There are some exemplary people who we may call “embodiments of rectitude.” These exceptional people look at life with a holistic view. They see things correctly, they think correctly, and they attach their every initiative with a consideration for truth. They move forward between the carnal soul and what lies beyond their nature always with this consideration in mind. They turn the lens of their willpower and consciousness to behold their inner world and check with their essential nature; then they turn it to beyond and further beyond and open up to the Creator. They give an account of their situation to Him, renew their covenant, and humbly prostrate themselves. They are aware of the fact that they are mirrors to the Divine and that they are created as an index for all existence and worlds.

With such an all-comprehensive awareness, these people always endeavor to act in accordance with the purpose of their creation and frequently supervise their inner worlds. They come to grips with themselves and keep vigilant against contamination of their considerations. They live with an alertness to not allow any darkening of the heart and rusting of the spirit. Most of the time, with a concern for having contaminated them, they run to purifying basins of turning to God, and they constantly sigh with the thought that they failed to give the due of the honor of being the best of creation.

They never open the door of their imagination to any form of filth; let alone that, they shake like a leaf fearing the possibility of the least contamination of their dreams or conceptions and fog of stagnancy. In the face of such a possibility, they start seeking fresh means of turning to God. Their hands always on the knob of Divine mercy and forgiveness, they lead an angelic life. Given that they are heroes of closeness to God and are burning with a love for reunion with Him, then their way should be the lane of ardent longing for reunion with God. This should be the staircase of overcoming one’s own remoteness and attaining togetherness beyond forms with Him Who is closer than the closest to us!

Those who did reach the horizons did so with such resolution and great effort; as for those entangled by the web of their fancies, however, they remained halfway on the road.

Throughout history, those who took their shadow behind them and always walked with their face turned to the sun reckoned and came to grips with themselves with a different depth. They trembled with concerns for falling on account of things they saw or assumed they saw in their hearts, spirit, conception, and imagination. As their feelings, excitement and worries were reflected in their words, they kept sighing and sincerely implored God Almighty.

From Prophet Muhammad the brilliant moon, peace be upon him, to the stars that gathered around his perfect guidance, all of the embodiments of rectitude have become loyal journeyers on the path of the Prophets leading to a reception with the Divine, and they have presented exemplary behaviors that will never misguide later generations who follow their footsteps. May their way be clear and may the All-Merciful Lord render us journeyers of that path, too!

Now, let us try to push a door to look at the example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who is for us the unique vanguard of this road, the most distinguished and blessed guide of all time. Let us have a vista to see his example and come to grips with ourselves, with the acknowledgement that our own situation could only be that of a drop in the ocean.

The Prophet, the blessed master of the created and who had the utmost closeness to God, would open up to Him with an expansive state of his spirit, attitude of self-possession, and a consideration of guiding those behind him; and thus, his morning was a separate session of vigilance, and his evening was a different time of turning to God. And he would pray as, “Glorified are You, O God!” And although sins did not visit him even in his dreams, he would say, “I seek Your forgiveness for my sins, and I ask You for Your mercy.” [1]

Thus, the Messenger of God would show the way to exercise self-supervision to his followers and present an astounding attitude of humbleness and effacement. Likewise, when daybreak drew near, his sincere petitioning was like a wake-up call for those who heedlessly indulged themselves in sleep and an admonition to the fluctuant. He would touch the doorknob of Divine mercy by beseeching as follows:

I seek refuge in You from wronging others and being wronged, from committing aggression and being the object of aggression, and from committing an error or committing a sin which is not forgiven. [2]

He did this even though these were miles and miles away from even entering his world of imagination. How I wish if only a quarter of this opening up to God were found within us and leaders of our nations.

Even before he was commissioned as a Prophet, and certainly after he was, at almost every phase of his blessed life he kept his carnal soul and fancies under control; in spite of this, he met every new sunrise with diamond words of supplication rising from his heart, in a manner of self-possession: “My Lord, truly if you leave me to myself, You leave me to weakness I cannot bear, an overwhelming need, sin and error.” After voicing his petition with these words of his vigilant soul, he would conclude his blessed appeal befitting him so well with the following expressions: “Truly I rely on nothing except Your mercy, so forgive me all my sins, for no one forgives sins except You” [3]. He prayed thus as if he ever had any sins!

