Purification of the Heart: Part 2 - The diseases

Diseases of the heart

In order to fight the diseases we must be aware of them, I'm going to dedicate a few posts that summarise the diseases as mentioned it the book "Purification of the heart" by Hamza Yusuf. 

Miserliness

What is miserliness? 

Miserliness has two aspects: 

1) The first is regarding the sharia law (rights due to God and to His creation). Zakat is the annual charity distributed to the needy. Miserliness in not paying the Zakat is forbidden, haram. Also one needs to support his wife and children, even after a divorce the man must pay child support.

2) The second aspect is in terms of valor. One should never create difficulties over paltry matters. A creditor should not be demanding especially if the debtor is not able to pay the credit back yet. An understanding creditor is one who has valor.

The muslim tradition in regards to charity is to give away from what one loves. Generosity is one of the highest virtues of Islam, the Prophet (saw) was known as the most generous of people..

"You will not attain to righteousness until you spend of what you love" (QUR'AN, 3:92)

The ethology of miserliness is love of the material aspects of the world. A miserly person clings to his wealth and hoards it.

How to treat it? 

The treatment for miserliness is realising that it takes a lot of exhaustion to achieve the wealth one seeks. This can occupy a person for his whole lifetime. In the end, life will end some day. Death awaits everybody, old or young, poor or rich.
Also nobody likes a miser, not even misers like each other. This hatred should also help in treating the disease.

Wantonness 

What is wantonness? 

Wantonness is a desire to need and want more. Particularly vulnerable are the world's most affluent societies. Those societies are very pleased with their standard of living and the extravagance. People even live beyond their means to be part of a certain lifestyle. A product of wantonness is that people fall willingly into debt in order to achieve a certain standard of living.


"God does not love those who exult" (QUR'AN 28:76)


How to treat it? 

One should intentionally experience hunger and reflect seriously on death to treat this disease. To experience hunger one can either keep a voluntary fast or reduce the amount what one eats. Traditional medicines also stated that too much food harms the spiritual heart. It was believed that people who eat too much become "hard-hearted".
Scholar of various religions say that hunger is an important factor if one wants to grow spiritually. Feeling emptiness in the stomach is excellent for the body and the soul.
"Remembering" death, does not mean merley recalling it. It means one should reflect upon the state of the grave. 

Hatred

What is hatred?

Hatred in itself in not necessary a negative thing. One should hate corruption, evil, murder and anything that God has exposed as despicable. The disease of hatred is the strong dislike or hatred of a person for no legitimate reason. 

Do you want to see a man of paradise? A man then passed by and the Prophet (pbuh) said, "That man is one of the people of a paradise." So a Companion of the Prophet (pbuh) decided to learn what it was about with this man that earned his such a commendation from the Messenger of God, Muhammed (pbuh). He spent time with this man and observed him closely. He noticed he did not perform the night Prayer vigil (Tahajud) or anything extraordinary. He appeared to be an average man of Madinah. The Companion finally told the man what the Prophet (pbuh) had said about him and asked him if he did anything special. And the man replied, "The only thing I can think of, other than what everybody else does is that I make sure that I never sleep with any rancour (a feeling of hate, resentment, enmity, hostility) in my heart towards another" (Hadith)

How to treat it? 

One should pray for the person towards he feels hatred, asking God to give him good in this life and the next. When you do this with sincerity, hearts mend. The disease of hatred is one of the most devastating forces in the world, but the force that is even more powerful is love. Hate is the absence of love, and only love can cure hatred. 

Iniquity 

What is Iniquity?

Iniquity is defines as "harming anything in creation without just case". The problem is desiring things to the point of transgressing the rights of others to get it. "Love of position" is the main motivator for people to wrong others. It is not allowed to seek the pleasure of people through trickery,  religiosity or hypocritical flattery. Do not expect the pleasure of God when you seek the pleasure of His creation!

How to treat it? 

The cure for this is to "Remember the destroyer of pleasure (Hadith)." Remembering death is a spiritual practise that cleanses our hearts. Always remember that the thing that ultimately counts is how God sees you. Attaining nearness yo God is very important, and it does not involve wronging others. Be a person that is selfless, compassionate and sensitive to the rights of others.

