Salam Alaykom wa rahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatu brothers and sisters (:
Today I'll be talking about Jihad Al-Nafs & Abandoning 'Bad Company' (:
The video=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p6BnuEqcnw
When the term "Jihad" is mentioned, the first meaning that frequently comes to the minds of many people is fighting on the battlefield. Yet, this is only one type of Jihad, for Jihad has a much wider scope of meanings. Ibn Al-Qayyim said in his famous book, Zad Al-Ma'ad, "Jihad is four types: Jihad An-Nafs (one's self); Jihad Ash-Shaytan (Satan); Jihad Al-Kuffar (the disbelievers) and Al-Munafiqin (the hypocrites); and Jihad Ahlu (those who indulge in) Ath-Thulm (injustice), Al-Bid'ah (innovation in the religion) andAl-Munkarat (sin and evil).
"The best type of jihaad is the jihaad of the one who strives against his own self (jihaad al-nafs) for the sake of Allaah."
It as if you are divided into two, the good side of you (al-nafs al-lawama which is the one that makes you feel guilty for being bad and doing bad things which makes you strive to become a "better Muslim" ) and the bad side of you (al-nafs al-a'marra bil su' which is the ones that orders you to do bad and is supported by the Satan from both Jinn and Inns). I know it's really tiring to keep on constantly fighting yourself but according to this Ayah {As for those who STRIVE (JAHADU) in Us (the cause of Allah), We surely guide them to Our paths, and O! Allah is with the good doers.} (29:69), Allah SWT will make it easier for you soon and you won't to have to fight this specific habit/wanting do it. Example ; you fight yourself to stop backbiting your teachers ,at first it's hard but as time goes on Allah will make you hate doing such a thing and therefore you'll stop doing it automatically without really having to fight it anymore (:
So, Our nafs is something that we need to purify because without purification, the nafs remains a "soul that enjoins evil" (al-nafs al-ammara bil-su') until it surrenders itself in total obedience to the call of animal passions and shaytan. Just like Allah said: "By the nafs and the proportion and order given to it, and its inspiration as to its wrong and its right; truly he succeeds who purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it" (91:7-10).
For you to become a better Muslim ,you need to quit living your life following your Own hawa/lust but instead you'll be following the Quran and the Sunnah. I'm sure no one of us wants to be like the people described in the following Surah ;{ Have you seen the one who chooses for his god his own lust?} (25:43). {He followed his own lust. Therefore his likeness is as the likeness of a dog; if you attack him he pants with his tongue out and if you leave him he pants with his tongue out} (7:176).
There is a reward for those who fight their lust and don't follow it and those who controlled the passion of their ego as Allah says: {But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust, O! The garden will be his home} (79:40-41)
So, how do you fight it? Well in my Opinion, It's Is that you remind yourself of the reward you'll get from fighting yourself (Heaven) or for you to remind yourself of the punishment you'll get from doing the sin/not fighting your nafs.
But here is what I found Online;
1. Ignorance is one of the allies of ( Nafs Al-ammara bi su') and hence you need to increase your knowledge about Islam is by reading books about the Prophet PBUH ,reading tasfsir of the Quran and perhaps watching videos on youtube by Imams and sheikhs that refer to authentic sources such as Amr Khaled , Nouman Ali khan etc.
2. Abandon the bad company. How to know they're a bad company; just ask yourself 'do these so-called-friends-of-mine make me a better person or change me to the worst. i.e. Am I slowly abandoning Salah for example" . I know it's hard especially if you truly love them. Simply join Halaqs in the masjid in order to make new friends/good company and you'll sooner or later leave the bad company you used to have. Also do ask for Allah's help.
3. Try doing good deeds if you're too lazy/too weak then force yourself to do it.Also striving to make one act in accordance with what one has learned. Simply knowing without acting, even though it may not cause any harm, is not going to bring any benefit.
4. If you have too much free time which might be one of the factors that make it even harder to avoid sinning etc then fill your time with productive things like Memorizing the Quran ,if you're a Non-Arab then try learning Arabic online or via attending a professional institute. Learn the Tajweed , do some volunteering. Educate yourself do whatever it is that you find interesting that is at the same time something 'good' so that you get rewarded for it (:
You should make Jihad against your parents in case they go against you trying to become religious or even trying to convert to Islam.
Don't forget to have Patience for As Allah said : {Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease. (65:7)}
):More About Jihad Al- Nafs [in Arabic though] :
Now I'll elaborate bit more regarding the bad company part =D
“Man is on the religion of his friend, so let every one of you examine whom he befriends.” (Aboo Dawood and others).
