Purify Your Heart

We begin in the name of Allah, We send salah and salams upon our beloved Messenger (saws), upon his family, his companions and upon everyone who follows his (saws) guidance until the day of judgment.

            Dear respected reader, open your mind, heart and soul while reading the following advice.  Know may Allah have mercy on you, that we are living in times of heedlessness.  We are living in times where we are so caught up in our day to day activities that we neglect to purify our souls from within.   We perform ritual purity (wudu) to prepare ourselves for the standing in front of our lord, but we neglect to purify our souls, hearts and minds.  We are so intertwined in this dunya that we have neglected and abandoned the thing that if it is pure and sound, then everything else will be pure and sound and that is the heart. Our beloved Messenger (saws) said,

Indeed, and within the body is a morsel of flesh; if it is sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt, then the whole body will be corrupt, indeed it is the heart.” (Al-Bukhari)

            So if the heart is sound and pure, then the body will follow it.  If the heart contains in it the love, trust, fear etc of Allah, the body will demonstrate those things with actions that correspond with that love, trust, fear etc.  Some of the scholars say, “The heart is the king of the limbs and the rest of the limbs are it’s (the hearts) soldiers.  The limbs are an obedient army to the heart; they race toward its obedience and toward the execution of its commands, not opposing it in any matter whatsoever.  Thus, if the king is righteous, the army will be righteous.  On the other hand, if the king is corrupt, the army will also be corrupt.”

            The believer must connect his heart to the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His messenger.  When knowledge and awareness of Allah enters the heart, we will see change in a positive direction, one that leads to the pleasure of Allah, thus obtaining paradise.  And this is as Ibn Rajab has stated, “The heart cannot be rectified unless there settles within it knowledge of Allah, His Greatness, love of Him, fear and awe of Him, hope and trust in Him and for it to be over flowing with this.” 

            Our hearts must be pure and filled with the love of Allah.  Allah informs us that only the heart that is pure will enter paradise in His saying,

“The day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except for the one who comes to Allah with a pure heart.” (26:88-89)

            We see that in order to enter paradise ones heart has to be pure.  It cannot be infected with love of lusts, desires, disobedience to the commands of Allah the Most High.  We need to focus more on self and not concern ourselves with the actions of others, since we will be questioned regarding the things that we have done and not regarding what fulan and fulana did.  Allah says:

“Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah).”  (17:36)

We will be questioned regarding our actions and no one else will be questioned in our place.  We have to take ourselves into account before we are taken into account.  Purify yourself and be from amongst the successful.  Allah says,

“Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.” (87:14)

Ibn Katheer states regarding this verse that it means, “he who purifies himself from despised characteristics and he follows what Allah has revealed to the Messenger. (saws)”  This is the one who has achieved success, the one who surrounds his/her life with the obedience of Allah and His messenger.

Take charge of your hearts and end its starvation by beginning to nourish it with knowledge.  We need to water the heart with knowledge just as a seed is given water, thereafter seeing the beautiful fruits of that maintenance and care.  Nourish your heart with the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and you will see your army, your limbs follow it, thus becoming pure.  Seek the tranquillity that Allah promises for the heart that contains His remembrance.  Allah says,

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)

In conclusion, seek the rest and tranquillity promised by Allah by connecting your hearts to Allah through remembrance, obedience, love, fear etc.  Purify that morsel of flesh allowing it to lead you to the pleasure of Allah.  Know that the promise of Allah is true and that Allah never fails in His promise.  Purify yourself and allow your actions to be the words that this ummah is in need of.  Let your actions demonstrate obedience and love and be shining examples for your families, friends, community members, etc. 

We ask Allah to purify our hearts with His obedience and that He place love in our hearts toward him and that He cause us to love Him and His messenger more than our own fathers, sons and all of mankind altogether.   O changer of hearts, change our hearts to your obedience and do not allow our hearts to go astray after You have guided us.  We glorify and praise Allah.   We bear witness that nothing or no one has the right to be worshipped except Allah, we seek His forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance as none can forgive sins except Him.

Abu Sumayyah

7/18/08