He continued opening up to God and against the carnal soul and Satan, who could not even visit his world of imagination. He said the following, which I think was actually a way of giving counsel to his followers:

My God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of my self, the evil of Satan and his traps, and from committing wrong to myself or another Muslim. [4]

He would repeat these sincere sighs four times. Such a manifold degree of self-possession and deliberation! He would not suffice with these, holding the doorknob of mercy, Divine protection, and guardianship, he would pray as:

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum (O Giver of life and Who maintains it)! For the sake of Your Mercy, I beg for help. Rectify all my states of being and leave me not to myself even for the blinking of an eye! [5]

Let his example illuminate the blind eyes and deaf ears of those who stumble through their lives. He was so sensitive and vigilant against the carnal soul and fancies that even though he was miles away from them, they did not—could not—cast a shadow on his radiant world of thought. We take a step back again and once more give an ear to the deep sighs and petitioning of that sultan of speech: “I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of every creature in Your grasp.” What vigilance! What an immense feeling of self-possession!

Even his archenemies did not, could not, dare ascribe the least degree of vice to him. Both before his mission as the Messenger of God and afterwards, he was acknowledged by all as the most trustworthy person. Yet, as if he had any shortcomings, he would pray, “O Allah! Conceal my imperfections and calm all my fears!” [6]. How exalted he is! He certainly did not have any shortcomings, but let us take this prayer as the guide’s counsel for us who need guidance.

In terms of his considerations of awe and reverence before Divine grandeur, he had a heart that always shook with fear of God. In this respect, he was marking the course leading to true virtue for those to follow his way. Saying that he would sleep at night like we do is gross disrespect against him, because he had settled this issue, too, by stating “my eyes do sleep, but my heart does not” [7]. However, even when that distinguished soul who surpassed angels was to enter his special sleep, he would earnestly turn to God wholeheartedly and say:

O God! in Your name have I laid down on my side. Forgive me my sins and drive away my devil; release me from my dependency (on others) and place me in the highest assembly! [8]

In spite of his much lauded and distinguished position, he was teaching so much to us even with that deep sigh. His Ascension to the heavens (mi’raj) was blessed with the gift of daily prayers (salah), and his prayers were each like a new Ascension [9]. While he was heading to perform his prayers, which is like an earthly ascension, he would be imbued with perfect goodness (ihsan) in all of his attitudes; and when he started the worship at God’s beck and call, the following blessed words would come out of his lips as a beautiful expression of the deed being observed:

O God, You are the Owner, there is no deity other than You. You are my sole Lord, and I am your servant. I have wronged my soul; I confess my sin—[O dearest innocent soul, which sin are you talking about!]—please forgive all of my sins; no one but You can forgive them. Guide me to good character, as only You can grant guidance! [10]

These prayers are meant to call us, too, to those horizons. May God also bless us with that complete guidance. His distance, from what he mentioned as “sin,” was further away from the distance between East and West, but against things he considered wrong—wrongs did not even visit his dreams—he opened up to God and moaned with utter self-possession and a vow of perfect goodness:

O God, distance me from my misdeeds as You have distanced the East from the West!
O God, wash away my sins with pure water, snow, and hail! [11]

What a profundity it is, my dearest beloved one! You are the one poets praised as:

You are the glorified sultan of the Prophets, my master
You are a majestic bestowal to helpless ones, my master
You are the chief in the Divine Council, my master
You are the one affirmed by God’s swear by your life, my master. (Sheikh Galib)

O the light of my endeavor and my shining sun, you are speaking in the first person and imploring God; yet, by doing so, if you are calling us to be ourselves on your blessed path, we have been alienated to those horizons with our degenerates and leaders. That being the case, our dreams are filled with hopes, and we are expecting your favor upon us; for the sake of God, do not make us wait further!

Just as you looked at those in your special circle,
Please grant a look at this humble one also,
And let me burn ablaze with your sacred love.
Let my atmosphere not be darkened with the sadness of being without you,
Please say, “he is also from me,” so that I do not remain distant from you. (F. Gülen)

We learned from you that prostration is the state when a person is closest to God [12].

Where the head meets the feet, kissing the prayer rug on the ground
Is the road that carries a person to closeness to God. (F. Gülen)

The Prophet used to put his head on the ground very humbly, his blessed head that never bowed before anyone other than the Almighty, and he would open up to God with different words and implored Him as follows:

My God, please forgive all of my sins [my innocent sultan of sultans, your Lord did not let you commit sins in the past, and with your loyalty He sealed all doors and windows to sin for you] [13]. O God, forgive me for all my sins, the greater and the minor, the first and the last, and the openly known and those kept secret! [14]

If only those who spend their lives in the filth of sins could also understand these moans and sighs loftier than breaths of angels! Unfortunately, those who said farewell to a life centered on realizing the heart’s potential are unaware of the horizons of the spirit and will neither feel nor understand these sighs.

As he knelt down during his prayer (tashahhud) where he felt to the core his closeness to God and realized peak spiritual delight, he moaned again to the profundity of his own knowledge of God and showed how unreachable his spirit is with the following words from his heart, which are in fact meant to be reminders for unknowing ones like ourselves:

O God, truly I have greatly wronged my soul, and no one forgives sins except You, so forgive me with Your forgiveness, and have mercy on me, for You are the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate. [15]

If only we could also moan wholeheartedly for our lagging so far behind that guide, the Messenger of God who would always woe for certain heart-darkening conditions, which might hold true for us any time and, yet, were so far away from his horizon:

O God, I take refuge in You from a hard heart, heedlessness, poverty, humiliation, and deprivation. I take refuge in You from want, unbelief, immorality, divisiveness, pretentiousness, and ostentation…[16]

I don’t know whether such degree of vigilance and sobriety is ever felt by anyone else in such an astounding profundity. I do not think so and nobody else can deem it possible…

At the end of our discussed topic, which is like a drop from the ocean in terms of the Messenger’s imploring and petitioning, I say, “the subject is not over, yet to be also covered are the purest souls from his circle. And I beg forgiveness from God on account of my mistakes…

1. Abu Dawud, Adab 107.
2. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad 5/191; Tabarani, al-Mu’jamu’l-kabir 5/119.
3. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad 5/191; Tabarani, ad-Dua, p.122.
4. Tirmidhi, Daawat, 105, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, 2:171.
5. Abu Dawud, Adab 101; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad 5/42.
6. Abu Dawud, Adab, 100, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, 2:25.
7. Bukhari, tahajjud, 16, tarawikh 1; Muslim, Salatu’l-Musafirin 125.
8. Abu Dawud, Adab 107; Tabarani, Mu’jamu’l-kabir 22/298.
9. One of the major miracles of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was his journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and from there to the heavens. In this miraculous journey into heavenly dimensions, he met with other Prophets and eventually God. One of the gifts of this journey is daily prayers (salah), which Muslims are commanded to observe five times a day.
10. Muslim, salatu’l-musafirin 201; Abu Dawud, salat 124.
11. Bukhari, adhan 89; Muslim, Masajid 147.
12. Muslim, salat 215; Abu Dawud, salat 148; Nasai, mawaqit 35, tatbiq 78.
13. Fath 48:2.
14. Muslim, salatu’l-musafirin 201; Abu Dawud, salat 118; Tirmidhi, daavat 32.
15. Bukhari, Adhan 151, Daawat 17, Tawhid 9; Muslim, Dhikr 48.
16. Ibn Hibban, Sahih, 3/300; Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 1/712.

According to people of the heart, mujahada (striving) means doing what is required by having been endowed with will-power. It includes struggling against the car­nal soul and seeking ways to defeat it, always preferring to fulfill the religious obligations without neglecting even the secondary ones when they clash with carnal appetites; never being satisfied with one’s worshipping, acts of obedience to God and doing good, yet being content with what is absolutely required for wor­ship and obedience by way of disciplining one’s eating, drinking, sleeping and speaking.

Those having a certain degree of knowledge of God have always dealt with striving in two categories: one, the major or greater striving (al-jihadu’l-akbar) and the other, the minor or lesser one (al-jihadu’l-asghar). The former means struggling against the carnal soul and Satan and striving to have a sound belief and to be endowed with virtues or good morals, being able to worship God well, and struggling against evil morals, bad hab­its and tempers, while the latter denotes being alert against and, when necessary, fighting the enemy. Our serving people with knowledge and thoughts, by imbibing and internalizing belief, the truths of Islam and the morality of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and by representing them in our daily lives and conveying to others, encompass both kinds of striving, and therefore need to have the “endowment” necessary to fulfill both.

In every work or article written on austerity, communication of the Divine messages, and physical or minor striving (jihad), the subject is discussed in the light of relevant verses such as Strive in God’s cause in the way that striving for His sake requires (22:78). Here we are interested only in major striving.

