Riyad Nadwi – 24. Ikhlas The True Nature of Intention Niyyah
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
For come for coming today
and and making the time.
I don't know if they have.
We're gonna make a start now, everybody
for coming and for making the time to
come today. Inshallah, today will be a continuation
of our, class of the Imam with
Sheikh Liab.
Last week, I think we just started and
made the introduction on, the I started reading,
the book of sincerity and things like that.
So today will be, will
take a deeper look into it. And with
that said, I'll just pass over to Chekhov.
Allah
says that they were not commanded. The believers
were not commanded except
to worship Allah.
Being sincere to him in faith,
inclining to the truth,
and to establish prayer and to give zakah.
And that is the correct faith. That is
the correct religion.
So who so ever would hope for a
meeting of his lord,
let him
do righteous deeds and not associate and worship
anyone with him.
Brothers and sisters, salaam alaikum.
Welcome
to our 24th
session
on lessons from Imam Azeri's Ahia
on the topic of Ifilaz and related
subjects.
Last week, we revised the
curriculum,
the core curriculum for the study of Islam.
And that's important that you keep that in
mind
in your approach to the study of Islam
and
keep balance
in your in in your focus.
This is, of course, the
curriculum drawn from the Hadith of Jibreel in
which he, Jibreel, alayhi salam, taught the Sahaba
via a question and answer session with the
prophet
through asking what is Islam,
and then through that,
the details of Ilmul Islam, Ilmul Ihsan,
Ilmul Ihsan,
and,
and then Il Mufit an Izzaman. So Ilmul
Islam, Ilmul Iman, Ilmul Ihsan, and Ilmufit an
Izzaman. These are the 4.
And the the
third one is the topic is falls
into the subject that we are studying, which
is.
That you aim to arrive at a position
where you worship Allah
as though you see him.
But
just even if you do not, for verily,
if you do not see him, know in
your heart that with that certainty that Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala is seeing you. The realization
in the heart with certainty
is the subject of the,
but there is need for
traversing
a stages of that certainty, a cleansing and
training of the heart, and this requires a
persistent journey.
And, of course, the final subject was fitna
ill Mu fitna al zaman,
which is the,
to become conscious of your
time and schemes of corruption in it.
As the final hour draws near, more and
more schemes of corruption
will unfold, and it is a chronic imperative
to be conscious of those.
It's not just a hobby. It should not
be a hobby that we should be,
conscious of what's happening
in our surroundings.
So, Allah
said said says says in the Quran,
That fear the the fear of the scheme
of corruption
that will not only affect those who have
who are involved in wrongdoing, it will it
is spread.
And know that Allah is strict in punishment.
And also also Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,
Oh ye who believe,
save yourselves and your and your families
from the fire. And this is related to
it. It's that these schemes of corruptions are
designed to draw you towards the fire.
We also talked about the awe of wealth
and ostentation, the urge to put ourselves on
display display, and the Quranic imperative to seek
the company of those who are in regular,
sincere worship with Allah.
And that
color of skin
and wealth status and cultural background should not
dictate
who we spend most of our time with.
Here we pondered particularly the effect of volume
of time. This is an important concept to
keep in mind. Volume. Whenever you spend volume
of time in in a with a certain
thing,
that is that does not remind you of
Allah, then you should see the need for
a reparatory.
Comp you
you have some compensation,
some
some reparatory, some
therapeutic
some some kind of recovery for that because
the heart would be drawn.
So you need to you you need to
compensate for it in your heart and balance
it balance it out. And I gave you
the example
of volume of time, the the the example
of the bulldog,
is that from the mere
spending of time,
your heart,
will reach that threshold where it from being
something that it disliked to be liked, that
it's something you will fall the dog will
become your pet. And anything can be a
snake can become your pet with with time.
So we also talked about the command where
And
this is exactly the area that
upon which
this imperative is based. That's
keep yourself patient. That you need patience
to keep yourself with people who are believers,
people who recognize Allah, people who have a
consciousness of Allah in their heart.
And not shifting the eyes away from the
poor
and
towards the rich and the glitter because that's
the tendency in our modern world. And it's
generally
the human tendency is that you want to
look at the things that glitter.
But
for our view, our view of humanity has
to have the entire spectrum. If you know
who's the richest man in the world, so
do you know who's the poorest? If you
don't know who's the poorest, then perhaps you
should know how many poor people are in
the world and be able to have that
view.
I gave you the numbers in the about
3 lessons ago about how in
in the terrible the inequality in our world
is. We have, on one hand, 1% owning
45% of the wealth in our world, and
800 over 800,000,000
people are sleeping
hungry at night in our world today. 8811,000,000.
That's the latest statistics.
So and it's not that our world
does not have the resources
to feed people or to or it's it's
a it's a question
of will. It's a question of,
that view of humanity of one that that
is that that that has compassion for all
of you, all of Allah's creatures.
Because if you implement zakat,
in in
if if if zakat was implemented
on the wealth of the world that it
the way it's at the current rate,
we would be able to
eradicate poverty
at the rate that it is now 85
times over.
That is how much. Because the $463,000,000,000,000
is is the aggregate
wealth that people,
have. Well, that was in 20 23 in
2021.
If you view the zakat, the 2.5 percent
of that, it will become 11,000,000,000,000.
11,000,000,000,000 will come out. And with 11,000,000,000,000,
you can you can
eradicate poverty in the world
85 times over than what it actually is.
So that view of humanity, of of of
having having a view that,
inequality is not good, and when when glitter,
when when wealth is concentrated into 1 in
1 area,
we should see that as a problem and
not admire it. And that's the problem. It's
the admiration in the heart that then we
we should see it as a problem
and to be dealt with. If if if
that can be kept, if that thought of
something being problematic in in the heart, then
it will reduce the urge to want to
emulate and to, and and and to ostentate
and and to copy and and to be
like that.
We also talked about the taqwa being should
be the only criterion for choosing whom we
spend our time with.
Reinforced, of course, by the,
advice of the prophet,
The person will be on the religion of
the company he keeps. And by company here,
by Khalil Khalil
means to do this. When I put one
finger into so people who you have close
as your bosom friends and your, you know,
your buddies, those are the ones you have
to be careful of.
And volume of time. How how long you
spend.
And we also added to the discussion on
eyes. We added 2 things. The first was
the notion of proximity.
That the eye is a, it provides proximity
to to things in the world. And it
also, in in this context, it provides
proximity to adultery and for fornication, and Allah
uses that. He gives you the idea of
this proximity
when in the Quran when he warns about
zina, when he warns about fornication, he says,
Do not go. Do not seek. Do not
go to the proximities of zina. Don't go
close to zina, because that that's proximity. Don't
come near to it. And therefore, the
eye as an arrow of Satan
is a pathway to Zina, and avoiding that
proximity is of utmost importance.
The other point that we added to to
eye
was the discussion on the concept of treachery.
We we are well aware as we
of in our history of the fact that
treachery,
causes utter devastation. The the the catastrophe
that can come from the communities can suffer
from the betrayal of a traitor from within,
that's known. And I gave you the example
of Ibn al Kami, and his treachery. And
there are many many many instances you can
find in history of the devastation that it
caused. Treasury the treachery in
from within is something that that devastates.
So
by extension,
it is important to note that Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala uses the same word,
the same term for the eye. He says,
that he knows
the treachery of the eye. The treachery of
the eye.
And that is to that should bring home,
paying attention to the fact that treachery causes
such
devastation in communities
that is outside. And the Allah is using
that same word for
to describe to to describe the
deceit of the eye as treachery. So
the destruction, the devastation that that causes
to the person and then to society at
large.
Now if we come back to also Fitanid
Zaman,
if one ponders the rise
of image,
and this is also linked to the eye.
If if we look at,
image and video technology on the Internet, which
is relatively new phenomena,
only 20 years ago, you know, people didn't
know anything about it. Well, 25 years ago.
I remember when I first came to Oxford,
we were introduced to
email, for the first time, and it was,
fascinating.
But
the industry developed images and video technology, and
this is largely
driven by the * industry. They are the
ones who pushed
this these technologies.
And
the the that rise
there's a correlation between the availability of *
and the rise of large scale
fittin and tribulations
in Muslim lands. There is a if you
look at the graph, you will see both.
There is there is a problem there. There
is a correlation and there
now I'm not saying that one caused the
other, but we we should worry about this.
That maybe it is.
Because there's a tremendous shift
in attitudes
towards this kind of thing globally, even here
in the West. When I came here in
in the 19 nineties,
these
type of filthy magazines were kept on the
top shelves in in in in news agents
in in cellophane
blacked out cellophane. You couldn't
see anything like this. It was all so
that if young people came in, they wouldn't
find it.
Now ponder this. I will show you how
how society has just changed and, and and
not recognizing the problem. These these problems seep
into our lives without us realizing it. Now
would you if you had a son, I
mean, and and I'm telling you this for
when you
get married and have your own children, to
recognize these things as problems well in advance.
Here is an example that, would you leave
your 10 year old boy, the son, in
a room,
where where there's a product of a *
magazine on the table in front of him
alone. Would you leave him with that?
All he has to do is turn the
page to see the pictures.
Now no parent would, in their right mind,
would do such a thing.
But now how about the similar situation? How
about the situation
where the boy
does not have to exert as much energy
as turning a page? All he has to
do is touch something.
The situation of a young boy in his
room on his own with a mobile connected
to the Internet
is exactly the same as that,
just sitting in front on a table with
a magazine. That is the same.
It's and it is this
type of negligence of, you know, irresponsible
parenthood. We're living at a time when,
parents, people are not realizing the dangers that
is that happens,
and it leads to extreme treachery. Because that
is what extreme treachery is for the eye,
is extreme treachery is is happens through that.
And sometimes you're not you don't even intend
to do that, but it's
it's flashed into your face, And then it
leaves a mark. It leaves. It damages your
heart. It damages your eyes, your ear. It
damages your brain.
Literally so. I mean, I can tell you
I can show you studies from cognitive science
that shows that it damages your brain.
It rewires your brain.
So,
living, as I said,
at a time where where these things are
have unknown consequences,
of of safety to the individual and safety
to the community,
and also
worrying
consequences for for future generations.
