Introduction When the heart is softened, then this will help in matters of the unseen. If talk about Allah (swt), trial of the grave, etc does not affect the heart, then this is a sign of a hard heart. The hard heart is similar to having a thick veil over it. Imagine in a prayer room with a thick wall separating the between the men and women. The women will feel free, they will speak, take off their veils, etc, but if that wall is thin, then the women would be very cautious and well-behaved. Similarly the heart that is transparent is cautious. All of us know that we will all die one day, yet we think we will be living forever in this duniya, subhan Allah. We are all going to the hereafter sooner or later, we all know this fact, and we all know this worldly life is departing, it s behind us. And instead of having our eyes focused front on the hereafter, our eyes are looking backwards. What will happen to a person looking backward? He will be in pain, he will fall. People are looking behind and are walking forward to the hereafter, subhan Allah. Therefore it is very important to soften our hearts. The whole religion is based on belief in Allah (swt), in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the Last Day, and the decree good and evil. A Muslim must believe in these articles of faith, which is in the heart. How much is this belief affecting your behavior? How much of your belief is stopping you from sin, how much of your belief is pushing you towards good deeds? Subhan Allah. It s not a matter of claiming that I believe in Allah (swt), but action as well. A person whose heart is hardened, no matter how much you talk to him and admonish him, he will always see himself as good, he will not confess to the sicknesses in his heart. He will oppress others, he is arrogant and jealous towards others and thinks he is good, subhan Allah. Whereas the tender hearted person, with the slightest sickness, he will feel pain in his heart. How can we attain the soft heart? The soft heart is not based on experiences or do this or say this. You have to follow the way of the first generation of the Prophet (pbuh), what did they do so that their hearts are soft? A soft hearted person is not the one who cries when they watch a movie drama no. The soft hearted person is the one who reacts with the articles of faith when he hears about Allah s kindness and gentleness, his heart moves, subhan Allah. Ways to soften the heart: 1. Fill our hearts with the knowledge about the reality of this duniya: many people are deceived by the allurement of this duniya. 2. We have to know about the reality of the hereafter, which we will all be there one Day, subhan Allah. 3. We need to know Who are going to meet? We need to know Who is our Lord? He will be talking to us directly with no mediator or translator, subhan Allah. Signs of a softened heart 1. Abandonment of sins Page 1
2. Heart yearning and desiring to perform the good deeds 3. Hoping for the mercy of Allah (swt), subhan Allah. (1) Abandonment of sins The most dangerous and serious types of sins are the sins committed by the heart they could be destructive. A person may be living in this duniya having sicknesses of hypocrisy, shirk, bida a, pride, self-conceit, stinginess, etc. And because he is praying and fasting, he will say alhamdulliah I didn t commit sins today, I didn t backbite, I didn t lie yet he might be committing sins from morning to night without being aware of it, subhan Allah. The sins of the heart are hidden, and the good or bad end depends on what is established in the heart. A person might die on a bad end because of what is in the heart. And a person who might appear to the people as not being very righteous, might die with a good end by saying ( اله اال هللا (ال because it is something hidden, no one sees it, subhan Allah. How can we abandon the sins of the heart? Focus on your heart: what do you have inside in your heart? Be busy with yourself and your defects. م الم ر ء ت رك ه م ا ال ( said: The Prophet (pbuh) ع ن أ ب ي ه ر ير ة ق ا ل ق ا ل ر س و ل هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم " م ن ح س ن إ سال (Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: "Indeed among the (ي عن يه " excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.") At Tirmidhi 2317 A person should know what are the sins of the heart many people might not know. For example, if you have solid fat and inside is broken glass, will you be able to take out that broken glass? No. Will the person feel it? No. But when that fat is melted and it becomes soft, is it easy to take out that broken glass? Yes. If our hearts are so hardened and there are sicknesses there, you will not feel the pain, but when the heart is softened, you will easily feel the sicknesses and take them out, subhan Allah. Surah Al Baqarah is about arrogance, Banu Israel was commanded by Musa (as) to slaughter a cow, and they asked what color, how old, etc? They were asking questions because they don t want to obey. The opposite of submission is