Exercises for

Attaining Taqwa
Each morning, vow to Allah (mushoratd) that you

Exercises for

Attaining Taqwa
Make a commitment with Allah every morninq for 40 consecutive days not to look at anything

GUARDING THE PRAYER

Prepared by Hamza Yusuf

GUARDING THE EYES

Prepared by Hamza Yusuf

will pray the five prescribed prayers on time and fulfill their conditions, pillars, sunan, and mandubat.

prohibited.

Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

Of all the actions that a Muslim will do in his or her life, none is more important than the five prescribed daily prayers. It is the central pillar that
supports the entire abode of Islam. For a believer, prayer comes second only after belief itself; it is an

Be vigilant about all your prayers, particularly Fojr, Asr, and Maghrib prayers, as they are the most easily missed.This is called murabato.

The Sacred Law prohibits one to look at anything

that is deemed nakedness.

According to the majority of scholars, this includes the entire body of a non-mahram woman with the exception of her face and hands; for a nonmahram man,itincludes what is between his navel and knees.
The first glance is not written against you. However,

Be vigilant in averting your glance and protecting your eyes. lf you see things that are prohibited to look at, avert your glance from them.

expression

of gratitude to one's Lord for

consciousness. Prayer is also the believer's protection

and connection with his Lord. Doing the prayer

properly requires studying the rules and conditions of the prayer according to one of the four valid schools of Sunni Islam with a qualified teacher. The prayer is a science and an art that takes many years of serious and vigilant practice in order to arrive at its true reality. Once you have achieved doing the five obligatory prayers with regularity, then lhe nexl step is to increa:e in exlra Prayers, especially the night prayers. This exercise may take several years to complete, but this is the struggle oI the believer, so do nol despair.

At the end of the day, if you are successful, place a mark in the chart below. lf not, go back to day one.

At the end of the day, if you kept your vow, place a mark in the chart below. lf unsuccessful, go back to
day one. Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charit, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.

Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.This is called muhasaba.

if the

glance is maintained and is not averted or

if

a second glance occurs, wrong.

it is concerned

a lesser

Guarding the eyes is especially important, as not doing so can have a corrupting influence on the
heart. Remember that most of what is on television and advertisements is detrimental to our hearts.

Exercises for

Attaining Taqwa
Each morning, make d vow

Exercises for

Attainitg Taqwa
Each morning, vow to Allah not to use your hands to commit wrong actions, sow corruption on earth, steal, or cause unnecessary harm.

GUARDING THE STOMACH

Prepared by Flamza Yusuf

with Allah to eat what

is

GUARDING THE HANDS

Prepared by Hamza Yusuf

permissible and pure and to avoid excess eating well as unwholesome foods.

as

Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

There is a direct relation to doing righteous works as a result of eating pure foods. According to the Qur'an, the Sunnsh, and rJ;'e scholars, it is obligatory to guard what goes into one's stomach.
Remove what is prohibited from your food sources. Also, eat pLrre, natural foods, and avoid junk foods, as

Don't overeat. Make sure you eat food that

is

permissible. Our Prophet S said,"Leave what gives you doubt for what does not give you doubt."

Our hands are one of the greatest gifts from Allah and distinguish us from other animals.
The blessed Messenger of Allah said, "The Muslim is one from whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand."

Throughout the day, be vigilant in the controlling of your hands, and note the times and conditions when you do not fulfill the vow

Allah commands us to eat not only what

is

At the end of the day, if you kept your vow, place a mark in the box below. lf not,90 back to day one.

permissible but also what is pure (Qur'an, z:r68).

It is important to learn to control the appetite and to eat less. Fasting is an excellent discipline, and attempting at least three days a month when the moon is fullest is a prophetic practice.
Nore: Make the intention to fast at least three days
a

Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days-

Our hands will bear witness against us on the Day of |udgment; thus, we should guard our hands from stealing or from harming any of the creation ofAJlah without just right.
We should never raise our hand to anodrer Muslim unless in self-defense. lrr addition, we cannol raise

At the end of the day, if you kept your vow, place a mark in the chart below. lf unsuccessful, go back to day one. Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.

our hand to

non-Muslim unless in it is self defense

accordance

or for a legitimate struggle that is in

month.

with the Sacred Law Even in war, Muslims should

never kill a wornan, child, old person, or

noncombatant.