Who knows if the rise in tribulations and
tragedies we are facing nowadays
as a community is linked to the rise
of our treachery in our eyes. Allah knows.
But may Allah forgive us and protect us.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
said that,
that you guarantee me. You give me you
give me a guarantee for 6 things, and
I will guarantee you Jannah.
The prophet said 6 things that you should
give.
That if you speak, then you should speak.
You should not lie.
And if he's given trust of something, then
he should not betray any trust.
And if he promises, then he should not
break his promise.
And control the eyes. This is one of
the 6 things. If you do, you are
guaranteed. You're guaranteed jannah. And
control your hands from going after things or
taking things that does not belong to you.
And protect your private parts. In other words,
afraid of,
avoid those proximities to these sorts of things
that lead to ziddah.
Now
what can we say about the reverse of
this?
When a society or a community indulges in
all of these things on a broad scale,
what effect should we expect?
Wallahu al Mustaan.
Now,
paying homage to shaitan. Now earlier,
we talked about the importance of clothes,
which is also linked to eyes.
Clothes and the the way we because our
clothes we we perceive ourselves through our clothes.
We look at ourselves. Our self image is
perceived through that. When we stand in front
of the mirror, we see ourselves with our
clothes.
And
it is the way through which Satan uses,
a uses his traps and to trap us
through the eye.
And this week, we saw many examples of
this in play where people are using clothes
and costumes
for paying homage to Shaitan. And I I
I will explain this, you know. I'm sure
you have seen it. Halloween in Riyadh and
other places.
Now
through these gruesome,
horrid portrayal of the human form,
it is it it it becomes a
a a celebration or a homage to to
Shaitan. Now
both
the Celtic or the Celtic for pagan origins
and the modern practice of Halloween
have the basic same
aim. It is homage to Shaytan in the
sense that shocking and horrific
images are intended to leave a mark on
your mind,
where one's self image is transformed.
The image of the human being and the
image of humanity
is reduced to
something that is horrid. That's that's the that
is the effect that it has, irrespective of
why you did it. Whether it's a pagan
festival or it's a modern
festival of having fun, whatever it is, the
effect, the psychological effect of it is that
it transform your image of what a human
being is. A soulless being, a bereft of
compassion, and animalistic.
In these images, you can clearly see throughout
history the aspirations of Satan for children for
the children of Adam. Because,
Adam, who is,
was created
in a beautiful form,
Satan
is created in a form that is
horrid, that it that is scary, that it's,
frightening, that that and this is something that
is ingrained in the human being. It's something
you know, there are certain things that Allah
has created us within our fitra to recognize
even beef even even if we don't see
it. But there are propensities there within us
that will do this. There there are cognitive
science experiments that, you know, I told you
about doctor Justin Barrett who,
did the research here about,
the cognitive science of religion.
He cites
a few examples of children
that are born with the propensity to be
afraid of certain things
and not to be afraid of certain things.
So they gave they they did experiments with
with snakes. You know, if a if a
if a child sees a snake, if a
baby or a young child sees a snake
and never seen a snake before, they'll probably
touch it. They wouldn't be afraid. But they
need one instance
of seeing mother or someone close
being startled by the snake or pulling away
from the snake, and then something kicks in
in the brain that is something in the
soul of the child that recognizes this thing
as
extremely dangerous
and keeps it will be afraid of snakes
for the rest of the life.
But if because if you try to do
the same thing with a flower or something
else, it will not hurt. If you take
the flower and hit the child even while
while the mother is screaming about the flower,
it will still not affect the child.
Only in some rare cases where where you
can develop a phobia for certain things, but
that's
a psychological illness. But I'm talking naturally,
the studies have proven it over and over
that we have we we're we're sent in
this world to be afraid of certain things.
And one of the things that we're afraid
of
is
the shekl of shaitan, the the the form
of shaitan, the head of shaitan. And this
Mufassilin have written about this very earlier on,
Is that anything
that is,
horrible and,
frightening,
we immediately in all languages across the planet,
anywhere you go, you will see the people
calling it the devil. That that that this
was a devilish form. There was a devilish
thing that I saw. And anything that's beautiful
is associated to angels.
You will find that in in society.
So,
but when it comes to human beings and,
you know, in the in the story of,
Yusuf alaihi salaam, they they said they said
that that
he was he was like an angel because
beautiful things in the heart are like, are
are like angels.
Even though we we haven't we don't have
a record of seeing an angel, a a
a a live record, but there is something
in our in our mind.
But when it comes to horrid portrayal of
the human being, that is something that is
associated,
with Shaitan.
And he wants you to look like him
or look as close as you can to
him. So but
and and and and that is the one
way of paying homage homage to to Shaitan.
And
the spectacle of
horrible form
is in complete contrast with what Allah says
in the Quran.
Allah has created you in the best of
modes.
That he has given you shape, and he
has made you your shapes beautiful.
That is how Allah has created you. So
horrid features
belong to Satan as we are told in
the Quran in the comparison with with Jahannam,
where in the spectacle of *, in with
Shadrach
Zarat z Zakkum. There's a tree in in
Jahannam which it Allah compares to the head
of Satan in in there. And that and
in that, you could see that there is
the
the idea of horrid
portrayal
of Satan.
