In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
What favors you in the sight of Allah Most High is the state of your heart. What will save you on the Day of Judgement is qalbun saleem— a sound heart.
All the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, all the joy and sadness in our lives, all the difficulties and comforts of this life, all the anger and hate that manifest, all the love and beauty we cherish, at the end of the day, what is important is that we meet Allah with a sound heart.
Islam is the religion of the heart. Everything we do, its fruit is reflected in the heart and the heart is the worth in every human being.
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ ءَاذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ ﴿٤٦[Qur'an, Al-Hajj 22: 46]
So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts. (46)
In all our actions we have a decision to make. What governs our decision is Allah Most High.
In order to start moving in life you first need to have knowledge; with that knowledge you can define if something is important or not. Then it is up to you to make the move. The Prophet salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said about your heart:
"Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be sound, all the body is sound and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart." [Bukhari, Muslim]
What is the State of Your Heart?
The state of your heart will decide what you do with your knowledge. Will you benefit from it by practicing it or not? For example, if you hear an ayah of the Qur'an or a hadith, does it make you feel you want to practice it straight away or does it not have much impact on you? Whatever the answer is, it will tell you about the state of your heart.
Sins have an effect on your heart; they can cause your heart to be sealed so that the light of knowledge doesn’t reach it anymore and the ayaat of Allah don’t affect you anymore. May Allah protect us from this.
There are many diseases we find in our hearts, like jealousy, envy, greed, lust, and showing off. Our aim should be to strive to purify our hearts and turn back to Allah with a sound heart. Once a wise man made this dua: ‘ O Allah purify my heart from anything but You.’
The Heart and the Mind
When you say the word ‘Think!” most of us point to our heads, right? How many of us point to our hearts when we say “Think?” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Taqwa is here,” and he pointed to his chest. [Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad]
One of the functions of the heart is ta’aqqul (understanding). Allah gave us a heart to comprehend, to reflect, and to reason.
To believe, to disbelieve, to understand, to comprehend, to have tranquility, to feel confusion, to have tawakkul and to have khushoo’ are all functions of your heart.
What Do You Do With Your Heart?
Now the question is, what is your heart attached to? Is it attached to your children, your spouse, your house, your money, your favorite TV show, a celebrity, or to those special moments you spend with the Qur'an and reading about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?
Allah Almighty says,
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart. (89)
How can you train your heart to become devoted and sound?
Ask Allah, Exalted is He, by His beautiful names to purify your heart. He is Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), so ask Him to give you a pure heart. He is Al-Qareeb (The Close One), so ask Him to make your heart close to Him. He is Al-Wadood (The Ever-Loving), so ask Him to fill your heart with love for Him.
Test yourself on the signs of a pure and devoted heart.
It continues to push its companion until he turns to Allah and repents.
It doesn’t grow tired of the remembrance of Allah or His worship.
If it misses out on an act of obedience it feels a pain that is more severe than the pain felt when losing money.
It finds sweetness and delight in worship greater than any delight from food and drink.
If it enters prayer, its worries and troubles from this worldly life leave it.
It is stingier with its time being wasted than a miser’s stinginess with his money.
It is more concerned with a good deed being performed correctly and accepted than the actual deed itself.
Memorize and make this du'a.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. [Qur'an, AleImran 3:8]
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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