Perform sincere tawbah, or repentance, for your sins and seek the mercy and forgiveness of Allah SWT. Make use of the guilt you feel about transgressions as motivation to learn from your mistakes and never repeat them again.
In Islam, the heart is the center of spiritual growth. Incorporating the above measures into one’s daily life will improve the spiritual health of one’s heart over time. Some of the above guidelines involve social interaction. Keep in mind that seclusion, or withdrawing into solitude for the purpose of spiritual purification, must be moderate and intended as a means for self-examining and soul-searching.
This in no way presupposes or condones isolating oneself in general, as that is an evading of worldly responsibilities. Central to the regimen of self-purification is treating others with compassion and respect, and helping the less fortunate. This is not possible if one leads the life of an austere recluse.
On the authority of Abu Dharr RA who said:
“My beloved companion Rasulullah SAW has commanded me with seven:
- he commanded me to love the poor and become near to them;
- he commanded me to look at the one below me (in material wealth) and to not look at the one above me;
- he commanded me to maintain blood relations even if (those relatives) turn away;
- he commanded me to not ask anything from anyone (as a favor);
- he commanded me to tell the truth even if it is bitter;
- he commanded me to not fear in the path of Allah those who blame and vilify;
- he commanded me to increase in saying ‘there is no power and might except from Allah’ for they are the words from a treasure kept beneath the throne of The Beneficent.”
It is noteworthy that most of the seven injunctions refer to one’s active role in the world, reinforcing the idea that self-purification does not imply isolation from other people and the affairs of the world.
Another important lesson is that the second command enjoins Muslims to compare themselves with those below them in terms of material possessions. By doing this, one will feel grateful for the blessings that Allah SWT has bestowed upon him or her, and help curb the inclination to greed and envy. This allows one to remain focused on the quest of self-improvement and eternal success in the Hereafter rather than on the pursuit of material things in this transitory life.
It is important for every Muslim to focus on tazkiya through the methods described in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The result of this process will be pleasing to Allah SWT as well as a commitment to serving others in an altruistic manner. Goodness overflows from the heart of an individual who dedicates his or her life to the path of self-purification. This is the way of success in this life and in the Hereafter.
“By the soul, 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 who corrupts it”
(Qur’an 9-10).
