It’s the little things…

One of the secrets of the people of taqwa is what Imam al-Ghazali describes in his “The Forty Principles of the Religion” quoted below.

The Tenth Principle – Following the Sunnah

Know that the key to happiness is following the Sunnah and taking Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as an example in all of his comings, goings, movements, and stillness – even the way he ate, stood, slept, and spoke. I do not say this in reference to matters of worship only; for indeed, there is no room for neglecting the narrated sunan (pl. of sunnah) for them. Rather, I am referring to all habitual matters – by this absolute following is achieved. Allah said:

إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ
If you love Allah, then follow me – Allah will love you. (3:31)

And:

وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
Whatever the Messenger give you, take it; and whatever he forbids you from, desist. (59:7)

It is therefore your duty to put on trousers while sitting; put on a turban while standing; start with your right foot when putting on sandals; eat with your right hand; clip your nails by starting from the index finger of the right hand and finishing with its thumb; and for the foot, starting with the little toe of the right foot and finishing with the little toe of the left; and to follow like this in all of your movement and stillness. Indeed, Muhammad ibn Aslam would not eat watermelon because the way Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ate it was never transmitted. Once a person forgot and put on a leather sock by starting with his left foot, so he made penance for it with a kurr (a dry measure approx. equivalent to 1015.6 kg) of wheat. A person should therefore not slack regarding such things and say, “This is something related to habits, so following is not important in respect of it”; for truly, that closes on you one of the great doors of happiness.

Translation by Nasir Abdussalam – Turath Publishing 2016