Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #138 The Cure for Wayward Thoughts
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
You're listening to the Roha, daily guidance for
seekers with Sheikh Rasra Behni.
Look at the healing part in which we
are
looking at
imam sullam's treatise on the blameworthy traits of
the self.
And from its blameworthy traits.
From the blameworthy traits of the self
is that it never
is content with the truth.
K?
Why?
Because
is the lower self. Right?
And who are you?
Right?
You are a subtlety that makes you human,
that subtlety
has inclinations.
Right?
Those inclinations
are
rational
or spiritual
or they are
wayward
or desirous.
Right? So So that's why you have the
the
the
the the intellect,
which is when you incline
on the basis of
consideration of benefit and harm. You have 2
jobs, you choose one of them because it's
more beneficial.
That's
or you get married, there's 2 doctors to
marry, you marry the well the
the one who has better career prospects.
Right? Why?
Right?
The old days, you know, like, one uncle
said, so how are you my auntie? He
said, Greta, I like good food and best
cook I knew was your auntie.
Okay. But that is rational.
There's a reason for it.
K? As opposed to,
you marry someone. Why? Oh, because,
I like the way she
you know? Like, someone's about I like the
I like the way she'd she giggled
when something was funny.
That's not reasonable. There's no benefit or harm
in the way someone giggles.
Right? That's Howa. Right? So there's different inclinations.
The nefs
here,
the self,
right, in in dealing
with human potential,
the scholars looked,
right, this is a purposeful classification as well.
Right? That we want
to build our actions on reason
and raise our actions
to
the spiritual.
Right? That's what we seek to do as
believers.
That act on the basis of reason
and raise our actions to towards the spiritual,
to make choices based on
heart and soul.
And what harms
is
our wayward inclinations,
which is and
our
it's our desires.
So when they say,
the blame worthy self,
right, the self
is referring
to your
your capacity for wayward inclinations.
It's never content with the truth by definition.
Right? But because that's what we mean by
the self is a lower self.
It is never content with the truth.
Right?
Is never content with obedience.
You
need? And obey obedience is contrary to
its
nature.
Right? It's contrary to its nature
by very definition.
The lower self
is
your inclinations towards desires,
your
and your whims
just because.
Someone the other day was telling me they've
been watching some series for 3 seasons or
I forget, 2, 3 seasons. It's terrible.
Why are you watching it then?
Let alone that it's wrong, etcetera, but but
just why are you watching it?
Why not? And ironically, the same person is
too busy
to attend beneficial programs, they're not really visiting
family, that's.
K? You're not doing it for a reason,
even worldly.
So obedience is contrary to its very
nature. K?
And its temperament.
So why does this
happen?
So this waywardness.
Right?
This waywardness
This waywardness
is born out of
following
one's
caprice.
That if you if if you follow
your your capricious desires, just just because
then they will grow
because you validated that inclination.
Right?
Right?
And following one's desires. There's some desire, the
more you just without consideration fulfill your desires,
the more desires you will have.
So what do you do? You need to
restrain those desires. You fulfill them, but on
the basis
it begins by restraining them. So you fulfill
them on the basis of reason. You think
about
benefit and harm, consequence, etcetera.
And then you strive to raise them up
to
turn even one's desires
spiritual.
How? By intention.
Right?
So he says,
says
that
as long as
you do not
slaughter it.
K?
Slaughter your lower self
with the knives
of spiritual struggle.
K? And
means
the many knives. Why?
Because spiritual struggle
requires
many different
practices.
Many different practices.
Many different skills.
Because if you incline towards a sin, it's
different from when you just feel like procrastinating
and and therefore you're just gonna do something
silly just because.
Right? Someone's like, I don't feel like sleeping.
So what do you do? You sit watching
something useless
and then you show up to work
exhausted. What were you doing last night? Nothing
really.
Okay? But how you deal with that is
different from how you deal with a strong,
impermissible
desire.
Right?
So that's why he calls it, the knives
of spiritual struggle.
So as long as one doesn't slaughter one's
lower self with the knives of spiritual struggle,
one will not bring it to true life.
But they say
the the way
to discipline the self is diplomacy.
Right? If if if it's wayward,
you have to bring it in. We have
to bring it gradually back to submissiveness.
You cannot
just
drag it because it'll rebel even worse.
So
and he says,
Allah most high said to a group
of
the Bani Israel
of of the Israelites
Say, so repent
to your
your lord
and slaughter yourselves.
Right? And he's, of course, taking it by
way of
spiritual
illusion.
Right?
Right?
So how do you deal with the with
the
what is the cure
for the wayward self? We look at that
next, but
the underlying thing is the the what is
the struggle
in life?
Right? We have been created to toil in
struggle. Allah subhanahu makes that clear in the
Quran.
We have created man,
we created the human being
in struggle.
Right?
That's that's life. Life's you you are created
in struggle. Life, that's what it's meant to
be.
But what is that struggle?
The prophet said
The the true mujahid,
the the true
striving person
is the one who strives against their lower
self for the sake of Allah.
Because that's how change happens.
You have to know
that's why it's come in the biblical truth,
know thy know thyself.
Right?
And that's why
said words so wise that they were ascribed
to be to the prophet
though they're not his words. That
Whoever knows
their self
knows their lord.
And as many
you know, that's not a hadith. Although often
it's described as from the words of
or possibly others.
That one of them that you need to
to to be able to distinguish what is,
what are your inclinations.
You have to know who you are,
what's your reality and then you'll know who
your lord is. But also if you want
to seek your lord, you have to know
yourself.
That is this inclination
one of
is it nefs? Is it is it
a desirous inclination?
Is it a capricious inclination? Or is it
a reasonable inclination?
Or is it a spiritual inclination, right, of
of your heart or soul?
You know, the number of friends who've been
telling you know,
someone just recently there was an iPhone 10
in Brampton.
I had to get it but I didn't.
The whole thing makes no sense. If you
had to get it then you had to
have gotten it.
So what do you do? I didn't get
it. So that's good.
So why are you telling me? Because he
still he really wants it.
That's yeah. So I actually went and checked
and, yes, there was an iPhone X in
Brampton.
I didn't want it. I just checked to
see if my friend was speaking the truth.
But those kinds no.
Like, why do you have to have it?
Right?
That's
that's
a desire for a worldly thing or just
whim. I just have to have it because
just because.
Is it reasonable? And it could be.
Let's say, you know, in your in your
you know, you wanna be able to take
better pictures.
Like, it's a way of connecting
with family.
You want you use it professionally.
You'll take better pictures. You know, you you're
in sales, for example, whatever.
You know, take pictures with your clients. What
are the many reasons where you could make
an argument for buying a new phone?
Right? You use it all the time
and it's more productive. Gratitude.
You gotta you got you worked hard all
year and you got a promotion.
You know, it's been tough.
You want to enjoy Allah's that's that's reasonable.
Could even be spiritual.
Right?
But just because I have to get it,
you know, so the same action.
You know, buying a new phone could be
mere desire,
could be just a whim,
or it could be reasonable,
or it could be spiritual.
At one spiritual thing, you really like the
new phone, buy it and get it give
it to your wife.
Gift it to a friend.
You won't attain righteousness
until you give of what you love.
Right?
So how does one break these
you know, how does one deal with this
wayward self, he says?
Say, could you read?
Right? And the and the and the treatment
for this is to leave these
these wayward inclinations
to one's lord fully.
Right?
Continue.
And this is why
the say, Ibrahim Al Khalil was commanded to
slaughter his
child.
Right? There was a test
that leave your inclinations for the inclination for
the command of Allah
Right? But Allah is merciful.
So he says
right? So when
they both surrendered fully
and he brought him to his
to himself,
right,
He was told that now you have confirmed
your vision.
Right?
You have confirmed
your vision. Right? That it was a this
is a test from Allah's
It was not Allah is most merciful. He
did not it was not meant for sayin
Ibrahim to actually slaughter his son as as
a test.
But it's when they submitted,
right, they left
their wish, you know, and the natural inclination
of human being would be, I don't wanna
do this.
