THE HEART

Courtesy of an article”THE HEART” by sh: M .Al-hallak

The importance of having a clear heart:

Allah (T) said (what means): "The day on neither money nor children would be of any use. Only he will be happy who comes to Allah (T) with the heart clear of evil.”

Allah (T) also said (clarifying the characteristics of those people who are promised paradise). He promised it to everyone who always turns unto Allah (T) with sincere repentance and who always preserves his covenant with Allah (T) who fear Allah (T) ar-rahman in the ghaiyb meaning in this worldly life before meeting and seeing Him and comes to him with a heart that is filled with feeling of turning back all the time to him.

Allah (T) is warning about having hard hearts (what means): "Woe then unto those whose hearts are against all remembrance of Allah (T). They are most obviously lost in error.”

Rasool Allah (S) said as in al-bukhari and Muslim: "In the body there is a morsel of flesh, if it is whole and well then the whole body is whole and well. And if it is ruined then the whole body is ruined. "

From all the above, we know the importance of having a clear heart, a heart that is free from evil. As we have seen Allah (T) has made the salvation on the Day of Resurrection conditioned on having a clear heart, and made the admission to paradise conditioned to the person who has a heart filled with Iman and connection with Him Allah (T) and he warned against having a hard heart, and the Prophet in the hadith has made the well-being of the whole body dependent on the well being of the heart. Moreover, the heart is the place where Iman, (the most important matter in Islam), resides.

The clear heart is:

1. Clear of any temptation, which is violation of the commands and the prohibitions of Allah (T). The heart which is clear of any doubt, or suspicion of any set of beliefs that is specified in the book of Allah (T) and the Sunnah of the Prophet.
2. Clear of submitting to other than Allah (T).
3. filled with the belief of Allah (T), the love of Allah (T) the fear from Allah, the hope for the mercy of Allah (T), the reliance and dependence on Allah (T), and the feeling of turning all the time back to Allah (T).
4. Dedicates and devotes all actions of worship to Allah (T) alone. Whenever the person loves, he loves only for the sake of Allah (T). Whenever he hates it is only for the sake of Allah (T), whenever he gives away, he gives away only for the sake of Allah (T), and whenever he abstains from giving, and he abstains only for the sake of Allah (T).

This heart is also called the Living Heart. Opposite to this heart is the Dead Heart.

In this heart there is no sign for life. it does not recognize its creator, it does not submit to its creator, it does not love its creator, and it is totally immersed in temptations which cause the anger and the wrath of Allah (T).

It is a heart which dedicates its love, its fear, its hope, its satisfaction, to other than Allah (T). When the person has this type of the heart, when he loves, he loves for his own likes and dislikes, whenever he hates it is only for his own likes and dislikes, whenever he gives away, he gives away only for his own whims and desires, whenever he abstains from giving, he abstains only for his own likes and dislikes.

In between the living heart and the dead heart, there is a third type, which is a diseased heart.

The diseased heart has:

1. a sign of life, but it has a disease

2. Both evil and good supply this heart

3. And the overall condition of this type of heart is dependent on which of both evil and good has greater influence upon it.

• *The prophet (S) said:” the example of a heart is like a feather in the open land, the wind turns it in all directions very fast.
• *And he (S) said: "The heart of the person turns faster than the water when it is in a boiling container.”
• *he (S) said: "It is named (the heart) because it turns” the root of the word al-qalb is: to turn.

This is why every one of us should examine his heart and upon its real condition, before any disease may inflict it, and causes the person to be destroyed. The first problem which encounters us when we are talking about the conditions of the hearts is:

*How to do the examination?

*We don't have any device which detects the condition of our hearts. The answer is: to know that there is a very strong relationship between the inward condition of the heart and the outward behavior of the person, in all aspects of his life. This means that there are certain signs, indicators that show the real condition of the heart and the heart’s type, a dead heart, a living heart, or diseased heart.

*The first sign: constant remembrance of Allah (T) with tongue. The heart is like a container. The tongue moves reflecting that which is in the heart. If the heart is filled with the love of Allah (T), with fear of Allah (T), with hope for the mercy of Allah (T), with the feeling of the need of turning back to Allah (T), the tongue shall move in remembering Allah (T).Performing all types of thikr, all types of remembering Allah (T).