That this tree of zakum in in Jahannam
will will have the shape of shaitan. So
horrid shape is embedded. In the tafsir of
this, the scholars have made it, they have
said it clear. They say
Because of their horrid nature, this comparison is
made. And
that
the
form the head of Satan
is embedded
the embedded the cook, the head of Satan
is embedded. The fear of the head of
Satan is embedded in the heart, in in
within the human being, even though it is
not seen.
Anything that is kabir,
anything that is horrid and horrific is usually
described as shaitan.
And every beautiful thing is like the it's
like the picture of an angel.
Waminhuqawluhu
ta'ala, wamaha dabaasharanillah
wamaha madhah bashar. That this is not a
this is not a human being. Inhadhahillah
malakun kareem. In the story of because the
teshbih,
the the comparison is always towards beautiful things.
This is, the the opinion of Ibi Abbas
radiAllahu.
And sadly, this week we've seen Muslims blindly
following in the in the footsteps of this
in in in Riyadh.
And of course, this is a sign of
the time, sign of qiyama, sign of fitan
zaman. This is one of the fitan of
our zaman over time.
When, you know, he said that
that may Allah give baraka into in our
shaman. And somebody said, well, what about Najd,
which is the same place where we are
seeing all these Shaytani,
features being
portrayed?
And of the things he said,
he said,
and there you will see the horns of
Shaytan are coming,
Where reality is today.
Now we also read the Muqaddama of the,
of the book last week. Well, parts of
it, and I spoke to you about the
metaphor the metaphor of vanguard
in in battle formations.
And that given that this is a battle
with Shaitan, we need our endeavors to be
connected to Allah
and be favored with divine help, which is
what Imam al Zali seeks in the Muqaddimah
by stating the Basmala, the Hamdala, salat a'alal
Nabi salallahu alaihi wa sallam, and ending
with a series of questions.
Now,
such as how can one,
make intention when one is oblivious to the
true nature of intention?
Likewise, with sincerity and truthfulness.
But there was a portion of the Muqaddimah
that I didn't read last week. And so
today, I'd like to read it for completeness,
and then move on to the true nature
of,
intention in shawarma. So this was the bit
that I didn't read.
That it has been revealed. It has been
revealed to Arbaq al Khulu. Arbaab
the Arbaab are people
of sound understanding,
people who have been gifted
with insight,
with perspicacity
to understand things. They have been given the
Arbab al Khulu, people with with
live people with hearts that are lifted.
With the with the
view, with the with the eye of Iman
and Nurul Quran. To see something, you need
2 things. You need you need eye and
you need light.
So the eye is the heart and the
nur is from the Quran. So these are
the 2 things from which they have gotten
what they have got. He said, That
there is no arrival
to true happiness
except
with guidance in knowledge and actions. Knowledge the
guiding knowledge and act and good deeds.
And then he does a apprisal of humanity,
of all of humanity, and he quotes Sa'ib
Nabdila, one of the
great scholars,
description of this this appraisal
and and to show you
the
importance
of the edifice of efforts that needs that
that rests upon the need for Ikhlas.
So he's saying he's saying that
the people are all on the precipice of
destruction. They're all given to destruction. They're all
about to fall fall into destruction. Everyone is
on a precipice of destruction
except
those who have access to this knowledge. This
knowledge,
those who know.
And those who know,
and those who know are also all on
a the precipice of destruction,
except those who act upon their knowledge of
what they know. And then he says,
And the and those who act upon their
knowledge are also
all given to destruction. They're on the precipice
of destruction
except those who are sincere.
And then he says again,
and the
and the sincere ones are also in continuous
danger. Danger of what? Of your intention being
corrupted or you you losing it.
And so actions,
deeds, doing things without
intention
is
worthless pain. It's just trouble. You're just giving
yourself it's just tiring yourself. It's nothing. It's
just pain. It's just trouble.
And niya without
ikhlas. Niya, intention without sincerity,
is ostentation. It's shaw.
And that is
in the same category as hypocrisy.
And it is also equal to sinning because
you can do something good with the wrong
intention, and then that good thing becomes a
sin. Instead of being a good
them being written into your good deeds, it's
written into your bad deeds. Well, ikhlasu biqayrisad
biqayrisitkinwatakhtiqin
haba. And
ikhlas without
truth in it, without truth and understanding what
you're doing is waste is wasted.
It's it it means nothing. It's a it's
it's dispersed. It's nothing.
And he and that that every action that
is done without the intention for Allah
is tainted. It's tainted
and submerged.
And then the verse where Allah
that
And they and we shall turn whatever they
did in this life, and we shall make
such deeds as floating dust scattered. What they
do, it it it will have no weight
on the day of judgment.
Tell you. That was the part that we
didn't
read last week. So now we have completed
the Muqaddimah.
And we will now move on to to
the topic of haqqiqatuniyyah.
Haqqiqatuniya,
which is,
the true nature of niya, the true nature
of intention.
