Riyad Nadwi – 37. Ikhlas The Best of Intentions Pacing Ourselves and Avoiding Extremes
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AI: Transcript ©
For coming. I know, this week to you
now, our second session of the term. Exam's
coming up to you, and I know revision's
a bit crazy, but
for taking the time out to come through.
Today, inshallah, we're going through Ima Abu Zal
Sahihi Abu,
talking about intention,
and, inshallah, we're very beneficial for all of
us.
So vie with one another in seeking to
attain your Lord's forgiveness
and the garden
whose width is as the width of the
heavens and the earth.
1 which has been prepared for those who
believe in Allah and his messenger.
That is Allah's bounty
which he bestows upon those who please who
he pleases.
Allah is the lord of abounding
mercy and bounty.
Flee, therefore, to Allah.
Surely, I am a clear word to you
from him.
Brothers and sisters,
Welcome to lecture number 37
in our series
on Ithlas and its related subjects. Is everything
okay?
Now last week,
after revising
our discussion on the thinking points of hesed,
of reckoning,
reckoning on the day of judgment, we began
reading from the chapter
on bayanu
annaniyateh,
rayudahhilatin
takhtalitihtyar,
the exposition of the fact that
intention
is beyond choice.
And in that discussion, there were 6 salient
points we covered.
The first, in summary, was
following on from the discussion on multiplicity of
intentions that we gave after showing us that
we are able to make multiple intentions for
one deed,
Imam Ghazali
began to draw attention to now
the weights in these,
weights and rankings in these different intentions
in order to teach us how to aspire
to higher levels of intention. Just as we
seek the best for ourselves in the in
this world, everyone
wants to realize the full capacity of their
potential in worldly terms.
Everything we do is to get the best.
We want to go to the best university,
the best car, the best house, the best
wife, the best family, the best how the
the best career, everything. We want we want
to
realize the best potential
that we can for Ardenia. And likewise, for
Azharah as a Muslim, we must have the
same attitude towards our Azharah.
And if, and in fact, even more,
because it's it is all only about succeeding
in this world. The success in the next
life is of paramount importance since, in fact,
it is it takes precedence because this life
compared to that life is like a drip.
It's like a drop in the ocean in
terms of time.
Eternity
versus 50, 60, 100 years, 110 years even
if you live. That's it.
So that was the first point. The second
point was that Shaytan is on a mission
to derail the children of Adam from the
straight path.
Shaytan has a plan. He has a project.
He has a mission. He's on a mission,
and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala warns us about
that. When in the Quran, so it's Al
Araf. Allah says,
When Shaitan says,
give me respite until the day they are
raised up, until the day of judgement.
Allah says, okay. Well, you have respite. We
we will give you respite. You're granted respite.
And, qala fabima akhwaitani laqudanda lahu suratakilmustakeem.
And then, Shaitan said Satan said that since
you have led me astray, right, laqudanda
lahu suratakilmustakeem.
That I will I shall sit in ambush
for them on your straight path. This is
the path that Allah wants us to go,
and he will sit in ambush. And he
says,
And then I you will, I will I
will come. I will attack them. I will
come upon them from from in front and
from behind and from the right and from
the left. And then as a result of
that, you will not find many of them
grateful.
So Allah makes it crystal clear
in, of course, in in Surat Al Fathir,
in Surat Al Fathir, he says, Inna shaitan
alakumar adu.
Fatahidoo adua. That Shaytan is your enemy, is
your clear enemy. Fatahidoo a
And therefore so take him as an enemy,
because he is
he he intends to take those who follow
him
into the
with him as inmates of the fire.
So his modus operandi
is to first try
to dissuade you from doing something. That is
from in front. He comes say, okay. Stop.
No. Don't do that. But then when
you persist and you say, no. I'm you're
you did you disregard the, influences that come
from Shaitan in the mind, the whisperings and
the suggestions,
then he says he comes from behind and
pull you pull your attention in a different
direction. And while you and if you persist,
then from left and right, he'll pull you
in one direction or another
to go into excess, go into extreme. And
we'll talk about that more.
So
and so what he actually does, and in
modern parlance, you would call,
he's indulging actually in,
damage limitation because your success
is his failure.
His mission is to is to make you
fail. So the more you succeed is the
more it corresponds to his fail the failure
of his mission. So he does damage limitation.
I can get them to to to reduce
their success as much as possible. So he
wants you to do the least
the least rewarding of intentions. He wants you
to make the least rewarding intention. So this
is a battle. It's a struggle with Shaitan.
Number 3 was that saying that I intend
to do so and so for the sake
of Allah is not niyyah. This is a
fiction of imagination people think by just saying,
oh, I intend to do so and so.
Running a script on the tongue is not.
