Nafsiya Reflections: Fighting Temptations

Welcome to Nafsiya Reflections: Fighting Temptations

We have often heard the whispers of Shaytan in order to tempt us straying from the right path. The whispers of, “Just once...” “Once isn’t going to change anything. “You’re still a good person...” “Allah is the most forgiving, (Allah Ghafoor Raheem).”

How many times have we heard these words? Whether they are from friends, acquaintances, family members or in our own heads. Is it really that simple or Just once? “Just one lie, just one look, just one click, just one time.” La Ha wla wa la Qutaa illa Billah!

These two simple individual words, “Just" "Once” can turn our world around.

The sayings of:

“Maybe it does seem like it isn’t a big deal, I mean come on... one look, Astaghfirullah.”

“One high five, I mean we’re not holding hands.”

“One little white lie, it’s not like you’re a liar now, anyways it’s better for them not to know.”

“Yeah he’s drinking... but he knows it’s Haram, why would I say anything.”

“Look at how good I look... Wouldn’t it be better without the Hijab?”

“A little gossip never hurt anyone.”

“No one is home, no one will know, it’s just a click away.”

“They have the nerve! I know exactly how to get them back!”

Thoughts... Excuses... Distractions... Whispers... Temptation!

This day and age, the little things seem so simple compared to what we could do. Sadly, Muslims are making more mistakes than we think and surely it's not even close to how bad they have it. The thinking of what we do is inconsequential, that it won’t have an effect on us or anyone else for that matter, or that it isn't having an effect on us already; thinking Allah is the Ghafoor, Raheem.

See, what we don’t pay much attention to is the fact that that one look, that one extra glimpse does affect us, does impact us in some way, consciously or unconsciously. For that glimpse opened the door to the devil (shaytan) and our Nafs. It is taking us a step deeper. The next time we take a look, it will be easier and then the next will be even easier and then the next, and so on and so forth. That little glance made us dirtier inside, a black smudge on our pure hearts.

Yes, Allah is the al-Ghafoor and Ar-Raheem. But He is also Shadeed al 3iqab, severe in penalty. The Sahabah RA were promised paradise and still questioned their intent and their actions. What we see today should not be our measuring stick in which we compare deeds. For the smallest deed could take you to Jannah and the smallest deed could very well indeed take you to the hell-fire, God Forbid (LasmahAllah)!

Allah (swt) is Ar-Raheem and will show us mercy, In sha’ Allah... The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said:

 ‏ "‏ سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ إِمَامٌ عَدْلٌ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَرَجُلاَنِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ اجْتَمَعَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَفَرَّقَا عَلَيْهِ، وَرَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ، وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا حَتَّى لاَ تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا تُنْفِقُ يَمِينُهُ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ خَالِيًا فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ‏"‏‏‏

"Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. They are: (1) a just ruler; (2) a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, (i.e. worship Allah (Alone) sincerely from his childhood), (3) a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque); (4) two persons who love each other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only; (5) a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for an illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah; (6) a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity). (7) a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears."

See, when we disobey, we are disobeying The Almighty who sometimes punishes His servants for ‘’minor’’ sins and Who sometimes pardons them for major sins. Allah looks into our hearts but also sees our actions. Sees the actions that He (swt) commanded us to perform, or the actions He commanded us to refrain from . Acts that will pull us away from Allah’s Rahmah, Allah’s mercy.

(إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ)

When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. [Surah Nur: Aya 15]

Sometimes we see deeds as small and insignificant. Remaining silent when we hear something wrong or harmful. In everyone having the right to do whatever they wish, who are we to hold them accountable? How it is their so-called freedom. See, we may not agree, but we remain silent or we may utter words in agreement thinking they are insignificant, small, for Allah knows what is in our hearts, Allah knows how pressured we feel at the moment. He will surely forgive us, we tell ourselves. The hate the Prophet Muhammad saw endured harsh persecutions and was stoned in At-Taif, standing there with no one else. Our beloved Prophet (saw) was steadfast, knowing Allah (swt) was there with him, protecting him and Giving him strength.

(أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ)

Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember. [Surah Naml: Aya 62]

Every temptation, every trial, Allah gave us a solution, to gain strength and be protected from falling into it in the first place. He told us to fast to help us lower our gaze. He told us not to hold, touch, or sit at the table with alcohol. He taught us to watch out for who we befriend. There will come a time when holding onto Islam is holding a hot coal. The Prophet (saw) said:

“ يأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ الصَّابِرُ فِيهِمْ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ “

‘There will come upon the people a time, where amongst them a patient person upon his religion will be like a person who holds on to a hot piece of coal.’

Allah (swt) taught us that He would forgive true repentance, that He would always show us mercy when truly asking for it, when we want to change. Yes, this day and age is not easy. This is the believers Dunya! We will remain to be tested till our last breath. It is our choice to both hold onto the rope of Allah and have trust in Him or to fall into our whims and desires and be swallowed by the repercussions we will face in this Dunya and the next.

There will be khair, good, in this Ummah till the day or resurrection! There will be men and women who will be loyal to the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, till the last day. Young men and women who will carry Islam to the world on their shoulders, and on their backs proud of who they are! Proud of what they represent. Proud in being the servants of Allah (swt). These youth will not fall to their knees, except to pray. They will not give into the temptations of this world, and if they slip, they will get back up and bring mountains to their knees. Knowing they are here on this earth to serve Allah SWT and to find in His paradise what they desire, more than what they were ever tempted by in this Dunya! A generation that will be given strength from all the corruption they saw in these hard times. A generation that will enjoin good and forbid the evil. A generation with the patience of Saydna Ayoub (AS), strength of Yousef (AS).

A generation with purpose.

For yes, we may be surrounded by temptation... but we were and are a legacy of gloriously, strong-willed, humble believers, whom Allah gives strength to, to carry the light of Islam despite all that is being plotted against it. The question is... Will you be among the ones who carry it?

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