And we need to discuss this because, as
I said, we are prone to thinking
that
intentions are just
statements or declarations
or, you know, pronouncements that we make. So
if one makes a clear statement that, oh,
I'm doing such and such for the sake
of Allah, then in our minds that should
be sufficient. We we see that as being
sufficient for our intention, you know. I'm doing
such wasat for Allah.
I'm doing this charity
ride, you know. I'm going on a bike
ride and I'm doing a charity ride. So,
you all now sponsor me,
and that's that's sufficient. That that makes it
right for Allah. Imam al Zali rejects this
by saying, look, that person may hear what
we say about the intention, but no. That's
he said, if you say, you know, nawaitoo
and in fact, he uses the word jahil
here,
to show how
disconnected this is from the reality
of the subject of understanding it. He says,
that someone who does not really understand this,
he might hear what we say about intention
and then,
go go go,
and decide that look, you know, if I
say in a way to an aduarpert salillah,
I make intention just to
teach for the sake of Allah, then that's
sufficient. And
that's that's not it. It's a and
that's far away from what's necessary
because
the Sahaba
That this,
rewire, this report has 2 two two configurations.
1 is that they
That they used to
study intention
like they used to study
their deeds, their actions. But another
reading of it is
That they used to read they used to
study near
as you do study
as you do learn about actions.
So the in other words, the the focus,
the the,
emphasis that you are putting on
learning how to do things, you know, the
the the details of it,
that that same effort they used to put
into
actions,
into learning nia.
So
now if nia or intention is not statements
on our tongue and it's not scripts in
the mind, then what is Niya? What is
the true nature of Niya?
Now before I
go into the chapter of Hatikat and Niya,
there's an old metaphor that the scholars use,
to describe
the machinations of the mind. The the, and,
it's useful to keep that in mind at
at this juncture. And this metaphor is,
and this is how they describe it.
That Allah
has created the mind, the human mind, human
mental makeup,
reminiscent
to
a millstone. Do
you know what a millstone is? I mean,
we live in the modern world. People don't
know. A millstone
is
a round stone placed on a flat stone
with a,
that grinds weak. You have you ever seen
it? It has a hole in the middle,
so you pour grain in it and and
it turns.
So what he says is that the metaphor
is that the mind is like that. It's
grinding. Right? It's a
it's
That it's a perpetual,
milling, a perpetual mill, grind a grinding stone
for for wheat, like like for wheat, that
that does not stop. It has to grind
something all the time. And it said that
that's the example of the human mind.
And if if a grain is placed into
it, it grinds it.
If if you if if you put,
dirt in it or pebble in it or
sand it, it will grind. Whatever you put
in it.
So ideas and thoughts that flow in the
mind,
these are
They are in the position
of grains in the mill. They go into
the mill.
That that that is placed into the mill.
And then this mill does not ever stop.
It it continues. It grinds continuously.
And it it needs something in it all
the time.
So they are of people
So there are people whose
mill grinds
the
grain.
So and then comes out from it is
flour.
And then that flour benefits him and those
and and others.
What Walakin, he's saying,
that but most people are grinding sand and
pebbles.
And
and and that.
And when the time come for dough, for
for
then then
what
then the true nature
of what he is grounded
comes out.
At the end of it, what what you
what you will produce, what the mind is
producing.
So thoughts and ideas in the minds are
like grains dropped into the millstone.
Now
this is similar to the methods
in,
to modern methods of of cognitive science where
the habits of our mind are partially perceived
to us only.
According to some estimates, 98% of our cognition,
takes place below the threshold of of consciousness.
Our perception of ourselves and the world around
us are influenced by a whole host of
factors, and then whatever comes out,
will depend on what's dropped in. So our
personalities, our attitudes, our motives, our experiences,
our interests, our expectations,
and, of course, our language,
they
they all play a role
in the same,
language we use for scripts.
And therefore, the point is that one cannot
assume
to have the correct intention merely on the
basis of our pronouncements and declaration.
Oh, I'm going to do such for x,
x, y, and zed. The true value of
our intentions
will eventually emerge on the day of judgment.
But while here in this world, it is
our duty
to work as hard as we can, as
hard as possible,
to foster the correct intention.
So now, Imam al Zali's section on this
title is Bayanu Haqqiqatun
Niyati,
Bayanu Haqqiqatun Niyati and the exposition of
the true reality
of Niya. So he says,
He said no.
He said, no. That words
such as niyyah, as intention,
will, motive,
they are all terms that are used for
one meaning.
Well, here,
And all of these means that there is
that they're all descriptions
of a condition in the heart.
What is it? It's a condition in the
heart, a state in the heart. K?
Yagtanifuha
amoran that is surrounded by 2 things, That
there are 2 things that are attached to
it. So it's a state in the heart
and attached by 2 things.
So it's surrounded by knowledge and by action.
Precedes it.
Is in front. It comes first.
Because it is it's roots that it's from
that it comes out.
And the actions
follows it. It's subsequent because it is its
fruit and it's it's product. And
that is so because every action
When he when he says, when he says
an action,
what he actually means is every
flight or perch
of the mind, every flight or perch of
the human, every every action, every movement, or
every silence, all of that is included. So
it doesn't mean only active moments. Even your
silence, even your sukoon, even your staying still,
all of that is part of it. As
long as long as it is Ikhdiari, as
long as it is willful, it's something that
you're doing by choice,
that these things do not are not accomplished.
