Hard Heart

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

There are various diseases of the heart -- anger, selfishnes, arrogance, jealousy, malice, hatred, etc. And the mother of all diseases of the heart is a hard heart. When a person has a hard heart everything bad follows. The Quran mentions that this deasease is a punishment from Allah.

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً

So for their breaking of the covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard. [Quran, Al Ma'ida 5:13]

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّـهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۚ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢٢

So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error. (22)[Quran, Az-Zumar 39:22]

Symptoms of a hard heart

1--Simply not caring about Allah’s command. You don’t care about what Allah wants of you, you have no desire to find out or implement Allah's shari'ah, you live your life being cut off from Allah’s shariah. If we find ourselves living about life and never occurs to ask, Is my money halal, Is the time that I am spending is what Allah is pleased with, What is my goal in life, then this is a symptom of a hard heart.

2--Worshiping Allah without enjoying it. Worship becomes a burden and a chore. Worship becomes a nuisance instead of a sweetness of your life. The true believer finds comfort in worshiping Allah. His Iman rejuvenates when worshiping Allah and nothing is sweeter than worshiping Allah. If we find ourselves not wanting and dreading to perform solat or the coming of Ramadhan, this is a symptom of a hard heart. Not wanting to do an act of worship, even if we do the act of worship with such attitude, this is a symptom of a hard heart. Solat is supposed to calm our nerves down.

3—-The Quran itself does not move you. The Quran is the ultimate connection with Allah. It is the Speech of Allah. If the Quran does not move us then there is something wrong with us. Many people are moved when the music is played but when the Quran is played or recited, they are restless and unmoved. This is a sign of a hard heart.

4--Selfishness -- You don't care about the Ummah and you only worry about yourself and your immediate family. You have no cncern about the broader Ummah. Nobody who has a genuine Iman (Faith) will feel disconnect with the Ummah. If they are not moved when seeing or hearing about the hardship that others are experiencing, and they can't even make du'a for them, this is a sign that the hearts have become hard.

What are the causes of a hard heart? The primary cause is having turned away from the Book of Allah, not having a regular relationship with the Quran. They don’t read the Quran unless someone dies. It is as if the Quran is the book of the dead instead of the book of the living. The Quran occupies the highest shelves in their homes and the lowest priority in their actual lives.

اللَّـهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا مَّثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّـهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّـهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ ﴿٢٣

Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide. [Quran, Az-Zumar 39:23]

The Quran is the ultimate zikr (remembrance of Allah). Allah says, whoever turn away from His remembrance, they are the losers.

اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَأَنسَاهُمْ ذِكْرَ اللَّـهِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ﴿١٩

Satan has overcome them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Unquestionably, the party of Satan - they will be the losers. [Quran, Al Mujadila 58:19]

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّـهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۚ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢٢

So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error. [Quran, Az-Zumar 39:22]

The main cure of a hard heart then is connecting with the Quran. We should have a daily routine of reading the Quran, even if it is just for 5 or 10 minutes. Make it a habit like you cannot leave for work without having breadkfast, even if it is just a little bit. Do not begin your day without a little bit of Quran. This is your spiritual breakfast.

Also choose to be in the company of righteous people, people of knowledge and people of zikr for they can infuence you in a positive manner. If you are in the company of those whose hearts are hard then you think you are all normal and fine.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend." [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi].

Your companion is the one who pulls you to something. So if your companion is good, he will pull you towards that which is good. He will order you to do what is good and forbid you from doing what is evil. If he observes you committing sins, he would warn you, if he becomes aware of your shortcomings, he would advise you, and if he finds a fault in you, he would conceal it and not disclose it to others.

This is the time our hearts are supposed to be soft, not hard, not let the shaytan make us think we are fine. A soft heart means that we humble ourselves to Allah, recognize our mistakes, recognize who our Lord is and turn to Him in repentance.

May Allah forgive all our sins. May Allah soften and purify our hearts, and protect us from a hard heart. May Allah grant us righteous companions, and make us of the righteous and of those who are close to His Book. Aameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam