The Hardened Heart

Filed under: Tazkiyah,ibn al Qayyim — al Ghurabaa

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

The slave is not afflicted with a punishment greater than the hardening of the heart and being distant from Allah. For the Fire was created to melt the hardened heart. The most distant heart from Allah is the heart which is hardened. If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry.

If four matters are exceeded in quantity, beyond what is necessary, the heart shall become hardened:

Food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food or water, similarly a heart diseased by desire does not benefit from admonishment or exhortation.

Whosoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires.

The heart which is clinging to its desires is veiled from Allah, commensurate to the degree that it is attached to them. The hearts are the vessels of Allah upon His earth, hence the most beloved of them to Him, are the ones most compassionate, pure and resistant to deviation.

They (the transgressors) preoccupied their hearts [in the pursuance] of the Dunya, would that they preoccupied them with Allah and the Hereafter, then surely they would have reflected upon the intended meaning of His poignant Words and Verses. Their hearts would have returned to their masters with a wisdom, marvelously curious and [in possession] of the rarest of precious gems.

If the heart is nourished with remembrance, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters, inspiring wisdom.

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Perfecting One’s Character

Filed under: Tazkiyah,ibn al Qayyim — al Ghurabaa
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam used to make a number of supplications related to good character.

“O Allah, guide me to good character, none guides to good character but You…” [Muslim]

“O Allah, I seek refuge in you from bad character, deeds and desires.” [at-Tirmidhee]

“O Allah, You perfectly created me, so perfect my character.” [Ahmad]

“O Allah, I seek refuge in you from disability and laziness; from cowardice and avarice; from decrepitude and harshness; from negligence and impoverishment, from lowness and humiliation. And I seek refuge in You from poverty and disbelief; from sinfulness, disunity and hypocrisy; from notability and riyaa’ (show off)…” [Ahmad, Maalik, Bazaar, Haithami and ibn `Abd al-Barr authenticated it.

The following beneficial excerpt is from "The Magnificent Journey" by ibn ul Qayyim [published by QSS]. It explains three conditions needed to acquire good manners, meaning proper nature, controlling one’s nafs and sound knowledge.

Three Conditions to Acquire Excellent Manners

This is one example of the excellent manners with which Allah (ta`aala) has equipped his Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam). He described him as,

“Verily, You [Muhammad] are on an exalted standard on character.” [68:4]

`Aa’ishah, radhiallaahu `anhu, described him as, “His character was just [a reflection of] the Qur’aan.” [Muslim, Aboo Daawood, Ahmad]

Such excellent character cannot be attained without three conditions:

1. The foundation must be good. Inf one has a rough and dry nature, it will be hard for him to submit to this [excellence of character] through knowledge, will, or practice. On the other hand, a mild and smooth nature will be ready and willing to receive the plowing and the seeds [to prepare it for character excellence].

2. The soul must be strong and capable of conquering calls of laziness, transgression, and desire. Those matters contradict perfection, and souls which cannot defeat them will always be defeated and conquered.

3. [One must possess] a discerning knowledge of the truth of matters, enabling one to put them in the rightful position, and to distinguish between flash and cancer – between glass and jewels.

If these three qualities are present in a man, and Allah’s facilitation helps him, then he will be among those whom the best (husnaa) has been decreed and for whom Allah’s care has been secured.


The Dispraise of Hawaa

Filed under: Imaan,ibn al Qayyim — al Ghurabaa

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Excerpted from “The Dispraise of Hawaa”
Translation: Dr. Saleh as-Saleh
© 1998 Daar al-Bukhaari

“Allaah will give shade to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are):

1. a just ruler,
2. a youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allaah (i.e. worships Allaah subhanahu wa ta`alaa sincerely from his childhood),
3. a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. he offers the five compulsory Salaat (prayers) in the mosques),
4. two persons who love each other only for Allaah’s sake and they meet and part in Allaah’s Cause only,
5. a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allaah,
6. 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
7. a person who remembers Allaah in seclusion and his eyes become flooded with tears.”
[Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. The text is that of Al-Bukhaaree: Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, V.1, Hadeeth #629.]

If you contemplate about the seven whom Allaah will shade in the shade of His `Arsh wherein there is no shade but His, you will find that they deserved that shade because of their opposition to Al-Hawaa.

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The People of Bliss

Filed under: Akhirah,ibn al Qayyim — al Ghurabaa

Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
From the book Ar-Risaalat ut-Tabukiyyah

Contrary to the miserable people discussed in the last chapter, our discussion will now focus on the people of happiness and bliss. These can be divided into two classes.

The First Class of Happy People

The first class consists of those who possess the quality of intellectual independence; they are described by Allah (Ta’ala – the Most High) as follows:

“The first and foremost [to embrace Islam] of the Muhaajireen [1] and the Ansaar [2], and also those who follow them in the best way; Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are with Him.” [Qur'an - Soorah at-Tawbah 9:100]

These are the happy ones for whom Allah’s acceptance is confirmed. They are the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him)) and those who follow them in the best way until the Day of Resurrection.

The conventional expression ‘Taabi’oon’ applies to the companions’ followers who have met with them in person. However, the description here is not restricted to them, but includes anyone who righteously follows their way; and any such person is of those with whom Allah (Ta’ala) is pleased and who are also pleased with Him.

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Types of Diseases That Attack the Heart and Their Cure

Filed under: Tazkiyah,ibn al Qayyim — al Ghurabaa

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
Types of Diseases That Attack the Heart and Their Cure

Excerpted from Chapter 1 in “Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam”

There are two types of diseases that attack the heart, one doubt and error, and the second lust and desire; both are mentioned in the Qur’an. Allah says about the disease of doubt:

“In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allah has increased their disease.” (2:10)

And He said:

“…and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say: ‘What Allah intends by this (curious) example?’” (74:31)

Allah says concerning those who refuse to make the Qur’an and Sunnah the basis of their judgments:

“And when they are called to Allah (i.e., His Words, the Qur’an) and His Messenger, to judge between them, lo! a party of them refuses (to come) and turns away. But if the truth is on their side, they come to him willingly with submission. Is there a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest Allah and His Messenger should wrong them in judgement? Nay, it is they themselves who are the Dhalimoon (polytheists, hypocrites and wrongdoers).” (24:48-50)

This is the disease of doubt and error.

Also, Allah says about desire and lust, adultery in this case:

“O wives of the Prophet! You are not likely any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire…” (33:32)

…

Providing proper remedies for ailments of the heart (referring to spiritual and emotional ailments) only occurs at the hands of the Prophets, alaihim as salam, and Messengers of Allah. The heart becomes well when it acquires knowledge of its Lord and Creator and in His Names, Attributes, Actions and Commandments. The heart also becomes well when it prefers acquiring Allah’s Pleasure and prefers what He likes, all the while avoiding His prohibitions and what might lead to His displeasure. There is no life, health, or wellbeing for the heart except by this method, which only the Messengers can provide. It is wrong to think that one can ever attain the heart’s wellbeing through any other way than through the guidance of the Messengers of Allah. These errors result from confusing the heart’s true wellbeing with satisfying and strengthening its lower animal lusts and desires. By this way the heart will be far from acquiring its true wellbeing, strength and even its very existence will be in danger. Those who do not distinguish between these two paths should grieve for their heart’s life and health, or in fact for the lack of it. Let such people also grieve because of their lacking the light of true guidance and because they are completely in an ocean of darkness.


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