Why is the Heart Important?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The heart is much more that a muscle that pumps the blood around the body. The heart is something that can affect the whole body, if it is pure then the whole body is pure and if it is sick then the whole body is sick. The heart is the hidden secret between man and God and what happens there is only accessible to God. Although those with trained eyes can see quite clearly. The body can illustrate what the heart feels but heart can never illustrate what the body feels.

Heart attacks

Ibn Al-Nafis was the first to find out about the pulmonary circulation of the blood, then he was plagiarized by many who refused to divulge where they obtained this information from.

Heart disease remains America’s leading cause of death, killing one American every 34 seconds, or more than 2,500 people per day. But it also remains a highly preventable disease.

The grim statistics come from the American Heart Association’s new report, “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2005 Update.” The report shows that in 2002, more than 927,000 Americans died from heart disease-related conditions, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and congenital heart defects. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142436,00.html)

One in five deaths are caused by heart disease in the UK and if you are on a lower wage you are more likely to have heart problems. The statistics show that people who have money problems are sure to be in more in danger of having heart problems that those better off.

Worrying about provision and family can lead a person to have a perturbed or disturbed heart; this added to other factors can lead a person to problems.

Light and darkness

Both these things can affect a person in different ways. You can be affected by the light that someone has and by the light they contain. If someone has a lot of light greater than your light or your darkness then their light can affect you. Similarly, someone with more darkness than you can affect you as well.

Sometimes people with darkness and falsehood can affect your heart in the most despicable ways and you may even find yourself agreeing with their poison. Because your heart has been so affected by their darkness there is no room for light!

As can someone with truth and light can transform you if you are receptive to it. This is the point are we receptive to it or not? If we are then we can attain greater levels and if we are not because of the darkness we carry we will reject it.

The Prophets (upon them peace) came with light and the truth; some accepted and some rejected. The eyes and ears are channels to the heart and if we are not careful then we will have hearts that are not pure and open to the truth.

Look inward and purify that by taking the sins you see in people as your own. Why is the heart important?

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Allah does not look to your forms nor your wealth but He looks to your hearts and your deeds.” (Muslim 6221)

Another narration of this hadith mentions intentions in place of deeds. These are 'secrets' between one and Allah (the Exalted) even the angels who record good deeds do not have access to them.

You can change your heart but you cannot change mine. So be concerned about changing what you have access to instead of trying to change what you cannot! Merely looking at the outward does not give you the full picture of who that person is. His faith in Allah and the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) are the most important thing, and you have no way to know that. How often is it that you see a person dressed outwardly like a sheep but the wolf can still be seen underneath. Be concerned about changing what is between you and Allah (the Exalted) first before getting your dress sense right!

Types of heart

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Hearts are four; a pure heart with a shining lamp; that is the heart of the believer; a black heart covered which is the heart of the disbeliever; a covered heart, linked to its cover that is the heart of the hypocrite and the heart with layers faith and hypocrisy.” (Imam Ahmed).

There are four types of heart mentioned here:
1. Pure heart
2. Black heart
3. Covered heart
4. Layered heart.

The pure heart is the healthy one and the ideal one in this list. The pure heart is to aim for and to work for but how do we work to get this type of heart? Some of us are blessed to be born with pure hearts and some of us have to work on ourselves.

Remembrance

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ‌ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨

Those who believe, their hearts being at rest in Allah's remembrance -- in Allah's remembrance are at rest the hearts (28) [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:28]

By performing remembrance does the heart find rest and then it can become pure. How do we know this?

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Is there not a morsel of flesh; if it is sound then the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt then the whole body is corrupt; it is not the heart?” (Bukhari 25 and Muslim 1599).

This hadith is a miracle because the Arabic word used is Mudghah which is something similar to a morsel. Almost like a piece of partially chewed meat and this accurately described the shape of the heart. It is nothing like the fantasy picture that we see everywhere especially on valentine cards and the like. It’s like a piece of flesh but it has a life beyond what people can measure with their medical equipment.

Bringing it to a state of purification is something that benefits us beyond this world.

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (89) [Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]

We are not busy purifying our hearts for no benefit rather we are doing something that has infinite benefits. So this is not some new matter that has been ‘invented’ or ‘innovated’ this is part of the Qur'anic narrative and if adhered to brings a wealth of benefits.

Remembrance or dhikr is a way to purify the heart but hearts have to be emptied from other things.

Three stages

The spiritual masters mention three stages in spiritual development:
1. Ridding oneself of bad characteristics تخلى
2. Adorning oneself with good character تحلى
3. Manifesting the good character تجلى

The Arabic words used above have very small differences but these differences are massive in reality. If you want to decorate a room in your house properly you have to remove everything out of it that is the first level. The second level is about adding and the final level is the manifestation when the room is finally finished but this can take time, it’s not an easy process by anyone’s standards.

You see the heart can be sick and if it is starved from the remembrance of Allah then it will die. Especially, if it is allowed to follow its passions.

Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir said, “The heart dies from passions of the soul; the more you refuse the passions you attain from life its shares; so listen to the living and not to the dead.” Allah, the exalted, states, “You cannot listen to the dead.” (Qur'an, An-Naml 27:80). (Awarif Al-Mararif Imam Sarawardi p.17).

إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِ‌ينَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَمَا أَنتَ بِهَادِي الْعُمْيِ عَن ضَلَالَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨١

Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating. (80) And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [submitting to Allah]. (81) [Qur'an, An-Naml 26:80-81]
Weak heart

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “A strong believer is better than a weak believer; and in each is goodness.” (Muslim, Ahmed and Ibn Majah). Ibn Ata Allah says that the strong believer is he whose heart is illuminated by the light of certainty. (Taj Al-Aroos p.96-7).

Black spot

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, "Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity." (Muslim Book of faith 2/170).

When a white cloth has a black stain on it, it can be seen clearly and most people will notice the black spot more than they will notice the rest of the cloth being white! Similarly, the dark heart recognises darkness and is attached by it.

A reminder placed into the heart

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “If Allah wishes goodness to his servant then he places admonition in his heart.” (Abu Mansor Ad-Dalami with a good chain).

This is something that can happen when they are about to do something that they shouldn’t the heart is reminded. Then at that moment it can chose to follow it or not.

The place of knowledge

Imam Ghazali said, “The place of knowledge is the heart.” (Ihya Ulum Ud-Deen Vol 3 p.17).

This is where knowledge is kept and if there is light in there it will be displayed for all to see and if it is not present then the knowledge will be darkened and won’t shine through.

The heart is something amazing if it is worked upon with remembrance of Allah or it is something sick if someone gives in to its whims. In one sense it has to be trained to love the Divine and love and follow the sacred law. This can only be done by following the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).

Following a spiritual path allows one to make progress by the means of admonition and obedience to a spiritual master. We are talking about those who follow the sacred law correctly. A spiritual master can take you further than you can go on your own so bear that in mind.

Hearts are attracted to things that are similar and they will go for what is similar so be careful because that untrained morsel of flesh needs to be cleaned. Only then will it give its true benefits.

May Allah make us of people of remembrance and who constantly purifying themselves. May Allah purify our hearts. Ameen.

And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

Wassalaam

Adapted from Sheikhy Notes