The Heart

Verily a man continues to be truthful until he is written with Allāh as a true believer (ṣiddīq); and he persists in truthfulness until there is not even the space of a needle for sinfulness left in his heart to settle. And a man lies and persists in lying until there is not even the space of a needle for goodness in his heart to settle.

Wakīʿ b. Al-Jarrāḥ, Al-Zuhd ḥadīth 398.

The insightful and wise do not trust that they are safe from four things: a past sin about which it is not known what the Lord Almighty will do, the remaining lifespan wherein it is not known what destruction lies, some (apparent) advantage a person is given but which could be a lure (from Allāh) in recompense for his wrongdoing, a misguidance that has been beautified – so that he thinks it is guidance – and a momentary deviation of the heart, for a person can be stripped of his religion without realizing it.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 8:406.

I have not seen less zuhd (abstinence) in anything than leadership; you can see a man renouncing food, drink, wealth and clothing, but if his leadership is contested, he vehemently defends and has enmity over it.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 7:262.

Whoever does not take exhortation [and is not effected] by three things, will not be exhorted by anything: Islām, the Qurān and old age (graying).

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-ʿUmr Wa Al-Shayb #40

Whoever tries to make people hear of his deeds, Allāh will make [some] of His creation hear of him (expose him), and belittle him. Ibn ʿUmar then began to cry.

Wakīʿ b. Al-Jarrāḥ, Al-Zuhd #308.

ʿAbd Al-Raḥmān b. Yazīd reports: Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym used to come to ʿAlqamah on the day of Jumuʿah and they would talk. They would call for me and I would come and talk with them. One day, they sent for me and I came. ʿAlqamah said to me, Have you not heard what Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym has come to us with? I replied, And what is that? He said, [Rabīʿ] said a man from the People of Scripture once said to us, Do you not see how much people supplicate but how seldom their prayers are answered? That is because Allāh does not accept except what is sincere and purely for Him. I said, Well ʿAbdullāh [b. Masʿūd] already said the same. He asked, What did he say? I replied, Haven’t you heard him say, By Him other than whom there is none worthy of worship, Allāh does not accept [the deed] of one who seeks to be heard of, or seen, and nor someone who is playing around, [He only accepts the supplication] of one who calls upon Him from the bottom of his heart. He replied, Indeed, [I have heard him say that].

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd #874.

Delving into falsehood removes the ability to recognize the truth from the heart.

Abu Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 8:22.

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā, 2:444.

There is not a person except he has four eyes: two in his head with which he sees the matters of this worldly life, and two in his heart with which he looks to the matters of the hereafter. So if Allāh wants good for his servant, He opens his heart’s eyes, and so he perceives what he has been promised in the unseen world. Thus he is saved from the unseen [punishment] through the unseen [reward for the obedient]. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4: 543

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4: 543

Four signs of wretchedness are: [having] a hard heart, dry eyes [that never cry], extended hopes [about this life], and greed and keenness to amass worldly things (the dunyā). Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 36.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 36.

Qatādah – Allāh’s mercy be upon him – said: This is the likeness Allāh has given of the Hypocrite (munāfiq); he says lā ilāha illallāh and with it marries into the Muslims, inherits from the Muslims, fights alongside the Muslims, and protects his blood and wealth. But when death comes, [the testimony of faith] has no basis in his heart, and no reality in his actions, so the munāfiq is stripped of it at death and left in darkness and blindness wondering therein, just as he was blind about the right of Allāh and obedience to Him in his worldly life and deaf to the truth. Al-Ṭabarī, Al-Tafsīr.

Al-Ṭabarī, Al-Tafsīr.

Those who fear their Lord tremble with fear by it, then their skins and hearts settle to the remembrance of Allah. (Sūrah Al-Zumar: 23) Abū ‘Ubayd Al-Qāsim b. Sallām, Faḍā`il Al-Qur`ān p214. It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr said, “I asked my grandmother Asmā` (bint Abī Bakr) – Allāh be pleased with her, ‘How were the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh peace and praise be upon him – when they heard the Quran?’ She replied, ‘their eyes would shed tears and they would tremble (with fear), as Allāh described them (in the Quran).’ I said, ‘There are some people here who, when they hear the Quran, fall down unconscious,’ She said, ‘I seek refuge with Allāh from the accursed Shayṭān.’” Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-Īmān 3:417; Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq 3:54 with a slightly variant wording. It is also reported that Asmā` was asked, “Did any of the Salaf used to faint out of the fear of Allāh?” She replied, “No, but they used to cry.” Al-Qāsim b. Salām, op. cit. p214. It is reported that Ibn ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with him – once passed by a man from Iraq who had dropped unconscious. He asked, “What is wrong with him?” [People] replied, “When the Quran is recited to him or he hears the remembrance of Allāh he falls unconscious out of his fear of Allāh.” Ibn ʿUmar said, “We fear Allāh and we do not drop unconscious!” Ibid p214; Al-Baghawī in his Tafsīr, Sūrah Al-Zumar: 23 with a slightly variant wording. It is reported that Anas b. Mālik was asked about people who drop unconscious when the Quran is recited to them. He said, “That is the behavior of the Khawārij.” Al-Qāsim b. Salām, op. cit. p215. It is reported that Muḥammad b. Sīrīn said, having been asked about a man who drops unconscious when the Quran is recited to him, “Make an appointment between us and him, we will sit on a wall, and the Quran – from beginning to end – will be recited unto him. If he falls off the wall, he is as he claims.” Ibid., Al-Baghawī, op. cit.