Running scripts,
these are not,
intentions. These are,
hadith al nafs. They are whisperings to oneself.
They're they're just jumping from min khatir bin
ilaha khatir, you know, from thought to thought.
Intentions.
Intention is, of course, a,
state in the heart, a condition in the
heart, which is determined
by what the heart perceives
as,
and what it genuinely believes
to be favorable and beneficial
to the person. What what what we have
in our heart to be genuinely beneficial for
us, that is the thing that will guide
the intention.
And here, Imam Ghazali reminds us of a
of a person, the the example he gave.
And and this is, an important example to
keep in mind because often we think that
we can just say, oh, I I'm doing
karaki for x, y, and zed for Allah
and for this and that. And not realize
that Shaitan has put several layers and the
nafs is all playing with us. So he
said, think about this. If you're If someone
is full, fully satiated, they had a full
meat, they're they're full to the brim, and
then they say, they run the script on
it, I intend
to develop. I intend to have an appetite
for this plate of food.
They could not have it because the heart,
that's
the internal makeup
is filled with something else. And so so
it is for one whose heart is filled
with the love of this world alone,
then merely saying I have concern for my
Uhara
and I intend to work for my Uhara
or,
this will be just lip service. It is
not. It cannot be,
ruled or be considered as genuine intention.
Number 4 was that in addition to being
inclined
towards goals in the hereafter and pleasing Allah,
the heart also needs to be
free from
contradictory
impulses
and thinking and thoughts and inclinations.
Because
there's an ongoing battle that's happening in the
mind,
and at the very least, what you need
what you need to have is a contradictory
is is is that the contradictory
distractions and diversions
must be weaker than your inclinations to Athar.
One must see that the benefit of Athar
is infinitely more valuable
than that of the benefit in this world.
We we have to have that value system
arranged
in such a way that anytime there's a
clash between
the benefit of the Accra and the and
our benefit in this world, then
it we automatically
give preference give preference to
Accra because that is more important.
So as long as it is beyond need,
our needs of this world are taken care
of, and then there's a clash, then whenever
that clash comes in, the heart has to
immediately
switch. Well, and that's what we're aiming to
go to to cultivate. And he he gives
the exam he he he teaches us how
to do that.
Later on, he gives us the formulas how
to to work it through. Number 5 was
that the,
multiple intention for a single deed can vary,
in rankings and rewards, which is what these
values and rankings should not should should also
be kept in mind so that we are
able to make the most of our actions.
And for this, we need to be familiar
with, of course, the fada'il. We need in
order
to give in order to to be able
to,
configure
those,
our
approach and our understanding
of intentions,
the varied intentions, we have to have,
knowledge of the Fada'il. And the knowledge of
the virtues of the that are attached to
specific deeds. And here, Imam Ghazali uses the
the example of intention for marriage,
which is a useful one. And from that,
you can extrapolate
on on other
actions as well. And at the very basic
level,
one can intend to seek to seek protection
from falling into sin by seeking halal fulfillment
of one's desires, which is perfectly sound.
It's a good it's it's a perfectly sound
intention to have.
However,
there are other more
lofty
higher goals that one can have for for
the intention of marriage,
and configure over and above that.
Number 6 was that the way to acquire
this ability to foster
higher rankings of intention
begins
with the first
endeavor that we've got to work on is
taqawiatuhimanina
bishara,
which is the strengthening of our belief in
the validity of the guidance in this
we we have to be completely convinced that
this guidance that has come, that there there
there is no doubt about it.
This book in which there is no doubt.
There's no doubt that this is from Allah.
There's no doubt that Allah has chosen Muhammad
salallahu alaihi wa sallam as his messenger. That
has to be completely
clear in your mind and certain. So taqiyatu
imanu imanikab I Sharra reflecting on the fact
that this guidance is from Allah, the creator
of the heavens and the earth, and he
knows best
what is good for you. And reflecting, of
course, on his words, where Allah says very
clearly in the Quran,
Wa'aseh antakruh shay'an wahu khayrulakum. That perhaps you
may dislike something
and
you may dislike something, but it is in
fact good for you. And
perhaps you may you may prefer something that
and this is to show Allah is emphasizing
our limitations,
the the, our short sightedness.
That Allah can see things through and through.
He created us. He knows us more than
we know ourselves. And he is able to
determine what is in our best interest
over and
above all our intellectual capacities,
and our ability to think and see and
foresee, and have insight, and have intelligence, and
have knowledge, and and to produce and test,
and, and to verify. All those,
machinations that we can do are
all limited when it when it's compared. It's
nothing that,
that you are not given knowledge except for
tiny amount, a tiny amount of knowledge. So
you have to recognize that. And then the
the verse continues here. It says, Allah is
making it very clear. He says, aisa antebushayamahu
wa sharuulakum that perhaps you may like something,
you may you may prefer something, but it
is shar. It is evil for you. And
then he completes the verse
with, wallahu you aalamu wa antum latadamu.
That Allah knows and you do not know.
That so that is taghuiya to imani imani
nabisharad.
This is from Allah. This is so when
Allah, Subhan, said something and when Rasulullah salallahu
alaihi wa sallam makes a judgment that rules
that you have to do something in a
certain way, then that has to be above
all our
consideration, all our all all our abilities
of, of determining what is right and wrong.
The sunnah of Rasool Allah sallam has to
come above that, and that is also clear
made clear in the Quran. Allah says,
That by
he said, but no. And, this is,
Allah is taking note. He said,
By your Lord, you cannot become true believers,
real, complete believers,
until they seek the ruling of Rasoolallah, the
ruling of Muhammad, you. Until they seek your
ruling in all matters, which they which they
are confused about or disagreeing about everything, you
have to seek the verdict of Muhammad salallahu
alayhi wa sallam in those in those matters
which you do not know. And then,
and this is the important part, is
that not only accepting it, but it's not
about accepting it grudgingly that look, oh, you
know, yeah, I I don't like this judgment,
but, you know, it's common. No. He said,
that they do not find in them in
themselves, in their in their
mental makeup, in their heart, any the least
vexation in the heart over what you have
decided
and accept.
That they they have to accept complete with
complete
willing submission.
That is the ruling. That is what so
that's what you have to aim for in
at first to
build that. That that that's the first endeavor.
The second task,
after reinforcing our belief in the validity of
Sharia in our hearts,
then the need becomes to learn and keep
in mind
the magnitude
of rewards that are attached to specific deeds
over and above
lower deeds or lower intention. We have to
understand the rankings of intended. So that requires
knowledge
of specific
deeds and actions that are attached to it.
What kind of value of Fada'il? What kind
of virtue does attached to each one? So
this requires familiarity
with the teachings of the Sharia, teachings of
the Sunnah,
teachings of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
So the the great reward for following the
sunnah, as in the example,
we we, of the that we have been
given, which was the great reward for following
the sunnah of Rasool Allah sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam in marriage.
That if we approach marriage with wanting to
follow the sunnah of Rasool Allah Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam, then that reward is is
out
is infinitely more and more important, more greater
for us. That Anika Rasool Allah said
because he said, Anika hamin sunati famandalalibaram
sunati
that he says that nika says
marriage is my sunnah. So those who
who
are disinclined
towards this, so those who who are not
happy with the with this, then they are
ignoring my Sunnah. They are not they're not
from they should not consider themselves my my
followers.
And then over and above that,
by marriage, you'll be seeking to partake in
fulfilling
the wish of Rasulullah
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. What was his wish? His
wish was to have
most the most followers of all the prophets
on the day of judgment. That he he
said He he said
that that I I want to become I
want I I I I will,
I I I will, I I want, I
shall outnumber the prophets on the day of
of resurrection.
So that was the second thing, is to
learn the Fada'il.
And we talked about this in the earlier
sessions about the need to familiarize yourselves with
the virtues of actions.
Because today, we are receiving, as I said,
10,000 between 410,000
messages
every day in adverts, which we are exposed
to every day about Fada'il of the Duniya.
This model of phone, and this model of
this, and this brand of this, has has
got this Fada'il, and this branch has had
this virtue, and this one has this Fada'il
of the Duniya. So
we need some balance. And where do you
get the balance? For the akhirah, the Fada'il
of the Bahirah. The the if if our
mind is constantly or mind,
bombarded and and flooded with Fada'il of the
Duniya, but we have no balance for it,
then that
will
have an impact
on the fostering of intention in the heart.
Where does it go? Where does it sit?
Where does it,
default to? If if if it's flooded with
in one direction, then it will be pushed.
So here so that's the
the point is that you need to have
these fada'il in your mind. Now the third
task
to
channel
this idea
to to channel you is
Dafail Munafirat,
which is to
repel or dismiss,
challenge the contradictory
thinking in in this matter. Because in every
thought, every good thought that you will get,
you will you'll be faced with
contradictory
thoughts
to dismiss it. 1 from Shaytan and sometimes
from nafs. Due to laziness, the nafs doesn't
the nafs, the lower self is always seeking
ease. It wants to relax. It doesn't want
to do work. It doesn't want to do
things.
And shaitan then uses that, you know, looking
for ease, looking for looking for way out.
You know, what's the easiest way out? How
do I get out of of doing stuff?
How do I get out of getting up
for fajr? How do I, you know, not
pray? Or how how
why should I,
read so much Quran? Why should I spend
so much time? I can watch YouTube videos.