Major jihad, or striving, in the language of Sufism, denotes that in the face of the mean impulses of the carnal soul, the whisperings of Satan, and the excessive desires and pressures of the body or corporeality, we should demonstrate that we are beings endowed with will-power. We should also try to show due respect for the heavenly faculty that we have as human beings, which is a composition of the mechanism of feeling, consciousness, perception, and heart. Jihad in this meaning is the greatest of all strivings, and one who performs it is great and esteemed in God’s sight; such a person is favored with His company. It can be said that it is more difficult to rebel against the impulses and desires of the carnal soul and to lead a life in worshipping and performing other acts of obedience to God in piety, sincerity and abstinence in order to obtain God’s approval and good pleasure, than to fight against the enemy under a shower of bombs and shells at the front. It is because of its difficulty that God’s Messenger told the soldiers returning from fighting, Now you have turned from the minor jihad to the major one (Hatibu’l-Baghdadi, Tarikhu’l-Baghdad, 13:523). It was in this way that he instructed his Companions in such a vital matter. On another occasion, saying, A true fighter is one who fights against his carnal soul for God’s sake, (at-Tirmidhi, “Fada’ilu’l-Jihad,” 2.) he taught that the major or greater jihad consists in the struggles against Satan and the impulses of the carnal soul.

While the minor striving can occasionally be necessary or compulsory, a believer must continuously fulfill the major one. In addition, success in the minor striving depends on success in the major one. For this reason, everyone must purify their inner world, so that they may acquire harmony and accord in all their acts—sitting, rising, thinking, speaking, working, etc.—doing these for the sake of God. It is only by success in this striving that one can be supported by God’s Will, which is the real factor in making human endeavors on God’s way beneficial and fruitful.

For those whom belief has not guided to an appointed goal, who have not disciplined themselves with Islamic principles of spiritual training, who have not deepened in doing good consciously so that God sees them, who cannot lead a life of unwavering sincerity nor live in the consciousness of God’s constant supervision, it is not possible to be people of the truth; they cannot restore rights nor display coherent attitudes in social relations. Those imprisoned in the cycle of eating, drinking, and sleeping can neither keep their corporeality under control nor direct their spirits to lofty ideals for spiritual victories nor keep the doors of their consciousness open to God to be rewarded with His company. What is most impossible for them is to free themselves from hatred, rancor, and other malicious feelings in order to embrace all existence only because of God.

A perfect society can only be made up of perfect individuals, and an individual cannot be perfected without spiritual training. It is therefore useless to try to build a sound community with individuals who suffer from mental and spiritual shortcomings. The perfect individuals needed to compose a perfect community are shaped in the crucible of striving.

Such a striving is based on controlling carnal desires and impulses and on having an operative mechanism of conscience. A spiritual journey is the safest way of striving. Concerning what a mortal enemy the carnal soul is, Hakim Busayri says:

How many lethal delights there are that
the carnal soul presents to humankind as pleasant.
Almost no one has ever been able to perceive that
it presents poison within the butter.

It would be appropriate to end this section with a poem by Huda’i [1], which is regarded as a bridge to the spiritual journey:

O carnal soul! Give up your mistakes and errors,
relent and be just and fair from now on!
Abandon cherishing these long-term ambitions,
relent and be just and fair from now on!
Why do you have these habits and innovations?
Why such fondness for fame and adornment?
Why expend so much effort that way?
 Relent and be just and fair from now on!
One day the wind of death will blow,
to ruin the garden of the body;
so fulfill your obligations in sincerity;
relent and be just and fair from now on!
Do not be obstinate, O Huda’i!
Submit yourself to Divine orders.
Come and mention the Master,
relent and be just and fair from now on!

O God! I ask You for Your forgiveness, health, and Your approval, regard, breezes of favor, friendship, and nearness to You. And bestow blessings and peace on our master Muhammad, the master of those near-stationed to You, and Your beloved and Messenger, and on his Family and Companions, who had great yearning to meet with You.

Note

1. Huda’i was the father of Ibrahim Shahidi Dede. He was from Mugla in the western Turkey and lived in the 15th century. He was a member of the Mawlawi Order.

Answer: A real believer is a resolute person whose faith in God is doubt-free. A believer does not lose hope even in the face of the most daunting circumstances. For this reason, such a person never gives in to hopelessness but always stands firm, even when all roads are blocked, and keeps walking toward his ideals; he knows that God Almighty has never left those who walk on His path with no ways to reach their goals.

When it was not possible to live in Mecca, God opened the way of miraculous Ascension of the Prophet to the heavens, along which every one of the greatest Prophets saluted him. The Messenger of God reached such a point that even Gabriel the Trustworthy said, “I will be perished if I take one more step.”

