RAMADHAAN - ADORNING THE ROOH
RAMADHAAN - ADORNING THE ROOH
Once Hadhrat Moulana Maseehullah Rahmatullahi alayh advised a person who complained bitterly about his evilness and extreme weak spiritual state that: “Do not focus so much about your sins. Rather use your energies to reform yourself by making Taubah.”
The person responded by saying “Hadhrat, every time I make Taubah, I break my Taubah. So what is the sense of making Taubah?”
Hazratjee replied: “Clean clothing gets dirty after a day or two. It is understood that the clothing needs to be washed. No one says: “What’s the sense of washing my clothing. It will get dirty again. Similarly, the soul gets dirty when sin is committed. Just as one regularly washes and changes one’s clothing, so is there a need to “wash” the soul regularly even though you fear that you will sin again.”
Subhanallah! What a brilliant method of explaining the need for continuous Taubaah. What a wonderful remedy to cure the wasaawis (whisperings) of Shaytaan. We did sin and soil ourselves but, with the Fadhl of Allah, we shall humbly walk through the doors of Taubah, with cap in hand… again and again. His is the Court whose doors never close. His is the Mercy which embraces the worst of the worst. His is the Forgiveness which with just one heartfelt “Astaghfirullah” (I seek forgiveness), an entire life of sins is forgiven though the sins may be more than the foam of the oceans.
Yes, Ramadaan is here! Yes, it is the month of Mercy and Forgiveness. Yes, it is time for a good scrub which paves the way to Taqwa. Taqwa is obtained by combating the nafs. The nafs feeds upon excessive eating, excessive sleeping and excessive association. Ramadaan is a time when Allah Ta’aala has compelled us to restrict the eating, drinking, sleeping and cohabiting.
The benefits of combating the nafs is that its power to incline towards evil, vice and wickedness is substantially diminished. The reprehensible qualities such as greed, malice, pride, jealousy, love of the world, vanity, love for fame, love for wealth and anger is diminished substantially. Obliteration is impossible for man is saddled with this basic animalism called nafs until death. He is not under any obligation to uproot his nafs, he is only obliged to control it. Fasting snips, cuts and smothers the power of the nafs. It removes the sting and steam from it.
The rooh, which is the opposite of the nafs, is strengthened whenever the nafs is opposed. The rooh is the source of good qualities. It is the engine of goodness, purity and nobleness. When the rooh is strong and pumps with vitality, virtuous qualities flow freely from that person. Tauheed, sincerity, truth, generosity, patience, tolerance, humility, and fear of Allah etc. becomes secondary to one’s disposition. Ramadaan is a month to lessen our association with the Creation and bond ourselves to our Creator. This bond cannot be acquired by indulging in fanning the flames of greed and negligence by entering competitions, shopping, feasting and indulging in an abundance of socialising, amusement and fun.
Ramadaan is a time for training the rooh to submit to Allah’s Will. Food there is plenty but a true Muslim submits and refrains from eating, the bed is comfortable but a true Muslim stands for Taraweeh and trains his nafs to submit to the Shariah. After the scrubbing, comes the adorning of the rooh with the apparel called Taqwa. “And the clothing of Taqwa, that is best” (Qur’an)
