Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751 H), rahimahullaah (1)

From al-Istiqaamah magazine

Allah - the Most High - said:

"O you who believe! Remember Allah and remember Him a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:4I].

"Those men and women who remember Allah a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:35].

"So when you have finished the rights of your Pilgrimage, then remember Allah as you remember your fore-father, or with more intense remembrance." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:200].

These verses contain a command to remember Allah intensely and abundantly, since the worshipper is in dire need of [remembering Allah] and cannot do without it even for a twinkling of an eye. This is because every moment that a person does not spend in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah will not be of any benefit to him. Rather, the harm entailed in being neglectful of the dhikr of Allah is far greater than any benefits that can be gained. One of the 'aarifeen (those who are knowledgeable about Allah) said:"If a person were to spend such and such number of years engaged [in the dhikr of Allah], then he turns away from it for just a moment, what he will lose is far greater than whatever he has already gained."

Al-Bayhaqee relates from 'Aaishah radiallaahu 'anhaa that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "There is no time in which the son of Aadam does not remember AIIaah in it, except that it will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Judgement" (2)

Mu'aadh ibn jabal radiallaahu 'anhu relates that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The people of Paradise will not have any regrets except for those moments in which they were not engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah." (3)

Mu'aadh ibn Jabal also relates that Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was asked: What action is the most beloved to Allah? So he replied: "That you continue to keep your tongue moist with the dhikr of Allah, until you die." (4)

POLISHING THE HEART

Abu Dardaa radiallaahu 'anhu said:"For everything there is a polish and the polish for the heart is the dhikr of Allah".

Al-Bayhaqee relates from Ibn 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu that AlIaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "For everything there is a polish, and the polish for the hearts is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. There is nothing more potent in saving a person from the punishment of Allah than the dhikr of Allah." It was said: Not even Jihaad in the path of Allah. So he replied: "Not even if you were to continue striking with your sword until it breaks." (5)

There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty. The polish for [this rust] is the dhikr of AIlaah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished.

And hearts become rusty due to two things:-

(i) neglecting remembering Allah, and
(ii) committing sins.

The polish for these two things is:-

(i) seeking Allaah's forgiveness and
(ii) dhikr.

CONFUSING TRUTH WITH FALSEHOOD

Whoever neglects [remembering Allah] most of the time, then his heart will become rusty in accordance with how neglectful the person is. And when this [filthy] rust accumulates on the heart, then it no longer recognises things as they really are. Thus, it views falsehood as if it is the truth, and truth as if it is falsehood. This is because this rust darkens and confuses the heart's perception, and so it is unable to truly recognise things for what they really are. So as the rust accumulates, the heart gets blackened, and as this happens the heart becomes stained with this filthy rust, and when this occurs it corrupts the heart's perception and recognition of things. The heart [then] does not accept the truth nor does it reject falsehood, and this is the greatest calamity that can strike the heart. Being neglectful [of dhikr] and following of whims and desires is a direct consequence of such a heart, which [further] extinguish the heart's light and blinds its vision. Allah - the Most High - said:

"And do not obey him whose heart We have made to be neglectful of Our remembrance, one who follows his own whims and desires and whose affairs are furat [have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds have been lost]." [Soorah al-Kahf 18:28].

QUALITIES OF A GUIDE

So when a worshipper desires to follow another person, then let him see: Is this person from the people of dhikr, or from the people who are negligent [about remembering Allah]? Does this person judge in accordance with his whims and desires, or by the Revelation? So, if he judges by whims and desires then he is actually from those people who are negligent; those whose affairs have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds are lost.

The term furat [which occurs in the above verse] has been explained in many ways. It has been explained to mean:-

(i) losing the rewards of that type of action which is essential to do, and in which lies success and happiness;

(ii) exceeding the limits of something;

(iii) being destroyed; and

(iv) opposing the truth. Each of these sayings are very close in meaning to each other.

The point is that Allah - the One free from all imperfections, the Most High - has prohibited following all those who possess such attributes. So it is absolutely essential that a person considers whether such attributes are found in his shaykh, or the person who's example he follows, or the person that he obeys. If they are, then he should distance himself from such a person. However, if it is found that the person is, in most cases, pre-occupied with the dhikr of Allah and with following the Sunnah, and his affairs do not exceed the limits, but rather he is judicious and resolute in his affairs, then he should cling to him very firmly.

Indeed, there is no difference between the living and the dead, except with the dhikr of Allah; since [the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] said: "The example of one who remembers Allah and someone who does not, is like the example between the living and the dead." (6)

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FOOTNOTES

1. AI-Waabilus-Sayyib min Kalimit-Tayyib (pp.78-82).
2. Hasan: Related by Abu Nu'aym in al-Hiliyatul-Awliyaa (51361-362). It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5720).
3. Saheeh: Related by lbnus-Sunnee in 'Aml al-Yawma wal-Laylah (no.3). Refer to Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5446).
4. Hasan: Related by lbn Hibbaan (no.2318). It was authenticated by Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee in Saheeh al-Waabilus-Sayyib (p.80).
5. Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (4/352), from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal radiallaahu 'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.5644).
6. Related by al-Bukhaaree (11/208) and Muslim (1/539).

Source: www.missionislam.com

Causes of Increase in Iman

1. Praying to your Lord, Glorified and Exalted, in secret, supplicating a lot to Him, hoping in His reward, and engaging in much remembrance of Him.

2. Contemplating His Book, for nothing helps the recovery of the heart except the Book of Allah Mighty and Sublime.  There are many youth who busy themselves even with sciences of the Shari`ah at the expense of reciting the Qur'an until their hearts eventually harden.  So if this happens with acts of obedience, what about one who occupies his heart with sins?

3. Regularly performing your obligatory prayers in congregation, for Allah guaranteed the one who guards his obligatory prayers in congregation that he will neither abandon him, nor humiliate him, and that He will guard him in this world and the next.

4. Regularly performing as-sunan ar-rawatib (acts of Sunnah that were stressed and regularly performed by the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), and doing plenty of them, for whenever you prostrate to Allah with a prostration, He raises your level.

5. Accompanying and loving the righteous. "The person is with one he loves." [Al-Bukhari] "Do not befriend except a believer, and let no one eat your food except a taqiyy (a pious, God-fearing person)." [Hasan, related by Ahmad, At-Tayalisi, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and others]

6. Knowing that Allah al-Wahid al-Ahad watches over us, and knowing that He is with you: "Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?" [al-Mulk (67):14]

7. Knowing also that He knows what you hide and what you make apparent:  "Have you not considered that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth?  There is no private conversation of three but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are.  Then He will inform them of what they did, on the Day of Resurrection.  Indeed Allah is, of all things, Knowing." [Al-Mujadilah (58):7]

Our Shortcomings in the World of Iman

1. Taking oneself to account as the Salaf used to do; they used take themselves to account in detail prior to sleep:  What did we put forth from good so that we thank Allah?  What did we do from evil so that we repent to Allah?

2. Seeking guidance and advice from the people of knowledge and callers to Allah.

3. Visiting graves, for it is a means of remembrance of the hereafter, and it guides a slave to the Straight Path.

4. Reading biographies of the Salaf.  Exemplary biographies are those lived by the Sahaba, at-Tabi`een and imams, such as Ahmad, ash-Shai`i, Malik, ath-Thawri, al-Awza`i and many others.

5. Praying upon Allah in secret and supplicating to Him in the last third of the night.

Source: www.islaam.com

Signs of weak Faith:

1. Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.
2. Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Quran.
3. Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat
4. Neglecting the Sunnah. 
5. Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time.
6. Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Quran, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
7. Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr. 
8. Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah.
9. Desiring status and wealth.
10. Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth.
11. Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves.
12. Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others.
13. Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only; and not avoiding makroo (not recommended) things.
14. Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque.
15. Not feeling concerned about the situation of Muslims.
16. Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam.
17. Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof.
18. Becoming engrossed and very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth.
19. Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves. 

How to increase our faith then ?

1. Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in. 
2. Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.   
3. Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.   
4. Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.  
5. We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.
6. We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.   
7. Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.   
8. Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.   
9. Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'Ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.   
10. Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one's faith is increased with good deeds and our faith is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah. 

Source: www.missionislam.com

To read the Third Method: Click Here

by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

The fourth way for us to soften our hearts is by way of good deeds. Righteous deeds done sincerely for Allâh will soften our hearts. In the initial stages, maybe we can't see how it softens our hearts, but we have to stick with it and believe. As the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam told us, that the slave of Allâh does not come closer to Him except by doing the deeds that He has made compulsory for him. The compulsory deeds - the 5 daily prayers, the fast, etc. While praying, sometimes we wonder, " Where is the benefit? Where is the change?" The point is that if we keep working at it, there will be benefit. We may not see it immediately. It is something that becomes cumulative, like a person growing. They can hardly wait till they are going to be big and they put a mark on the wall, wondering when they are going to get up there. They cannot perceive themselves growing because it is something accumulating within them.

Similarly, righteous deeds… and the first of the righteous deeds are the one that God commands. It is a mistake to go to the things that He did not command us to do and to put all our focus on these areas and leave the primary things that He commanded us to do. If we have not established 5 times daily prayers on time, then it does not matter whatever else we do. It is useless. This is the foundation - if we cannot do what Allâh has commanded us to do, has demanded of us, then how can we please Him in anything else? Then, for us, pleasing God is according to ourselves – what is pleasing to us will please God. This is not pleasing God. We have to remember that the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam told us: The Hell Fire is veiled by the things that are pleasing to us and Paradise is veiled by the things that we do not like.

" Things that we do not like " are not necessarily those things that are evil, but those that our own nafs does not like because they require work and effort. We like the easy way. So we would like not to pray and if someone were to tell us that it is not necessary to pray, we would say " Alhamdulillâh!" This is our nature - we would be happy with that. However, we should be sad because we can only pray in this life and in the next, we have no chance to pray anymore. This is where prayer will benefit us, because in the next life, we will want to pray. We will beg Allâh. Allâh describes those who come before him for judgement: when they see their deeds and they know that they have put themselves in Hell. What will they do? Will they argue with Allâh and ask why He has put them in Hell? No, they will ask Allâh for another chance to go back and do what Allâh has told them to do and more. [see Sûrah Al-A'râf 7:53] But Allâh will know that they are lying for they would do the same if sent back. For if Allâh were to send us back, He will not send us back with the knowledge that we have then. He would send us back just as we were before.

Prayer is for OUR benefit. When we pray, we are not benefiting Allâh. If every human being on this earth prayed, it would not increase or benefit Allâh in any way, just as if nobody prayed, it would not decrease or affect Allâh in any way. Prayer is for OURSELVES. That is why the Prophet used to say, "Bilâl, give us ease by giving the call to prayer." Prayer was considered a time of pleasure but for us it is a burden. The sooner we finish, the better so we can get on with our lives. That is a mistake. Our hearts have become hard.

Allâh describes the Jews: after all the signs that were given to them, with the passage of time, their hearts became hard. Our hearts have become hard. We have accepted Islâm, we are awakened to Islâm and we start to practise Islâm, but time has passed and our hearts have become hardened.

"Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allâh and of the Truth which has been revealed to them, and that they should not become like those to whom was given The Book a foretime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors." [Qur’ân, Sûrah Al-Hadîd 57:16]

Prayer is not something that is pleasurable to us, but we have to keep striving and recognise that this is natural. Imân increases and decreases. The heart hardens and we fight against it and it softens. It is a continual struggle until we die. We just pray that we die with hearts that are soft and fearful. We have to keep struggling and it is in that struggle that ultimately we do taste Imân; that we do taste what the Salâh was prescribed for; what the remembrance of Allâh should mean in our lives. The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam describes those who receive the shade of Allâh' s throne on the day when there is no shade: the one who remembers Allâh and cries. His heart is soft.

Narrated Abû Huraira: The Prophet said Allâh will give shade to seven (types of people) under His Shade (on the Day of Resurrection). (one of them will be) a person who remembers Allâh and his eyes are then flooded with tears.[Bukhârî, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 486]

Narrated Abû Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allâh will give shade, to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are) a just ruler, a youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allâh (i.e. worships Allâh sincerely from childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation), two persons who love each other only for Allâh's sake and they meet and part in Allâh's cause only, a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allâh, a man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity), and a person who remembers Allâh in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears."[Bukhârî, Volume 1, Book 11, Number 629: ]

So we should not shy away from good deeds for they will help to soften our hearts. The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had said that greeting our brothers or sisters with a smiling face is Sadaqah. Nothing should be too small for us: no good deed is so trivial that we scorn at it. We should strive to do every good deed.

But we should begin with the things Allâh has made compulsory. We should establish the Salâh as Allâh prescribed it; we have to establish our zakâh as it is supposed to be given; we have to fast as it is supposed to be done and the hajj and umrah if we are able. These fundamentals have to be established for the sake of Allâh; they provide the foundation for the softening of the heart. As we continue to do these acts and voluntary versions of these acts, we come closer and closer to Allâh, until Allâh says He becomes the eyes with which we see, where we see only the things that Allâh wants us to see. We avoid the things that Allâh does not want us to see; we turn away from them; we don't enjoy them. We only touch the things Allâh wants us to touch; we only take what Allâh wants us to take; we only go to places that Allâh wants us to go. If we turn to Allâh and we call on Him He will answer our prayer. This is the promise of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam.

So my brothers and sisters, I ask you and myself to remember our hearts; to reflect on the state of our hearts. Whenever we have a moment, question: what state are we in? To work on our hearts until we have succeeded in softening them, by the mercy and the grace of Allâh. We begin that process by turning to Allâh. In our next prayer tonight, let us turn back to Allâh and beg him sincerely to soften our hearts and when we do so, if we are sincere, our hearts will begin to soften. It is the promise of Rasûlullâh SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. We should read the Qur’ân and do as much as we can of righteous deeds. We should reflect on the next life by visiting the graves and by reading the verses addressing them; by reading the statements of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam about the next life. We should do these things and strive to soften our hearts. As I said before, if after doing them we cannot find softness in our hearts, then we need to make ourselves cry. We need to force ourselves to cry because until we can let go and let loose those feeling within ourselves, then the hearts cannot become soft.

So I pray and I ask Allâh to give us all soft hearts, hearts that are filled with mercy, for the creation of Allâh, our children, our parents, our brothers and sisters in Islâm… even those towards people who are not Muslims. I ask Allâh to put in our hearts softness towards them in the sense that it would guide us to carry the message to them as we should. I ask Allâh to give us success to turn back to the Qur’ân, to read it regularly, seeking understanding and guidance from it and I ask Allâh to give us soft hearts.

The End.

Source: www.islaam.net

To read the previous method: Click Here

by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

The third way by which we can soften our hearts is the Qur’ân itself. Allâh states:

"Has not the time come for those who believe for their hearts to fear Allâh when they hear the Qur’ân (dhikrullâh here is in reference to the Qur’ân) and what truth there is in it, so that they not be like those who received the Scripture before, but in the passage of time, their hearts became hard. And most of them are corrupt." [Qur’ân, Al-Hadîd, 57:16]

If we reflect on the Qur’ân, it has the power to soften our hearts. Allâh said, about the jinn who heard the Qur’ân,

"Indeed we heard an amazing Qur’ân; it guides us to Allâh and we believe in it and we will set not partners besides Allâh." [See Qur’ân, Sûrah al-Ahqâf 46:29-32

Allâh goes on to describe the righteous,

"And if they (this is amongst the Christians) hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you will see their eyes welling up with tears because of what they know of the truth of what has been brought."

This was the case of the ruler of Ethiopia. When Muslims sought refuge there and they recited a portion of the Qur’ân, they saw his eyes fill with tears.

This is how we should be. When we hear the Qur’ân, we should reflect on the meanings. The Qur’ân should not become for us a replacement for pop songs that we used to hear before. People buy recordings of their favourite reciters for the beauty of their voice. The listening of the Qur’ân has become more of a musical thing. We are entertained by that music, so much so that when the reciter is reading, we hear people in the background going, "Allâh! Allâh! Allâh!" People making statements in the background as thought it were a pop show! This is not the Qur’ân. Allâh tells us, " Will they not reflect (on the meanings)?"

The Qur’ân is a Book of Guidance and it is in the reflection on the meaning of the Qur’ân that we benefit, for it is very important for us to re-assess how we are dealing with the Qur’ân. We should be reading it regularly, not just during Ramadhân. We reflect on it. Not just reading it only in Ramadhân so we can finish the whole Book and say we finished the Qur’ân in Ramadhân. It really does not matter if we don't finish the Qur’ân in Ramadhân. For most of the Prophet's SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam life, he did not finish the whole Qur’ân in Ramadhân. Most of the companions did not finish the reading of the Qur’ân in Ramadhân. Today, for us, Ramadhân is not complete unless we read the whole Qur’ân in Ramadhân. We hire reciters to recite the Qur’ân at 99 miles an hour so much so that even Arabic-speaking people cannot figure out where in the Qur’ân the reciter is!

This has become the precedence - finishing the Qur’ân in Ramadhân and if you can finish it twice, even better! But this is not what the Qur’ân is for. The Qur’ân is for reflection, so that when we hear it, as Allâh says of the believers who hear the Qur’ân recited, goose bumps come over their skins. It touches them and causes their heart to tremble.

“Allâh has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, yet repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble threat; then their skins and hearts do soften to the remembrance of Allâh.” [Qur’ân Az-Zumar 39:23]:

If when we listen to the Qur’ân, we don't find this reaction of tears coming to our eyes, then we should make ourselves cry. Force ourselves to cry because we need to respond to the Qur’ân in this way. If we don't, we are lost! This is the Word of Allâh, the only preserved Word of all the revelations that were given from Adam till now. This is the word of God preserved.

We should read the Qur’ân believing this is Allâh speaking to us, because that is what it is. It is Allâh talking to us directly. Every time he tells us something about the Jews, we should not (merely) take it as a piece of information, that the Jews are this and the Jews are that. No! Whenever Allâh tells us something about the Jews, we should see in it as a warning to ourselves - that we don't become like them. When Allâh said, " ghairil maghdûbi 'alayhim wa la-ddâllîn." in Sûrah Al-Fâtiha, the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam explained that al-maghdûb 'alayhim are the Jews and that ad-dâllîn are the Christians. Those with whom Allâh is angry are the Jews and those who have gone astray are the Christians. Allâh is angry with the Jews because they KNOW the truth and they don't act on it. " You call people to righteousness and you forget yourselves." They changed the Book. The Christians are without knowledge; they are lost. They think that God is a man!

This is a warning to us. Every time we recite these verses, Allâh is warning us not to be like them - we have the truth, we have the Scripture, but we are not acting according to them. If we do not seek knowledge, if we do not find out what it is Allâh wants from us, then we are lost. Every time we read the " ghairil maghdûbi 'alayhim wa la-ddâllîn.” it should touch us. We should reflect on it and it should touch us.

There are so many verses throughout the Qur’ân that remind us of the Hereafter, that remind us of the signs of the Day of Judgement. It is enough for us to open any part of the Qur’ân to read about them. In virtually every chapter of the Qur’ân Allâh addresses the next life. It is linked to our second point of visiting the graves and remembering the Hereafter. The Qur’ân speaks about the life to come and to reflect on it.

Source: www.islaam.net

To read the fourth method of achieving a soft heart: Click Here

To read the previous Method: Click Here

by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

The second way is that we remember the Hereafter, to remember our death. The one thing that we are one hundred per cent certain of - even if we have some doubt as to whether there is really a God; even if we wrongly wonder if what we are practising is really the truth when there are so many other people doing so many other things - is that we are going to die.

But our lives are such that we become so occupied with the things of this life that we forget that we are going to die. As Allâh said, the gathering of wealth has deluded them to the realities of life and they only come awake when they end up in their graves

"The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things), until ye visit the graves. But nay, ye soon shall know the reality." [Qur’ân At-Takâthur 102:1-3]

This is a fearful statement, that we should live lives unconscious of our deaths and thereby be lost in trivialities, things that are really ultimately not going to benefit us in the next life.

Consequently, Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had said:

I used to forbid you from visiting the graves in the early part of Islâm. But now I command you to visit them because they serve to remind you of the next life.

"I [once] had forbidden you from visiting graves, [and I now enjoin] you to do so, so that the visit may serve as a beneficial reminder." (related by Muslim and others)

Al-Hâkim's version :

"…for [such visits] soften the heart, bring tears to the eyes, and serve as a reminder of the Hereafter, [but be careful] not to speak forbidden expressions [i.e. while visiting]." (Sahîh al-Jâmi' 4584)

To go to the graveyard, reflecting on the state of those in the grave (not necessarily of your relatives alone). As the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said, " The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a hole from the holes of Hell Fire." There are people in the graves who are calling out for help but there is no one to help. When Munkar and Nakîr come and ask them, “ Who is your Lord?” “ What is your religion?” “ Who was the Prophet that was sent to you?” they will be unable to answer!

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said,

"When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their foot steps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask him: What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad? He will say: I testify that he is Allâh's slave and His Apostle. Then it will be said to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell-Fire. Allâh has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' " The Prophet added, "The dead person will see both his places. But a non-believer or a hypocrite will say to the angels, 'I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say! It will be said to him, 'Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Qur’ân).' Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever approaches him except human beings and jinns."[Volume 2, Book 23, Number 422]

This is not something we can memorise in preparation for the questions, because it is not a matter of not knowing, but that we will be incapable of answering as part of the degradation of that life. We know that the answer is the key for the next life, but we cannot use the key. We don't have access to it because it never entered our hearts in this life. If it did not enter our hearts in this life that Allâh is our Lord and that Muhammad is our Prophet and that Islâm is our religion, then that knowledge will not benefit us in the next life.