Picture source: http://findyourline.tumblr.com/post/17094757338/cardiovascular-disease-statistics-and-paleo-diet

What's cooking? ~ Pakistani-style Rice with green Peas&Carrots (Sabzi Pulao)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice (soak for about 30 minutes)
a handful green peas
1 carrot (in julienne strips)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 medium Tomato (finely chopped)
1 green chili (optional, do no use if you do not like it spicy)
cooking oil

Spices:
a few whole coriander seeds
cumin seeds
2 green cardamom
2 cloves
salt, red chili powder, coriander powder
a dash of turmeric

Recipe:

1) heat 1 1/2 cooking spoons of oil in a pot, add the finely cut onion to it. after a while add the garlic to it brown the onion (the deeper the color the more beautiful the color of the rice). add whole spices (coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves)
2) once the onion are browned, add the chopped tomato to it. try to get the tomato as mashed as possible. add finely chopped green chili.
3) add the green peas and julienned carrots to it. finally add around 2 1/2 cups of water. add remaining spices. bring the water to boil
4) when the water boils add the pre-soaked rice to it. check the salt now, the water should taste slightly too salty
5) bring to boil, put on the lid and cook the rice on medium heat.
6) once the water evaporates, turn the heat to low and let rice steam until cooked.

Serve this rice with some yummy Kababs and Mint-Yogurt Chutney.

Enjoy :)
(Picture will be uploaded soon :) )

Purification of the heart by Hamza Yusuf

Purification of the heart, by Hamza Yusuf

Signs, Syptoms and Cures of the spiritual diseases of the heart

Translation and Commentary of 

Imam al-Mawlud's Matharat al-Qulbi

This book offers an insightful introduction to one of the most ancient of religious concers: spiritual purification of the heart.

It takes the reader through a well-known text from the Muslim tradition, and gives an important commentary that is relevant to our day to people if a variety of religious experiences.

Salam everybody,

inshaAllah you are all doing very well. I am really sorry i did not post anything so far :D 

It is always like that, when you try to start a blog (FINALLY!) you suddenly get really busy. Anyway, thanks to my dearest friend pushing me to post something ("Hey you know i am waiting to read something from you on your blog :D ) I finally take the time to write something.

I am planning a series of Blog-posts which are going to give you a summary of the book "Purification of the heart" by Hamza Yusuf. I myself am very impressed by the book and its contents which is why I would love to share the knowledge of this amazing book with you. The book is purely based on a poem by Imam al-Mawlud. Hamza Yusuf gives a english translation of it and also comments on the meaning of the poem.

It contains all of the important "diseases of the heart"and explains them. 

Introduction to Purification

Poem Verses 1-8

I begin by starting with the heart of beginnings,

for it is the highest and noblest of beginnings.

Have courtesy with God, the High and the Majestic,

by practicing modesty and humility—

Dejected out of shame and humility

humbled in awe, imploring Him—

By giving up your designs for His,

emptied of covetousness for what His servants have,

By hastening to fulfill His commands, and by being wary

of the subtle encroachment of bad manners.

If you—the spiritual aspirant—realize your attributes of servitude,

you will then be assisted with something of the attributes

of the Eternally Besought.

Courtesy: the heart of purification

Imam Mawlud starts his poem with "courtesy", since courtesy is the portal to the purification of the heart. You first must have courtesy with God (behave properly with respect to HIS presence) if you want to ourify your heart. There are two very important qualities that are associated with courtesy: modesty (haya) and humilty (dhul).

One needs to acquire Haya, an internal sense of shame that includes bashfulness and modesty. Islam takes the level of shame to another level, while other cultures think of bringing shame upon oneself and the larger family, Islam teaches us to feel a sense of shame before God. This is associated with the knowledge and awareness that God is all-seeing of what you do - a permanent reality.

The other quality that is mentioned is to have dhul ( ~ being lowly, abject or humbled), which means being humbled in the august presents of God. 

Freedom and Purification 

Next Imam Mawlud mentions freedom, which is a result of realizing the qualities of shame and humility and therefor removing their opposit qualities (shamlessness and arrogance).

With shame and humilty one can gain true freedom, wealth and dignity. People in today's world claim to be "free" yet they cannot control themselves (be it in regard to food, shopping etc), such freedom is no real freedom. 

Imam al-Ghazali speaks in depth about the desires of our limbs and organs. He calls the stomach and genitals as the two "dominators". Once they are under control, all other aspects of desire are under control too. The tounge also is regarded as a big obstacle, as many people cannot stop themselves from backbiting etc.