arrogance. Surah Al Araf is about desires and the effect of desires. Surah Al Qasas is about haughtiness, to love to be the best, uppermost and no one else, the example of firaoun and Qaroon are mentioned. The stories of the Quran warn us of these sicknesses. You need to be aware of Allah s nurturing, you need to benefit from the decrees happening to you. Why does Allah (swt) make us go through situations daily with people? In order to show us what is in our hearts. Our of Allah s mercy, He is showing us our defects, so we have to be very alert and careful. Don t justify your wrong actions by saying that people are making me angry. Allah (swt) wants to show you through this situation that you have a sickness in your heart, subhan Alah. You might go through a situation where you look down on someone, so you have pride. Or you have are suspicious of someone. Or your sister has something and it makes you feel bad, you have envy. Don t be blind, open your eyes. Analyze the movement of your hearts ask Allah (swt) to guide you to the Straight Path, and when you say it with truthfulness and certainty, then Allah (swt) will show you. Page 2
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم Don t let the shaitan deceive you that Allah (swt) will not account you for the actions of your heart, إ ن ٱل ذ ي ن ي ح ب و ن أ ن ت ش ي ع ٱل ف ح ش ة ف ى ٱل ذ ي ن ء ام ن وا ل ه م ع ذ اب أ ل يم ف ى ( :19 just your tongue and limbs. Surah An Noor (Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse ) ٱلد ني ا و ٱ ل خ ر ة و ٱ لل ي ع ل م و أ نت م ال ت ع ل م و ن should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allâh knows and you know not.) they just liked, they didn t even do, and the place of like and love is in the heart, and as a result they will have a painful torment in the duniya and akhira, therefore we are accounted for what is in our hearts. If you meet someone of a certain nationality and you hate it, then this is pride in your heart. And the Prophet (pbuh) said no one will enter paradise with an atom of pride. You might meet someone and they have a blessing and you wish that it gets removed and you have it you just wished in your heart, you didn t do anything this is envy and you will be accounted for it. ق ال ح ذ يف ة س مع ت ر س و ل هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم ي ق و ل " ت عر ض الف ت ن ع ل ى الق ل و ب ك الح ص ي ر ع ود ا ( hadith: Part of a longer ع ود ا ف أ ى ق لب أ شر ب ه ا ن ك ت ف ي ه ن كت ة س ود ا ء و أ ى ق لب أ نك ر ه ا ن ك ت ف ي ه ن كت ة ب يض ا ء ح ت ى ت ص ي ر ع ل ى ق لب ي ن ع ل ى أ بي ض م ث ل الص ف ا ف ال ) ت ض ر ه ف تن ة م ا د ام ت الس م و ا ت و ا ل ر ض و اآلخ ر أ سو د م رب اد ا ك الك و ز م ج خ ي ا ال ي عر ف م عر وف ا و ال ي نك ر م نك ر ا إ ال م ا أ شر ب م ن ه و اه (Hudhaifa said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be, upon him ) observing: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion.) Sahih Muslim 144 There are two types of hearts: a white heart and black heart. The white heart will not be harmed by an affliction until the Day of Judgement, subhan Allah. The black heart does what it desires. So how can we make our hearts white? We need soft hearts. Allah (swt) makes us go through a situation Allah (swt) will make us come across someone who has a blessing, perhaps even a religious blessing, how do you feel in your heart? Is there constriction in your heart, then this is envy. Who can detect it? The soft-hearted person. What will the person immediately do? Seek forgiveness from Allah (swt), he will say to himself this is a provision from Allah (swt), and he will feel hatred towards himself for having that feeling so you need to rebuke and scold yourself. Allah (swt) is now watching your struggle and fighting back that feeling, and this is the exact description of the white heart, it rejected the trial. Soon you will go through another trial, with someone else, and again you will feel the same thing, and you will again seek forgiveness from Allah (swt), and you are struggling again. And again you go through another situation, and you are struggling, and Allah (swt) will see that struggle until He closes that door of affliction until the Day of Judgement, subhan Allah. Now there might be another sickness in the heart, a woman might be seeking knowledge and she feels pride towards her husband that she knows better than him. The husband will say something, and she will fight back, and it will keep happening. The reason is because Allah (swt) wants you to understand that nurturing He wants to pluck out that sickness in your heart, subhan Allah. We will not pass the trials unless we have soft hearts, subhan Allah. If our hearts are hardened then it s like the black heart. The black heart will be tried again and again, and he will just give Page 3