I'll I'll be entertained. Now these are things
that the nafs will be pushing you, so
you have to,
you have to have a a a way
to
challenge that,
a a scheme in the mind to challenge
that, to challenge
the contradictory thinking such as,
in the example that we are
discussing, in that particular example,
the the contradictory
thoughts in that is that children,
might not be such a good idea because
they are very costly.
That's something that comes in the mind. So
when we get married, I'm gonna get children.
And this going this is going to be
a massive burden.
Now that's something that comes into the mind.
If Shaytan puts it into you, it'd be
very costly and and it's will also be
very difficult to do. So,
you know, maybe I should just,
not get married because I might have children,
or maybe I should negotiate not having children
if I get married. And all of this
this kind of stuff is happening. And in
the modern in the modern world, we see
that
in countries where
the,
where people have no guidance on these matters
or they have disconnected from guidance, then the
birth rate in, is is
in catastrophic
decline. This is a major problem in many
countries nowadays.
And so
what we must be able to do is
to is to dismiss it, is to dismiss
it resolutely with counter thoughts of the fact
that
Allah is the provider of sustenance.
That is not you. Although it appears
that you are the one who is going
to feed this child, who is going to
come, or these children who are going to
come, it is not you. It is Allah.
Allah is the one who will feed the
children. Just as he fed you,
Allah is the one who gives sustenance.
You came into the world and your sustenance
was written and he's given you. And when
a child comes in the world, he comes
with one mouth but 2 hands.
And one of the and those hands may
one day feed you.
So these are counter thoughts. You're you're challenging
it. You're you're going against it. And as
for the difficulty of raising children, then
you you need to know that
Allah will
transform your heart. This is another thing you
need to understand, which you wouldn't be able
to to
experience unless you have your child. But you
need to know that this is something that
will happen, that Allah will transform your heart
upon the arrival of your child.
Such
that you will be you'll become completely
transformed
into a into a person who used to
seek their own comfort all the time, and
now you will you will sacrifice your own
comfort for the comfort of that child. And
that happens because Allah puts a special mercy
in your heart. There's some there's 1 if,
and the the hadith is clear where Allah
says, I've I've said this before, but in
this context, you need to remember you need
to remember this.
This is one way of challenging these thoughts
about not having children,
is that
Allah says that,
we got this in Hadith,
that.
Allah's mercy is limitless.
It's,
but imagine that Allah has a 100 that
Allah's mercy is a 100, then 1 percent
of it, he's he's he's revealed 1 into
the world. Andzalafidunya
rahmatinwahida.
1 mercy, he is revealed into the world
by naljinni wal
insi walbahayimi wal hawam
among the jinn and the men and the
human beings and the in and the insects
and the, and the animals.
With that one mercy, do they show compassion
and love to each other. It is with
asthma it's a mercy from Allah. That love
and compassion that they show,
is from that.
That even the wild beast can show mercy
and compassion
to its young.
That even even the wild beast, the the
ferocious beast become compassionate and lift its hoofs
so as not to crush its young.
That mercy takes over. And I told you
about the the fact that,
the in in the lifeboat challenge, if there's
one seat on the lifeboat and this boat
is going down,
the parent will always say,
take my child. I would not I would
not sit. The child will always get the
seat because something amazing happens. It
you're completely
transformed.
So it's not difficult. It's actually you'll be,
you'll find yourself when your child cries at
night,
you will jump out of your bed,
out of your sleep as if you were
never asleep.
And you wouldn't understand what what has happened.
You'll find yourself standing in front of your
child, you know. Even when you're asleep,
you'll be conscious
of your child. This is how powerful that
mercy is. You know, there have been studies
about
why
do parents
not roll over and crush their babies in
bed. Because it's a big human being, tiny
baby. You you would crush them in the
when you were asleep, you're unconscious.
But it never happens. Only in one condition.
And then there's the found studies have done
this, shown that only when the when the
parent
is heavily under the influence of alcohol,
then they they they do it sometimes.
But generally, it doesn't happen.
And that what this proves
is that the parent is conscious
of the care of the child even in
the deepest of sleep.
And that is the mercy of Allah in
the heart that is holding that that that
person. It's gripping that person, the the the
heart of the parent to care for the
child.
And so
and that is why there is such a
great emphasis
on
taking care of the heart of the parent
in Islam because Allah has captured it for
the for the child. He's captured this heart
and put it there to to be completely
devoted to the child.
And this is not to say that there
aren't exceptions.
Allah sometimes show that when that mercy is
taken away, then
a a a person may a parent may
put the child in a shoebox and put
them on on the street. You know, once
the prophet was
kissing his son,
and his grandson, and a man, harsh Bedouin
Arab said, yeah. Oh, are you kissing your
your son? I I have 10. I didn't
get any, you know. He's telling it's macho,
and he
and Rasoolallah said, oh,
And what can I do for you if
Allah has takes taken that mercy out of
your heart?
