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DHIKR IS THE KEY TO THE CLEANSING OF THE SOUL (TAZKIYAT AN-NAFS)

The cleansing of the soul (tazkiyah) is the process of filling the heart of the soul with the lights (nûr) of Allah beyond the halfway point. Allahû Tealâ says in Surah At-Tīn verse 4:

"Indeed, We created man (his soul) in the best of form (ahsân al-taqwîm), (so that it can reach to the highest state in a period of time through the cleansing and purification of the soul). Then We have returned (brought back) it to asfal al-safilin  (the lowest of the low, to the darkness of the soul)".(At-Tîn-4, 5)

Allah created the soul equipped with vices, but He created it with the potential to reach the best state (ahsân) within a certain period of time.

The key to the cleansing of the soul is dhikr, the repetition of the name of Allah. After the repentance in front of the religious guide, the righteous deeds, that is, the deeds that cleanse the soul begin. When a person engage in dhikr, two groups of light (nûr), mercy (rah mat) with salawat and virtue (fadl) with salawat from the presence of Allah arrive.

An-Nur-21 O you who believe (who are âmenû, who wish their spirits to reach Allah before death), do not follow the footsteps of Satan! And whosoever follows the footsteps of Satan, then surely, he commands (every) abomination and evil (the denial and all that Allah has forbidden). And if it had not been for the Rahmat (light of Mercy) and Fadl (light of virtue) of Allah unto you (if these lights had not be placed into the hearts of your souls), none of you could have ever cleansed their souls, but Allah cleanses the souls of whom He wills and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

When light of virtue (fadl) occupy the heart, darkness can no longer enter it again. Through the accumulation of these virtues, the soul (nafs) is cleansed in seven stages: Nafs al-Ammarah, Nafs al-Lawwamah, Nafs al-Mulhimah, Nafs al-Mutmainnah, Nafs ar-Radhiyah, Nafs al-Mardhiyyah, and Nafs al-Tazkiyah. When the enlightenment reaches 51%, the soul becomes cleansed, and our spirit reaches Allah and surrenders to Him. In verse 18 of Surah Fatir, Allah Almighty says:

Fatir-18 And no bearer of burdens (sinful) bears another’s burden (sin) and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. You warn only those who are filled with awe towards their Lord in the Unseen (without seeing Him) and keep up the Prayer. And whoever cleanses himself (his soul), does it only for his own soul. And to Allah is the return (through the soul’s cleansing, the spirit returns to Allah and reaches Allah).

Therefore, a person’s soul (nafs) is not cleansed simply by saying "my heart is clean," or relying on practices such as meditation or yoga, does not cleanse the heart of the soul. Under the influence of the vices within the soul, a person continually exhibits wrong behaviors and becomes unhappy.