But they surrendered
to the command of Allah
Right?
So
and then
he replaced it with a tremendous,
with a tremendous,
in a slaughter because it was a miracle.
Right?
Right?
Right. Allah most high has prohibited paradise to
those with attachments.
Meaning
that
your paradise was made
for a believer.
And,
you know, if you think about it, you
have a merciful lord.
You have guidance.
Really,
reason would entail that every believer
should have direct entry into paradise.
Right? Because we think about reality.
Is paradis you believe in God.
You believe in the promise of God. You
believe in paradise and its rewards.
Then,
you know, it should be like a direct
path to paradise.
Right? What so a believer should be in
paradise like,
what is it that keeps one from paradise?
It is
these it is these wayward attachments.
Right?
Which tells you how irrational they are.
Right?
Like someone who says, I'm not gonna take
the medicine because it's a bit bitter.
I'm gonna die.
Now I don't like the taste.
Makes no sense. Right? Likewise,
many choices in life are bitter.
But if you just think about but the
choices make sense if you think about the
hereafter.
You think about Allah.
Right?
So
and then he tells us there's an ultimate
cure. What is it?
Right? And the complete the ultimate cure
is to leave
one's lower self
to one's lord.
Right? Is to leave oneself fully to one's
lord.
It doesn't mean that you ignore yourself. The
self means, leave your wayward desires.
How do to your lord,
meaning,
that all the question to ask is not
what do I feel like? But what does
my lord seek from me?
That's the question to ask. Which is why
has this amazing
aphorism. He says that
the foolish person
when they wake up in the morning, they
wonder what they are going to do today.
Whereas the intelligent person
when they wake up, they wonder what is
their lord doing with them on this day?
Right?
And the question asked, what does my lord
seek from me in the choices that I'm
making?
Right?
So you attach yourself to Allah
You have a sense of purpose in life
that you are seeking Allah
Right? And how and then how do you
live that purpose? That is the messenger of
Allah
Right? Then you have
in this,
it seems difficult to do. That's why Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala has not just given us
abstract guidance.
But he's given us a tangible exemplar. It's
very difficult to say, k, how do I
seek Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in this? It'd
be very difficult, sit down wonder.
It's simple. What would the messenger of Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala do?
And we have specific
guidance and we have,
you know, broad principles that we've seen embodied
in the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam.
Do we have any hadith of the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam being stuck in a
traffic jam?
No. Not even in in this
just with its many hadiths. Right? There's no
hadith of the prophet being stuck in a
traffic jam. But let's say people you're stuck
in a traffic if if you're stuck in
a traffic jam, is there any guidance for
the prophet about what you do when you're
stuck in a traffic jam?
In the abstract, you think, what response will
be pleasing to Allah?
Getting upset won't make it better.
Right? Do you object? How come I'm stuck
in a traffic jam?
Well, it's irrational
because
getting upset that you're stuck in a traffic
jam won't suddenly dispel the traffic jam.
So what do you do? You accept. They're
disfirmal.
And then you you take the means that
you can.
How would the let's say people are honking.
There are people, let's say,
behaving crazily. How will the process of belief
respond?
We know
his guidance
practically. And it's we don't need to explain
out. It's so obvious,
Right? That how he would respond
in the most dignified and beautiful of ways.
Right? So that's how we leave ourselves,
you know, completely for the sake of Allah,
which is why the prophet none of you
believes until
their very whim
follows what I have come with.
Right? Meaning, their very inclinations
follow what I have come with. Why? Because
you when you're inclined to something, you consider.
Is is this pleasing to Allah? Is this
in accordance with
the the guidance of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam?
Continue.
K. So now this is a a high
thing.
The he rate relates with his chain of
transmission
that
ibn Yazdaniyar,
one of the great early
Muslims
was asked about the servant who directs themselves
to Allah.
On what basis do they direct themselves to
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala?
What is your commitment when you say, okay,
I'm going to direct myself to Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala in my life.
What should be your guiding principle in it?
Right?
So he replied,
on the basis that they never return to
what they have left.
Right?
And to guard themselves from even noticing what
they have forsaken.