So that is something that Allah places in
the heart. It's you know, I I tell
you my own story.
When Yusuf was to be born,
I was sitting
in the waiting room, and the midwife came
in
and told me when to come in and
what to do, what what what the process
was and when my child was about when
Yousaf was about to be to be born.
So I was waiting. And then
just as she finished explaining everything,
she, as she was about to walk out,
she said to me, oh, yeah. And one
more thing, that when you see your child
for the first time, you will cry.
And I said, excuse me. How do you
know that?
And she said, yes. They all do, even
the big macho ones.
Yes. They all do.
And I started to, you know, think. I
said, okay. Well, let's see. And I started
to think about what were the reasons.
And, of course, my knowledge of,
this aspect of the mercy descending in the
heart
and Allah describing children as.
They are cooling to the eyes.
When
I first lay eye on my son,
I burst into tears, and and I felt
this thing and,
completely changed.
And as he needed care from he had
some complications,
for,
jaundice
routine stuff. But
I found myself wanting to do everything, saying
to the doctor, is there anything that I
can do? My life was suddenly
changed. It the value of it that I
could do this is someone who I've just
met 6 hours ago, and I'm willing to
give
any part of my body and anything I
want anything I can, I can get
to save this life, this new life that
I've just seen? And that, I realized. Then
I understood
the mercy,
how it works.
And this is something you will you will
too. So the reason I'm going into all
of these details is for you to understand
that when Shaitan comes and says to you,
oh, no. You must have children or maybe
it's a bit difficult thing in today's world
and all of that. It it it should
be clear to you
that
this is Shaytan,
and he's deprive he will be depriving you
of something amazing, something
beautiful, something one of the most beautiful things
in the world. It's that having
that
that experience
of
the mercy
taking over your heart, the mercy of Allah
taking over your heart, having that is is
an amazing thing.
It's an according to, you know,
people who study it, this is one of
the most powerful forces in nature. They call
it the parental instinct,
which is,
was a problem for even for Darwin.
So
contradictory to to to have contradictory thoughts, thinking
about,
repelling
contradictory thoughts
when it comes to
doing good and
as in this case.
Yeah. So
so the point is that in order to
acquire the ability to foster
superior goals, we must engage
in these 3 activities 3 mental activities,
first, by strengthening our belief in the guidance
through reflection as as we did. 2nd is
to increase and strengthen our knowledge and consciousness
of the greater Fada'il, the higher virtues of
the loftier deeds.
And 3rd, by strengthening our understanding and our
resolve
to dismiss
contradictory thoughts
that that tries to dissuade you from this.
Now, today, I want to continue where we
left off last week, which was with the
story of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal and his
ability to modify his perspective when it came
to the subject of Tasgir and Turbiyyah,
where where when it came to dealing with
matters of the heart.
He did not allow his encyclopedic
knowledge of Hadith,
change of narrations, etcetera, to prevent him from
benefiting from a book that was technic that
had technically weak narrations.
He was able to distinguish between the technicalities
of this scrutiny
and the needs of Tezuka, the needs for
purification of the heart. While they're both important,
they each have their place and have this
sphere of function.
As the author of the book,
Dawud ibn Habbar, Dawud ibn Habbar,
said that in,
in a
in
a in a in a in a need
from for
I did not write the book when from
the perspective of technical scrutiny
That I, I approached this. My aim was
to get benefit into, and so and to
improve practice. That that is where it was.
And so, the, this is the point. In
intention follows our perspectives.
And Imam Abu Zali then further explains this.
He says,
That's the perspective, the the approach, the the
angle from which you are approaching something has
an has an effect, has an has,
has an influence on the intention.
So if the if the if your approach,
your attention, your your your angle, your
perspective changes, then Wakanullah
then your intention will also change.
And and this we saw when Imam Ahmed
Behambal
then took the book again, he changed his
whole approach and his intention changed. So,
and they did not
see it right to do things without intention.
Because of their knowledge.
Because nia, intention,
is the soul of action. So your soul
your your actions will be dead.
It a a soulless thing is something dead.
That and and begin to do actions without
intentions, then it will either be riyyah, it
will either be for show, or it would
be takaluf.
It'll be unnecessarily
burning burdening yourself or or or doing something
to avoid awkward to to avoid an awkward
situation.
And it is
it it is the reason. It it is
the source of this of this life. It's
source of
of Allah's anger, not Allah's closeness, and which
is what you want. Why you do good
why you're doing good deeds? The the purpose
of a good deed is to get close
to Allah
That is not the statement of a of
a of someone who says, I intend.
