Disease of the Hearts

Disease of the Hearts



Curing the disease of the heart is more important than curing diseases of the flesh, for salvation is for those who come to Allah with good hearts. The disease of the heart has two cures:

The first cure is: the frequent and extended contemplation of death. While taking into account how the lives of kings and men of the worldly life have ended and how they have collected lots of worldly possessions and how they have built palaces and how they have been ecstatic about the world in vanity and arrogance; their palaces have become graves and what they collected has become like ashes in the wind. [And Allah's Command must be fulfilled] al-Ahzab 33:37. [Is it not guidance for them, how many generations We have destroyed before them in whose dwellings they do walk about? Verily, therein indeed are signs. Would they not then listen?] as-Sajdah 32:26, for their palaces, possessions, and houses are inanimate objects that speak, attesting, by their virtue, upon the vanity of the makers, yet look at all of them now in their entirety. [Can you find a single one of them or hear even a whisper of them?] Maryam 19:98.

In other words, do you see any of them or hear a voice from them now? They died and are now left with their deeds.

The second cure is: meditating Allah's Holy Book, for it contains cure and mercy within it for the worlds, not just our human world. Moreover, the Prophet [PPBUH] has recommended adhering to these two preachers as he said (I have left two preachers with you, a silent one and a speaking one; the silent one is death and the speaking one is the Qur'an) "Ihyaa" by Al-Ghazali.

Along the same lines, Ibn Omar [AAT] once said that the Prophet [PPBUH] said (Hearts rust like iron rusts) and then he was asked "and what polishes the hearts?" to which he replied: (reciting the Qur'an and remembrance of death) "Sho'ab" by Al-Bihaqy.

In some narrations by Ammar ibn Yassir, the Prophet [PPBUH] said (Death suffices as a preacher) Al-Bihaqy and by Al-Tabarany.

Most people have become dead to Allah's Holy Book, in spite of being alive when it comes to living matters. They have become mute at that Book, despite their reciting of it with their tongues. They have become deaf at listening to it, despite their hearing of it with their ears. They have become blind at its wonders, despite their looking at it on papers. They have become illiterate of its secrets and meanings, despite their explaining of it in their interpretations.

Thus, beware! Do not become one of them, and mind your matters wisely, and think about how those who did not mind their matters wisely ended up in regret and dissatisfaction. Look into your matters wisely and consider how those who did not do so have lost and ended up disappointed at death.

At least take a lesson even from one verse of Allah's Book, for it has within it the fulfillment and the message for the mindful. Allah says [O, you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the Dhikr of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers ¤ And spend of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says "My Lord! If only You would postpone me for a little while, then I should give alms, and be among the righteous ¤ And Allah postpones none when his appointed time comes. And Allah is omniscient of what you do] al-Munafiqun 63:9-11.

In other words, be mindful about what we should not ignore, the Dhikr of Allah, thus pay attention. And you should never ever be solely consumed by collecting money, for your joy by it makes you forget the matters of the hereafter, and takes, out of your heart, the pleasantness of being a believer. Prophet Essa [PBUH] once said "Do not look at the money possessed by men of the worldly life, for the luster of their money takes the pleasantness of being believers out of your hearts". If this is the result of just looking at it, then what is the end result of collecting it, wrongdoing, and vanity?!

The path to Allah begins with seeking only the good Halal things, being satisfied with what is enough to keep the living, following the path of humbleness and inertness; what is meant here is abstinence from pursuing fame and power, and refraining from the foolish endeavors of the men of the worldly life, for such endeavors are the devil's traps.

In addition, the path to Allah also necessitates one to avoid engaging in associations with princes and sultans (i.e. people of excessive wealth and power in general), as it was reported in that "Knowledgeable religious scholars are Allah's trustees as long as they do not engage in worldly pursuits. However, if they become indulged into worldly pursuits, then distrust them over religion". Reported by Al-Askary from Ali and by Al-Qadhaey and Ibn Asakir from Anas.

Furthermore, you should take those who do not indulge themselves into worldly life as role models, even if they happen to be your own son, because although he is a branch of you, he might become, with more knowledge, an origin. That is why Ibrahim [PBUH] said [O my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge what has not come unto you. So follow me, I will guide you to a straight path] Maryam 19:43.

I ask Allah to make the worldly life little in our eyes, which is already little in His. I also ask Him to make the religion greater in our eyes, which is already great is His. I ask him to help us succeed in gaining His acceptance and blessings, and to settle us in the supreme paradise in heaven by his Kindness, Charity and Generosity ISA.

Adapted from the words of Imam al-Ghazaly



Edited by Nadia

Translated by Mohamed Kabil

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