Self-refinement

by Imâm al-Madîna al-Munawarrah 'Abdul Muhsin Ibn Muhammad al-Qâsim

All praise is due to Allah. May His peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, his family and
companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allah as He should be feared; for it is the fear of Allah that makes
things easy for one and prevents evil and undesirable things.

Brothers in faith! Allah has perfected the religion for us, completed His favour upon us and
has chosen for us Islam as our religion. Islam is a religion that has its basics and principles
deeply rooted and strongly fortified. It enjoins all noble traits and forbids all corrupt deeds. It
teaches that man’s elevation lies in religiosity and good conduct. Self refinement enlivens
hearts and leads to commendable characters. Characters have limits which, if overstepped,
become hostilities and if they fall short of it they become shame and defect.

Call yourself to account for days you have spent in this life and know that whatever has passed
can never be regained. Though the human self, that is naturally inclined to evil, finds excuses
for whatever has passed and nurses hopes for whatever is left, the best among the wise people
is the one who reproaches himself most. Whoever understands this life well strives to attain the
best thereof. This life is a season in which the vigilant search only for the most precious
material.

Brothers in Islam! Real enjoyment of this world is only achieved by being steadfast and firm in
matter of one’s religion. The happy person is the one who succeeds in making good use of his
health in this world. The increase in one’s rank in Paradise depends on
one’s meritious deeds. The best thing one can occupy oneself with is the knowledge of
Sharee’ah and whatever besides that is of secondary importance. When there is no
knowledge, there will be misguidance. It is better to give priority to more
important matters; for toiling in search of knowledge that caters for one’s well-being in this
world and the Hereafter is better than toiling for the mere enjoyment of this life. The fruit of
this life are only knowledge and good deeds.

Fellow Muslims! Whoever wants perpetual safety should always be conscious of Allah.
Whoever does what negates his God-consciousness will see its repercussions sooner or later. It
is delusion to do evil and see good things and then assume that you have been forgiven. The
sinner may sometimes see himself in good health and abundant wealth and wrongly assume
that he would not be punished. He is unaware that his ignorance of what he is to be punished
with is itself a punishment, for, to commit acts of disobedience one after the other is enough a
punishment. Sins do have evil effects and nothing is more useful than supplicating to Allah and
abstaining from sins for a disregarded spark may burn a whole town. Whoever ponders over
the misfortune that befell Prophet Yoosuf’s brothers when they pleaded with him thus: “And
be charitable to us,” will understand the repercussion of evil deeds. Whoever runs after his
lusts yet desires the reform of his soul is seeking for an impossible thing. Keep away, therefore,
from the causes of temptations for none who has come close to them is saved.

Whoever fights his desires will reap the fruits of this world and should things become difficult
for him, his patience and pleasure with the decree of Allah serve as succour for him. The
human soul is greedy if it is allowed to be so. Therefore control your
soul with Allah’s injunctions. It is also a sign of misery to make this worldly
enjoyment an end in itself; it is merely a temporary pain reliever.

Being in the company of righteous brothers – even for a little while - is a good opportunity for
it helps to carry out acts of obedience to Allah and to adopt good characters, do not
therefore keep but the company of wise and trustworthy people. Give
yourself a time for supplicating to your Lord and a time for calling yourself to account and put
your eyes and tongue under control, for looking at forbidden things spoils happiness and
makes life difficult. The pleasures of this world are just ways to destruction. Whoever
surrenders himself to the dictates of his inclinations and whims will
perish.

Brothers in faith! Do not be deluded with youthfulness for most of those who die are youths
and few are old people, that is why few people grow up. Whoever reforms himself in secret his
virtue will be wide-spread. Also reflect upon sincerity you will find that nothing benefits more
than it. Do not destroy your honour with sins for you shall be loved in accordance with your
keeping away from whims and desires. Do not leave a virtue unattained if you can; for nothing
prevents from aiming high except base mind. Whatever is missed is a result of laziness and
whatever is achieved is a result of hard works and determination.. Do not be arrogant.

Imaam Ahmad said,

“Do not take any knowledge from a self-glorifying person.”

Further, do not depend upon means, for if you depend on means, it will avail you of nothing.
Allah says,

“And on the day of Hunain (Battle) when you

rejoiced at your great number but it availed you
 naught.” (At-Taw bah 9: 25)

Allah has decreed for every matter its time and provided ways with which humans can achieve
their goals. Matters of this world and its adornments can be attained by those who do not run
after them and be denied those who strive for them. One has to make use of the causes and
means but should not depend on it. Prophet Sulayman once said,

“I will sleep with one hundred women tonight and each one of them shall give
birth to a boy.”

And he did not say, “In Sha Allah” ( If Allah wills) as a result, only one of them became
pregnant and gave birth to an incomplete boy.

Fortunate is the one who knows the Creator of the means and causes and depends on Him.
Therefore, direct your fears and hope to Allah Alone. Whenever you desire for something,
Supplicate to Allah, for He is the Most-Generous. Much supplication is a good support. If a
believer supplicates but does not get any answer and repeats the prayer over and over and yet
still does not see any sign of an answer it is a test from Allah. . He needs to be patient because
what delays the acceptance of his supplication is a disease that needs medication, for Allah’s
generosity is boundless. It may be that there is a benefit for him in the delay and a harm in
quick answering of his supplication. This is no doubt a blessing in the guise of a test. Also, lack
of acceptance of your prayer may be caused by a sin, like earning from an impure source or
being unmindful when making the supplication or because of a sin which you have not
sincerely repented from. So, whenever you have a hardship, remember that you have not
thanked Allah for a favour or that you have committed a sin. Beware lest your blessings be
taken away or lest you be afflicted with calamities and always have the intention to do good.
Whoever knows that death will be his end carries out deeds whose reward will remain after
him and strives to attain offspring that will remember Allah after him. Allah says,

“Whosoever does righteous good deeds, it is for

(the benefit of) his own self; and whosoever does
evil, it is against his own self. And your Lord is not
at all unjust to (His) slaves.”(Fussilat 41: 46)

Fellow Muslims! Perfection is rare and the perfect people are very few. Real
peace of
mind lies in preventing the soul from following lustful desires and
whims, then it will be ready for good deeds and attaining virtues. The
wise person should always remember death; in such a way that his heart is involved and his
lusts and greed are suppressed. For, much remembrance of death protects from evil and
secures against anxiety.

Other peoples’ deaths should remind you of your own death. Nothing is more difficult than to
be patient over the decree of Allah but nothing is better than to be pleased with that. Do not
grieve for whatever you miss of this world and regard whatever you achieved of this world and
are then deprived of as what you have not achieved at all. Also regard what you requested for
but are denied as something you have never asked for. Whoever ponders over this life and
reflect on its waves will not fear the fall of any calamity nor rejoice over any temporary bliss.
The most unheedful are those who have passed the age of sixty and approaching seventy for in
between them is the battle ground of death. The Prophet said,

“The life of a believer should not increase him except in good.” (Muslim)

This life is ever-changing. For whatever you achieve come to you in

your weakness and whatever befalls you, you have no power to prevent
or remove it and there is no money better than intelligence and
religion.

Say (O Muhammad ): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the
kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand
is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.

You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours
of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the
living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account). (3:26,27)