That this is a motivation of the heart.
In the heart,
That this these are things that come with
openings from Allah. Allah blesses you with it,
with with openings.
But sometimes it may come and sometimes it
may not, but you have to work on
the heart. You have to work on filling
your heart with the right
components, with the right inclinations, so that the
right inclinations can develop.
So if you approach something with a specific
with with that specific view, then it it
it will have an influence on your intention.
And also, what is prevalent in the heart
will guide its direction.
The one in whose heart
the
it the matters of deen, the matters of
Islam is dominant in his heart.
That the one whose heart has this dominance
of
the importance of deen and the the the
the necessity
of deen, then for that person, his it
it is easy. It becomes easy for for
his heart
to foster good intentions.
Lil khairat. For good intentions.
For
in for in that his heart will be
inclined
to the root of good. It it'll be
rooted in being in in that in inclusion,
in in in that incline,
generally.
That if if the if that is dominant
in the heart. If, on the other hand,
so
if it is rooted, if the incline is
rooted in that direction,
then details will follow. So then you will
have the Farsil.
But
on on the other hand, if a person's
heart is rooted, is inclined in the other
direction towards Duniyani, all he thinks about the
Dunya. And night and day is is is
occupation
is rooted in finding things about the Dunya.
That this will not be easy for him.
That good intention sometimes becomes if
dunya is dominant in your heart, if it's
only about, you know, making
this world and being successful in this world
and not having any con any concern for
the akhirah,
then even your fara'ids even the intention in
your fara'ids
will become difficult. Because you you'll find yourself
doing going to the masjid or praying to
the people you see, and I may build
my network. I go to the masjid, I'm
building network for my career
instead of, or I'm showing them I'm I'm
trying to impress people. All kinds of other
thoughts will be dominant. If the akhirah if
if if dunya is dominant in a person's
heart. So he's saying,
except with with strong effort.
And the the the extent that he may
go, he he may be able to muster
is
That he remembers the fire. And say, okay.
Well, and then warn himself, and then through
that, musta had intention.
Or you see, he he remembers
he brings his his mind to thinking about
the
bounties and the, and the beauty of Jannah,
and that
draws him to towards that. And he's able.
And then a weak sort of intention can
develop.
But the his reward will be at that
same level, that same low level. They're just
thinking about
basic things. There are higher intentions
that one can have. And he say,
That as for
intention
to glorify Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
As for the obedience with intention to glorify
Allah,
because Allah is most deserving of all the
obedience,
of all obedience and all worship.
That that is an intention that is above
everything else.
But
this one this intention that we are doing
it solely to glorify Allah.
Obedience solely for glorifying Allah. For that, that
does not come. For the one in whose
heart there is a doubt prevalence of dunya.
That's he's only talking of thinking about dunya.
Wahadah
wahadihi
aazuniati
wa'adaha. And this is the most honorable and
the highest of intention
to glorify Allah alone. That that's the only
thing to be in your mind.
But it
is rare
and difficult even for people to understand this.
Some,
much less those who practice this.
Because people differ in this.
He's saying that the the intentions of people
are
vary according to the person,
their state, and their actions. So he says,
that some of them some people
are their actions are in response to the
motivation of fear. The
through fear.
So he's avoiding the fire.
And there are those who do it for
hope.
He wants to go into Jannah, so he's
getting there.
And if even though that this is at
a lower level
than doing it solely for Allah alone.
That this is below
that of doing something with the intention
of obeying Allah for his magnificence,
for him to glorify Allah, for Allah himself,
and not for anything else. For who am
Ijumlatin niyanti sahihi? It is it is it
is it falls within the category of correct
intention. And remember here, we're discussing ranking of
intentions. So this is the highest of intentions.
The wise one is when it's done purely
for Allah adorn, for the glory to glorify
Allah. So one has to know Allah in
order
for that to develop.
So he said,
and he's explaining
here further how this works. He said,
That this inclination that you have for Jannah
and for avoiding the fire and all of
that, that is
because it is it about what is promised
in the other.
Even though it is of something that that
that has familiarity in the dunya. We know
fire here. And so we we know about
fire there. We know about beauty. We know
about
nayim. We know about,
blessings and bounty here. So so there's dunya.
And he said that most of the
motivations in this world is based on the,
on
on on the stomach and on carnal desires.
And the place the real place for these
things to be fully,
the the the to be fully,
satisfied
is in Jannah. That's where that's where the
full
it will be completed.
So the one who is working for the
Jannah
alone
without Allah, the the the that's the level
of his, then it is it it has
a dunya aspect of it, which is the
button, and the fard, which is the stomach
and the carnal desire.
And he will get it with his word.