And if the heart is choked with disbelief, with rebellion, disobedience, then this reflects on the tongue and the tongue moves in backbiting, in slandering, in lying, and in committing different acts of sin.

The best form of remembering Allah (T) is reciting the Quran which is the word of Allah (T).

The different types of thikr that Rasool Allah (S) taught us to repeat in certain times are: in the morning, in the evening, and after the obligatory prayers.

*After that comes the thikr in general. And the most truthful thikr, that matches the heart, is performed during hardship. This is why the early Arab poets used to express their love to their beloved ones by saying: “I remembered you in the middle of the battle in a fight and I was all surrounded by swords and spears.” In the midst of this when the person usually only remembers himself and his safety: “I have remembered you.”

This is why Allah (T) said (what means): “O you who believe. When you meet an enemy force take stand against them and remember the name of Allah much so that you may be successful.”

*This remembrance shows that the person is truthful when he mentions the name of Allah (T) which really expresses his deep love to Allah (T), because he is saying what is in his heart.

The second sign is the feel of the need to turn back to Allah (T) with repentance. We attach oneself to Allah (T), feeling that there is no true life, no success, no pleasure, and there is not true happiness except with the pleasure of Allah (T), and the feeling of his closeness.

So the person’s only tranquility is when he remembers Allah (T). His only relaxation and security comes when he seeks refuge in Allah (T), and the person’s only happiness is when he is close to Allah (T).

So he places his trust in Allah (T) he relies on Allah (T) hopes for the mercy of Allah (T) fears the punishment of Allah (T) till remembering Allah (T) constantly becomes his food and nutrition, and being anxious to meet him becomes HIS life, his pleasure, and his happiness.

*Also turning to other than Allah (T) becomes his suffering. Turning back to Allah (t) becomes his cure. He feels that being away from Allah (T) is like a disease, when THAT person has this tranquility and has THIS security in remembering Allah (T), SURE ENOUGH any worry, any stress, any problem, WILL BE REMOVED.

The need of his heart is fulfilled because nothing that can fulfill the need of the heart except knowing Allah (T) and recognizing and constantly remembering him.

Allah (T) says : الذين آمنوا وتطمئن قلوبهم بذكر الله ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب

(What means): "Those who believe and whose hearts find their rests in the remembrance of Allah (T) for truly in the remembrance of Allah (T), men’s hearts do find rests.”

And He also said (what means): "Those who believe and who have not obscured their faith by any act of injustice, it is they who shall secure and shall be rightly guided.”

On the other hand, Allah (T) has mentioned the condition of the heart of the people who do not believe in Allah (T) and the last day. Allah (T) says (what means):

"Whenever Allah (T) alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in Allah (T) and the Hereafter becomes filled with a bitter feeling of disgust, whereas their false gods are mentioned, Lo they rejoice.”

And He also said (what means): “We shall fill into the hearts of those who disbelieve in Allah (T) dread and fear in return shirk and ascribing divine qualities to other than Allah (T).”

The third sign is: to strive very hard in the worship of Allah (T) the prophet (S) used to pray during the night till his feet became swollen. And whenever somebody mentioned something about that Rasool Allah (S) said: "Shouldn't I be a grateful slave of Allah (T)?”

Yahya ibnu Muaz said: "Whoever is pleased when serving Allah (T), and worshipping Allah (T), other creations of Allah (T) shall be happy when they serve Him. And whoever feels happy when obeying Allah (T) everybody will be happy when seeing him. The best condition of the heart is when it is filled with the love of Allah (T). When the heart is filled with the love of Allah (T), the person loves to serve Allah (T). And serving Allah (T) and worshipping him becomes his food and his nutrition as it has been said: Love for your Lord and it becomes easy to serve Him and worship Him for the people who have love, they serve their beloved ones."

And the Imam ibnu Mubarak said: "It is very unlikely to see a person claiming that he loves Allah (T) and at the same time he disobeys him, because had that love been truthful, he would have obeyed Him because the lovers are obedient to their beloved ones."