Right? Because there are there are 2 paths
in life.
K.
Allah says about the human being, we are
guiding them to the 2
divergent
paths. So would they not take the higher
path?
And what would it tell you how great
the high path is?
Right? And then Allah mentions the qualities
of taking the higher path. What are? Which
are?
Freeing a slave.
Right? Or feeding on a day where one
does not have plenty.
A?
The
an orphan
who is close
or or
a needy person, a
who is in a bad state.
Literally,
meaning they are disheveled,
they're full of dust.
And they
and and they remained of the people who
were of true faith.
And they
reminded one another of being steadfast and they
reminded one another of
being compassionate,
of of being caring.
Right?
Right?
So this is the highway. So if you
take the highway, the highway is distinct
from that's the that's the path to paradise.
That is the path to Allah
of doing
the right
thing for the right reason. And then there's
a low path,
but just do whatever you feel like. And,
you know, now if you take that path,
what do you do? On the basis that
they will not return to what they've left.
You commit to it,
stick to it. Why? Because you've committed to
it because of where it leads you.
And so if you make the right choice,
stick with it. The prophet said
to to
the the Sahabi after he described his state.
How have you woken up today, O Haritha?
And he described his state.
It's as if I can behold
the throne of my lord.
And it's as if I can see the
people of paradise when they're visiting one another.
And as if I can see the people
of the hellfire,
you know, calling out in woe
to each other.
Right? And the and some narrations go further.
Right? And the prophet
told him, right, it's part of what he
told?
You
you now know,
so hold fast.
Right? You know, so hold fast.
Right? That on the basis that they will
never return to what they have left
and to guard oneself from even noticing what
one has forsaken.
Because why why have you left it? You
left it for a purpose,
just Allah
which is Jannah. If you left it for
a reason, then why would you wish for
it? And if you wish for it, it'll
eat away your resolve.
Right? And the things you have left are
desirable.
Right? Are desirable. So if you think about
them,
it'll hold you back.
Right?
Continue.
So he says
he was asked, this applies to one who
directed themselves while having something they're holding onto.
So what about those who directed themselves to
Allah without having anything? Meaning, without having anything
worldly.
Right?
So he said,
He said by finding sweetness in what you've
directed
by finding sweetness in what they've directed themselves
to.
And by,
you know, instead of
the bitterness that they find,
you know, in what they left.
Because sometimes you take your blessings for granted.
Right?
Right? Because dunya is appealing. So Let's say
you've you've committed to attend the class
on a Sunday etcetera etcetera,
then people are talking about, you know, they're
doing other things. This is much more beneficial.
And but you'd you'd never used to do
anything. So what do you do? By recognizing
the sweetness in what you directed
yourself to. How?
By
reminding yourself of Allah's blessings upon you in
the path that you directed yourself to. So
sometimes you'll miss, let's say someone had a
wild and crazy lifestyle and now they're committed
to the path of religion.
He said remain committed to it, don't don't
look back
and don't think about what you left.
Right?
But if you didn't really do anything, you
grew up without doing crazy things, etcetera,
then how do you have resolve?
He said,
by finding sweetness in what they've directed themselves
to. How?
Considering great the blessing of Allah upon you.
It's a great blessing.
Did you were you born with a right
to believe? No. Allah has gifted you faith.
Allah put the inspiration in you to do
the good that you've committed yourself to.
Did you have a right to it? It's
because you're so much smarter than other people?
No.
So remind yourself of those blessings.
Right? Same, let's say, you are getting up
for that night.
Right?
And you can think I'm tired, I'm this
by finding sweetness in what you direct yourself.
Consider.
Right? Instead of the bitterness, they found in
what they left. What was the alternative
to this?
Right?
How did you wake up when you did
not worship Allah
in the same way?
Right? So these are
some of the ways of break of breaking
wrong,
you know, of these wayward
attachments. And the point is to keep your
purpose in mind, which is Allah.
Right? To remind yourself of the messenger.
Right? To remind yourself of the messenger and
and his way.
Right?
And that's why Allah
tells us,
you know,
when it comes to whether intention or purpose,
you have to seek Allah
and his messenger.