Seeking perfection

God Almighty never let down those who walked on His path; He held their hands even at the most unexpected moments, delivering them safe and sound. You may fall down a well, but when you least expect it, a strong rope will be dropped down. There may be times when you are mistreated by a few jealous brothers. However, after a term of spiritual journeying, you just see that God sets thrones in hearts for you. In this respect, no matter what hardships are faced, believers who always feel the Divine help and support behind them will seek out great achievements, and try to give their willpower its due in terms of fulfilling those accomplishments in accordance with their worth. They will thus try to produce the most perfect works, because the Prophet commanded believers to be equipped with the morality of God.

The Divine morality of this issue is related to us by statements like, “He who makes excellent everything that He creates,” (as-Sajdah 32:7) and, “This is the pattern of God who has perfected everything” (an-Naml 27:88). Thus it is pointed out that He brings everything into existence in the best, most beautiful, soundest, and perfect fashion. If He created something out of nothing, built it up, and breathed life to it, those who witnessed His works could not help but say, “There could not be anything better.”

Bediüzzaman relates the following remark of Imam al-Ghazali about this: “There is no possibility of anything more wondrous than what exists in this universe.” A person who beholds this universe with a comprehensive perspective, and moves his shuttle of wisdom between the cause and effect, will have to make the following confession: “God created the universe so beautifully that, had I been given a life of thousand years long and assigned to build a little piece of existence, I could never do it.”

Thus Divine morality shows us this: while striving on the path of God, believers should do their best and try to carry out their tasks in the best and soundest fashion.

As if presenting your work to God’s supervision

Concerning the fact that a believer should seek the perfect for the sake of gaining God’s good pleasure, we can ponder over the following verse: “Say: ‘Work, and God will see your work, and so will His Messenger and the true believers; and you will be brought back to the Knower of the Unseen (of all that lies beyond sense-perception) and the witnessed (the sensed realm), and He will make you understand all that you were doing (and call you to account for it)’” (at-Tawbah 9:105). God Almighty does not command as “if’alu” (do), but as “i’malu,” which means to “fulfill a certain deed.” The Qur’an frequently refers to deeds by putting emphasis on “righteous deeds,” so we understand that the term “deed” refers to fulfilling a certain task positively and flawlessly, within a certain plan, and by considering the results.

The verse also commands fulfilling deeds with the consciousness that God, His Messenger, and all true believers will see these deeds. Namely, a believer should fulfill their deeds so that God Almighty will approve, the Prophet will express appreciation, and believers will wish to have fulfilled their own deeds in such a way. However, the purpose of a believer who seeks perfection in his deeds is not to cause envy in others. On the contrary, they try to gain God’s good pleasure by giving the task its proper due. It is good to aspire to do the same good deeds another person has done, but this issue should not be approached with a feeling of jealousy or rivalry.

Angels as examples

Concerning the angels, the Qur’an states: “(They) do not disobey God in whatever He commands them, and carry out what they are commanded (to carry out)” (at-Tahrim 66:6). That is, they fulfill every command scrupulously and do not disobey His orders in the least bit. They are important examples for us in this respect. Believers should fulfill their tasks comparably to the archangel Gabriel and seek Divine appreciation. They should feel a pulsing in their temples, as if their brains would come out through their noses. It is said that whoever does his best for the sake of accomplishing a certain task, God will grant that person what he seeks.

The heavy trial entailed by success

A person who exerts himself or herself in this degree may attain very good accomplishments, by God’s permission and grace. Thousands, or hundred thousands, of people may gather around them and shower them with thanks and praises. The greatest trial starts at this very point: will they lay claim to the good results or give them to their rightful Owner? Will the achievements trigger feelings of thanksgiving or cause dizziness and blurring of vision? Those who pass this heavy trial successfully and keep their ego in check in order to tame their carnal soul are the heroes of the heart who are fixed on the consideration of humbleness and modesty. They know to keep their place at this critical point, while other people might become addicted to success or winning. Just as they give their willpower its due at the beginning, here as well they give their conscience its due and appropriately determine the correct place they are supposed to stand. They never credit themselves but say, “It was Him that made these things happen,” and run like the plague from vices such as pride and self-satisfaction. Let alone indulging self-satisfaction, from their horizons of self-criticism they see the failures of their work, regret these, and suffer over not having performed even better.