But this is somewhat heedless when it when
compared to the higher higher intention, the higher
intention that we have.
For the people who is known who are
al Bab, people of sound heart, people of
people of reflection, people
of perspicacity.
For those people,
Falatajawuz zikrillahi wulfiqr.
Falatajawuz
zikrillahi
wulfiqr fee.
Hubbanlijamalihi
wajalalihi.
That they they're they're fiqr, their intention
go is linked, is focused on remembering, keeping
Allah in their heart, keeping Allah, remember thinking
about Allah, remembering Allah, loving Allah. Loving Allah.
Hubbanlijamari
for Allah, for the beauty that Allah is.
We know Allah's beauty from the beautiful things
he has created. When we look at a
flower, we see Allah's beauty. When we reflect
on those, that mercy, that love and compassion
in the hearts of parents, we know that
Allah is beautiful, that Allah has put this
beautiful love in our hearts, that Allah has
created all these beautiful things in the world,
that Allah is beautiful. Allah.
That Allah is beautiful. So hope for Allah.
That all the other actions are will be
or actions, the obediences, the things that we'll
be doing, they will be
strengthening
this love and this connection with Allah. That's
that's what it's meant to do.
And of course, this is higher than than
the one whose view is of what we
will get in Jannah and what we will
get, of food and and joy and enjoyment.
These people
they the ones who do it for Allah,
they are the ones who Allah describes.
They are the ones who call towards their
Lord, who who who call upon their Lord
in the morning evening.
And they want the face of Allah.
And the reward for people is according to
their intention.
And those so those people who want the
face of Allah, they will be. And when
people enter into Jannah and they had all
the bounties of Jannah, all the enjoyment, everything,
then Allah will make call the angels and
will make an announcement that, look, we have
something more. And they will think, well, what
can there be? Everything beyond our wildest dreams.
Everything that we can imagine and what we
couldn't imagine, we have got. What could there
be? And then,
Yurfa'ul Hijab. Then the the veils will be
lifted and people will
will will be blessed with seeing, with with
the audience of Allah.
And that would be the prophet
swore and said that that that would be
more it would eclipse all the joys that
they had by being in the presence of
Allah.
So
so
this
So
that these intentions,
differ on the basis of
of of the degree of with the person.
So if one of these becomes dominant in
your heart, then it will it will guide
your heart. However, for some people, a simple
intention can become an aid in preparation for
a greater deed.
And so having said all of this, Imam
Ghazali is also
speaking about the fact that you need
to go slowly,
because some people,
plunge in too deep
and then,
end up
making a mistake or
retracting themselves. You know? One day you're praying,
tahajjud all night, and then you miss salat
al fajr. Or and then you don't do
the salat,
at PM for the next month. So that's
not what is intended here. Even though we
are calling the intention is to raise your
game, is to is to increase what you
are doing.
That
if an intention for something that is permissible.
It's not something that has,
an obedience. It's not you know, we we
talked about the the 3 categories.
We have, Al Maasi, Ta'at, and Mubahat.
Acts of worship,
sin acts of sin, and those that are
neutral, that are neither sin nor action. No.
So Mubah,
a a neutral act.
He said if a person has an intention
for that, then look, this is allowed, so
I'll do it. But he has an intention
for that. But he doesn't have an intention.
He didn't he's not he didn't get an
intention. He wasn't able his heart did not
produce an intention
for a for a Fadeelah, for a virtuous
deed.
So
then,
doing having that intention for Mubah is better
for him in that given moment, for that
person.
Until,
when so then that becomes
his his
That becomes his virtue.
So this
that
this this thing that was deficient
is now his intentions,
actions are with intention. So
that if someone could does something wrong against
you, it is better to forgive them, right,
or
to demand your right.
Both
it it's it's a higher intention
to forgive or to demand your right. But
if a person comes,
he's unable. He comes he comes to this
to to a settlement with, with this,
situation,
and
his heart says that I should
take my right,
his intention is for that,
then
he should go with what his heart says
and not do and and not seek to
forgive
when there is no intention for forgiving. You
should have and what does that mean, no
intention? That you're not doing it for Allah.
You might do it for, oh, because I
feel,
so and so might might be angry or
to please people or to impress people. If
you're doing it for that, then it's better
to take your right and not. So so
he's showing you that when there is difference,
variation,
then you choose the one that your heart
is settled on, and that's the one that
you that you should stick to.
And and then he gives a, a a
few other examples. He says,
The person has an intention to eat and
to drink, or to eat and to sleep.
But in that, there is that he wants
to rest him rest himself so that he
can get up for for Ibadah later on.
