Happiness is defined, sought and experienced by people according to the state of their nafs (lower selves).  True happiness is the happiness of the righteous, those who are correct in their beliefs and conduct, and, with the permission of Allah, Exalted be He, are able to correct and rectify others.

We must learn about and aspire to experience the unsurpassable happiness of the righteous.  One of the righteous predecessors (salaf) stated: “If the kings or sons of kings knew the joy that we rejoiced in, they would fight us for it with their sword.”

Yet another said: “My heart experiences such moments of serene delight that if the people in paradise are experiencing it, they surely are living in great happiness”

The scholar Ibn Taymiyah characterized the delight of this happiness as follows: “There is a paradise in this lower world; whoever does not enter it will not enter the paradise in the Hereafter.”

The happiness of the righteous in this world results from feeling ’uns (solace, intimacy and connectedness) with Allah, Exalted be He.  In the Quran, Allah promises: “Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life ...” (Ch.16, v.97)

What is purer and more fulfilling than intimate moments of solace with Allah, with the qalb (heart) enveloped in the delight of His remembrance?  Which of two hearts is more desirable: one at peace -- like a serene, still pond constantly fed with the purest water from deep springs within it -- or one agitated, scattered in multiple directions, unable to find rest, unable to catch even a glimpse of its true nature and happiness?

The world, and everything in it, was created both to reveal and to veil Allah. Everything in this world -- a rose, a still pond, a swaying leaf, the smile of a newborn -- possesses this dual ability.  Either Allah, His Majesty and attributes, are manifested or they are foreclosed from us depending on the perception and purity of our hearts. The happiness of seeking solace with Allah, Exalted be He, is, by nature, fleeting.  It escapes us because of our human imperative.  Were the world only to reveal Allah, we would never be able to stand His Majesty (Jalaal).  Life, in its human mode, and our experience of existence, would be impossible.  Our awe would overwhelm us.  It is precisely the nature of life and its veiling dimension that tests and tries us.

Which of two hearts is more desirable: one at peace -- like a serene, still pond constantly fed with the purest water from deep springs within it -- or one agitated, scattered in multiple directions, unable to find rest, unable to catch even a glimpse of its true nature and happiness?

Tazkiyah means cleansing, purifying and growing.  Specifically, it refers to the process of cleansing and purifying the qalb. The aim of this dunya (world) should be the nurturing of a qalb that is healthy and sound, or saleem.  A sound qalb lives in a persistent state of health and soundness.  This and only this state of health brings salvation in the Hereafter.

Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, prayed: “And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected - The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children.  But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” (Quran, Ch. 26, v. 87-89)

A contaminated qalb is obscured and thus prevented from experiencing its own happiness (sa‘aadah), for the qalb that is veiled is unable to perceive the “knowables’ as they actually are.  And, the most noble of all to be known is Allah. The world, in a veiled qalb, cannot be seen with clarity.  Rather, it is seen through the mist and haze of such characteristics as vanity, arrogance, greed and misplaced love and fear. Indeed, the world becomes merely a reflection of the diseased qalb.  And our wrongful external conduct contributes to the worsening of the illness of the qalb.

The qalb is stained and darkened by the presence of sins (dhunoob --plural of dhanb).  Dhunoob generate an imperceptible veil over the qalb, and disconnects the qalb from its very source of life and happiness -- Allah. Dhunoob thwart us in our effort to take the journey back to Allah -- a journey we were born to undertake not with any physical means but with the wings of our quloob (hearts).  The qalb is the greatest prize in the universe and our sight through this world into the next; losing it means losing everything.

The Quran states: “And whoever is blind in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.” (Ch.17, v.72)

And: “... For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.” (Ch. 22, v.46)

If our qalb is lost to us, we will never experience the delight of knowing Allah, Exalted be He. The most refined spirituality, the aim of the wise among the seekers, is to be filled with the delight of knowing Allah in this life.  And how many are they who have taken this path before us?  How many are they who are far ahead in this procession, this caravan that has been journeying to Allah since the start of creation?  Such a wondrous chain of travelers: the anbiyaa’ (prophets), peace be upon them all, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous.  What glorious companionship!

But where am I?  Have I even begun?

The above is the second article in a two-part introduction to the science of tazkiyat al-nafs (purification of the self), as taught by Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui. Originally from Algeria, he is thoroughly versed in the Islamic sciences and holds a doctorate joined between the fields of physics and engineering.  His expertise includes the disciplines of tazkiyah and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and he is best known for his enlightening retreats and seminars empowering Muslims on their spiritual quest. For more information and to access the audio teachings of Shaykh Mokhtar, please visit - www.zawiyah.net.

To read the first part of this article, visit our archives online at www.muslimlink.ca