The ruling for self-purification

 

 This book “Ihya’Ulum Al-Din” Imam Al-Ghazali tells us that self-purification is an individual duty for each and every Muslim even if he/she did not have any bad manners. So everyone must learn about the ailments of the heart and how to purify them.

 The majority of scholars advise that it is not an individual duty unless someone doubts the existence of an ailment and so he/she must seek to cure it. But learning about the ailments of the hearts is a collective duty and not an individual on though. Al-Ghazali drove his supposition from the fact that the original format of man is to have heart ailments and not to be free from them. He backed his claim with the fact that Rasulullah ﷺ who is the best example for all mankind had his chest opened twice to remove a ‘black notch’ which is the embodiment of all the heart ailments in man. So if Rasulullah ﷺ needed to undergo this procedure then all of mankind is surely in need for self-purification because this ‘inclination to evil’ must be an innate nature in all mankind. 

Allah says, “…that nature in which He has created mankind…”

 (TMQ, 30:30).

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hassan, may Allah protect him, interpreted Al-Ghazali’s opinion that all the sons of Adam “tend” to have this ailment rather than having them as an absolute fact. So the procedure which Rasulullah ﷺ went through was only to prevent this tendency from him not to cure him; this procedure was only to assert the infallibility that will fend off any of these ailments from him.

If we combine both opinions and claim that the original format in all human beings is to be free from ailments yet they “tend” to lusts and desires, side from obedience and incline towards negligence; we will realize that the Muslim is asked to be on a constant quest of self-purification and self-purgation.

If we look closely at the causes of self-purification and self-education we will realize how badly we need both as confirmed by all the scholars. Ibnul-Qayem says in “Saidul-Khater”, “A rational believer can never leave his soul unbridled and he can never ignore its steering wheel. He can go easy as long as it is driving in the right direction but he must never make things more difficult than they are. But if he finds it losing direction he must return it to the right path gently and if it refuses only he then he must be tough on it.” Abu-Yazid says, “I kept steering my soul to Allah while it cried rivers, until I was able to steer it while it laughed.”

1. Al-Dhilal, part 2, page 3893.2). Ighathat Al-Lahfan, Ibnul-Qayem, part 1, page 75 to 78. 3). Ihya’Ulum Al-Din, part 3, page 4. 4). Abu-Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi.

5. Ighathat Al-Lahfan, part 2, page 75., 6). Al-Dhilal, part 6, page 3893.  7). Madarij Al-Salikin, 2/356.  9). Ighathat Al-Lahfan, part 2/ 49.

10. Al-Bukhari, 538. Muslim, 283. 1)1. Muslim, 284.  12.)Tafsir Al-Saadi, 3/293.  13). Al-Majmu’, 10/269. 14). Ighathat Al-Lahfan, part 1/49.  13) . Madarij Al-Salikin, 2/576.  16). Muslim, 2722. 17). Ihya’Ulum Al-Din, part 4, page 382. 1819. Ighathat Al-Lahfan, part 1, page 80.  19). Ihya’Ulum Al-Din, part 4, page 382.

20. Ihya’Ulum Al-Din, part 4, page 386. 21). TahdibMadarij Al-Salikin.  22). TahdibMadarij Al-Salikin. ]23. Ahmad and others.