Actions are by the intention. Whoever's
migration was to Allah and his messenger. Why?
Because Allah is the purpose and the messenger
is the means to that purpose.
Right?
And prefer that purpose to your mere whims
and desires. Because if you compare the 2,
there's no point of comparison.
You compare what are your purpose is
and what a worthy means that you have,
and you compare it to anything else,
there is no point of comparison. So we
ask Allah
to facilitate for us the right choices.
In the next session, which we have on
Monday,
we'll be looking at
one of the most important of spiritual skills
which is
how to deal with bad thoughts.
K? How to deal with bad thoughts. And
that requires
some
detailing, so we'll we'll
we'll look at that. And
Ini
Salami
has some amazing insight on how to deal
with bad thoughts. But it it comes by
beginning,
you know, by developing self awareness. Where is
this coming from?
Right? When it comes to your inclinations,
right? Is this a desire?
Is this whim?
Is this reasonable?
Is it
or is it a spiritual inclination?
Right?
And
you know, and if it's a mere whim,
can it be made something reasonable?
Right? Can it be made something
spiritually worthy?
And likewise, so that's when when with our
inclinations.
But before inclinations come thoughts when thoughts come
to you, how do you deal with thoughts?
This is one of the amazing things that
the olema
of the salaf
unpacked from the guidance of the Quran. All
of this being discussed
being mentioned and pointed to by Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala in the Quran.
That you want to change how you are,
know your inclinations, which is we talked about
today,
and know your thoughts.
Right?
That you have different types of thoughts that
arise. Then neuroscientists and others try to understand
where do thoughts come from.
We're not interested in the science of it
per se.
We know that we have
choice. We can perceive it.
Allah subhanahu wa'ala tells us that we have
choice.
Our decision making begins with a thought that
appears.
That thought is judged
by the likely consequence of that thought.
K? Some thoughts are considered all thoughts are
from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, but some thoughts
are deemed divine.
Why? Because they're means of closeness to Allah.
Other thoughts are deemed angelic
because they are means to doing good deeds.
Other thoughts are considered to be
selfish thoughts. They're just thinking that, you know,
the the thought the goal of it is
the fulfillment of a desire.
And then there are some thoughts that are
deemed to be
satanic
from the shaytan because their their purpose is
to turn you away from guidance directly or
indirectly.
Right? So if you can identify what the
thought is, which is
simply put by looking at its consequence,
then that is even safer because
we looked at waywardness
arises from inclinations,
but inclinations arise from thoughts.
Right? And this is,
you know, very, very it's a it's beneficial,
but all what does it require?
How do you deal with waywardness?
How do you deal with the bad thoughts?
It arises from
acting with intention.
Acting with intention.
Never do anything without clear intent.
Everything.
Don't drive your car without intention.
Don't show up to a class without intention,
don't
eat without intention, don't visit friends without an
intention.
Right? Anything.
We make intention before we go to the
toilet,
that's why there's dhikr
before we go into the toilet, there's dhikr
after we come from the toilet. Because we
use the toilet purposefully.
If someone,
you know, defecates
purposefully,
then they would live purposefully. Right?
Every part. That's why we have sunnah's related
to mundane matters. So that we are purposeful
in everything.
Right?
And that that is underlying it. The believer
who is the believer? Someone
who believes in Allah.
Someone who submits to Allah, they try to
make that in everything.
So every action, they do it.
They they wonder
how do I make this
pleasing to Allah?
And what is the embodiment? That's a sunnah.
The sunnah is not just done
do the sunnah because that is the embodiment
of purposeful living.
Okay? Of pleasing living, of beloved
living.
So we we will
continue from
the blameworthy trait of listening to bad thoughts
by looking at how does one restrain
how does one channel one's thoughts towards
what is
pleasing to Allah or to Allah himself.
Any questions?
Thank you for listening to the daily guidance
for seekers with Sheikh Farazrabani.
Help SeekersHub give light to 1,000,000 around the
world by supporting us through monthly donations by
going to seekershub.org/donate.
Your donations are tax deductible in the US
and Canada.