Any of these, whether it's the flight, the
perch, the sitting, the silence,
the standing still, the moving, the walking, everything
you do, the the with Iqdia that you
have chosen to do,
willfully you've done, they're they're not
accomplished
except with 3 things. There are 3 things
that are attached to it. The first is
elmun.
The second, it's knowledge. The the first is
knowledge, elmun.
The second is irada. It's the will.
There there's a will to do it. And
the third is,
which is the strength to do it, the
power to do it.
And then he explains his rationale for this,
for for these three things. He says,
That a person will not will. He will
not seek something that he does not know.
If you don't know what what something, you
will not go after it.
So he it is necessary for him to
know it.
And then he does not do what he
does not want.
He he will do things when he that
that that he intends to do.
So that so a will is necessary.
And the meaning of
the meaning of will here
is
That it is the motivation in the heart,
that stimulation in the heart
towards that which a person perceives as
agreeable or beneficial towards his interest, towards his
purpose. Something that is agreeable to you, something
that is that that you find favorable
towards your interest, that is something that that
that stimulation in the heart, that movement in
the heart.
Immediately or eventually. Whether this is something you
see that is beneficial
in in your immediate
time frame or
in a eventual time frame.
So the human being is created
in such a way that
there are there are some things that are
agreeable to him,
and which are suitable to his interests.
And say some things that are disagreeable to
him and that are against his interests.
Excuse me.
So he needed to have this capacity
to attract those things that are agreeable in
the Muafid, those things that are,
that are supportive
and that are,
favorable
to to himself,
and Dafar al al Munafi, and things that
are that are in conflict with him, things
that are harmful, things that are that that
will repel him. So he needs he needs
something that will repel things that are harmful
and things that are disagreeable to him and
things that are against his interest. So
in order for him to have that capacity,
he then is in need by necessity
of knowledge.
And he has to have the knowledge. He
has to have the ability to recognize
things that are beneficial, and things that are
harmful.
So that he may attract some things and
repel some things. Now you have to have
the power of recognition. You have to recognize
something that's beneficial and something that's not.
So he's saying,
if if someone does not see lunch,
he does not see the lunch, see the
dish, the the food there,
k, you will not know it. You will
not know about it if he does not
sees see it.
So he it is not possible for him
to consume that food if he doesn't see
it.
And the one who does not see the
fire. Now here,
seeing the fire with the eye of the
heart is also possible. You can see with
things. You can see things. You can imagine.
As I said, you can we we see
things of power of vision
to,
simulate and imagine things is that. So he's
saying, if you do not see this, these
don't feel
If there's fire in the place and you
do not see it, then you you will
not run away from it.
And, you you know, I remember a story.
The great sheikh, who was
had great Khushu. He had,
very very advanced Khushu in his salah,
and he was praying in in, this story
is recorded in our history, spraying salah in
in the masjid in in Yemen,
and fire,
was,
damaged the masjid while the prayer. Everyone riled
of the masjid. Half of the Masjid fell
down, and he was praying in his salah.
And he did not move.
He's praying, and then he said, salam, they
extinguished the fire and but the half the
building had collapsed. And then afterward, they asked
him what,
why didn't you run?
From the fire? Everybody run. And he said,
yeah, if I had seen it.
He was so lost in his salah with
Allah in his Mi'raj and his that he
didn't see the fire.
So
that that's an example of,
deep khushu in salah. May Allah grant us
deep khushu in our
salah. So yeah. Anyway,
yeah. So you're saying
that you you will not be able to
do. So Allah has created guidance
and power of recognition and knowledge.
And he's made this recognition. He's made for
the recognition. He's created means to it. These
means for guidance
in in the world. And those guidance, he
says,
and he he's given us the the senses,
our external senses. We have 5 senses well,
5 basic senses. We have many more senses.
But, yeah, the 5 basic senses that we
have,
those are through that, these are as Sabbabs.
These are means through which we we learn
about a we we
acquire those recognitions. And then he says, we
have also
batina. We have internal,
hawas,
internal senses, but and then he says,
but that's not our topic here. The the
internal,
senses.
And then he
says, But then again, if a person sees
lunch, he sees the dish.
And he knows that it's favorable to him,
that this is good lunch. It's nice. It's
a it's a very beneficial
lunch. It might be tasty. It might be,
it might has all it might have all
the calories, all the vitamins, everything that I
need.
But that is not sufficient.
Why? Why it's not sufficient?
That that's not sufficient for him to eat
the food
as
he for for because
as long as he does not have an
inclination, a raghba, a a a desire towards
it, the shawat and lahu will buy it.
He has to have an appetite for it
in order for him to have the food.
That you seeing the food and knowing what's
in the food is not sufficient, but there
must be an inclination,
a an appetite
to the food. Yeah. So
he's saying,
And and then he gives you an example
of
of of people who are ill
when when when when that he
sees the food. You're an ill person, and
you must have seen this in your own
experience. We where where when your parents or
someone is ill, they would see food and
they would know all all the good things
about the food.
