however, uproots the greed for the world from the heart. Consequently, the servant withdraws their interest from forbidden and doubtful matters.
The divine decree that Allah ordains can come in forms that the nafs does not favor, such as scarcity and poverty. If the servant's heart is consumed by worldly greed, they will not be content with a meager share of worldly goods. If the servant's heart is governed by contentment, they will be satisfied even with the little that comes their way by Allah's decree.
This is why contentment is fundamentally the origin of the stations of waraa and rida. Contentment is the root and the starting point. If the root disappears, the branches will inevitably wither away."
Yusuf al-Lujai, Shams al-Qulub
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Who Is the Betrayer?
Ibn Ataullah al-Iskandari (quddisa sirruhu), one of the great walis of the Shadhili way, offers this counsel:
“Know that a prayer that does not restrain one from indecency and wrongdoing is not worthy of being called a prayer. Allah, the Exalted, says: ‘Recite (O Prophet) what is revealed to you of the Book, and establish salah. Surely salah restrains one from shameful and evil acts. Indeed remembrance of Allah is the greatest of all things. Allah knows what you do.’ (Al-Ankabut, 45)
Yet, you emerge from prayer without fulfilling the essence of your supplication to Allah Almighty, ‘You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help (Al-Fatiha, 5).’ Moreover, you offer peace in His presence without reflecting on it, uttering, ‘O Prophet! May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you,’ and then you leave your prayer. You repeat these words in every prayer, yet after receiving so many blessings from Allah, you commit sins.
If you have been granted repentance, it is by the grace and mercy of Allah that you have repented. You could sin for seventy years and Allah the Exalted would erase all the sins you committed during this period with a single act of repentance. The one who repents from sin is like the one without sin. The believer grieves when they remember their sins and rejoices when they remember their acts of obedience.
You become angry when you learn of your spouse's betrayal. Yet, your nafs has been betraying you all your life. There is a consensus among the wise that when a woman betrays her husband, he divorces her. So, you should also divorce the nafs that continually betrays you!”
Ibn Ataullah al-Iskandari, al-Hikam al-Ata’iyyah
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"When your brother commits a sin, do not hastily sever ties and abandon him. Today he might falter, but tomorrow he may renounce his mistake."
Ibrahim al-Nakhai (rahmatullahi alayh)
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Silent Backbiting
Imam Ghazali (rahmatullahi alayh) speaks about backbiting, stating:
Know that backbiting with the tongue, sharing your brother's faults with others, and mentioning him in a way that he would dislike, is forbidden. To insinuate, to gesture, or to indicate through actions is the same as stating it explicitly. Thus, hinting, suggesting, winking, writing, or any other form of indirect communication about your brother behind his back also falls under the category of backbiting. Engaging in such actions is prohibited. This is illustrated by the following narration from our beloved mother, Aisha (radiyallahu anha):
"One day, a woman came to us. After she left, I gestured with my thumb to indicate her short stature. The Prophet then said, 'You have backbitten her!'”
Imam Ghazali, Kitab al-Lisan min Kitab Ihya’ 'Ulum al-Din
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The Delight of Worship
Imam Sulami, one of the great masters of tasawwuf, suggests that one of the faults of the nafs is its inability to take pleasure in acts of worship. He argues that this is due to the illness of the heart, which prevents it from fulfilling its primary duties. He elaborates on the remedy for this fault:
"The remedy for this fault lies in consuming only halal sustenances, continuously remembering Allah the Most High, associating closely with the righteous, and serving them. In addition, one should implore Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to cleanse their heart from the darkness of spiritual diseases and to restore it. When one does so, they would feel the delight of obedience and worship each time they remember their Lord."
Sulami, 'Uyub al-Nafs wa Mudawatuha
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If you cannot be of benefit to your fellow Muslims, at the very least, do not inflict harm upon them. If you cannot bring them joy, then refrain from causing them sorrow. If you are unable to bring them relief, then do not be the source of their distress. If you cannot praise them, then abstain from disparaging them."
Yahya b. Muadh (rahmatullahi alayh)
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Eser Sazak
