Ya Nafs! 3/5 - A Conversation With The Self

"Ya Nafs, O Soul. Indeed, the day and the night are 24 hours. So engage in obedience during them. For it has been reported in the traditions from the Holy Prophet, Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alih, that: 'For the servant every day, 24 treasures are spread out, some empty and some filled. When the treasure of good deeds, pleasing deeds, and rewards is opened for him, he will be touched by joy and delight, and by the pleasure and happiness of witnessing those lights, which are a means before Allah, that if distributed among the people of the Fire, would astonish them with that joy, away from the pain of their burning. And if the treasure of disobedience, backbiting, and slander is opened for him, he will be enveloped by its stench and darkness, and will be afflicted by its evil and pain, that if it were divided among the people of bliss, would embitter their enjoyment. And if the empty one of deeds, characterized by laziness and neglect, is opened, he will be struck by great sorrow for its emptiness from the everlasting and permanent reward".

In this third entry, Al-Kaf'ami again addresses the soul, but he cites a narration from the Holy Prophet, Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alih, talking about the 24 hours that we have during the day.

He is reminding the Nafs, the soul. He is reminding himself that, Ya Nafs, O soul, you have 24 hours during the day, and there are treasures that are hidden during this period of 24 hours. If you are able to find the treasure box of good deeds, you will be enlightened. In fact, if the people of Hell were to look at the rewards that you will get, it will take their attention away from the pain of their burning. That is how the treasure of the good deeds would astonish them.

But if you open up the treasure box of disobedience, and slandering, and backbiting, then you will be afflicted and surrounded with a stench and darkness that even the people of Happiness and people of Bliss, it would ruin their own enjoyment.

But if you are someone who is lazy, and you are not able to open up the treasure box of the good deeds, and in fact, you open up an empty box, a box which is empty, meaning you are lazy, you are not engaging in any obedience, or any responsibility during the day, during the course of your day, then you will be struck with great sorrow and regret thinking about all of the ever-lasting and permanent rewards that you could have achieved, while you were alive and had the time to seek those rewards and those treasures.

We ask Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala to allow us to find the treasures of good deeds; deeds which please Him, and deeds which will open up rewards for us that will touch us with joy and delight, InshaAllah.

Wa as-salamu 'alaykum, wa Rahmatu Allahi, wa barakatuh.