The Purpose Of All Religious Practice

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

ll [religious] practice prescribes the remembrance of God, and to achieve this remembrance is its goal.

God says,

  ‘And establish regular prayer for My remembrance.’

[20:14]

My remembrance’ is said to have an active sense: ‘In order that I [God] might remember you thereby.’ It is also said to refer to the One remembered: ‘That you might remember Me thereby,’ with the letter lam [in ‘li-dhikrii’, ‘for My remembrance’] in both cases expressing purpose.

Others, however, argue that the lam carries a sense of time: ‘Establish the prayer when I am mentioned’, as in the verse,

  ‘Establish the prayer at the sun’s setting’

[17:78] 

or the verse,

  ‘And We all set up the scales with justice on the Day of Judgment’

[21:47]

In these two verses, time is certainly meant, but [in the present case] this explanation is merely an opinion. The difference is that [in the letter two verses], the lam of time precedes the nouns of time [‘the Sun’s setting’ and ‘the Day of Judgment’]; whereas [in the first verse], it precedes a noun [‘My remembrance’] derived from a verb, unless [we agree that] an expression of time is understood, so that the verse means ‘at [the time of] My remembrance’ – which is possible.

However, lam most plainly expresses purpose. The verse means ‘Establish the prayer for the sake of My remembrance.’ This includes the fact that the prayer is offered at the time that God is remembered; and the fact that when the servant remembers his Lord, God’s remembrance of him has preceded his remembrance of God. For when God remembers His servant, it inspires the servant to remember Him. Therefore, all three meanings are correct.

God has also said:

  ‘Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the prayer. Verily, the prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds. And God’s remembrance is greater.’

[29:45] 

It has been said that this means, ‘In prayer you remember God and He remembers you, and His remembrance of you is greater than your remembrance of Him.’ According to Ibn `Abbas, Salman, Abu l-Darda’ and Ibn Mas`ud, this is the meaning. And Ibn Abi l-Dunya related from Fudayl ibn Marzuq that `Atiyya said that

  “And God’s remembrance is greater”

[29:45]

“Remember Me, I shall remember you.”

[2:152]

His remembrance of you is greater than your remembrance of Him.’

Ibn Zayd and Qatada, however, held that it meant the remembrance of God is greater than everything. And when Salman was asked, ‘Which is the best practice?’ he answered, ‘Do you not read the Qur’an:

  “And God’s remembrance is greater “?’

[29:45]

This is supported by thehadith from Abu l-Darda’ already quoted above:

  “ ‘Should I tell you which of your deeds is best? Which purifies you most before your Sovereign … and is better for you than giving away gold and silver?’


The Shaykh of Islam Abu l-`Abbas [ibn Taymiyya] said, ‘The correct understanding of the verse is that the prayer has two major purposes, one greater than the other: prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds and contains the remembrance of God Most High; the remembrance of God contained in the prayer is [something] greater than the restraint from shameful deeds and injustice.’

Ibn Abi l-Dunya said that when Ibn `Abbas was asked which deed was most excellent, he answered, ‘And God’s remembrance is greater.’ In the Sunan, [there is a hadith from `A’isha where the Prophet says, ‘The circumambulation around the House, the course between Safa and Marwa and the casting of stones at the Pillars are [all] for maintaining the remembrance of God Most High.’ This hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi, and is considered both good and sound

[Tirmidhi, Hajj, 826; Abu Dawud, Manasik, 1612].

The most excellent of those who perform any practice are people who do it with the greatest remembrance of God. The most excellent of those who fast are people who remember God most in their fasting. The most excellent of those who give charity are people who remember God most [in their giving]. The most excellent of those who make the pilgrimage are people who remember God most [in their pilgrimage]. And the same holds true for all other practices.

Ibn Abi l-Dunya mentioned a hadith reliably transmitted from the first generation [Mursal, literally ‘hurried’:

  “ A hadith with a chain of transmission which is reliable but which only goes back to the ‘generation of followers’ (al-tabi`un)] that when the Prophet was asked which of the people who frequented the mosque were best, he answered, ‘Those who remember God most.’ When asked which of the people who attended a funeral were best, he answered, ‘Those who remember God most.’ When asked which wariors were best, he answered, ‘Those who remember God most.’ When asked which pilgrims were best, he answered, ‘Those who remember God most.’ And when asked which of those who visited the sick [read as `ayyaad, ‘those who visit’. In some versions, this is read as `ibaad, or ‘the worshippers’] were best, he said, ‘Those who remember God most.’ At which Abu Bakr said, ‘Those who remember have taken all the good!’ [Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 558, but with slightly different wording]

Said `Ubayd ibn `Umayr,“ ‘If you find this night too long for standing, and you find Yourselves too worried about your money to give it away and too cowardly to fight your enemy, then invoke God Most High abundantly.’ [Isfahani, Hilya, 3.267]

The Reality of the Straight Path

We will expound upon the Straight Path in a succinct manner for the people have explained it in various ways all of them revolving around one essential fact.

 The Straight Path is the path of Allah which He has put in place to lead mankind to Him; there is no path to Him other than this one which He appointed upon the tongues of His Messengers. It is to single Him out alone for worship and to single out His Messengers alone for obedience. Therefore none should commit shirk in His worship just as none should commit shirk in the following of His Messenger ﷺ; one should purify his tawhid and purify his following of the Messenger ﷺ, this is the full import of the testification that, ‘None has the right to be worshipped save Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ All of the various explanations given to the Straight Path fall under these two principles. You must love Him with all your heart, you must try to please Him to the utmost of your ability; there should not be any area of your heart except that it is overflowing with love of Him and you should have no desire except to please Him. The first point is realised through actualising, ‘None has the right to be worshipped save Allah’ and the second point is realised through actualising, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’

This is guidance and the religion of truth, this is knowing the truth and acting upon it, this in turn is knowing what He sent His Messenger with and living by it. All definitions revolve around this essential concept. Sahl ibn `Abdullah said, ‘Stick to the narrations and Sunnah for I fear that soon will come a time that when the Prophet ﷺ and the importance of following him in everything is mentioned, the people would censure the person who says this, cause others to flee from him, disassociate themselves from him, humiliate him and disgrace him.[1]

Tirmidhi #76 records on the authority of Nawwas ibn Sam`an that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

  “ Allah has set forth the following as a parable: there is a road that leads straight to the destination. On either side of the road there is a wall in which there are open doors with curtains hanging on them. From the remote end of the road, a voice calls, ‘Proceed straight and do not turn aside.’ Whenever someone intends to lift a curtain from the door another voice calls from above, ‘Beware! Do not lift the curtain, otherwise you will be lured inside.’ 

The Prophet ﷺ explained the parable by saying that the straight path is Islam, the walls are the limits imposed by Allah, the open doors are the things that he has prohibited, the voice which calls from the end of the road is the Qur´an and the voice which calls from above is Allah’s monitor in the heart of every believer.

Spiritual Awakening – A Reminder of our Status in this World

The first of the ranks of the journey of servititude (uboodiyah) is awakening, which is alarming and stirring up of the heart from the sleep of heedlessness.

 By Allah, how priceless is that revitalising alarm! How valuable and indispensable for the journey! Whoever experiences it, by Allah, he has indeed experienced the breeze of success. Without experiencing it, every one is lost in heedlessness. His hearing is asleep while his eyes appear awake. It is this blessed alarm that wakes one up and makes him a seeker of Allah. The seeker now rolls up his sleeves and musters up his courage to set out on the journey to Allah, station by station.

Perhaps it is this rising up from sleep that is mentioned in the following Qur’anic verse:

  “Say: I exhort you only to one thing, that you rise up for Allah’s sake in twos and singly, then ponder; there is no madness in your fellow citizen (Muhammad); he is only a warner to you before a severe chastisement.”

[34:46] 

The first realisation that illuminates the seeker upon this awakening is the immensity of gifts of Allah upon him. The believer’s heart glances at the gifts and bounties of Allah and is overwhelmed by his own sense of inability to even count them, let alone thank Allah for them all. The second realisation is the realisation of the inadequacy of his gratitude and worship to Allah. These realisations are in fact both the cause and the effect of the first station of awakening. As the believer (alternatively, the seeker, for there is no difference between the two, every believer is indeed a seeker of Allah – tr.) advances on his journey and as his heart is sharpened by these two realisations, it becomes incumbent upon him to notice more and more the innumerable inner and outer, open and hidden gifts of Allah and recognise his own shortcoming in thanking the Giver adequately. These two realisations make the seeker actualise the supplication of the Prophet, may the prayers and blessings of Allah be upon him, in which he said:“(O Allah), I admit Your bounties upon me, and I admit my sin, so forgive me, for no one can forgive but You!” (al-Bukharî) At this point, one realises why this supplication is indeed the master of all supplications for forgiveness (as the Prophet has told us). The believer also realises at this point that if Allah were to punish all the dwellers of Heavens and the Earth, He would not be in the wrong. If, on the other hand, He were to exonerate and reward them all, his reward and mercy would far exceed their deeds. The believer, therefore, realises that he must be ever mindful of Allah’s bounties and his own shortcomings.

NONE ENTERS IT EXCEPT THE PURE


The seeker inevitable realizes his sins and failings, and feels that he is in serious danger on account of them. He remembers Almighty Allah’s censure for those who forget the verses of Allah after they have been reminded of them:

  “And who is more wrongful than one who is reminded of the verses of Allah, yet he evades them, and forgets what is awaiting him.”

[18:57] 

Once the seeker is fully cognizant of his offences, he rolls up his sleeves to compensate for what has been lost. He breaks off the shackles of sins with the strength of istighfar (seeking forgiveness) and penance. He yearns for purification, just like the purification of gold and silver from impurities when they are burnt, so that he may enter the paradise prepared by his Lord for him, for nothing impure can ever enter the Paradise:

  “…those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity, saying (to them), “Peace be on you, enter the Garden, because of (the good) which you did (in the world).”

