Someone once came to Zunnun Misri R.A. complaining that things are very difficult. (ALLAH mentions in the Quraan that whatever pain and hardship you experience on the Dunya is solely and only the result of what was done by your own hands, i.e. you are the cause of it) and requested him to make Dua. Zunnun packed his goods and left the town saying, “I take an oath on ALLAH’S name that the difficulties which have overtaken our community is solely because of my sins.” So he left the town went into the wilderness and engaged in Ibaadat. Look at the calibre of these people.
One day whilst travelling, he passed a sweetmeat shop and desired to purchase some for himslef. He then started speaking to the Nafs, saying: “My friend, you are fully aware that I am not in the position to afford these sweetmeats...” Now just look how shrewd is this Nafs, the Nafs started telling him, “Why don’t you buy it on account. Ask the shopkeeper for credit?” Zunnun Misri rahmatullahi alayh said, “We have been prohibited to do so in the Ahaadeeth unless there is a dire need.” The Nafs went a step further saying, “ You are a great Wali why don’t you tell the people in the shop who you are and they will give it to you for free.” Zunnun Misri immediately knew that this Nafs is using its deception. So to teach the Nafs a lesson, he went to the farming area where the buffaloes were ploughing the land, he asked the farmer how much it would cost to plough the land for one day, the farmer said for example, one rand, he then asked if he had to do it himself would the farmer pay him that much, the farmer agreed. Zunnun Misri Rahmatullahi Alaih strapped the equipment onto his back and ploughed the land for the entire day. After the hard days work, he got his wages, now he went to the sweetmeat shop and bought some sweet meats and told his Nafs that if you want sweetmeats again, this is how we are going to work for it, immediately the Nafs responded by saying, “If this is the case then I don’t want sweetmeats anymore.” Never ever did the Nafs trouble him again.
So from this we learn that if the Nafs was not important then these Auliya would not make so much effort on it.
Coming back to Taqwa, we can define this Taqwa as Ikhlaas, sincerity, honesty, fear of ALLAH, to abstain from wrong and to be obedient.
Zunnun Misri immediately knew that this Nafs is up to some trick. So to teach the Nafs a lesson, he went to the farming area where the buffaloes were ploughing the land, and asked the farmer how much it would cost to plough the land for one day. The farmer said for example, one rand. He then asked if he had to do it himself would the farmer pay him that much, to which the farmer agreed. Zunnun Misri rahmatullahi alayh strapped the equipment onto his back and ploughed the land for the entire day. After the hard days work, he got his wages and set off to the sweetmeat shop. There he bought some sweet meats and said to his Nafs: “If you want sweetmeats in the future, then this is how we are going to work for it. Immediately the Nafs responded by saying, “If this is the case then I don’t want sweetmeats anymore.” Never ever did the Nafs trouble him again.
From this we learn that if the Nafs was not important then these Auliya would not make so much effort on it. Coming back to Taqwa, we can define this Taqwa as Ikhlaas, sincerity, honesty, fear of ALLAH, to abstain from wrong and to be obedient.