So for that, it is better for him
to if a person is tired,
then he would not he he shouldn't,
he he should go on the basis of
what the intention
that comes in the heart,
and it is neutral. It is good. It
it is not in the bad category. Then
he should follow it to develop further. So
he's saying that, well, they said
that, at this moment, he doesn't have an
intention for psalm and for fasting,
for for for salah.
Is it better for him to eat right
now and, and
and,
and then strengthen himself to to then pray
later?
If if he's just praying all the time,
all the time, all the time, then
he he will develop,
an
an irksomeness
of, you know, boredom,
and he might get completely distracted. He might
become completely
it might become completely difficult for him. So
in other words, what he's saying is that
we have to take small steps when we're
moving here.
And he gives the example of Abu Dardar
and he said,
the
oh, no. He he also says here, well,
well,
that if that if he takes a break,
if if he takes a break from what
he's doing, instead of praying all the time,
night and day, and and doing going in,
into extra into excess, if he takes a
break from time to time, he says, yeah,
I and,
with some,
player or some,
speakers
speaking to some conversation,
then, that
is he will be he can be invigorated
to
to practice again.
And this is he quotes Abu Dabbda
saying,
That I I take a break sometimes,
and doing something that relaxes me, and that
so that then that becomes a,
a a reason for
invigorating me to do to do good things.
And he then he quotes Ali
He said,
that,
gives the heart some rest as well. So
the Fa'ina Uqrihat that if if it if
it's forced
too much, then it will become blind.
And,
of course, we have the hadith here that's
where also I'm your brother radiAllahu anhu says
that in the deen
that this deen is easy. And the reason
I'm,
emphasizing this right now is that we've been
talking a lot about
managing our iman and managing our life, but
we've got to be careful not to go
over the outside. You know, we talked about
Shaitan pushing you,
overboard, that he can push you on on
to the other direction that when he tries
to stop you and you
you continue, but then he pushes you into
extreme. So in this hadith, Rasool Allah sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam is saying that in Nadine,
Yusuf, Nadine is
easy.
That this deen this religion is easy. It's
very easy. So whoever overburdens himself in the
religion will not be able to continue in
that way. So you should not be you
should not go into extreme, he's saying.
That he he said that,
but try to be to go near, to
go close to perfection
and receive good tidings, and that you will
be rewarded
and gain strength from worshiping in the morning
and the evening and during the last hours
of the night. Now
now
this is a delicate matter,
so you've got to be able to draw
a an an important balance. And the thing
that,
you have to keep in mind is that
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wants you
to be continuous in what you're doing. For
the beloved, he said, that
the most beloved
actions of this of the slave that we
can do is.
That it is
the
ones it's the action. It's the good deeds
that are continuous.
Because
that
the mountains are built of pebbles, you know,
tiny bits, then you will you will get
well, if you do if you do all
one and then collapse,
then that is a falling for the trick
of shaitan and trick of the nafs. So
it's it's to go slowly and build and
build upon it. Yeah.
So, Ahabul Aamali,
illallahi ta'ala at wamuhad, the most beloved of
actions
are those that are continuous that you do
them.
Even if it's a little, but it does
it does regularly and it's continuous. That is
how it's recognizing
this is important.
And because he's saying, and then he continues,
we're out of time, but, he ends the
chapter. He says,
That this is a battle with Shaytan. This
path of going, so you have to give
and take. You have to sometimes in battle
and he spoke he speaks about this, but,
I'm not gonna read the text. He says
he said that sometimes, an expert in in
battle
would would would would
indulge in what is known as strategic retreat.
That he will turn his back and run,
but what he wants to do is to
draw him is to is to make him
lose interest and then and then attack again.
So this battle with Shaitan that he's jumped
he's coming from left and right and front
and back. He's out to get you, and
you have to manage this with your nafs
at the same time.
So you've
in order to do this, you have to
go back and forth and
maintain
this idea of continuity. That look, I'm gonna
do this much, and I'm gonna do it
every day. And I'm not I'm not gonna
overburden myself because, remember, there there was Sahaba
who said that, look, I'm not going to
fast. I'm not going to get married.
There's a this statement
of Rasool Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam that,
and nikahimin sunnati that
marriage is is my sunnah, and whoever whoever
is not pleased with it, then he's not
of my father. He said this to a
Sahadi,
to who was who had decided that, look,
I'm not gonna get married, and he was
praying all night and fasting all day. And
he said, no no no no this is
not what and I'm I'm the most biased
among you. I'm I'm closest to Allah and
I'm saying this to you that look I
do this, I get married, I I place
I sleep, I fast and I eat. So,
it's about not overbearing yourself, but doing doing
it slowly but with an intention for continuity.
Now this is where I I need to
go for my for the rest of my
life. And I'm going to add to it
as I get stronger. As my iman gets
stronger, as my resources, as my capacity for
adding, I will do it.
So with that,
I think we will end today.