Exercises for

Attaining Taqwa
Preparedby
Each morning, vow to Allah to avoid hearing

Exercises for

Attaining Taqwa
Preparedby
Each morning, make a commitment not to lie, backbite, argue, or speak of matters that do not

GUARDING THE EARS

GUARDING THE TONGUE

Harnza Yusuf Inspired by Lnam Zaid Shakir

anything prohibited.Turn away from empty talk. lf someone beglns to speak ill of someone, change the subject,and explain that backbiting is prohibited.

Hamza Yusuf Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

concern you. Do this for40 consecutive days. The only noble quality of the tongue i. truthfulness. There are over 20 destructive qualities of the tongue ofwhich there are four sources: lying, backbiting, arguing, and engaging in what does not concern you.

The ears are more difficult to guard than the eyes since there is no natural cover for the ears as the eyelids cover the eyes.
Also, you cannot avert your hearing with as much
ease as you can avert

your

eyes or

your sighr by simply closing looking elsewhere.

vigilant with your vow. Avoid environments piped with music. However, if you are unable to avoid that, then do not count it as a breach ofyour commitment.
Be

Throughout the day, be vigilant in the observation of your tongue. Note the times and conditions when you do not fu lfill the cond itions of the vow.

Ifyou
At the end of the day, if you kept your vow, place a mark in the chart below. lf not, go back to day one and start again. Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, qive charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.

Bad habits of the ears include listening to such things as vain talk, lies, slander, calumny, backbiting, mockery, and other prohibited deeds of the tongue.

are able to overcome these four, then the others are removed with ease. In order to eliminate these qualities, make a vow with Allah to guard your tongue for 40 consecutive days. This will most likely require great effort and str\ggle (mujaahada).

At the end of the da, if you kept your vory place a mark in the chart below. lf not, go back to day one.

Imam Malik said, "Do not give your ear to

someone whose heart is deviant because you do

not lcrorv what will become attached to it."

The ear is
a

However, remember that by completing this exercise, you are habituating yourself to uprightness and saving yourself fron destruction.

Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.

direct inroad to the heart, and

nreanings enter thruugh it. altering your

understanding.

After completing this exercise, what remains is vigilant observance (muraaqaba) in order to avoid falling back into the previous bad habits. Norr: Writing falls into this same category, and the Internet (especially e-mail) may be a major outlet for the destructive qualities of the tongue.

GUARDING THE FEET

Exercies for Attaining Taqwa Prepared by

Exercises for
Each morning, vow to Allah to reflect on your

Attaining Tarya
Each morning, vow to Allah to guard your private

GUARDING THE PRIVATE PARTS

Prepared by Hamza Yusuf Inspired by Imam Zaid Shakir

Hamza Yusuf Inspired by Iman Zaid Shakir

travels and avoid places and situations that are

prohiblted.

parts.Avoid being alone with members of the opposite sex who are unrelated to you.

Our feet are our rneans of mobility, and this includes driving. Therefore, we should protect ourselves from using our feet to take us to any prohibited place.
When you set out to go sornewhere, say the prayer of the Prophet

Avoid going to places where people are committing prohibitions and where you are likely to commit wrong actions.

The Prophet St said, "Whoever guards for me his tongue and private parts, I can guarantee ffor him] a place in the Garden." This should be the easiest of the eight exercises for the believer because, by avoiding being alone with someone of the opposite sex, unless you are legally related, you are avoiding temptation and preventing yourself from harm. For both men and women, protecting one's nakedness requires a strong comnitment to covering the parts of the body that are prohibited for others to see.
Take care not to wear revealing cloths and avoid places of temptation.

Be aware of your conduct th roug hout the day. Maintain vigilance, as sexual appetite is one of Satan's greatest weapons.

"Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you that I should go astray or lead others astray; that I should trip or trip others; that I should oppress or be oppressed; or that I should show ignorance or be the brunt of ignorance." In addition, remember the saying ofthe Prophet

At the end ofthe day, ifyou kept your vow place a mark in the chart below. lf unsuccessful, go back to
day one. Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast,

At the end of the day, if you kept your vow place a mark in the chart below. lf not,9o back to day one.

give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete 40 consecutive days.

Ask Allah for forgiveness and strength. Fast, give charity, or take some type of punitive measure to discipline yourself until you successfully complete
40 consecutive days.

s:
'Avoid places that will bring suspicion from
others down on you."