"If the soul is not purified, the intention cannot be pure, and if the intention is not pure, no act of worship is accepted in the court of Allah."

 "If the soul is not purified, the intention cannot be pure, and if the intention is not pure, no act of worship is accepted in the court of Allah."

Therefore, the first and foremost lesson of fasting is to cleanse one's body and mind, or to purify the soul. Through this, one can attain the pleasure of Allah and advance on the path of His closeness. Negligence toward one's inner vices or faults gradually leads a person further down the path of sin.

The Faults or Defects of the Mind:

These include—forgetting to always remember the Creator, the Most Merciful Allah; lying, arrogance, jealousy, greed, attachment to worldly possessions, unlawful sexual relations and adultery, deception, backbiting or slander, vengeance, fear of poverty, despair in divine decree, harboring malice, hypocrisy, harming others for personal gain, giving false testimony, seeking praise, excessive attachment to worldly comforts, desiring long life for pleasure, vanity, showing off in worship and charity, anger, cunningness, secretly envying others, excessive desires, miserliness, pride, arrogance, disrespecting the poor while honoring the rich, thinking oneself superior, indulging in vain thoughts, engaging in unnecessary gossip, dressing arrogantly for status and praise, laziness in religious duties, considering one’s worship as superior, finding faults in others while neglecting one's own flaws, losing the desire to seek Allah, losing the fear of Allah, striving for status when respect is lost rather than seeking justice, failing to uphold justice despite having the power, maintaining enmity in the heart while outwardly showing friendship, deviating from justice due to resentment, lacking fear that Allah can take away all blessings at any moment, relying solely on one's worship without seeking divine mercy, excessive ambition, having a hardened heart, being harsh in speech, indulging in worldly pleasures, feeling sorrow about leaving this world, being overly attached to creation, acting hastily without proper judgment, lacking shame and compassion—all these vices are the roots of sin and wickedness.

On the other hand, their opposite virtues form the foundation of faith and righteous deeds. Therefore, freeing oneself from these inner vices and impurities is a clear directive of the Holy Quran and an essential obligation as advised by knowledgeable scholars who have insight into the afterlife. Hence, whoever does not recognize and strive to eliminate these faults within themselves will fall into the severe wrath of Allah and face destruction in the hereafter.

Due to the whispers of the devil, who fuels these evil tendencies within the soul, it is nearly impossible to abandon these vices through personal effort alone. For this, one must receive the divine spiritual energy, "Fayez," sent by the Most Merciful Allah.

The different types of Fayez from Allah pass through the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), then through the saints and the Mujaddid Imams of the time, and ultimately reach the hearts of sincere seekers through their perfect spiritual guides. As a result, the mountains of sins accumulated in the seeker’s heart, along with the darkness and filth of sin, gradually become purified and cleansed.

Thus, attaining Fayez is essential for every human being. Fayez is the backbone of faith and the foundation of all acts of worship. By remaining in the company of Allah’s chosen representatives, the perfect saints and spiritual guides, and by engaging in sincere worship and devotion, one must continuously receive the various forms of divine Fayez at different times of the day.

May the Most Merciful Allah grant us all the wisdom and understanding to recognize these truths and apply them in our lives at the right time with due reverence. Alhamdulillah, Ameen, Ya Rahmatallil Alamin, Ya Shafi’al Muznibin.