Thread: A program to improve the nafs

1: Alhamdulillah for another Ramadan and another Eid. One hopes that we are not among the great losers: those who only gained hunger in ramadan - those whose good works scatterred away like dust because of their own evil deeds. A’udhubillah.

2: One hopes that the discipline imbibed in Ramadan and the enhanced spiritually it entails are sustained after Eid. But hope is not enough. Action is required.

This is a critical time to map out your spiritual year, so that you prime yourself for a better ramadan next year.

3: The time to develop a program of your nafs is now, while the memories of Ramadan are still fresh in your mind.

Remember that Ramadan is a sprint following a year-long marathon. Start with reflection. Be honest with yourself. How was your ramadan? Did you do as much ibadah..

4: ..as you wished or could have? What worked? What didnt? What do you need to improve on?

Consider a practical 5-point program.

#1: Tazkiyyatul nafs (purification of the self): what is the state of your nafs? Prone to lying? Backbiting? envy? Slandering? Insulting? Gluttony?

5: Diagnose the disease(s) afflicting your nafs & start a conscious effort to remedy them all. You have a whole year. A diseased nafs can jeopardize your entire Ramadan & your entire existence as a muslim. Nurse yourself back to spiritual health. No one else can do it for you.

6: #2: Quran: How much Quran did you recite in Ramadan? How much more do you want to recite next yr? Prime yourself for that goal by preparing all year! Set a goal to complete the recitation of the Quran before the next Ramadan: 1 khatm every 3, 6, 1 month(s).. Set a goal.

7: Recitation is just one aspect. You should also set aside time for
* tadabbur (deep reflection, perhaps a few ayats weekly) and
* attentive listening (eg a quarter hizb a day of a recitation by your favorite reciter).

#3 Dhikr: how much dhikr are you doing now?

8: Are you doing istighifar, tasbih & salatin nabiyy regularly? Many will say yes to this but many often do it absent-mindedly. 100 istighfars in 2 minutes in a distracted state or while on twitter or watching tv isnt quite the way to do dhikr. Set achievable dhikr goals then..

9: Immerse your HEART in dhikr..you’ll see that it may take 2 mins to do 10 high quality istighars. Point is when it comes to dhikr, prioritize quality over quantity & be consistent

Again, quality over quantity. Set achievable, meaningful goals. You can always increase the goal

10: #4: Tahajjud: If you want to be up there in the highest parts of Jannah, then you better have a plan for regular tahajjud. Tahajjud should not be done only when you need something from SWT. It should be your means of connecting with SWT, of glorifying Him and being thankful.

11: To be honest, you’ll notice that with regular tahajjud, you‘ll have less to ask & more to be thankful for! Everything will keep falling into place..smoothly like butter

#5: Last but not least, improve your mu’amalat: this involves all your interactions with others:

12: ..parents, spouse(s), kids, neighbors, relatives, your work colleagues, social media engagement, the greater ummah/humanity AND mother Earth - yes, every muslim should care about the environment and ongoing ecological crises.

Set goals for yourself:

13: Stingy? Find ways to be more charitable: N100 sadaqa every mo or that cloth you havent worn in 5 yrs. If you are scandal-loving, prone to being suspicious, eager to jump to conclusions/assumptions, you need to work on cleansing your mind in order to open it up for common good

14: Orphans, widows, people with disabilities, those abused, those unfairly incarcerated- we have too many of them and there is so much to be done. Do what little you can do to alleviate their suffering and difficulties

Protect the environment:

15:..plant trees, minimize your carbon footprint, dispose your trash safely, dont spit or answer the call of nature carelessly. Dont harm other creations of Allah SWT.

Be caring to all. Remember the prostitute who achieved salvation by giving water to a single thirsty dog.

16: And remember the person who does sadaqa, prays tahujjud, fasts extra but is going to hell because of a sharp, injurious tongue.

May Ar Rahman make it easy, and help us improve our selves. May we be blessed with many more Ramadans, each better than the previous.