The root cause of anxiety, restlessness, and fear is not the challenges we face but rather sin and disobedience to Allah. The path to liberation from these disturbances is not through prolonged acts of worship, but through sincere repentance, God-consciousness (Taqwa), and avoidance of sin. True tranquility of the heart is attained when a person safeguards their eyes, tongue, ears, and actions from sin, and fulfills both the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation. Without piety, worship bears no real effect.
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Whoever lives a life fearing Allah, Allah removes from their life worries, fears, satanic whispers, and the lack of blessings. This is true piety, and it is the complete and lasting solution to all anxiety.
Freedom from Anxiety:
When we reflect on why feelings like restlessness, confusion, and distress arise, the primary cause is always sin—disobedience to the Creator and displeasing Allah.
Hazrat Ali (RA) said:
“The calamities that befall us occur due to our sins, and the relief from calamities is also by Allah’s grace.”
Indeed, without abandoning sin, one cannot achieve a life of true happiness, contentment, and inner peace, no matter how many voluntary acts of worship are performed.
Hazrat Aisha (RA), Mother of the Believers, said:
“There is no better capital to present before Allah than a life with fewer sins. Whoever wishes to surpass others in devotion must first protect themselves from sin.”
She further remarked
“When a person engages in acts of disobedience to Allah, even those who praise them will eventually speak ill of them.”
Therefore, in Shariah, it is preferred to avoid sin rather than merely perform prolonged acts of worship. For example, a person may not pray Tahajjud, may not recite lengthy adhkar, or may not observe voluntary fasts—but if they avoid sin, they are considered a Wali of Allah because their life remains free from disobedience.
Remember, attaining Wilayah (spiritual sainthood) does not require flying in the air, walking on water, or performing miraculous feats. A Wali is simply one who protects themselves from sin. Allah says in the Quran:
اِنْ اَوْلِیَآؤُهٗ اِلَّا الْمُتَّقُوْن
“His close ones are none but the God-conscious (muttaqin).”
Moreover, Taqwa is not about doing things; it is about refraining from things that incur Allah’s displeasure. In essence, Taqwa is avoiding actions that would make one ashamed before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
The Importance of Avoiding Sin over Voluntary Worship:
Protecting oneself from sin is far more valuable than performing prolonged acts of worship. A person may pray extensively yet indulge in backbiting or hurt others’ hearts; such a person is spiritually impoverished. On the Day of Judgment, their righteous deeds may be taken away and replaced with sins.
As wise scholars say: “Prevention is better than cure.”
For instance, if someone has a cold and takes medicine but continues to eat ice cream, the medicine will not work. Likewise, our spiritual efforts only bear fruit when preceded by avoiding sin.
Hence, we should strive to avoid sin, fulfill the rights of Allah, and not neglect the rights of others. We must ensure that any outstanding obligations to others—whether related to inheritance, debts, or other rights—are fulfilled promptly and completely. By doing so, worries will be removed, and neither jinn nor magic will be able to harm us.
Battling the Deceptions of the Self and Satan:
The soul finds excuses to indulge in sin:
Covering one’s eyes from strangers is hard
Waking up for Fajr seems impossible
Leaving interest-based businesses feels difficult
We must make a firm intention to abandon sin for Allah’s pleasure. InshaAllah, the reward in this world and the Hereafter will be immense. Our daily resolve should be to avoid every minor and major sin:
● No sin through the eyes
● No sin through the tongue
● No sin through the hands and feet
● No sin through private parts
Sin is like internal impurity. When we commit a sin through any organ, it becomes spiritually impure:
● The eyes see wrongly → eyes become impure
● The tongue lies → tongue becomes impure
● The ears hear backbiting → ears become impure
● Hands steal → hands become impure
● Feet walk towards sin → feet become impure
● Private parts commit immorality → they become impure
Even a person immersed in sin can be purified if they sincerely repent; Allah will cleanse them.
Consequences of Sin
● Calamities occur because of sin.
● Sin creates a barrier between the servant and Allah.
● Sin keeps a person in constant distress.
● Sin fills the heart with fear and anxiety.
● Life becomes constrained due to sin.
● Sin hardens the heart and darkens it.
● Sin dulls the face and removes its light.
● People harbor hatred toward the sinner.
●Sin causes scarcity in sustenance.
● Sin provokes Allah’s anger, weakens faith, and brings grief.
● Sin creates alienation from the Creator.
Two Prayers to Avoid Sin
وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ
“O my Lord! I seek refuge in You from the whispers of Satan, and I seek refuge in You from their presence.”
رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
“Our Lord! Pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims.”
Two Prayers to Develop Fear of Allah
Recite after every prayer to remove fear of creation and instill fear of Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَيَّ وَاجْعَلْ خَشْيَتَكَ أَخْوَفَ الْأَشْيَاءِ عِنْدِي
“O Allah! Make Your love the most beloved thing to me and make Your fear the greatest of all fears for me.”
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَخْشَاكَ كَأَنِّي أَرَاكَ أَبَدًا
“O Allah! Make me fear You as if I see You with my own eyes always.”
By sincerely and consistently reciting these prayers, Allah will remove fear of others from our hearts and relieve us of worries, InshaAllah.
Reference:
This article is compiled from the renowned work of Tabib-e-Millat Hazrat Sarkar Peer Abu Numan Rizvi Saifi Zaid Sharafah, as written in his famous book “Bahar-e-Saifiya, Part 3”. For the complete book, you may contact our publishing house.