Individuals who serve in different areas of life may make different achievements in the fields of their responsibility. They may put stamps of excellence on every task they fulfill, in a way that evokes admiration in dwellers in the high assembly of the heavens. Individuals may perform perfectly—some with speeches they deliver, some with the articles they write, some with their abilities of teaching and administration, and some with their artistic talents. However, a genuine believer should say, “had there been some sensible person with an immense conscience, he would have probably performed much more perfectly and efficiently.” Considering the impossible—if an act of this person’s parted the moon in two, changed the sun’s course, united all people in the world for a lofty truth, or made an accomplishment comparable to that of Gabriel, the sound of the conscience would still say: “Had there been someone else in my place, who knows how much better he would have done this work! To tell the truth, since this work came out of my foul hands, it remained much lower than where it should have been; it remained derelict, poor, and undeveloped.”

The Apocalypse and the Self-accusing soul

Why is it so important for a believer to revile himself in this degree? Because, there is the risk of experiencing the greatest loss in a zone of winning. After swearing on the Day of Judgment, God Almighty swears on the self-accusing human soul (al-Qiyamah 75:1). As it is known, valuable things of significance are sworn upon. The Day of Judgment is important, for on that day all of those galaxies, constellations, and solar systems that look so impressive to people will be in utter chaos before God’s all-comprehensive Knowledge, overwhelming Will, and supreme acts. That day, everything will be thrown to the air like pieces of straw. By swearing on the Day of Judgment, it is brought to attention that this glorified act of God is a great happening.

Right after this, there is a swear upon the self-accusing soul (an-nafs lawwamah), which refers to one that never likes his own works, but constantly questions and criticizes himself. In this respect, it is the first step of progress on one’s spiritual journey. It is not possible for a person who does not ascend this first step to progress to the level of the soul receiving inspiration (an-nafs al-mulhimah); or from there to its two wings—the soul with which God is pleased and the soul pleased with God; and particularly from there to the soul perfected or pure (safiyah or zakiyyah). The Self-accusing soul can be compared to a ladder, stairway, or an elevator to help a person reach these soul levels on their spiritual journey. It is for this reason that it is very important for a person to constantly confront himself, attribute the negative outcomes to himself, and always criticize himself.

The safest way to purification from sins

Bediuzzaman’s approach on how to avoid the pitfalls of arrogance that can come about after victories and accomplishments is noteworthy. At the end of his Twenty-sixth Word, he virtually addresses his soul like speaking to another person and says:

“O my ostentatious carnal soul! Do not be proud of your services to God’s religion. As stated in a Prophetic Tradition,[1] God may strengthen this religion by means of a dissolute person. You are not pure, so regard yourself as that dissolute person.”

As a spiritual discipline he suggests, “We should never hold ourselves pure; instead, we should regard ourselves as fallible and susceptible to error.”

Accordingly, a person who does not see his own soul as impure does not feel any need to purify it. Thus, he will not purify his soul and cannot be pure. As the carnal soul is not pure in essence, a person should ascribe all negative things to himself.

What happens if a person holds himself responsible for defects and faults? Such a person genuinely turns to God Almighty and asks guidance from Him. Also, God Almighty takes such considerations as remorse and repentance, and paves the ways leading to forgiveness for that person. If a person does not have such considerations at all, he commits various kinds of mistakes unawares and still attaches importance to himself; just like the way people do in our time in spite of their being nothing.

Consider that Umar ibn al-Khattab was a person who successfully dealt with the superpowers of his time, who spent his days and nights in obedience to God and had nothing to do with sins. During a time of draught, he placed his head on the ground by prostrating himself and cried in sobs, praying, “O God, please do not ruin Muslims because of my sins!”

On another day, when they asked him to lead a prayer for rain, he probably said to himself, “How can a sinful person like me pray for rain?” With such a consideration, he held the hand of the Prophet’s uncle Abbas and climbed a hill with him. Then he made his wish by utterly humbling himself, raising the latter’s hand as an intercessor and saying, “O God, this is the hand of your beloved servant’s uncle. Grant us rain for its sake!” Sources relate that a heavy rain began afterwards.

This should be the attitude of an ideal believer. Along with fulfilling every task perfectly, and always seeking to achieve the best at everything and using his willpower to the ultimate degree, one must see various defects in those works in his own sight and constantly criticize himself. As it is expressed in a saying attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab, a person must continuously call himself to account before the Day of Reckoning comes.

To conclude, if a person performs perfectly in a way that does not bring him shame when presented to God Almighty; if he still sees faults in himself by saying, “Had someone else realized these works, they would have done it better, but I have messed it up;” then by God’s permission and grace, this will render that person impeccably pure.

Note

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, Jihad, 182; Abdurrazzaq, Al-Musannaf, 5/270.