In the Holy Qur’an, Sura Al-Mu’minun, Chapter 23, verses 2-12, it explains seven steps to help a true believer to develop. The verses are:-
Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers, and who shun all that which is vain, and who are prompt and regular in paying the Zakaat, and who guard their chastity – except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for them they are not to be blamed; But those, who seek anything beyond that are the transgressors – And who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants, and who are strict in the observance of their prayers. These are the heirs, who will inherit Paradise. They will abide therein forever.
Last time I talked about first three stages of a Mu’min (believer) spiritual progress:
- Prayers
- Giving up the ego.
- Sacrifice
The fourth stage is: “And who guard their chastity – Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then they are not to be blamed; But those, who seek anything beyond that are the transgressors”
Self-control is vital for spiritual progress. It is very important that we cut at the root, by controlling our thoughts. Naturally, sometimes thoughts pop into our mind, but we must quickly dismiss them and think pure thoughts. To help us guard against bad thoughts, women have been asked to cover themselves, except our wives or the servants in the house, who you will be constantly meeting. Purdah means to keep the eyes cast downwards and keep pure thoughts. It applies to both men and women. It is not for women to gaze wrongfully at men. Once Hazrat Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, was rebuked by the Holy Prophet for being in the presence of a blind man, that although he could not see her, she could still see him.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, may peace be with him, has said:
The Holy Qur’an says: ‘he who purifies himself attains to salvation’. Purification of self demands that one should keep the company of the righteous people and come close to the virtuous ones; that helps a great deal. Malfoozat Vol. I, p443
One way to develop our self-control is through fasting. It is very important to always be in control of yourself. We should be in control of ourselves, try not to get angry, the Holy Prophet always showed great patience despite severe hardships. Again, the Promised Messiah was always in control of himself. It is reported by Maulvi Abdul Karim that he said:
The feelings of mercy is influx in my heart and I have reduced the feeling of resentment and anger on my mental attitude.’
So we should try to develop self-control over our passions and this will develop our spirituality.
The fifth stage is: ‘And who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants’
It is very important for our spiritual development that we are trustworthy. It is important that you are known as being a righteous person.
How can you expect anyone to believe you, if they feel that you are a liar?
How will you be able to motivate a believer, if they feel that you are a liar?
When we look to the example of the Holy Prophet, he was known by the Quraish, before becoming a Prophet by the titles As-Sadiq, the Truthful One and Al-Amin, the Trustworthy One. It was the fact that he always told the truth, and it was due to this quality that led to the conversion of Hazrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. He did not need to listen to any message, he knew that the Holy Prophet always told the truth and had an intense love for God, so if he claimed to be a Prophet of Allah, how could he be lying?
If people know that you are pious and always tell the truth, then they should contemplate over the message that you are giving them. The least they should feel is that you really believe it to be true and that you would not knowingly lie to them. Likewise, we must be very careful in our dealings, we should be known for being honest. Yes, you may lose customers through not telling lies, but the other customers will come to you for your honesty.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
A sale agreement is revocable till the buyer and seller part company. If they tell the truth and disclose everything relevant to the transaction, it becomes full of blessings for both of them; but if they speak falsely and conceal that which should be disclosed, the blessings of the transaction is wiped out. Bukhari & Muslim
We must always speak the truth, even if it means that we will get into trouble. The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
Truth guides to virtue and virtue guides to Paradise. A person persists in telling the truth till in the sight of Allah he is named Truthful. Lying leads to vice and vice leads to the Fire; and a person goes on lying till in the sight of Allah he is named a liar. Bukhari & Muslim
The sixth stage in our spiritual progress is: “And who are strict in the observance of their Prayers”
Surprisingly we see that the very first and the last stage are both prayers. Unlike the first verse which said, “who are humble in their prayers”, in this, the highest stage, the believer is told “to be strict in the observance of their prayers” by this stage the prayer will have become second nature. They will feel at one with God and will not miss any prayers. In fact, if by any chance, they cannot do the prayer on time, then they will feel the pain of not having done that prayer and will seek to do that prayer as soon as they possibly can. That will not perform any other prayer until that have completed that prayer which was not done on time. So, for a true mu’min (believer) he/she will not miss any prayers!
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
Prayer constitutes the highest stage of the spiritual development of a believer
At this stage, a believer finds peace and comfort in his prayers and urges others to be regular in their prayers. The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was once asked by Hazrat Ayesha,
Why do you prayer so much that your feet get swollen and crack, when Allah has forgiven you your sins? The Holy Prophet replied: “should I not be a grateful servant?
It is significant that the word ‘Prayers’ has been used in the plural form. It shows that the believers not only are strict in the observance of Prayers themselves, but urges their near and dear ones, their dependants and relatives also to be regardful of them.
The word Hafiz (safeguard) signifies that they say their prayers with all the rules and conditions attached to them:
- They say them regularly and at their appointed times.
- They say them in congregation.
- They say them in a true spirit and with the utmost humility of the heart, not allowing wandering thoughts to spoil them and fully understanding the meanings of the words they utter
- They not only say their five daily prayers but also supererogatory prayers, particularly the prayer in the latter part of the night – Tahajjud.
The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
You should offer Tahajjud Prayers regularly as this was the way of earlier saintly people and this is the way to achieve nearness to God. Furthermore, this habit (of offering Tahajjud Prayer) safeguards you from sins, repels evil and protects you from physical afflictions
Finally, we are told that if we pass through these different stages of spiritual development then the seventh stage is: “These are the heirs who will inherit Paradise. They will abide therein forever”
What greater reward do you want?
As believers mentioned in these verses, combine in themselves all kinds of virtue, therefore they will be made to reside in Firdous (gardens, the highest place in heaven) which comprise everything that is found in any garden. As they brought death over their desires, so in return God will give them ever-lasting life and they will have everything they desired.
As the Holy Qur’an chapter 50, verse 36 relates:
They will have therein whatever they desire, and with Us is a good deal more.
This state is the inevitable result of the strict spiritual discipline to which a believer subjects himself.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, may peace be with him, has said:
In order to become a true Muslim it is very essential that a man should mould his nature in such a way that his love for God and his obedience to Him should not be based in rewards and punishment, rather it should become a part and parcel of his nature. When that happens, his love for God will produce a Paradise for him and in fact, this is the real Paradise. None can enter Paradise unless he treads on this path. I should like to advise you – who have joined me – to enter the Paradise passing through this way, for, this is the real way to the paradise. Malfoozat Vol. III. P183
So we should try to develop our spirituality and attain our true goal in life – Paradise.