Harshness of the Heart
The Prophet SAWS said: In the body there is a piece of flesh, and the whole body is sound if it is sound, but the whole body is corrupt if it is corrupt. It is the heart.
Dear brothers, today’s topic is on the heart becoming hardened and harsh. There are many causes for this and some will be mentioned in todays reminder but Allah SWT speaks of this in warnings in the Quran. The imam mentioned ayat 179 from Sura Al-A’raf which is translated to say:
And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.
Dear brothers, we need to be mindful that the heart is to be protected. Just ponder over the way our bodies are constructed physically and you can see that the heart is protected by the ribcage and this is to remind us of how important this organ is both physically but as todays reminder tell us, spiritually as well.
And what is the root cause of this? The ayats in todays reminder all point to the fact that a heart that forgets Allah SWT becomes harsh as the focus becomes on this temporary world. But when that is said, it’s hard to visualise and so today’s reminder lists some of the common tell-tale signs or symptoms that the heart is becoming harsh.
Ask yourself for each, is it something you are suffering from, and if the answer is yes then you must strive to do the opposite of it so that your heart is repaired.
- Not praying in congregation brothers.
- Not reading the Quran.
- Not focus on prayers.
- Earning unlawfully.
- Cheating, deception or lying.
- Subjecting yourself to haram imagery or audio.
- Excess in lawful things. Things like eating, laughing, talking. Islam is about moderation and balance.
- Intoxicants such as drink or drugs.
Dear brothers, if you are finding that you are identifying with one or more of these then the remedy is something which ought to be applied as soon as possible, just like a doctor’s prescription. The reminder today concludes with 3 things we can do today to heal our hearts.
- Recite or listen to the Quran as this is the primary remedy for the heart.
- Learn about the book of Allah, our deen and our Prophet SAWS. Education never ends and this serves to heal the heart as well as provide us with knowledge.
- Do good deeds such as charitable acts. Even if it’s a smile. But key is to be consistent.
Dear brothers, we place so much emphasis on our physical health. Look around and you can see the impact of a virus on society itself. But spiritual health is also important and so let’s use today’s reminder to maintain a healthy heart and one that is free from harshness.
May Allah SWT make us soft-hearted, may Allah SWT protect us from harshness of the heart and may Allah SWT reward us in our efforts in this.