Ibid., Al-Baghawī, op. cit.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p344. It is reported that ‘Awn b. ʿAbdillāh, the ascetic and jurist, said, “Sit with the repentant, for they have the softest hearts.” Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p192.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p192.

Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabīr, article 26.

It is said that the adhān of the people of Al-Shām was taken from this adhān. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Bilāl b. Abī Rabāḥ.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Bilāl b. Abī Rabāḥ.

I met thirty of the Prophet’s Companions – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and every one of them feared falling into nifāq (hypocrisy); not one of them claimed he had the level of faith of Jibrīl or Mīkā`īl. Quoted by Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, Chapter on the believer fearing that his deeds will be nullified without him realizing. In this chapter and narration there is a refutation of the Murji`ah sect who claimed that īmān (faith) consists of belief in the heart and nothing else i.e. a person’s deeds are not part of his faith and do not affect it. This narration indicates that a person may perform deeds in which his intention may not be totally pure and sincere and because of which he falls into a type of practical hypocrisy. The fact that they feared hypocrisy does not mean they actually fell into it. Rather this was by way of them being very careful not to fall into it, and it is part of their taqwā – Allah be pleased with them. This narration also indicates that the Companions believed that people can have different levels of faith, contrary to the Murji`ah who claimed that the īmān of the most pious true believers is the same as everyone else. Nothing contrary to any of this has been related from the Companions, so it is as if there is a consensus (ijmā’) amongst them on this. The following are some of the illustrious Companions Ibn Abī Mulaykah met: · ‘Alī b. Abī Tālib · Sa’d b. Abī Waqqās · Mother of the Believers ‘Ā`ishah · Her sister Asmā` · Mother of the Believers Umm Salamah · ʿAbdullah b. Mas’ūd · ʿAbdullah b. ʿUmar · ʿAbdullah b. ‘Abbās · ʿAbdullah b. Al-Zubayr · Abū Hurayrah · ‘Uqbah b. Al-Hārith · Miswar b. Mikhramah Allah be pleased with them all. These notes have been summarized from Fath Al-Bārī.

These notes have been summarized from Fath Al-Bārī.

The thing I fear for you most is following desires and having extensive hopes (about this worldly life). Following one’s desires blocks you from the truth, and having extensive hopes makes you forget the hereafter. Verily, this worldly life is departing and the hereafter is approaching and each of them has its children. So be children of the hereafter, not children of this world, for today there are (opportunities to do) deeds and there is no reckoning, but tomorrow there will be reckoning and no deeds. Quoted by Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, The Book of Raqā`iq without the first sentence. Reported in its entirety by Abū Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol.1 p40, and others. Al-Hāfidh Ibn Hajr states in Fath Al-Bārī: Extensive hopes (about this worldly life) give rise to lethargy when it comes to acts of obedience, procrastinating with repentance, desire for worldly things, forgetfulness of the hereafter and hardness of the heart; because the softness of the heart and its purity only comes about by remembering death, the grave, reward and punishment, and the horrors of the hereafter…for if one remembers death, he strives to do acts of obedience, his worries decrease and he is satisfied with less.

Extensive hopes (about this worldly life) give rise to lethargy when it comes to acts of obedience, procrastinating with repentance, desire for worldly things, forgetfulness of the hereafter and hardness of the heart; because the softness of the heart and its purity only comes about by remembering death, the grave, reward and punishment, and the horrors of the hereafter…for if one remembers death, he strives to do acts of obedience, his worries decrease and he is satisfied with less.

Nay, but their hearts were covered over by what (sins) they earned. [Al-Mutaffifīn: 14] Al-Hasan (Al-Basrī) said, “It is because of doing one sin after another, until the heart becomes blind and dies.” Qatādah also said, “It is because of doing one sin after another, one sin after another, until the heart dies and becomes black.” Ibn Zayd said, “Their sins overcome their hearts until no good can get through to them.” Mujāhid explained, “They used to consider the heart like a hand: when a person sins, his heart starts to scrunch up,” and he folded his little finger, “and when he does another sin,” he folded the next finger and continued until he had his fist clenched. “Then a seal is placed over it, and they used to say that this is the ‘covering’.” Al-Tabarī in his Tafsīr, Sūrah Al-Mutaffifīn.

Al-Tabarī in his Tafsīr, Sūrah Al-Mutaffifīn.