Softening the Tough and Rough Heart

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Human heart is tough and rough. What softens this tough and rough heart is if we remember death often and if we live for the Hereafter.

In this age of instant media, we don't need death in our family or community to remind us of death. The media spend a great deal of time and space on events connected to death and dying. Deaths of celebrities, people with local, regional, or national prominence, or victims of natural disasters, accidents or wars routinely fill the time allotted for news programs.

Human beings have a certain degree of fascination with this topic but what do they do with this information?

Life has 100% mortality rate. Everybody know that they are going to die one day. But why many many people don't behave like they are going to die? It is not so much of ignorance but insufficient iman or lack thereof. Their hearts are attached to this world, not the Creator.

We have to work on our iman because our term in this life is fixed. It will not change. It could be next month, next week, tomorrow or next minute when we are counted as the inhabitants on the other side and it would be too late to repent or do any good deed.

When we hear a massacre or deaths all over the media, it is more than merely a sad news or a tragedy. It should compel you to remember Allah, Al Muhyiy (the Giver of Life), Al Mumit (the Causer of Death) and move you to straighten out your acts and rush to good deeds. You could be next. A person next to you could be next. Thank Allah for giving you more time to get your acts together and repent for your sins and make amends with those you have harmed, however slight, and increase in your obedience to Him.

Death will come unannounced and will happen wherever Allah decides. We cannot try to run away from death.

Allah Almighty says,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْ‌جَعُونَ

Every soul shall taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.

[Qur'an al-Ankabut 29:57]

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِ‌ككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُ‌وجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ ۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا

Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allah "; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement?

[Qur'an An-Nisa 4:78]

And Allah knows best.

May Allah forgive all our sins, increase and strengthen our iman, and grant us an excellent ending at the highest of iman. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam