The Five Diseases of the Heart"

by Amr Khalid

Have you ever cried of fearing Allah?

Your heart is not just a muscle that pumps the blood to the rest of your body, it’s one of the greatest gifts Allah gave to humans. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says: Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart.

Being the site of intentions, hearts are where Allah looks in human beings, it’s also where real faith is grounded, that shows us why the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) always prayed for a fearing heart.

As all other organs of the body, the heart has a very special function, which is knowing Allah, loving Him and gaining the ability of distinguishing between good and evil things. We can accordingly classify the spiritual diseases that could affect the heart into five categories:

• The playing heart: As Allah says in The Quraan "Comes not unto them an admonition (a chapter of the Qur'ân) from their Lord as a recent revelation but they listen to it while they play" this heart is not serious in knowing Allah, and it fluctuates between doing good and evil acts, if a man with such a heart doesn’t take a serious action to treat it, it will easily slip into the next disease:
  
• The harsh heart: As Allah says in The Quraan "And had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you," a person with such a heart is always difficult to deal with, he has no pity nor mercy, and his relation with Allah is deficient, such a heart can easily slip to become:
  
• The deviated heart: As Allah says in The Quraan " So when they turned away (from the Path of Allâh), Allâh turned their hearts away (from the Right Path)," a person with such a heart usually escapes from obeying Allah’s orders, or he is not persistent and patient in obeying them, such a heart is the best candidate to change into:
  
• The hard heart: As Allah says in The Quraan "Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness." It’s a kind of heart not easily impressed by Allah’s gifts to people, it can easily changes into:
  
• The blind heart: As Allah says in The Quraan "Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but the hearts which are in their breasts." A blind heart is a heart that has no vision, no feelings and not a single ray of light to guide it to Allah.
  

And as we all know each disease has a specific medication that can cure it, so we can expect to find about five ways to treat all these diseases:
Fighting one’s self and training it to obey Allah. Allah says in The Quraan "As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh's Religion - Islâmic Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn (good doers)."

• Improving one’s relation with Allah by increasing "dhikr" Allah (mentioning Allah) at all times.
• Praying and following the right path that Allah wanted for His pious men.
• Getting attached to good people, and omitting one’s relations with bad peers.
• Continuous trials to keep one’s heart from changing, which can be achieved by watching Allah all the time and obeying His rules.

Bismilah Hirahman Hirahim

Anas Ibn Malik reports that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah and greeted him in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah asked him where did he come from. The Bedouin said:” I came from far seeking answers to some questions”. Our master told him to ask his questions":

I wish to be an intelligent man, what should I do?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Fear Allah"

I wish to be a loyal servant to Allah and do what He wants me to do?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Read the Qur'an"

I wish to be enlightened and have peace of heart?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Remember Death"

I wish to be protected against enemies?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Trust in Allah"

I wish to follow the Straight Path?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Do good to others for Allah's sake"

What should I do so that Allah does not abase me?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, “Do not respond to the desires of your flesh"

I wish to have a long life?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Praise and thank Allah"

I wish for prosperity?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Be in a state of ablution at all times"

How can I save myself from the hellfire?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Protect your eyes and your tongue and your hands and what is below your waistline against evil"

How can I cleanse myself from my sins?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Shed tears for what you have done and repent by undoing what you have done wrong"

I wish to be a respectable person?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Then, don't ask for anything from anybody"

I wish to be honorable?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Then don't divulge the wrong doings of anybody"

What should I do to protect myself from the tortures of the grave?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Recite the Surah Mulk"

What should one do to be rich?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Read the Surah Muzammil"

How should I calm my fear of the day of last judgment?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied,” Remember Allah before you eat anything and before you sleep"

What should I do to feel the presence of Allah when I make my prayers?
Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) Replied, "Give the utmost care in taking your ablutions and in being clean and pure