[16:32] 

This purification is carried out by four means: (1) repentance by turning away from sins (tawbah), (2) actively seeking forgiveness (istighfar), (3) good deeds that erase the bad ones, (4) and calamities that efface the sins. If one is purified by these four means, he becomes of those who is greeted and congratulated y the angles upon death, and assured by them of his abode in the Paradise, and that he shall see grief and fear no more. Without any of these four, one’s repentance is not complete and is not likely to be enough to counter balance his sins.

After one’s death, when he is in the state of Barzakh (the state between death and the Final Day), his sins may be effaced by the following: (1) funeral salah for him performed by the faithful, (2) the trials of the grave (may Allah protect us from this), (3) what his brothers from the Muslims present to him after his death, of virtuous deeds, like charity, Hajj, fasting, recitation of the Qur’an and salah on his behalf. The jurists agree that the charity and supplications of the living will reach him and benefit him after his death. Majority include Hajj in this list, while the Hanabilah include all good deeds in this list; the Hanbalî way being the most liberal of all in this matter.

Those who are still not purified by these means, may be purified by the dreadfulness of the Day of Resurrection or by intercession of those whom Allah will allow to intercede that Day, and finally and most importantly, by the pardoning of his Most Forgiving Lord.

If one’s sins are still remaining, the Fire or the purgatory then purifies him, the extent of this punishment being proportional to one’s sins. When one is cleansed of sins and corruption, and all that is left is pure and good, he is now entered into the Paradise, into which one but the pure may enter.

THREE PARTS OF THE REALISATION


The first of the two realisations, the recognition and appreciation of Allah’s endless bounties, is assisted by three things: the light of intellect, Allah’s favors, and consideration of the suffering of less fortunate people.

The light of intellect is the light that caused one’s soul to wake up in the first place. One is able to appreciate the bounties of Allah only as much as the strength of this light allows him. Some may not realise Allah’s bounties except in ordinary things like food, clothing, safety and their standing in the society. Such people may not have even a piece of this light from Allah, for the real bounty to consider and appreciate is the bounty of Islam, of Îman, of Allah’s message, of the opportunity to remember Him and the honour to obey Him. This faith is the supreme bounty and gift of Allah, and one cannot see it expect with the illuminated inner eye.

Sensing the rays of Allah’s favours through the clouds of mundane life and darkness of the desiring self is the second part of appreciation. One observes the unfortunate people who are heedless of Allah, or lost in innovations (ibtida’) and forgotten the essence of the Deen of Allah. Such disbelievers and innovators are indeed greater in misery and suffering than those who are dying of starvation and disease. Once the seeker realises the misery of the misguided, he realises the immensity of Allah’s mercy upon him to have guided him, for things are known through their opposites.

THE SECOND REALISATION: OUR SHORTCOMINGS


The second of the two realisations associated with the Awakening of a believer is the realisation of one’s sins, which again is assisted by three things. Realising the greatness of the Truth, knowing oneself, and certainty in Allah’s admonitions.

Realising His greatness from the core of one’s heart is the key to understanding the enormity of defying Allah, the Most High. If one contemplates in the greatness of Allah and his own infirmity and weakness before Allah, and his need for Allah at every moment of his life, the enormity and wrongness of his sins becomes glaringly obvious. Knowing the nothingness of one’s own self before Allah, therefore, is an essential step in abandoning sins.

The axis of all success is belief in Allah’s promises and admonitions; and if this belief dwindles or weakens in the heart, so does any hope for success. Allah has clearly told us that His verses and signs are of benefit only to those who believe in His promises and warning and fear the punishment of the afterlife:

  “Indeed, in these there is a sign only for those who feared the Punishment of the Hereafter,”

[11:103] 

  “You are a warner exclusively for those who fear it (the Last Day).”

[79:45] 

Those deserving of salvation in this world and in the Hereafter are none but those who believe in and fear the admonition of Allah:

  “And We will establish you (the believers) on the Earth after them (the disbelievers), that is the reward for those who feared meeting Me, and feared my admonition.”

[14:14] 

REMORSE OF THE LOST MOMENTS


One of the highest grades of this Awakening is the realisation of the lost days of one’s life, which leads to the commitment to compensate for the lost time and fill the remaining days with goodness and virtue. Such an awakened soul then is miserly about wasting even an hour, indeed even a breath, in anything that is not helpful in its journey to Allah. Every wasted moment is a regret and loss on that Day and a hindrance on the journey to Allah.

Three things enhance the remorse for the lost days and the concern to compensate for them in the remaining days of one’s life; knowledge, responsiveness to admonition, and company of the righteous. The more one knows the worth of deeds and enormity of their consequences, the more he realises the worth of his loss. Similarly, one’s responsiveness to the admonisher of his heart (according to a hadîth of the Prophet, every believer has an admonisher in his heart who warns him against possible sins) determines how much he can improve. The company of people who have great concern for the condition of their hearts and determination to reach the highest levels is another great help in the path of the seeker.

Thus ends the description of the first station (maqam) of the Madarij (ranks) of the seekers of Allah.