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم excuses, they made me so this, they deserve to be treated like this, etc. And black spots will emerge until it becomes a black heart. Out of Allah s mercy, He is making us go through trials again and again so open your eyes. There was a lady early in her marriage who aborted intentionally though people thought she miscarried. She didn t know it was a major sin. Then years passed and she forgot. One day she was listening about the fatwas, and a woman asked that she aborted, what must she do? This is was a message for that lady, and out of His mercy and love for us, He does not want us to die with these sins, but we are turning away, subhan Allah. (2) Yearning to do good deeds Not all hearts yearn to do good deeds. ي ب ن ى ء اد م ق د أ نز لن ا ع ل ي ك م ل ب اس ا ي و ٲر ى س وء ٲت ك م و ر يش ا و ل ب اس ٱلت ق و ى ذ ٲل ك خ ي ر ذ ٲل ك م ن ء اي ت ٱ لل ل ع ل ه م ( :26 Surah Al A raf (O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your (ي ذ ك ر ون private parts) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, that they may remember) The place of taqwa is in the heart, so how can we clothe our hearts? With taqwa. Just as you cover your body with clothes, you need to cover your heart with taqwa. What is taqwa? Righteousness, good deeds, obedience. The hearts have defects, either they are inborn qualities or it can be acquired sins. Every time I discover that I have defect in my heart, then I cover it with taqwa with righteousness, with good deeds. Maybe the first time it is transparent, so you will cover it again and again, until it becomes a thick covering of taqwa, subhan Allah. For example, those who cover their bodies, they are modest because they feel shy in front of Allah (swt), similarly those who feel shy to what is in their hearts will cover it. Allah (swt) will make us go through situations and the person will for example discover that he has envy, so he will immediately do good deeds by seeking istighfar, asking that Allah (swt) gives barakah for that person so forgiveness, repenting, invoking for others are all good deeds. You are covering your hearts with good deeds. We are created to love praise, and if you discover that you have this sickness, then immediately seek the praise from Allah (swt) and not from the people. You can get the praise of Allah (swt) by sending blessings to the Prophet (pbuh), what does it means when Allah (swt) and the angels send salat, it means Allah (swt) is praising you amongst the angels, what more do you want? Subhan Allah. Every time you discover a sin in your heart, then cover it with a good deed. (3) Hoping for the mercy of Allah (swt) A soft hearted person knows about the greatness of Allah (swt), he knows about his shortcomings in his worship, he knows about the great blessings that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon him. He will never consider his good deeds a favor for Allah (swt) he will feel like he is doing nothing. Page 4
The tender hearted will feel that no matter how much he does, he needs to do more. It is not your good deeds that will take you to paradise, it is the mercy of Allah (swt). We will be doing good deeds hoping that it is a means to help us enter paradise because no matter how much we live on this earth, we will not be able to compensate for one blessing from Allah (swt), subhan Allah. We hope that Allah (swt) will accept our deficient good deeds and accept us to paradise. Ameen. Sunnah When you testify that the Mohammed (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah, then you are testifying that you will obey him, honor him, venerate him, and follow his sunnah. In the sunnah there are obligations that we need to do, for example, the sunnah tells us how to pray. What happened in the world is a trial for us. Do you protest, boycott, etc NO. You are to follow his sunnah, he never taught the companions to protest. Ask yourself, how much are you applying the sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) in your daily life, from morning to night? Whoever is following the sunnah of the Prophet (pbh) in his life, then he will be honored on the Day of Judgement and drink from the cistern of the Kawthar. May Allah (swt) grant us from this drink. Ameen. Hadith: On the Abu Hurairah (ra), the Prophet (pbuh) said to offer two rakah s before going out from your house, and it will protect you from the evil of your exit and offer two raka s after you enter your house, and it will protect you from the evil of your entrance) Authenticated by Al Albani Whether traveling or even going out in your day to day, this sunnah is application. When a person goes out of his house, he might hear something that bothers him, act badly, etc, or when he enters the house, he might argue with people in the house. So as soon as enter and soon as you exit, then offer these prayers. These two rakahs can be obligatory or even voluntary. For example, you might pray the fajr and then leave your house, then it is inclusive as well. The Prophet (pbuh) didn t die until he showed us what brings us closer to paradise and what protects from the hellfire. So following the sunnah brings you closer to paradise, subhan Allah. May Allah (swt) forgive us, accept from us and grant us soft hearts. Ameen. Page 5