The Messenger of Allah also laid an example for a good and evil companions with perceptible things when he said,
“The example of the good and evil companions is like a bearer of musk and a person blowing a pair of bellows. As for the musk bearer, he either gives you some, or you buy from him or at least you get a pleasant smell from him. As for the bellows blower he either gets your clothes burnt or you get an unpleasant smell from him.” (Al–Bukharee and Muslim)
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One companion asked Rasulullah (saw), “Who can be my best friend?”
Rasulullah (saw) answered, “Your best friend is a person:
*when you see him, he makes you remember Allah ;
*when you listen to him, knowledge of Islam is increased; and
*when you see his actions, you are reminded of the life of the Hereafter .”
Rasulullah (saw) answered, “Your best friend is a person:
*when you see him, he makes you remember Allah ;
*when you listen to him, knowledge of Islam is increased; and
*when you see his actions, you are reminded of the life of the Hereafter .”
Brothers and sisters in faith! The worst of all companions is the one who has had a bad influence on his friend, is weak religiously, evil in conduct, has no clear conscience and nothing good is said of his behavior.
Whether you love them deeply or not ask for Allah's help to get away from then because I'm sure you don't want to end up like this; “And (remember) the Day when the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, he will say: O! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad). Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so–and–so as a friend. He indeed led me astray from the reminder (the Qur’an) after it had come to me. And Satan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need.” (Al–Furqaan 25: 27–29)
Believe it or not, these so-called-friends-of-yours will ; “Friends on that Day (the Day of Judgement) will be foes except al–Muttaqoon (the pious).” (Az–Zukhruf 43: 67) only if they are 'bad company' =O
This is Allah's advice to the Prophet PBUH and you me, the whole nation ; “And obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, one who follows his own lust and whose affairs (deeds) have been lost.” (Al–Kahf 18: 28)
Choosing your friends:
If your aim was to be an athlete, a sports personality, then you would try to be with people who also want to become athletes or those who are already athletes. You would learn from them, train with them, go to the sport centre and even hang around with them; in fact you would try to do all that you can to achieve your goal.
Similarly as Muslims our goal is Paradise and not Hell. Therefore it only seems logical that we should try to arrange our life and activities to be around those who also share the same goal and at the same time stay away from those who have chosen another way, those who are forgetful, wicked and commit sins. A true friend shows you success in this world and the hereafter whereas a misguided friend is trickery and cunning.
Similarly as Muslims our goal is Paradise and not Hell. Therefore it only seems logical that we should try to arrange our life and activities to be around those who also share the same goal and at the same time stay away from those who have chosen another way, those who are forgetful, wicked and commit sins. A true friend shows you success in this world and the hereafter whereas a misguided friend is trickery and cunning.
Friends are those who love you not for who you are or what you have but purely for Allah. Those who are with you in times of happiness and also in sadness. They help you in preference to themselves.
I'm sure you'll want your friends and you to end up as stated in the following Hadith ;
Umar ibn Al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) states that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "There will be some slaves of Allah who will be neither from the prophets or martyrs but on account of their high position before Allah the prophets and martyrs will envy them. The people asked who will these be? The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) replied those persons who loved each other for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala even though there was no blood relation, they give their wealth to one another. By God, from their faces light will shine and they will be riding the light. When the people will be shuddering with fear, they will have no fear and when the people will be sad they will have no sorrow." [Abu Dawud]
4. 'Two men who love each other for Allaah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that....'
Having mutual love for the sake of Allaah is one of the great doors leading to the good of the Hereafter and a cause of tasting the sweetness of Eemaan in this world. Loving one another for Allaah's sake means that the Muslim does not love another except for the correctness of his Deen. So it does not matter what the person looks like, what he wears, how rich or poor he is, where he comes from, or what the colour of his skin is - perhaps you dislike everything about him, but you love him for his Eemaan: this is loving for Allaah's sake.
'Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent says: 'Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will have pillars of light and will be envied the Prophets and martyrs.' Saheeh - Collected in Sunan at-Tirmidhee & Musnad Ahmad (5/336-7) (:
You could check the following links for some more information about Today's Topic (they were also my Reference):
http://www.islamset.com/islam/hadith/sayings/part-2.html
http://hadith-e-mohammad.blogspot.com/2010/11/good-company.html
http://www.jannah.org/articles/intheshade.html
http://deenislam.webs.com/typesofjihad.htm
Jazakom AllahkKhair for reading ,Please help in sharing it with friends and family (:
Don't forget to include me in your prayers ,Please =D
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