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An-Nu`man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, said,
"Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (i.e., reformed), the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt, and that is the heart." (Al-Bukhari)
In this long and very famous hadith, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, referring to what is HALAL and what is HARAM, is drawing Muslims' attention to the high importance of the heart.
After explaining that the halal and the haram is clear, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, declares that there are obscure areas between them not known to most people. However, what protects a person from the haram and ensures remaining in the halal is knowledge; but beyond knowledge, there is the state of the heart. If the heart is good, then it will be able to make use of the knowledge available and avoid what is prohibited. If the heart is bad, then the knowledge is of no benefit and the person will indulge in what is prohibited.
The servant is not afflicted with a punishment greater in severity than the hardening of the heart and it’s being distant from Allah. The Fire was created to melt the hardened heart – this heart which is the most distant of hearts from Allah. If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry [and finds no joy or tranquility].
There are four matters, when the limits are transgressed with regards to them, that harden the heart: food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food and water and similarly a diseased heart does not benefit from admonishment or exhortation.
Whosoever desires to purify his heart then let him give preference to Allah over his base desires. The heart that clings to its base desires is veiled from Allah in accordance to the strength of its attachment to them. The hearts are the vessels of Allah upon His earth; hence the most beloved of them to Him are those that are most tender, pure and resistant to deviation.
[A reference to the hadeeth, "Truly, Allah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones"]
[A reference to the hadeeth, "Truly, Allah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones"]
The transgressors preoccupied their hearts with the pursuance of this world. If only they had preoccupied them with Allah and seeking the Hereafter then they would have instead reflected upon the meaning of His Words and His Signs that are witnessed in creation. Their hearts would have returned to their owners (in whose chests they reside) bestowing upon them marvelous wisdom and pearls of benefit.
Not every individual who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom and throw on its robe is from among its people. Rather the People of Knowledge and Wisdom are those who have infused life into their hearts by slaughtering their desires. As for the one who has destroyed his heart and given precedence to his desires then knowledge and wisdom are deprived from his tongue. The destruction of the heart occurs through possessing a sense of security and negligence.
Yearning for Allah and His meeting is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire for this world. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil condition and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. This is because the love of Allah can never enter the heart that contains love of this world until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.
Therefore the most beloved servant to Allah is the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He selects for His Love, whom He causes to purify his worship for Him, who dedicates his life to Him, his tongue to His dhikr and his limbs to His service. The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick and its cure lies in repentance and seeking protection from evil.
It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and it is polished through dhikr. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through taqwaa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allah.
It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and it is polished through dhikr. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through taqwaa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allah.
Allah has sent down the best statement, a book {this Quraan) its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth oft repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it. Then their skins and hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. (Surah az zumar 39:23) It has been related on the authority of Abu Huririah who said: I heard the messenger of Allah say: "Seven will be granted the shade of Allah on a day when there will be no shade. (1) A just ruler, (2) a youth who has been brought up worshipping Allah. (3) a man whose heart is attached to the mosque, (4) two people who love each other for the sake of Allah and meet and part upon that, (5) a man who is allured by a woman of high standing and beauty and he says 'I fear Allah', (6) one who gives charity in secret so that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given, (7) and a man whose eyes fill up with tears when he remembers Allah in private. (Sahih Muslim, Bukhari)
Some notable hadiths that may soften your heart for remembrance:
On the authority of Saydina Ibn Abbas who heard the messenger of Allah say: "There are two eyes which will not be touched by the fire: an eye which weeps out of the fear of Allah and an eye which stays vigil throughout the night guarding for the sake of Allah." (Tirmidi)
On the authority of Usamah ibn Zayd who said:
On the authority of Usamah ibn Zayd who said:
'We were with the beloved prophet when one of his daughters sent a messenger calling for him, informing him that her small child, or her son, was dying. So the beloved prophet told the messenger: "Return to her and inform her, that whatever Allah takes and gives belongs to Him and that everything has an appointed term, so let her be patient and anticipate Allahs reward in the hereafter." Later the messenger returned to the beloved and said: 'verily she has sworn by Allah that you come to her'. So the beloved got up and so did sa'ad ibn Ubadah and Mu'aadh ibn jabal, and I too went with them. The small boy was lifted up to the prophet and let out a groaning noise as if he was breathing his last breath. Thereby the beloved prophet's eyes overflowed with tears. Upon this Sa'ad asked: 'What is this, O messenger of Allah? He replied: "This is a mercy, which Allah puts in the hearts of His servants. And verily Allah shows mercy to those of His servants who are merciful. (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)
Many narrations show how the beloved and blessed as sahabas, May Allah be pleased with them all, used to weep some out of love of Allah, some out of love of the prophet etc ......
There are many solutions which can really help soften our hearts and indeed ibadaah is very important listening to Qur’an sharif, making dhikir, in fact this is both a spiritual and physical softening of the heart, also reflecting on death and contemplating occurrences after death also helps but Adam (mankind) must know that the blessed fruits and medicines etc Allah has provided for us here on earth also are very important because physical existence requires physical food, and here are a few narrations sister i am going to quickly quote... pomegranate- Abu Naim has narrated from Anas who reported from the beloved "There is not a pomegranate which does not have a pip from one of the pomegranates of the garden in it, no pomegranate grows ripe without being watered by a drop of the water of the garden in it"
Ali said: "No one eats pomegranates without his heart being moved and shaytaan fleeing from him, whoever eats pomegranates has the light of Allah in his heart"
Ibn Majah from Talha narrate Anas has also narrated a similar hadith Sharif: the beloved said "Eat quince (safarjal) for truly it softens the heart, eat quince it softens the heart, and Allah has not sent any prophet as His messenger without giving him the quince of the garden to eat.
Woe to those who are reminded of the warnings of Allah and they do not humble themselves to His Words.
It is a curse to have a hardened heart, and it is a blessing to have a soft heart. Those with hardened hearts suffer a lot, even though they may have all of the trappings of this life.
What seems to be an enjoyable life is empty — it is filled with loneliness. They cannot find peace of mind and heart because their hearts are hardened to Allah, to belief in Allah, to submission to Allah. Allah, the Almighty, says,
Is there anything that is more beneficial in this life than a softened heart? Will all Muslims strive to achieve it because everything else would be meaningless and useless without softened hearts?
