How to Prepare for Tazkiyah: The First Steps Toward Transforming Your Soul

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Tazkiyah isn’t just about self-improvement — it’s about transforming your heart and soul for the sake of Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى}. It’s far too important to jump into without preparation.

Think of it like grocery shopping. When you shop with a meal plan and a list in hand, the experience is efficient and productive. But if you wing it, you’ll likely leave with things you don’t need — and without the things you do. Preparing for tazkiyah works the same way. Thoughtful preparation ensures that heart purification goes smoothly and effectively.

Here’s how to prepare:

1. Intention

Tazkiyah begins with your heart. Without a sincere intention, you won’t succeed in purifying it.

You must genuinely want to please Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى}, benefit others, and become a better version of yourself — not simply want a better life.

The version of you today is the result of your past choices. Are you content with who you are? How you show up in your life?

Practical Exercise 

Reflect on your life and imagine yourself 5 years from now, stuck in the exact same spot.

• Answer this: Is that the future self you’ve been saying you wanted to create?

2. Commitment 

Once your heart is ready, your mind must follow.

Tazkiyah is impossible without a mental shift. Here’s the mentality:

"There is nothing and no one in this life worth going to Jahannam for." 

Even with a meal plan, you still have to commit to cooking the meals. Similarly, you have to commit to the work of tazkiyah — making room for Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} in your life by gradually cutting out distractions and replacing them with actions that please Him _ﷻ. Take it one day at a time and focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

Practical Exercise 

Review your routine realistically.

• What can you remove that distracts you from Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى}?

• How much time does removing this habit, distraction, or person free up?

• Plan to fill that time with something that benefits your akhirah.

3. Obedience 

When your heart and mind align, your body will naturally follow.

As a Muslim, you already know that success in both this life and the next is impossible without Him _ﷻ. Therefore, there’s no better alternative than obeying Allah _{‎سبحانه وتعالى}. No excuse or justification is valid unless accompanied by a sincere effort to overcome it. Every person — past, present, and future — has their own reasons for falling short in worship. These excuses aren’t unique to you. When you zoom out and take yourself out of the equation, you’ll see solutions more clearly.

Islam isn’t hard; it’s the attempt to balance deen and dunya equally that complicates life. We’re meant to have some dunya — but mostly deen. Trust that if you truly needed something now, Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} would have provided it. And if you need it for what’s ahead, it’s already on its way.

Practical Exercises 

1. Reframe your limitations: 

• Complete this sentence:

  "I would (goal), but I can’t because (limitation). However, I do have (resource Allah blessed me with)." 

  Example: "I would start a blog, but I can’t because I don’t have WiFi. However, I do have an iPad and access to a library where I can post my articles." 

2. Prepare your defense: 

• Make a list of your excuses, obstacles, and limitations.

• Write them out as if you’re presenting them to Al-Hakam, The Judge.

• Will you be able to stand confidently in His _ﷻ presence giving these excuses?

3. Define what it means to be Muslim: 

• Compare your understanding of a true Muslim to the type of Muslim you are now.

• Then come up with 3 actions you can take now that’ll bring you closer to being the Muslim you’re striving to become.

4. Know Allah 

To know Him _ﷻ is to love Him _ﷻ, and to love Him makes worship easy. If you don’t know Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى}, you’ll struggle to worship Him _ﷻ sincerely. Study His Names and Attributes to understand and appreciate the Lord you’re submitting to.

Read the Quran with various translations and tafsir to deepen your awe for His Words and raise the standards of your worship.

Practical Exercise 

1. Use ayat from the Quran to reflect on Allah’s _ﷻ creation through muraqabah (mindful/watchfulness of Allah).

For example, in Surah Al-Mulk Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} says,

 “Do they not see the birds above them, spreading and closing their wings? None except the Most Gracious holds them up.” (67:19)

From now on, let every flying bird you see remind you of Allah’s _ﷻ Mercy and Power.

2. Study the creation around you.

Learn more about snow, trees, or even your own body to further witness Allah’s _ﷻ perfection in greater detail.

5. Knowledge 

Continually seek knowledge to strengthen your connection to Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} and prepare for the Hereafter. Tazkiyah is deeply rooted in knowledge, as it strengthens your yaqeen and reinforces your tawakkul.

Study topics such as:

• Jannah

• The Day of Resurrection

• The events of the grave

• Jahannam

• The nature and purpose of this life

The more you learn, the more you’ll:

• Be reminded of death and your ultimate goal.

• Appreciate Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى}.

• Detach from the dunya and your desires.

• See the wisdom in hardship.

Practical Exercise 

Imagine you have 60 days left to live. Answer the following questions:

• What would you do with that time?

• How would you prepare for death?

• What relationships or affairs would you amend?

• What problems would suddenly seem insignificant?

• What would you prioritize?

• What would you say to your loved ones?

• How do you want people to remember you?

You can’t bypass the preparation, intention, and dedication required for tazkiyah. By emphasizing knowledge and obedience, you’ll move closer to transforming your soul for the sake of Allah ‎سبحانه وتعالى.

Once you start to see signs of progress, check out my post, 8 Signs You’re Ready for Tazkiyah, to confirm readiness. And when you feel prepared, The Heart Recovery Workbook offers a structured and streamlined approach to simplify your tazkiyah journey.

As-salamu alaikum, until next time, in sha Allah.

— Khalisa