Part 3: Tazkiyah: Concepts and Terms- Heart Therapy

Read the Table of Contents of Heart Therapy

Read Part 2: Ihsan

Ihsan, as a science, related to the matters pertaining to purification of the soul (i.e tazkiyat al-nafs)

Linguistic

The term tazkiyat is derived from the Arabic root za-ka-wa which occurs in the following linguistic connotations:

1. ‘to clean and purify from something filthy’ in zakkaytu hadha al-thawb meaning ‘I cleaned this garment’
2. ‘to increase and/or become more in number’ in zaka al mal meaning ‘the wealth has increased.’

Technical

Zakah: In the Shari’ use of the term, zakat is the charity that is obliged on the wealth of a Muslim when it reaches the nisab (The Minimum Zakatable Amount). Even in this context it carries both meanings of tazkiyah, i.e. ‘to clean/purify’ and ‘to increase’. Thus through paying the Zakat one would purify and increase their wealth as Allah (swt) blesses wealth from which zakat has been paid.

Tazkiyat al-nafs

Likewise, tazkiyah in the context of tazkiyat al nafs (purification of the soul) carries both of these connotation; and in order that one might success in purifying the soul one would need to:

1. Cleans and purify the soul from diseases and reprehensible characteristics.
2. Nourish the soul by increasing in good and praiseworthy characteristics.

Read Part 3 (a): Importance and Significance (Tazkiyat al Nafs)