The fourth sign is to feel eager all the time to worship Allah (T) all the time, to be more eager to worship Allah (T) then the person who is hungry and thirsty for the food and the drink. When the person tastes the delight of dealing with Allah (T) and worshipping Allah (T), he feels that he cannot live without worshipping Allah (T) and performing the different acts of worship. So whenever he feels himself sitting still without obeying Allah (T) he feels very bad and he feels that there is something inside of him pushing him to obey Allah (T).

this is why Rasool Allah (S) has mentioned that one of the people who are going to be sheltered under the shade of the throne of Allah (T) on the Day of Resurrection when there is no shade but that shade, a person whose heart is attached to the Masajid, this shows that this persons heart is connected to the Masjid because it is the place of worshipping Allah (T), even when he is out of the Masjid his heart is attached to the Masjid constantly.

The fifth sign is to forget all about the worries and the stresses and the pressure of this life.

When the person is engaged in one of the acts of obedience such as praying, he find happiness is in the prayer, as the Prophet said: "The Prayer is my delight, is my happiness, is my pleasure.”

What a beautiful example!

It is related by Abu Dawud (R) that Jabir (R) related: "We were with the prophet (S) in one of the battles that is the battle of Thati Riqa. While coming back from that battle, in the way, Rasool Allah (S) decided that they should spend the night resting in one of the valleys and he asked, “Who is ready to guard us ? " And one of the muhajirin and one of the Ansar volunteered to guard the Muslims during that night. These two sahaba decided to have shifts and one of them lied down while the other prayed to take advantage of the beautiful time of the night to worship and have a private conversation with Allah (T). And he started praying.

One of the mushrikin was following the Muslims in order to revenge and he found the standing sahabi a very good and clear target, so he shot him with an arrow, that sahabi took the arrow out of his body and continued praying. Again the mushrik shot him with two more arrows, and the sahabi continued to make ruku and sujud till the muhajiri who is the second guard woke up, and when he saw the blood pouring out of him he said: "Subhan Allah! Why didn't you wake me up when you were first shot?" The other companion said: "I was reciting a surah from the Quran and I hated to cut it off without completing it."

This person was under the danger of losing himself, of him being killed, and yet the feeling of the pleasure of reciting the Quran overpowered him and let him forget that he is in danger and that worry of losing his life and continued praying feeling the delight of this act of worship. What a beautiful example!

Compare this with our condition when one says Allahu Akbar and than waits until assallamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah. This is a big difference between that person and the person who will be eager to finish and to end the prayer. That heart is different than this heart and the first heart is a sign of having a clear heart. Sheikh al-Islam ibn Taymiyya used to say: "What can my enemy do to me? How can they harm me? My paradise is in my heart. Wherever I am, it goes with me."

So nothing on the earth can extract this paradise that you have in your heart. And some scholars say that in this life there is a paradise, if you don't enter it, you won't enter the Hereafter's Paradise. Meaning that if you do not feel the delight and the pleasure of serving Allah (T) then that means that your ibadah is wrong and that means that it is invalid and it is doubtful that you are going to experience janah in the life to come.

The sixth sign is to be stingy. Stingy with respect to our time and respect to our mind, not respect to our money. It is to hate to waste a moment of our time without worshipping Allah (T). Be more stingy than the person who is stingy with respect to his wealth and before spending few dollars he calculates for two three hours. So the person is stingy, why? Because every moment is a treasure, if you lose this treasure, you cannot compensate for that treasure. Every moment of our life is a treasure, if you lose, finish. You cannot have that moment back in your life, you lost it. And the time is our capital, if we are careless about it we become losers on the Day of Resurrection. We can fill this time with a lot of acts of worship, a lot of acts of righteousness that Rasool Allah (S) taught us. He (S) said: "Whoever says subhan Allah al- athim wa behamdihi will have a palm tree in paradise for it.”

Just to say subhan Allah (T) al-athim wa behamdihi, you get one palm tree in janna, not of this life but one that is totally different, something amazing. Rasool Allah (S) said: "Whenever you recite one letter from the book of Allah (T) you get ten rewards for it and Allah (T) multiplies seven hundred times and more whenever he wants. And I don't say alif-lam-meem is one letter rather you get ten rewards for alif, ten for lam, and ten for meem. "

These are types of acts for which we can fill our time. Rasool Allah (S) said: "Whoever prays twelve rakas in one day voluntarily to Allah (T), Allah (T) will build for him a place or a house in paradise.”