So we are encouraged to visit the graves and on that basis, this is not unique to men, for the benefits that come from visiting he graves is not unique to men. This is why some scholars argue that visiting the graves is not prohibited to women, but that it is the frequent visits that are prohibited, due to the sensitivity of their nature. Hence not regular visits, but to go from time to time, as they need the reminder just as men need the reminder.

Allâh describes those, in the Qur’ân, who when they reflect on the Hereafter, are affected. It affects them in the nights. “ They slept little in the night and in the hours before dawn, they were found seeking Allâh's forgiveness.” They wake up in the night with the remembrance of the life to come – the trials of the grave and the Judgement to come. These lead them to get up from their beds at a time when sleep is so sweet.

Brothers and sisters! Let us reflect on that life to come. Let us reflect on the process after death; the process in dying itself - how the souls are taken from the bodies of believers, as the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said, " like water dropping from the spout of a bucket”; but for the disbelievers, " like silk being drawn over thorns ", tearing away. That soul that fears Allâh is taken in the next life up into the Heavens and the angels of the Heavens will praise it. It will return to that body and a Garden from Paradise will be opened up to it and it will lie in that state till Resurrection. But for those whose hearts have hardened towards the remembrance of Allâh, the soul will be barred entrance into the Heavens. It will be thrown back into the body. Their evil deeds will come before them as a horrible creature and they will suffer torments. A widow from Hell will be open and the heat will be over them until Resurrection.

And what happens on the Resurrection, when we stand before Allâh and answer for each and every deed that we have done, when nothing escapes Allâh, when the things that we have in this life will be of no benefit to us. The only thing that will benefit us is to stand before Allâh with a healthy heart.

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To read the third method of acheiving a soft heart: Click Here

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by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

The first method is du’â or supplication. Nothing softens the heart more than asking Allâh to soften it and make it merciful. This is the promise of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam when he said: Call on Allâh being certain that your prayer will be answered, but know at the same time that Allâh will not answer the prayer of a heart which is negligent.

Du’â will soften the heart and Allâh is the One who will soften the heart. Our du’â to Him will be answered, but we have to believe it. If we just raise our hands and ask, " O Allâh, soften my heart!" and not really ask from the heart, it is just something we said - and we could have said ANYTHING else! If we call on Allâh SINCERELY, He will soften the heart. " Call on Me and I will answer you."

"When my servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close to them: I respond to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me; let them also, with a will, listen to My call and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way" [Qur’ân, Sûrah Al-Baqarah 2:186]

If we consider the many examples that we have from the lives of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam and his companions, they would show us that it is Allâh who can change the hearts.

Let us consider 'Umar ibn Al-Khattâb. His attitude towards the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam and Islâm was so harsh that he set out one day to kill the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. He was fed up with the efforts of Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam to spread Islâm that he felt he had to take it in his hands to finish this. He strapped on his sword and set out. On his way, he met another companion who told him to check on his own sister before seeing the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. He was surprised and went to his sister's house, virtually tearing down the door. He slapped her and her husband until blood came from her face. He then stopped and looked at what he had caused.

On his way in, he had heard something from the Qur’ân and it had touched him, but his anger did not allow it a chance to settle in his heart. But when he struck his sister and saw the blood, it stopped him for a minute. What he had heard before touched his heart. He asked what was being read before and some of the Qur’ân was read for him. And he changed.

That was enough to turn him upside down. This was 'Umar! On another occasion, the other companions saw him laughing and then crying; one after the other. They asked what had caused that to happen to him. He said.

"I remember that in the days of Jâhiliyya, I used to have this idol made of dates. One day, I became so hungry that I ate a piece of it. And then, I cried when I remembered digging a hole and burying my daughter. Whilst I was putting her in, she reached up and brushed dirt from my beard."

And he had buried her alive. That was the practice - those who felt it was a dishonour to have a daughter killed them. That was how hard his heart was - how hard his heart had become, to bury his daughter alive.

But his heart changed. Changed so much that 'Umar, when he used to lead the prayers, would be so choked up with tears that people from way back in the third row could hear him crying. This was ‘Umar, a man who was so harsh, so powerful. a courageous individual, but with the acceptance of Islâm, his heart was turned around.

So we should do as the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam advised us – to go to Allâh and call on him to give us softened hearts and we should seek refuge as the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had from the heart without fear. And in the same du’â, he also sought refuge from the eyes that do not become full with tears, eyes that never cry.

