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الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ | اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Introduction to Ihya Ulumuddin. Reflection #1 14/1
الْحَمْدُ اللَّهِ عَلَى نِعْمَةِ الإسلامِ وَالإِيْمَا وَكَفَى بِهَا نِعْمَةِ
Praise be to Allah for the bestowal of faith and Islam. Enough [for me] are they as a bestowal.
The 5 Pillars:
Shahadah. Salah. Zakat. Sawm. Hajj.
As Muslims, these are the five obligations that we are required to fulfill. But what if I were to mention that there is another obligation, often overlooked, and our beloved Prophet (s.a.w) has told us that it is an obligation for us to perform? What could that be?
That would be seeking knowledge.
This is evident in the hadith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), where he mentioned:
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim." Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah
Alhamdulillah for His guidance as He guided my steps and weaved my path to attend such a class on Tuesday, where we began the journey of learning about Imam Ghazali's Ihya Ulumuddin (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) under Ustad Sameer. May Allah bless and elevate the status of the author Imam Ghazali and our teacher, Ustad Sameer, for teaching us.
(PS: Book Name: Ihya Ulumuddin: Book of Knowledge Volume 1)
About the Ihya Ulumuddin, we are studying one of the classical books that has been studied for decades and is considered one of the most impactful books in the Muslim world.
Ihya Ulumuddin spans 40 volumes, with the Book of Knowledge being the first volume. It begins with knowledge, emphasizing its significance in the revival of the Religious Sciences.
علم فوق العمل ( Ilm fawqa amal) - Knowledge above actions.
As we began with the first page of the introduction to the Ihya, we looked into how Imam Ghazali starts the introduction by seeking Allah's help to grant him resolve in completing the Ihya. From this, Ustad Sameer mentioned how we can learn about the etiquettes of making dua to Allah.
The Way of Making Dua:
1. Praising Allah
2. Sending Selawat upon our Habibullah ﷺ
3. Seeking Allah's help
4. Closing the dua with Selawat upon Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
علم فوق العمل
Next, as we traversed through the lines of the page, Imam Ghazali mentions his intentions in reviving and inculcating how one can purify and reform the heart. Ustad Sameer complemented this briefly by explaining the five stages of purifying the soul to attain the truth:
Tazkiyah al Nafs (discipline & subdue the ego)
2. Tafsiya al Qalb (clean & wash the heart)
3. Tajalli al Ruh (polish & glitter the soul)
4. Tamliyah al Nur (to be filled with divine light)
5. Tahliyah al Sirr (to be beautified by divine secrets)
Regarding Tazkiyah al Nafs, he emphasized the importance of the seeker of truth embarking on the journey of breaking his ego, shedding whatever truly does not reside in the heart.
As we strive to purify our souls, it is important to remember that, while we must exert effort in disciplining our souls, ultimate purification comes from Allah alone. The Prophet ﷺ has taught us a powerful dua to seek Allah’s help in this process:
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha Anta khairu man zakkaha, Anta waliyyuha wa maulaha. (O Allah! Grant me the sense of piety and purify my soul as You are the Best to purify it. You are its Guardian and its Protecting Friend.) (Source: Sahih Muslim, Book 17, Hadith 15)
Ustad Sameer also mentioned the importance of having a Murshid (spiritual guide) who would be present with the student throughout his life, training him and giving him tarbiyah as he journeys to break his ego.
As the seeker traverses this path to attain the truth, Ustad Sameer mentioned that it is important that he does not lose ʿadhima (عَظِيمَة) and Jazba (جَذْبَة). ʿAdhima represents the aspirations to achieve greatness in one’s relationship with Allah, and as for Jazba (جَذْبَة), it refers to one's Divine Attraction or Divine Love which overwhelms the nature of the self and effaces it. It is this Love that brings fana (فَنَاء), the annihilation of illusory selfhood.
However, these qualities must be complemented with himma (هِمَّة) (spiritual resolve), enabling the seeker to overcome worldly distractions and remain steadfast in striving for closeness to Allah.
As the seeker takes steps on the journey, it is important to also keep in mind that guidance is with Allah, so one’s supplication to keep him steadfast in the journey is essential. May Allah allow us to practice what we have learned and keep us steadfast in seeking Ilm.
علم فوق العمل
May Allah bless us with himma, jazba, and ʿadhima, and grant us the strength to overcome our lower selves.
We invite you to join us on this journey of exploring the Book of Knowledge every Tuesday at Masjid Abdul Gafoor, from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