Now ask your self, how much time have we wasted in our life? How many righteous deeds have we lost in our life? And how many gatherings have we attended without benefiting from them and without remembering the name of Allah (T), and Rasool Allah (S) warned us against these types of meetings, which turned to be meetings of backbiting, slandering, degrading Muslims, and having bad thoughts about Muslims.

Rasool Allah (S) said: "Whoever sits and plays in a place without mentioning the name of Allah (T) will regret it on the Day of Judgment.”

This shows that the true believer should constantly remember Allah (T). To sit here and learn the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah is a form of remembering Allah (T)

He also said: "Whenever people gather in a meeting or in a place where they do not remember the name of Allah (T), they will depart, and the meeting smells. The smell of that meeting is fouler than the smell of the carcass of a donkey and they will regret that meeting on the Day of Resurrection. "

So what type of gatherings do we have? Why we have to be careful and monitor these things?

The seventh sign is to be concerned about perfecting our deeds. To focus more about correcting our deeds than accumulating many deeds, because all that counts is the acceptance from Allah (T). Assume that we have as many good deeds as Prophet Mohammed (S), who is the most righteous and the most fearing of Allah (T) of all. But Allah (T) did not accept these deeds. What is the use of these deeds?

The OWNER of a clear heart is intelligent, he cares, focuses more about how to perfect his deeds, he guards his good deeds from anything that may invalidate it. There are certain things invalidate our deed, such as:

1. Lack of sincerity. Allah (T) said (what means): “Allah (T) does not accept any deed except that which is done for his pleasure only.”

2. Not following Rasool Allah (S) Sunnah. Rasool Allah (S) said: "Whoever innovate a new matter in the religion will have it rejected.” Which means not accepted.

3. Forgetting and referring the credit of the good deed to himself, not to Allah (T).

4. kibr, we have arrogance. Rasool Allah (S) said: "Whoever has in his heart an atom weight of arrogance or pride will not enter paradise.”

Allah (T) says (what means): “Had it not been for the grace of Allah (T) and his favor upon me, none of you would have been pure, but Allah causes whomever He wants to grow in purity.”

And the du 'aa of the people of the jannah: ‘Had it not been for the guidance of Allah (T) we would not have been guided." Allah (T) says (what means): "Whatever bounty comes to you comes only from Allah (T).” And the greatest bounty is when you are worshipping Allah (T), the bounty of having righteous deeds and performing righteous deeds. Rasool Allah (S) said: "None of you will enter paradise by the virtue of his work.” They said: Not even you O prophet of Allah (T)? He said: "Not even me except if Allah (T) bestows his mercy upon me.”

So, we should not come with a mentality that we’re doing a favor to this masjid, to the congregational prayer so we are doing a favor. This attitude is one of the things that will invalidate our deed, BESIDES we has a limited amount of deeds, a limited time, so we better protect it

Rasool Allah (S) said: "Had it not been in your nature to sin I would have feared something even greater than sinning on you and that is self admiration.”

It’s not a matter of collection, but it is the quality of your deed.

The eighth sign is when we feel very sorry for missing one of the acts of obedience, we feel very sad, we regret it, because we lost it, and whatever we lost cannot be compensated, and that the loss of this life is incomparable to the loss of the life of the Hereafter, Allah (T) says: “Whatever you have is going to vanish, whatever is with Allah (T) shall stay forever.”

To lose something which may put us in a higher position in the Hereafter, it is a great loss. See the beautiful position of the sahabah which were not able to go with the Prophet (S) to jihad. Allah (T) says about them: “There is no blame.” Allah (T) mentioned this ayah after many ayat in which he was reprimanding the munafiqeen, and condemning them, then He said (what means): “There is no blame on those who when they came to you to ask you to provide mounts for them to go to jihad in the path of Allah, you told them, I cannot provide a mount for you, then turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears because they do not have any money to spend to go to jihad in the way of Allah.”

This shows the truthfulness, the clarity of the heart, the sound of the heart which is filled with the love and eagerness to serve Allah (T) especially when it comes to a very virtuous deed like jihad in the way of Allah (t).

The ninth sign is when the person's main concern is the Hereafter. Rasool Allah (S) said: "If the main concern of the person is the Hereafter, Allah (T) shall straighten all his affairs, and shall fill his heart with richness,” Do you know what the definition of the rich person in Islam is? Rasool Allah (S) said: "Being rich is not to have a lot of position; it is to have a rich heart.”

Some people have a lot of position, but still hungry for more.

Know that their heart is filled with poverty, while the person who is content with what Allah (T) has given him he feels that he is overwhelmed by the bounties of Allah (T) "And Allah shall make the life of this world sub-servant to him,”

On the other hand, the persons who his main concern is the life of this world, then Allah (T) shall mess up his affairs and shall make his poverty in front of his eyes. He is always feeling poor, even if he has millions of dollars, he feels the need of having two hundred million dollars and his struggle will never end, and nothing will fill him except the dust of the grave.

"And the person will not get from this life except what Allah (T) has been already prescribed for him.”

The tenth sign is:

1. To feel entertained when you are alone worshipping Allah (T).

2. And to feel lonely when you are with people who do not remember Allah (T).

You feel entertained when you are alone; you don't feel lonely when you are alone. You feel entertained with the pleasure of worshipping Allah (T), and with also the company of somebody who is guiding you to Allah (T) or reminding you of Allah (T).

Allah (T) says in the Quran (what means): “Isn’t Allah enough for his servant?”

Allah (T) is enough. He can satisfy us. He can fill the need of our heart. There is nothing in the world which can fill the need of the heart except the Iman in the oneness of Allah (T). The heart has a need. The heart has a great need. And nothing can fill that need except the Iman in the oneness of Allah (T).

The great effect that the Quran has upon the believer.

The final sign is to love the word of Allah (T), no love should be above the love of the words of Allah (T). And to have great effect from the words of Allah (T), to benefit the most from the words of Allah (T). This is the position of the believers when they receive the words of Allah (T), they love it very much, no love exceeds their love to the words of Allah (T), plus they benefit from it, and it affects them greatly. Listen to what Allah (T) said about how the true believer receives the guidance or the words of Allah (T),when HE says (what means): “Allah (T) has bestowed down the most beautiful speech.”

That is the Book of Allah (T)!! It is the most eloquent speech. “A book which is consistent within itself.”

No contradictions, no discrepancies in the book of Allah (T). Repeating the admonitions, the stories, the rules, in different forms and ways will benefits the person, “At the recitation of which those who fear Allah shiver.” Their skin shivers when they hear the words of Allah (T); this is how the person who receives a clear heart, a sound heart, receives the word of Allah (T). And Allah (T) says (what means):

· “It is he who fears Allah (T) the one who remembers.”

· In this (the Quran) indeed there is a reminder for those who have a heart. What kind of heart? A living heart.

· “The only saying of the believers when they are called to Allah to arbitrate is to say: Sami na wa ata na (we hear and we obey).”

We cannot straighten the affairs of our hearts, and have a clear heart except if we fill our hearts with the love of Allah (T) and the Iman in the oneness of Allah (T). Allah (T) says about the heavens and the earth: “Had there been any god besides Allah, in these (in the heavens and the earth) they would have been ruined.” Allah (T) has created the eye to see, the ear to hear, the tongue to talk, and created the heart to be filled with the love of Allah (T) belief in Allah (T).

Heart, it is like a container

Now if the person does that, he fills the heart, it is like a container, fills it with the Iman and the love of Allah (T) than it is a happy life, it is a good life, in this dunyaa and in the akhira. And if he does not do that, and he turns away from the remembrance of Allah (T), then it is misery , a life of misery , of depression, a life of stress, a life of problems, of worries, and Allah (T) mentions in the Quran (what means): “Whoever turns away from my remembrance will have a miserable life.”