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To read the second method to achieve a Soft Heart: Click Here

by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

Prologue

The Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam informed us in a very famous tradition, commonly quoted with reference to halâl and harâm, about the importance of the heart. He said:

"There is in the body a lump of flesh - if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good and if it becomes bad, the whole body becomes bad. And indeed it is the heart."

The hadîth in full:- Bukhârî, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49: Narrated An-Nu'mân bin Bashîr: I heard Allâh's Apostle saying:

'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allâh on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.’

He said that after explaining that the halâl is clear and that the harâm is clear and that between them are obscure areas, not known to most people. However, what protects a person from the harâm and ensures that he remains in the halâl is knowledge; but beyond knowledge, it is the state of the heart. If the heart is good, then it makes use of the knowledge and it avoids what is prohibited. If the heart is bad, then the knowledge is of no benefit to it and it will indulge in what is prohibited.

The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam, on the last pilgrimage, informed his Companions and the nations of Muslims to come, that there is no favour or no special place of the Arab over the non-Arab; nor is there any favour or special position of White over Black, but that favour in the sight of Allâh, is with those who fear Him, those who have taqwa. After bearing witness to that, he said that " Taqwa is in the heart."

In these statements and other similar statements, we find stress being placed on the heart - that the heart is the part of the body, which Allâh has favoured over all other parts. It is the place of imân. Had there been in the body another part that were nearer to Allâh, taqwa would have been placed there because imân is the most valuable thing that a human being can have. There is nothing more valuable. It is the determination ultimately of those who have belief in Allâh - those who have accepted the message and who have chosen Paradise over Hell. It is the distinction of those who have belief and those who have disbelief.

The value of imân is more than all of the things of this world. This is why the Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said that for Allâh to guide by your hands a single person to Islâm is worth more than anything in this world. For you to help someone to find imân is worth more than any of the things in this world.

The heart is the place by which the correctness of deeds is judged. The Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said: "Deeds are judged according to the intention." The place of the intention is not on the lips. It is in the heart.

The hadîth in full:- Bukhârî, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 51: Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattâb: Allâh's Apostle said:

"The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allâh and His Apostle, then his emigration was for Allâh and His Apostle. And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

Our deeds - what we do externally - are judged ultimately by the states of our hearts. These are good deeds. Evil deeds are evil, but these good deeds are in reference to those that we perceive to be a part and parcel of righteousness. Allâh will inspect the hearts to determine whether they are truly acts of righteousness.

The Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had informed us that the first 3 people who would be cast into the Hell Fire are people who were involved in what everybody considers great acts of righteousness. They are the scholar who taught knowledge; the wealthy person who gave from his wealth in charity and the martyr who gave his life fighting in the path of God.

The Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam, in an authentic narration, said that they would be among the first groups of people thrown into because the scholar, when he taught the knowledge that Allâh gave him, did not do so for the sake of Allâh. He taught so that people would praise him, saying what a great scholar he is and how knowledgeable he is. Allâh will say to him: You received your praise, what you sought in that world. But there will be nothing for you in the next. So he will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.

Similarly the rich individual - the philanthropist, who was generous with his wealth. He gave and people praised his generosity, but Allâh will say, You did it for the praise and you were praised. There was no sincerity there; it was not for the sake of Allâh. You did it for as long as people appreciated it, but when people did not pay you mind, you were not generous anymore. Your generosity was conditional; it was not really for the sake of Allâh. So that individual will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.

And the martyr - the one whom we all assumed had died fî-sabîlillâh. We would think that his place in Paradise is guaranteed. But Allâh will say: You fought so people would say, 'How brave this one is! How strong and courageous he was! People said it; they praised him, but he did not do it for the sake of Allâh, so he will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.

This is all telling us that ultimately, even the highest of deeds can be of no avail if the hearts are sick; if the hearts are corrupt. So the place of the heart should, in our minds, occupy great attention. We have to spend much of our time observing, being aware of the state of our heart. When the Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam described Abû Bakr As-Siddîq, explaining to the people his status over the rest of them, he said, " He does not surpass you by performing more prayers and fasts - there are among you those who pray and fast more - but by something which deeply has embedded itself in his heart. Imân in his heart." That was where his superiority laid.

So there is no other faculty in the human body and existence that a believer should more concerned about. We have to make sure that this faculty is functioning as Allâh wishes it to function. We should be greatly concerned about it. The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam used to make dua often, beginning: " I seek refuge in you, O Allâh, from knowledge that does not benefit and from a heart which does not fear ".

The Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had a very soft heart. He treated people gently. His wives said that they could not recall an incident where he hit them or scolded them harshly. He was known for his gentleness. And Allâh confirmed that this quality is an essential quality.

Allâh says:

"Due to Allâh's mercy, you are gentle with them. Had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have fled from around you." [Qur’ân, Sûrah Ali-Imrân (3:159)]

This was the quality of the Prophets and this is the characteristic that all those who seek to guide others to Allâh must have. As it was essential for the Prophets, it is essential for us. It is essential for those who seek knowledge; it is essential for all people. It is essential for parents, with regard to their children.

Softness of the heart is something that we cannot spend too much time on.

With regards to children, Al-Aqra Ibn Habis was visited by the Prophet Muhammad SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam lifted one of his children and placed the child on his lap. He kissed the child out of the kindness and softness of his heart towards the child. Al-Aqra said, " I have 10 other children and I have not kissed a single one of them." This was a point of pride, manhood - that one is not soft, that one is tough. The Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said to him, " Can I help it if Allâh has removed mercy from your heart?" He went on to say, " And whoever 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 find a home that is full of happiness and joy.

Mercy is something that we cannot live without.

The reality for those seeking knowledge - as it is compulsory for us to seek knowledge of the Dîn - is that if there is not, along with that knowledge, a soft heart, then we cannot taste the beauty of that knowledge. As Hassan Al-Basri had said,

"If a man seeks knowledge, it will appear in his face, hands and tongue and in his humility to Allâh."

The opposite is true - that nothing corrupts knowledge and dâ'wa more than the harshness of the heart. Where hearts have become hardened, the knowledge is of no benefit to the individual, nor can that individual benefit others with it. Softness of the heart is the characteristic of true Muslims. If it becomes absent, then a person's life is filled with distress and discomfort. This is the promise of Allâh. Those who lack hearts that are soft will lead woeful lives. As Allâh said;

"Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allâh." [Sûrah Az-Zumar (39:22)]

They are in obvious misguidance. Woe to those whose hearts hear the Qur’ân and they do not become fearful and humbled as a result of it. Woe to those whose eyes are reminded of the Words of Allâh, but they do not weep in fear of Him. Woe to those who are reminded of the Warnings of Allâh 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 in this life, 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 of heart because their hearts are hardened to Allâh, to belief in Allâh, to submission to Allâh.

That is why Allâh said :

"Whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgement." [Qur’ân, Sûrah Ta-Ha 20:124:]

It is only with the remembrance of Allâh that hearts find rest.

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allâh: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find satisfaction." [Qur’ân, Sûrah Al-Ra'd 13:28]

What is most beneficial in this life is a soft heart. We should strive to achieve it because everything else would be meaningless and useless if we do not have softened hearts. How do we achieve this?

It is not a secret. It is not something known only to a few, handed down in special sessions and gatherings. As the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam said, " I have left you on a clear white plain, whose day is like its night. Anyone who deviates from it is destroyed." The way of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam clarifies for us how to achieve a soft heart.

To read the First method to acheive a soft heart: Click Here

Source: www.islaam.net

The great Scholar, Ibn Al Qayyim (d.751H), rahimahullaah, said in Al-Fawaid (A Collection Of Wise Sayings) (pp.151-152) :

"Your life at the present moment is in between the past and the future.

So what has preceded can be rectified by tawbah (repentance) , nadam (regret) and istighfaar (seeking Allaah's forgiveness) . And this is something which will neither tire you, nor cause you to toil as you would with strenuous labour. Rather it is an action of the heart.

Then as regards the future (then it can be corrected) by withholding yourself from sins. And this abandonment is merely the leaving of something and to be at ease from it. This also is not an action of the limbs which requires you to strive and toil. Rather this is a firm resolve and intention of the heart - which will give rest to your body, heart and thoughts.

So as for what has preceded, then you rectify it with repentance. And as for the future - then you rectify it with firm resolve and intention. Neither of these involves any hardship nor exertion of the limbs.

But then your attention must be directed to your life in the present - the time between to times. If you waste it, then you have wasted the opportunity to be of the fortunate and saved ones. If you look after it, having rectified the two times - what is before it and after it, as we have said - then you will be successful and achieve rest, delight and ever-lasting bliss. However, looking after it is harder than that which comes before and after it, since guarding it involves keeping to that which is most benefiting and beneficial for your soul, and that which will bring it success and well-being."

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