Purification of the soul cannot be achieved except by way of the messengers

Purification (of the soul) cannot be achieved except by way of the messengers as stated by Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) when he said:

وَتَزْكِيَةُ النُّفُوسِ : أَصْعَبُ مِنْ عِلَاجِ الْأَبْدَانِ وَأَشَدُّ . فَمَنْ زَكَّى نَفْسَهُ بِالرِّيَاضَةِ وَالْمُجَاهَدَةِ وَالْخَلْوَةِ ، الَّتِي لَمْ يَجِئْ بِهَا الرُّسُلُ : فَهُوَ كَالْمَرِيضِ الَّذِي عَالَجَ نَفْسَهُ بِرَأْيِهِ ، وَأَيْنَ يَقَعُ رَأْيُهُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الطَّبِيبِ ؟

فَالرُّسُلُ أَطِبَّاءُ الْقُلُوبِ . فَلَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى تَزْكِيَتِهَا وَصَلَاحِهَا إِلَّا مِنْ طَرِيقِهِمْ . وَعَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ ، وَبِمَحْضِ الِانْقِيَادِ ، وَالتَّسْلِيمِ لَهُمْ . وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ

(مدارج السالكين (2/300

“Purifying the souls is harder and more difficult than curing the bodies. So whoever purifies his soul through exercise, hard work and being in isolation – all of which the messengers did not come with – he is like a sick person that tries to cure himself based on his own opinion. Where is his opinion with respect to the expertise of a doctor?!

The messengers are the doctors of the hearts – there is no way to purify and rectify the hearts except through their way, at their hands and by totally submitting and complying with them. And we ask Allaah for His assistance!”