5b - Name of Allah الرقيب

If you are really aware of Allah's watchfulness, you will watch your heart. He watches the hidden secrets of our heart, our thoughts, our concerns, our wishes.

Praiseworthy wishes are wishes for Allah sake. You may even wish something of this Dunya, but with your intention being for the sake of the hereafter. 

Blameworthy Wishes

-> You wish for something for the sake of fame, showing off, the Dunya, etc. 

-> A  person wishes to get the chance to commit something immoral, or sinful. 

-> A person wishes for something good, but when the means come he doesn't make an effort to fulfill his wish.

Allah may test us regarding our wishes. When Allah brings the means to fulfill the wish, you shouldn't show laziness. Take the means; have high resolutions. If you show laziness it indicates you weren't truthful. And this is a characteristic of the hypocrites.

E.g. A man says I'll go for Hajj when I'm older, then I'll become righteous. Allah makes it easy for him to  go for Hajj but he leaves the same person he was when he arrived. He didn't show truthfulness to Allah because he waited for the Hajj in order to change, as if the place changes people. No sudden change can happen to a person - YOU have to take the means of reformation. Don't wish for something and not take the means of fulfilling the wish.

E.g. Everyone wants the coming Ramadan to be different. They want to do their best. But they don't take any means. So they reach Ramadan and are energetic the first few days, but then later flop down. They didn't train themselves before Ramadan.  

In (9:75-78):

How did Allah deal with them? 

Allah will put hypocrisy in their hearts till they meet Him. Why? Because they broke their promise to Allah and weren't truthful. This is what made them deserve that punishment.

But know that Allah will not put hypocrisy in your heart the first time. You may wish to have money so that you could give charity and Allah will test you. Then you show stinginess. Allah will give you money again. You show stinginess again. This will happen repeatedly until Allah will deprive you completely from that matter. 

A مصيبة in the religion (the person wants to do good - but it's not made easy for them) is more serious than punishment in the Dunya. It's more serious than losing your job, properties, or children. 

-> People wish for good things but have confidence in themselves. The hypocrites didn't rely on Allah or ask Him to help them. It's "I'll do this for sure" or "definitely" instead of إن شاء الله 

Whenever you know the truth you have to strive to act upon it. Allah said:

"If the servant draws near to Me a hand span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; and if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running" [Bukhari]

Just take the first step to Allah, and He will help you. 

But if you don't take any action and wait for a time or place to change you, you will never change.