And
he knows that this is favorable. This is
this is a good thing for me.
But he cannot eat it because
because there is
no appetite, no no inclination towards it. So
he lost that that that part of it
is not there. Right? Right?
So he he does not have
the motivation, the thing in it that moves
you towards it. That there's something in you
that moves you towards it, towards the thing.
So Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala is in addition to those
other things. What what are the other things
that he's given you? The hawas, which is
the senses,
the right to to acquire the knowledge that
you need to recognize what is harmful or
what is beneficial. But then he's also given
you the capacity
to have
a
inclination towards things, to be to have desire,
to have appetite towards things. And he's he's
explaining this.
And he said, what I actually mean here,
Now this is a technical word, It
means,
a a a propensity,
a
predilection or a tendency towards something. So it
creates that in you,
and also an orientation.
You have to be orientated towards it in
the mind. There there's an there's a mental
orientation towards that thing that where the appetite
grows with the orientation towards
it. And then he's saying, and even that
is not sufficient. So it's going through the
mechanics. These are the machinations of the mind
through which
you you are propelled towards doing something.
And then that is not sufficient.
And then
he raises a question here to bring home
the point. He says,
He said that how many people the
how many people you would find who sees
food,
and they're
keen to eat it. They're they have a
desire for it,
wants to eat it.
But they are
unable to eat it because of their incapacity,
because they are paralyzed.
So they cannot move.
So Allah has also created a another
bounty,
Allah has also created
strength, power
in the body to to move towards the
thing. Wal Aza, and he's created organs in
the body, al mutaharika. He's created
movable organs to move, to to enact, to
move towards the thing.
So he's saying that that he's created the
strength. He's created the organs that move
and so that the person can then move
towards it. Well, So
the moving organs cannot move without
strength, which is also a gift.
And the strength
is dependent
on the motivation, the will inside.
And that
motivate that motivation inside is dependent on the
knowledge, on the understanding and recognition.
So not only
knowledge and recognition, but also
the belief
and assumption. So a person can have an
assumption about something. Like, we can have an
assumption
that this idol will give me x, y,
and zed, and then the that
catalyst,
that cascade of
intention and movement toward, that whole process can
happen on the basis of wrong information
and wrong assumption, but it can happen. So
he's saying,
Oh oh, except you can do you can
do it with,
on the basis that the it it can
stem
from
proper knowledge and proper recognition, or it can
stem from
assumption that, you know,
or at the card. I believe I believe
that this this person is, you you know,
going to help me, or I believe that,
this and this idol is, is good. But,
that is beside the point. What what we
are showing here is the process.
And at the heart of it is that
there should be a strengthening
of the belief
that this thing is in my interest.
That is the thing. That's the key.
That if this then become definitive in the
mind, that this thing is
favorable to me,
So then it becomes then then the verdict
is that, yes, you should do it.
And it should also one other condition that
is necessary.
That you must not have competing
or,
opposing
contrary impulses in the mind. They're telling you
about something else. Like,
those must not be there because then they
will cancel out each other. So if you
have contrary,
impulses in the mind, then that will destroy
it. That will destroy the movement, the the
the the cascade
But rather than than the the will will
move towards the motivation.
And then the the inclination happens
the will starts to
move. And then
the strengths will engage
the organs of the body to move towards
that thing. Fal Qudratu so he's now going
backwards showing you. He's saying that, Al Qudratu,
the the strength,
is in service of the will.
Well,
And the will is
dependent. It it's it's it follows
the
the belief, the assumption,
or the knowledge and the understanding, the recognition.
For niyyah to so niyyah in in in
essence is a baratun and sifatin mutawasitatin.
So it is it is the description
of an intermediary
process between
these two, between the Marifa, between the knowledge
or the belief, and the straw and
the strengths of the the movement and and
the power towards which it happens. Well, here,
And it is it
is the will and the motivation in the
self.
With the verdict of the inclination.
So you have to have an inclination and
a male
inclination.
In that thing that is
in that is seen as favorable to your
interests.
Whether it's your immediate interest or your eventual
interest. So
the first mover, the prime mover here is
Gharaad Al Mathlub, is that there is some
Gharaad. There is some,
interest that's
perceived some perceived interest in there. Wahu albaye,
if that is the motivation,
wal gharaad albaye is who al who al
makzadilmandwi.
So this goal, the stimulating
goal will be the,
the intended
meet the the intended go the intended purpose
for which you do.
And the motivation in the heart is
the goal setting. It's the goal setting in
the Niya.
And the same process he explained this all
all through. But and then he goes on
to explaining that
that
this motivation towards action
may be
it it it it it's possible that it
can be
as a result
of
with one motive. You can have a single
motive for doing something.
But it can be with 2 motives. 2
students can join together.
And when it is with 2 motives combining
to form you to form
a a a motivation,
That if that those two motives
may be such
that if they were alone,
if they were just one of them, it
will be sufficient
to propel you towards doing something, doing the
action. That they may be saying. Or
it may be that there
are 2 motives,
but one is but they're not sufficient
in themselves,
to propel you. But together, they form a
they form a motive. They they are able
they are strong enough to propel you towards
an action. But on the, but the
only when they come together, when they're when
that motive is weak in the mind
and and in the heart, then it will
not propel you towards action.