If ones heart is safe, so are his limbs and organs, because in the heart lies the inspiration of all deeds.

"When man wakes up in the morning each day, all parts of the body warn the tongue saying, ‘Fear God as regards us for we are at your mercy; if you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we become crooked.’" (At-Tirmidhee)

The Purification Process

Purifying the heart is a process, not something you do within a day or so. The first step is to understand the necessitiy of having courtesy with God, and trying to fulfill its requierments. The second step is to learn about the diseases of the heart, to be aware of their existence and ailments.
The heart is a spiritual organ that need to be taken care of and looked after. As mentioned in the hadith:

Abu Hurairah (raa) narrated: Allah’s Messenger May peace be upon Him said : “When a slave (a person) commits a sin (an evil deed) a black dot is dotted on his heart. Then if that person gives up that evil deed (sin), begs Allah to forgive him, and repents, then his heart is cleared (from that heart covering dot); but if he repeats the evil deed (sin), then that covering is increased till his heart is completely covered with it. - At-Tirmidhi, Vol 5 , Hadith No: 3334

This means each time we commit a bad deed, we are in danger of "blackening" our hearts if we do not step in immediately and ask God for forgivness. 
It is very interesting that Imam Mawlud says it is impossible to ever rid oneself from these diseases 100%. Therefore the purification of the heart is a lifelong process, something we always have to strive for. 

I hope you are inshaAllah benefiting from this posts.
Till the next time, take good care

Salma

5 Anti-Hairfall Tips

5 Tips to help your helpless falling hair..

Have you ever been through this? Chunks of hair falling out daily..

Frustrating and SCARY! 
Hair is the beauty of a woman, so let's look well after it, 

I have been through one of the worst hair falling experiences of my life and will now share what worked best for me.

1) Get a GOOD shampoo! Yes there is a difference between the cheap stuff and the quality shampoos. I personally have experienced the difference between cheap shampoos and the quality products.  Check the label, which type of shampoo would suit you best.  Dry hair? Oily hair? Short hair? Long hair?

    

2) Oil your hair! No fancy stuff, just apply oil before you shampoo your hair, once a week. Massage your    scalp with the oil, let it sit for at least 15-30 minutes and than shampoo as usual.. Not quite sure which oil    to use? I will be having a post to go into the details of the benefits of certain oils. For falling hair i  recommend especially ALMOND OIL. 

3) Fenugreek Hair mask! Take a hand-full of fenugreek seeds, soak them overnight. The next day grind the   seeds. You could do it by hand but i prefer it with a blender. Add some water to make a smooth paste, this will be way easier to apply plus you will not be left with chunks of fenugreek in your hair after the shower, People usually just grind the seeds ( I tried this too but i felt really awkward to have pieces of  fenugreek left in my hair, with the smooth paste everything will be washed away ;) ) For extra shine I add a   splash of mustard oil to this mix. Apply it on your scalp and hair, let it sit for about 30 minutes minimum. Shampoo as usual. Use this hair mask, once a week.

NOTE: Your hair will be smelling like fenugreek when using this mask. BUT the anti-hair falling benefits are totally worth this smell. I have never had a product/ natural remedy that has helped as much for falling hair as this beautiful hair mask.

4) Take a multivitamin! Hair loss is often linked to a poor diet. A deficiency can often result into hair shedding. Take a multivitamin  daily to get important vitamins/minerals. 

5) Cut out the junk from your diet! Leave out all the junk from your diet and add fresh fruits and vegetables to it instead. You won't see a difference over night but on the long run this is going to give you beautiful and healthy hair! 

Hopefully you'll recover from hair loss very soon :) 

What are your best tips when it comes to hair loss? Share with me, and let me know. xx

Love, 

Salma

Introductory Post

Salam and Hello Everybody!

Welcome to my Blog.

Who am I?

 Just your average girl, with dreams and hopes. I love to cook and bake. (International recipes)

 Enjoy being creative in the kitchen. 

 I am crazy about working out, my favorite type of workout is YOGA. 

 Love experimenting with make-up and to find modest hijab-friendly Fashion. 

What can you expect to find here (in the future)?

 - Articles about natural remedies
 - Healthy living advices (Fitness &Food)
 - Baking and cooking recipes
 - Islamic Articles



Would love to hear from all of you and get your feedback, do not hesitate!

Lots of Love

Salma