Remembrance of Allah — Page 71
Thirteen Methods of Waking up for Tahajjud 71 any shortcoming in the state of cleanliness, they do not come close. This method has to do with the cleanliness of the body. 11. THE ELEVENTH METHOD is that the bedding should be clean. Many people do not take the proper care regarding this matter, but it must be remembered that the purity of the bed- ding has a very special relationship with spirituality—so spe- cial care must be exercised in this regard. 12. THE TWELFTH METHOD is such that if ordinary people act on it they may suffer harm from it. Yes, it is not harmful for special people and it is that husband and wife should not sleep in the same bed. The Holy Prophet s as used to do so, but his excellence is lofty and paramount. This could have no effect upon him, but other people need to exercise caution. The fact is that the degree to which one is overcome by carnal passions, is the very degree to which spirituality is shut down. This is the very reason why the Islamic Shariah says to eat and drink but not to exceed the limits. Why not exceed the limits? Because when carnal passions grow excessively they harm spirituality. Thus, for those people who maintain their selves under con- trol, should they sleep together there would be no harm, but ordinary people should refrain from doing this. And those people who do not have full and complete control over their thoughts should not sleep together. If they do, they will con- tinue to have their carnal passions aroused and sometimes it even happens that they begin to have sex or engage in love- making as they sleep. That has a bad effect on spirituality and causes laziness in waking up.