Discovering God

Purification of the Self This kind of prayer always comes to one’s lips after a great psychological turmoil. Another name for this psychological storm is tazkiya. Tazkiya and prayer are interdependent. Tazkiya will always be followed by dua. Praying to God is a proof that the process of tazkiya is at work. There is no tazkiya without prayer, and vice versa. The Form of Tazkiya There is no visible form of tazkiya. Had there been a fixed form of tazkiya, a person would think, consciously or unconsciously that, by observing that form, he had completed the course of tazkiya. In this way, he would become content. But the feeling of contentment in this matter is very harmful. It is essential for the attainment of tazkiya that one should always have a certain feeling of inadequacy. Such a feeling makes one continuously strive to undergo the process of tazkiya, whereas any feeling of contentment blocks the incentive to make unremitting efforts. Tazkiya and the Islamic way of worship are closely interrelated. Neither can be separated from the other. No one can say that he has completed the process of tazkiya and is therefore no longer required to perform the acts of worship ordained in Islam. But this does not mean that the performance of the form of worship in itself is sufficient to serve the purpose of