Or it may be. So he's describing
3 situations
where
the motive
can where where you have 2 motives
and the configurations. Yeah. Three different configurations.
1 is that they're both strong enough to
do it on their own. 2 is that
they're not. Neither of them are. And then
in the third one, only one is sufficient,
but the other is
a help is is is an assistant. It
just it just adds to it. So he's
saying that
And he said from this description,
4 categorizations
emerge. He's telling you now about 4 categorizations
that emerge.
So then we are going to explain each
one
with a question with with a with an
example
and also with the naming of the category.
Fa'am al Awwal so the first one
okay. Fa'am al Awwal well, we'll we'll I'll
do this one and then complete inshallah.
You have only have one motive, and this
can happen. And this is that it has
no other motive that you're doing something that
an which is what we're aiming to get.
And he gives a beautiful example.
He says, come at that imagine you're traveling,
you know, a person who is,
sitting
in in the he's using
a,
old exam an old scenario. Well, I'm gonna
give you a a modern scenario for the
same example, and then we'll read the example.
That you're sitting a, at the train station,
you're waiting for your train,
and you have
your luggage,
your passport, your money,
your,
bags that you're carrying, your shoes or extra
umbrella, whatever you're carrying.
And your attention
is spread out on all of those things
that these are all things that I have
to take with me on the train.
Right?
So imagine you're in such a situation. So
now
we'll read this and then we'll come back
to that.
He said that imagine if a
harmful animal
attacks a person. Now you're sitting in the
train station and a snake drops.
Now what happens?
That he he that person will spring up
from there
and have only one intention in his mind.
All the other concerns
about
the things that are around him of protecting
and staying near to them will will vanish.
So he's saying,
he will spring for you from from his
place.
That he will have nothing else excuse me.
Nothing else will bother him other he will
have no bother in his mind other than
running away from that animal, running away from
the snake, or running away from a a
lion or something that has come to get
him. Some some some harmful animal. Right?
For Inahu,
So what what happens? So
what was the process
that led to this Ikhlas,
this one this one motive?
What was the process? He said that he
saw the animal,
and he recognized it as harmful.
Alright. That's the first. He recognized it. From
Ba'asafihi,
finafsihi,
il al haram. From so then a motivation
was formed in his mind, il al harab,
to to move from it.
And he then for and
then
the strength, the,
the the powers, the strength in his body
engaged his
his limbs and his his mechanisms that he's
had.
To
follow
that
motive.
He does not have. So he's saying that
his intention
for his intention
is escaping from the animal. For escaping from
that thing,
So he has no other intention whatsoever
at that particular moment.
That is a pure intention.
And this type of niya,
to some
Khalisa.
This type of niya is known as Khalisa,
a sincere,
as completely pure.
Khalisa,
something that is pure.
Well, some al-'Amal and and the
the action that is
associated with such intentions,
they are known as Ikhlas.
This is what is Ikhlas. So that person
had Ikhlas on that.
He said, and of course, it is Ikhlas
Ikhlas
in relation to the intent to the motivation
that came that came with it. Wama'anahu
annahu khalasa and musharikin ghay and musharik ghayrihi
wamuzadwamaazidatihi.
And what it means is that it has
that when we say that this amal, this
action is pure, it means it has been
it has been purified
from all other
adulterations,
from all other
interweaving
thoughts
and motives. Everything else has been has been
purified. It's just one that comes out of
it, and that is known as Ikhlas.
That was the example.
I think we'll end here tonight, and inshallah,
we he gives he gives the other examples,
and we'll go through them inshallah next week.
But,
that's, I think, enough food for thought to
going through it. And,
the key
point to bear in mind is
that niyyah is
haratun
filkalb haratun musipatun filkalb, that it's a condition
and a state in the heart.
So whatever state so that state of fright
that develops, that's a state that that produce
that Ikhlas.
So that state of whatever state you are
creating
with with with with
knowing, with knowledge, then that will produce the
the proper intention.
I think,
yeah, we should,
pray now inshallah. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala,
bless us with
understanding
and
Oh, Allah. We've gathered here again
in the hope that we may receive your
grace and guidance.
Do not turn us away empty handed, we
beg, oh, Allah.
These young people have come here
today in the rain
seeking knowledge
of how to be sincere to you.
They're asking about you, and you said,
You say that when my servants ask you
of
me, tell them I am near.
And that you answer,
You
say you answer their prayer. You answer them
when they ask of you.
Oh, Allah, they're calling on you with raised
hands as beggars.
They have come here seeking you,
and to what is in their heart, you
have full view.
Pour upon them your mercy and guidance as
you do with all those who turn sincerely
to you. Oh, Allah. Today we ask your
forgiveness.
Oh, Allah. Forgive us for our sins. Oh,
Allah. Forgive us for our negligence.
And guide us. Guide our hearts. Oh, Allah.
Remove the clutter.
Remove the worldly clutter from our hearts and
fill it with your love. Fill it with
sincerity
and fill it with guidance, oh Allah.