The most excellent jihad is that for the conquest of oneself. This was a saying of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), our most blessed prophet. What does it mean to conquer oneself? It is when the ruh, the spirit, the soul of the body is in control of the body and the body is no longer in control. There is a lack of understanding of the reality of the ruh (soul) and its position in our lives, as Muslims. Allah created the angels and fused in them intelligence and created them from nur (light) and thus the nature of the angels is such that they have no needs or desires. No need for food, drink, associates, and relationships. Each angel is created for a certain purpose and all that angel does is what Allah has appointed him to do. Whatever his duty is, he will obey Allah subhanahu wa taala. They do not change at all. On the other hand, Allah created animals, the beasts. But Allah did not give them any nur or intelligence like the angels, but Allah created in them the need as well as the desire for bestial things--food, drink, relationships, the need and the urge to reproduce, the need for company. But Allah gave them no intelligence, so the animals spend life eating, drinking, associating, growing up, and dying and theres nothing more to their lives. We have the creation, the purpose, and the life of the animals and the beasts. On the other hand, we have the creation, as well as the purpose and the kind of lives the angels have, the Malaaikah. On the one hand, we have whats created from nur and intelligence. Theyre whole life is ibaadah and the obedience of Allah azzawajalla and carrying out the tasks Allah had appointed. On the other hand, we have the animals, where there is no intelligence, neither were they created from nur. Because neither of these will change, and they have been given no choice of change, they will be neither rewarded nor punished. In between these two, Allah has created man. And in man, Allah has given him a bit of both. Although man is made of dust, Allah has given him some intelligence, so man, on the one hand, shares characteristics with the animals and on the other hand, he shares characteristics with the angels. Allah has also given man choice and it is within mans grasp and ability to change himself and because he can change, Allah has promised him reward for good and righteousness and punishment for evil and sinfulness. Man, according to his obedience or lack of obedience to Allah subhanahu wa taala is inclined to either of the two. Either he becomes close to the angels, their characteristics, and their ways or man can fall so low, he becomes like the animals and the beasts. In fact, Allah describes this in the Quran. Allah says: Indeed We have created man in the best fashion and mold, then We have reduced him to the lowest of the low. When a human being comes into the world in the form of a baby, Allah makes it beautiful, both physically and in spirit. It is born pure. But throughout the life, according to the company and according to the deeds, that same child becomes so evil that Allah describes him as being the lowest of the low. Except of course Illalladhina aamanu wa amilussalihaat--those who believe and do good deeds. Allah describes those who have gone far from the path of Allah, These people are like animals. Nay! They are even worse. On the other hand, through his ibaadah (worship), through his obedience, mankind can rise. Man can rise to such heights that the angels seek their attention. Man can rise to such heights, that, as Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) explains in a hadith, even the angels become envious of mans position. But not in a bad way because angels are incapable of sin and they will never sin, but in terms of admiration and respect. Man can rise to such heights that Allah boasts of man to His angels. In a hadithi qudsi, Allah says, I am with my servant as he thinks of Me. The meaning of this hadith is the way a person sees Allah, how he views Him, the kinds of expectations he has from Allah, Allah azzowajal deals with him accordingly. If man despairs of Allahs mercy, then Allah azzowajal will deprive him of His mercy.I am with my servant as he thinks of Me and I am with him whenever he thinks of Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart. If he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better gathering, the gathering of the angels. And the thing that makes mans temperament and his character flexible, the thing which gives him the ability to do good and bad is not the body. It is the ruh. And because there is no ruh in the animals, they will not change for the worse or the better, but Allah has given man the body, the flesh, the bones, the blood, his needs, his urges, his desires, and together with that, Allah has given him intelligence and Allah has given him the ruh.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:03:56 +0000
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