Rasool Allah (S) said: "Misery for the servant of the dinar,” "Misery for the servant of the dollar, misery for the servant of the cent, misery for the servant of the garment, whose main concern is the clothes that he wears and the fashion that he follows.”

Rasool Allah (S) condemns this person and shows that a person may be captive to the life of this world, meaning the worldly Slave, who turns away from submission to Allah (T) to submission to the life of this world.

Every act of worship, every righteous deed that we perform is a means to resurrect our heart, to strengthen the life of our heart, the more acts of deeds we do, the more living our heart is.

On the other hand, every act of disobedience is a means to kill this heart. And the more we commit acts of disobedience till the heart becomes totally dead. And at that time the person will not benefit from anything.

1. Repenting, giving up that sin, and seek forgiveness:

AI-Musnad imam Ahmad and Jami at- Tirmizii Abu Huraira (R) related: “When a believer commits a sin, a black mark will be imprinted on his heart, if he repents and gives up that sin, and seeks the forgiveness of Allah (T), his heart will be cleansed, and the black mark will clear from his heart. And if he continues to commit sins, then that black mark will spread all over his heart till it forms a layer of rust, and this is the ra’an that Allah has mentioned: “No indeed their own deeds have cast a layer over their hearts.”

How sins can hurts you?

Now the results of having a lot of acts of disobedience, is sealing the heart, it will be stamped, and it will not recognize or discriminate between what is good and what is evil, and it becomes very hard like the hearts of those whom earned the wrath and the anger of Allah (T).

Allah (T) described the hearts of the Jews by saying (what means): “Then you’re hearts will harden, they become like a rock, rather worse in hardness, for among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth, and others that split asunder sending forth water and others which sink because of the fear of Allah (T) and Allah is not unmindful of that which you do.”

When we have this hard heart, we don't discriminate, and our condition will come like the second hadith clarifies. Rasool Allah (S) said in the hadith narrated by Huthayfa ibn al-yaman which is in Sahih Muslim that:

"Very many different trials in a form of acts of disobedience will be presented to the hearts, so close to one another, i.e. the heart allows anyone of these acts of disobedience to affect it, then a black mark will be imprinted on that heart. And If he rejects it or denies it, then a white mark will be imprinted on his heart, eventually hearts become of two types, a heart which is black and dusty , it does not recognize any good or evil, does not discriminate between evil and good, a heart which follows its own whims and desires. And another type of heart which becomes white clean, clear, and will not be harmed by any fitnah or trial in form of a disobedience, as long as the heaven and earth exist.”

2. Knowing that the hearts are in the hands of Allah (T)

Allah (T) says: "Know that Allah comes in between the servant and his heart.”

Meaning that Allah (T) has the command over the heart, and Rasool Allah (S) said that: "The hearts of all children of Adam is between two of the fingers of Allah (T), they are all the hearts of the children of Adam, is like one heart, he turns it the way he wants. "

3. Final du’aa:

The Prophet (S) supplicated to Allah (T) by saying: "O Allah, turner of the hearts, turn my heart towards your obedience.” Ameen.

Courtesy of an article” THE HEART” by sh: M .Al-hallak

Questions:

1) What is the fate of a person having a clear heart?

2) What is a clear heart?

3) What is a dead heart?

4) What is a diseased heart?

5) What is a hard heart?

6) What is the importance of having a clear heart?

7) What are the signs and indicators of clear heart?

8) Who are going to be sheltered under the shade of the throne of Allah (T) on the Day of Resurrection?

9) Describe the beautiful story which is related by Abu Dawud (R) that Jabir (R) related.

10) What did Rasul (S) said about gatherings without remembering the name of Allah (T)?

11) What invalidates one’s good deeds?

12) What prophet (S) said about kibr?

13) What should be one’s feelings when he misses an act of obedience?

14) What should be our main concern?

15) What happens to a person who’s main concern is this life?

16) What should be our feelings when we are lonely?

17) How should one feel when he listens to the recitation of Qur’an?

18) What should we fill our heart with?

19) How can we have a clear heart and resurrected heart?

20) What kills the heart?

21) What are the results of having a lot of acts of disobedience?

22) What was prophet (S) supplication?

(It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah & His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah & His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error) 33:36