‘Iman’ more than one’s life is in serious danger in this day and age of mischief. Satan is an open and declared enemy of faith. If one’s faith is lost, everything else is lost. We deploy security guards for the protection of our worldly possessions. Did we ever care for the protection of our faith?
Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri made these thought-provoking remarks while addressing thousands of the residents of Itikaf City on the third day of Itikaf 2022. He said that we hardly care to think whether we are violating the rights of others; and whether we are neglecting the rights of Allah Almighty and His creations. He said if we take care of these matters, Allah would become protector of our faith, morality and character. He asked the people to get rid of a life of neglect and negligence in every way possible.
Advising the youth attending Itikaf, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that they should prioritize beautifying their morality and building their character; they should remain reverent and value time. He said that we would be unsuccessful both in this world and the hereafter if our character is corrupted and we are led astray. He said that a believer does not come to the world just to live and collect worldly possession. This world, he said, is a test case for him. He said that the purpose of this short life is to prepare for the Day of Judgment. He asked the youth to be in a state of ablution all the time; offer prayers five times a day; protect their sight and perform good deeds, adding that these things are the protector of the wealth of Iman.
Shaykh-ul-Islam said that the present century is the century of media, communication and information technology. He said that no technology is neither good nor bad per se, it is its use which makes it good or bad. He said that every youth has access to a mobile phone these days and now it is up to him whether he uses it for positive purposes or explores objectionable material on it. He directed the social media activists that they should consider digital media platforms the source of spreading the Islamic message of love, peace and harmony. He said that time spent on social media for the propagation of positive messages and piety will be considered a form of worship.
Prepare your Spiritual Armor
So always be on guard. Fortify your batin by creating a fortress around your heart. Locate all your weak areas and appoint guards at every point in your mind, who are constantly watching for the attacks to come. Just as you need continual physical sustenance to keep your outer body alive, in the same way you need constant spiritual sustenance to provide support to your inner guards. They must be continually trained and then re-charged through the dhikr of Allah and His Prophetﷺ
Ultimate defense weapon Taqwa is your ultimate defense weapon against Shaytan. So the stronger you make your taqwa, the more powerful your defense mechanisms will be, thus creating a fortification around your heart.
Importance of self-vigilance -Identifying potential threats
Just one act of negligence can allow an army of bad thoughts to spread into your mind. We often watch something, albeit inadvertently, on social media and immediately we are inundated by similar content and adverts and tailored posts. In the same way, if we allow that one bad thought to enter our mind, it too multiplies and then opens the gates to even similar thoughts. That is why the Salf-e-Saliheen of the past have said to close the doors of your mind immediately to any such threats.
What causes spiritual diseases of the heart?
Bad thoughts
There are many diseases of the heart, but one must understand the origins of these diseases. One such source is bad thoughts. This can be any thought or idea that sneaks into your mind and begins the process of weakening your faith. Guard your heart Once it knocks on the door of your mind, if you open that door, you will expose yourself to its effects. So, the guards of your heart and mind must be strong and vigilant.
Shaytan’s Oath – An evident enemy In fact, there are many more enemies that lay to weaken your imaan than there are to cause harm to your body. When Shaytan was thrown out of hell, he took an oath to lead astray all those who are on the straight path, and vowed to continue to lead them astray until the Day of Judgement. Shaytan has created powerful armies, whose sole intent is to find every individuals’ weakness and then attack their imaan according to those vulnerabilities.
Lying in ambush Shaytan is not interested in those who have already gone astray. Rather, he quietly lays in wait for those who are actively on the right path, setting continual traps for them, waiting for the one day that they take a mis-step and fail. He will then ambush that person and attack from all sides.
Shaytan’s attack on our Sabr and Shukr
First line of Shaytan’s first attack is to take away your shukr, as shukr originates from sabr. If you have sabr in every aspect of your life, whether you are happy or sad, whether you are at peace or have problems, that sabr leads you to have shukr no matter what your circumstances.
Strong foundations Sabr is the foundation of our lives. The firmer the foundation the stronger the building. Shukr is the building block of our life, being thankful to Allah (swt) at all times. So, if your sabr is weak then the building blocks of your life can easily crumble. Shaytan will merely have to create a small disturbance in your mind, that can slowly build into an avalanche.
Please watch the complete speech on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmlb1NXMTec&t=2s
