Softening the Heart

Softening the Heart

An-Nu`man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) 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, 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 is clear and the haram is clear, the Prophet 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.

On his last pilgrimage, the Prophet declared that there is no favor or special position of an Arab over a non-Arab nor of a White over a Black except for taqwa (i.e., piety) and good deeds.

In these and similar statements, we find stress being placed on the heart as the part of the body that Allah has favored over all other parts. It is the place of iman (i.e., faith). Had there been another part in the body nearer to Allah, taqwa would have been placed there, because iman and taqwa are the most valuable things that a human being can ever have.

There is nothing more valuable than iman, as it is the ultimate determinant of those who have belief in Allah and the lucid distinction between believers and disbelievers. That is why the Prophet said to `Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him),

"If a single man is led to the right path (of Islam) by Allah through you, that will be better for you than everything in the world." (Al-Bukhari)

The heart, moreover, is the place by which the correctness of deeds is judged. The Prophet showed this in the hadith that was narrated by `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: "I heard Allah's Messenger say,

"Deeds (i.e., their correctness and reward) depend upon intentions, and every person gets but what he has intended." (Al-Bukhari)

So, our deeds — what we do externally — are judged ultimately by the states of our hearts.

Moreover, the Prophet declared in an authentic hadith that the first three sorts of people who would be cast into the Hellfire are those who were involved in what everybody considers great acts of righteousness. They are

1. A scholar who taught knowledge

2. A wealthy person who gave from his or her wealth in charity

3. A martyr who gave his or her life fighting in the path of Allah

The Prophet had a very soft heart. He treated all people gently. His wives said that they could not recall even a single incident when he hit or scolded them harshly. He was known for his gentleness, and Allah's Book confirms that this was an essential quality of his personality.

That is because they did not do these righteous deeds for the sake of Allah or for His reward, but rather to be venerated and praised by people.

This shows clearly that even the highest of deeds can be of no avail if the hearts are corrupt.

So, great attention should be given to the heart. A Muslim has to spend much of his or her time observing the state of his or her heart, making sure to have a niyyah hasanah (i.e., good intention) before every single deed.

So, believers should never be more concerned about any faculty than about the heart. They have to make sure that this faculty is functioning as Allah wishes it to function.

The Prophet's Heart

In his supplications, the Prophet would often say,

"I seek refuge in You, O Allah, from a heart that does not fear (You)." (Ahmed)

The Prophet had a very soft heart. He treated all people gently. His wives said that they could not recall even a single incident when he hit or scolded them harshly. He was known for his gentleness, and Allah's Book confirms that this was an essential quality of his personality. Almighty Allah says,

(Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you.) (Aal `Imran 3:159)

This was the typical quality of all Prophets and the characteristic that all those who seek to guide others to Allah must have. As it was essential for Prophets, it is essential for all Muslims, too.

It is essential for those who seek knowledge.

It is essential for teachers with regard to students.

It is essential for Muslim preachers.

It is essential for parents with regard to their children.

It is essential for Muslims with regard to their oppressed brothers and sisters worldwide.

Prime Example

With regard to children, it was narrated that Al-Aqra` Ibn Habis saw the Prophet kissing Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, his grandchildren. Al-Aqra` said, "I have ten children, but I have never kissed any of them." The Prophet said to him,

"Whosoever is not merciful will not receive mercy."

So, it is essential that parents show mercy to their children. And if we look at a home where a father is kind and merciful with his children, we will find a home that is full of happiness.

Can We Live Without Mercy?

The reality for those seeking knowledge — as it is compulsory for Muslims to seek knowledge of religion — is that if there is not, along with that knowledge, a soft heart, the Muslim cannot taste the beauty of that knowledge.

Marks of knowledge appear on the Muslim's face, hands, and tongue and in his humility to Allah. The opposite is true; nothing corrupts knowledge and da`wa (i.e., preaching Islamic teachings) more than harshness of the heart. Where hearts have become hardened, knowledge is of no benefit to the individual, nor can that individual benefit others with it.

Softness of the heart is a fundamental characteristic of true Muslims. If it becomes absent, then a person's life is filled with distress and discomfort. This is the promise of Allah. Those who lack soft hearts will lead woeful lives, as Allah, the Exalted, says in the Qur'an:

(Nay, woe to those whose hearts are hard against the remembrance of Allah; those are in clear error.) (Az-Zumar 39:22)

They are in obvious misguidance.

Woe to those whose hearts hear the Qur'an and they do not become fearful and humbled as a result of it.

Woe to those who are reminded of the words of Allah, but their eyes do not weep in fear of Him.

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,

(And whoever turns away from My reminder, his shall be a straitened life, and We will raise him on the day of resurrection, blind.) (Ta-Ha 20:124)

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?