The More Effective Way to Attain Tazkiyah

One method of attaining tazkiyah is to formulate certain principles in an abstract way, put them in writing and ask others to read them. This may be one way to achieve tazkiyah, but the more effective way is to relate those principles to some situation. One form of this second method requires a living spiritual guide. Another method is for one to develop his thinking to the point of discovering on his own the element of tazkiyah in every experience or observation, and then making that experience or observation a part of his thinking.

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, a Companion of the Prophet, once said that even if the Prophet saw a bird flying in the air with outstretched wings, he would give them some lesson in the realization of God. (Tabaqat ibn Sa‘d, hadith no. 2354). This is an example of imparting education in tazkiyah with reference to some situation.

The fact is that there is no abstract method of effectively achieving tazkiyah. The only way is for man to make himself so intellectually aware that he can develop in himself the ability “to learn a lesson” (15:75).

He may relate the situation confronting him to tazkiyah and then learn a spiritual lesson from it. In everyday experiences, we have the stuff of tazkiyah. Learn to see daily experiences from this standpoint, then every experience and every observation will become for you a stepping stone to tazkiyah.