A believer is required to reflect upon the origin of sin. It is the soul that enjoins evil. Reflecting upon it brings many benefits. A person comes to realise that the soul is both ignorant and unjust — and ignorance and injustice are the roots of every evil action and statement.

There is no hope for the reform of one who remains ignorant and unjust. Therefore, great effort must be made to acquire beneficial knowledge that frees a person from ignorance. To save oneself from injustice, one must engage in abundant righteous deeds.

A person must constantly beseech his Creator and Maker to protect him from the evil of his own soul and to purify it. Indeed, Allah is the Best One to purify the soul, for He is the servant’s Lord and Patron.

He should ask Allah never to leave him to his own soul — not even for a single moment — for if Allah were to do so, he would surely perish. No one has ever perished except when left to his own soul.

The Sermon of Need (Khutbat al-Hājah)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

“Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide him; and whoever Allah leaves astray, none can guide him. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant and Messenger.”

Verses from the Qur’an

Allah says:

وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
“Those who are saved from the greed of their souls — they are the successful.” (64:16)

He also says:

إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ
“Indeed, the soul persistently commands evil.” (12:53)

Whoever knows the true nature of his soul will realise that it is the source of every evil and the dwelling place of every wrongdoing. If there is any good within it, that is purely from the bounty that Allah has bestowed upon it.

Allah confirms this in the following verse:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“If it were not for Allah’s bounty and mercy upon you, not one of you would ever have been purified; but Allah purifies whom He wills. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (24:21)

He also says:

وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ
“But Allah has endeared faith to you and made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made disbelief, defiance, and disobedience hateful to you. Such are the rightly guided.” (49:7)

This love of faith and hatred of disbelief did not originate from the soul itself; rather, it is Allah who bestowed this favour. By this bounty, the servant becomes among the rightly guided.

فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“A bounty and a blessing from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (49:8)

Allah knows best who is worthy of this bounty and who will benefit from it. In His wisdom, He does not place this favour with those who would squander or corrupt it.

A Supplication of the Prophet (ﷺ)

Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه) reported:

“I will not say anything except what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say.”

He (ﷺ) would supplicate:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْهَرَمِ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, miserliness, old age, and the punishment of the grave. O Allah, grant my soul its righteousness and purify it, for You are the Best to purify it. You are its Protector and Guardian. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble itself, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered.”
(Sahih Muslim 2722)

End quote.

— Adapted from the book Tawbah: Turning to Allah in Repentance by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (رحمه الله).