TAZKIYA—AN ACT OF PREPARATION
Purify Yourself
IN the present material world, everyone is in need of some employment. Everyone wants a good job. That is why everyone prepares himself professionally to meet the demands of the job market. One who fails to do so will be a failure all his life. The same is true of the world Hereafter. But its exigencies are of a much more pressing nature. The world Hereafter is a world of divine activity of a very high order. In the world of Hereafter, only that person will succeed who readies himself spiritually in the present world. One who fails to prepare himself appropriately in this world will be a failure in the Hereafter.
All types of success relates to competence. One type of competence works in this world, while another type of competence will avail in the Hereafter. In this world, any source other than God may work but, in the Hereafter, belief in the true God alone will be of any avail. In this world making one’s own self one’s sole concern is advantageous but, in the Hereafter, it is making God one’s sole concern which will be of benefit. In this world, looking at things from the material angle is profitable but, in the Hereafter, only looking at things from the spiritual angle will be of any use. Materialism (interest-based thinking) benefits one in this world but, in the next world, only a man of principle will succeed. In this world dishonesty apparently works, whereas in that other world it is only honesty which will work. In this world, giving importance to immediate interests works but, in the next world, it is only giving importance to other-worldly interests which will be of any avail.
Tazkiya means preparing oneself with regard to the Hereafter; that is, developing in oneself those qualities which will benefit one in the Hereafter.
Tazkiya means preparing oneself with regard to the Hereafter, that is, developing in oneself those qualities which will benefit one in the Hereafter. The way of Tazkiya is to activate one’s thinking. One way to do this is to identify such incidents in one's life when one was going to be plunged into some great trouble but was saved by the special succour of God.
It is a must for the seeker of Tazkiya to recall such incidents repeatedly in order to refresh the mind of how, when he had reached the very brink of destruction, was saved by the special intervention of God. He should keep remembering every graphic detail of these incidents and beseech God thus: “O God, you have repeatedly saved me from the horrible consequences of my actions in the life of this world. In the same way, save me from the horrible punishment of hell in the Hereafter.”
“O God, you have repeatedly saved me from the horrible consequences of my actions in the life of this world. In the same way, save me from the horrible punishment of hell in the Hereafter.”
Another approach to this matter is to remember one's shortcomings, mistakes and awaken in oneself a feeling of repentance. If one feels that in any matter one was 99% right and was wrong by only 1%, then on such occasions, one should forget the 99% and exaggerate the 1% to the point where one begins to feel that one was 100% wrong. This will awaken the feeling of repentance. One will shudder in the fear of God and will turn to Him in prayer and seek His forgiveness. There is nothing mysterious about Tazkiya. It is a known process, i.e. thinking repeatedly about all aspects of self-purification. Tazkiya is always the result of an intellectual awakening, rather than the result of some mysterious miracle. The more one thinks about this matter, the more one will be able to attain a state of self-purification. Tazkiya is a conscious process in the full sense. Hoping to achieve it without undergoing this conscious process is just wishful thinking. It will never become a reality.
Right of the Country
Every individual and every group should
believe that the right of the country takes
precedence over all other rights.