Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Heart

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, but grant mercy from Your own Presence; for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure." (3:8-9)

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

1. Some time ago, I posted on my Facebook wall this meaningful phrase that says, "The sign of kafir (unbeliever) is that he is lost in horizons. The sign of Mu'min (believer) is that horizons are lost in him."

2. From the book which I took the phrase, there is no direct interpretation nor explanation about it, but considering the whole context of the writing in the book, I have full conviction that it has much relation with what I am going to elaborate in this article.

3. In medicine, heart refers to one of the vital organs and it functions to pump blood to all parts of the body. However I do not intend to talk about this physical heart, but about the other heart which Al-Quran refers to as Qalb, Fu'ad or Sodr.

4. Let us recall one well-known hadith about heart that says,"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 (the flesh ) is the heart." As narrated by An-Numan bin Basyir from Sahih Bukhari.

5. Previously, in my articles about dajjal and feminist revolution, I have stressed on the importance of looking for light (guidance) from Allah as only with it that we can see with another eyes, that belong to our heart. Malay people put it as mata hati, which means the eyes (vision) of the heart.


6. One simple example of the exclusive advantage to see with heart is demonstrated in one of the hadiths by Rasulullah SAW which describes that dajjal has the word kafr (unbelievers) on his forehead which, as stated in the hadith, even the illiterates can read (so long that he is a muslim) while the unbelievers can't. 

7. What it suggests is that people with faith and knowledge can see what others can not see, because they live their life with Al-Quran, which explains everything inside. "And We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy and Glad Tidings to Muslims." (An-Nahl, 16:89)
 

8.   If someone is super extremely nice, we call them angels. But do we know that mankind are created by Allah as the best of creations? Yes, by status, we (mankind) are even more superior than the angels, moulded by Allah in best form. Allah confirms this in Surah At-Tin (95:4), "And We have indeed created man in the best of mould."

9. In sequence to that however, in verse number 5, Allah poses to us with something opposite when He says, "Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low," which in fact, not only makes us lower than the angels, but also indicates that the beast are even better. We are now at the bottom, the worst.

10. But there is exception, which Allah describes in the later verse number 6 that reads, "Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing."

11.  Having mentioned the above, we shall now understand that only with intellect that comes from a pure heart, we will be led to a path that is in accordance with Al-Quran. And it is this pure and guided heart that controls us to be inclined to the righteousness instead of sins. 

12. We have to understand that Allah grants us choices and free will when He gives us wisdom or the aql. Animals, like us, do have brain too, but they don't have the aql or wisdom, so they only do what they are created to do. They eat, they breed, and they sleep, amongst other things, which are also what we do, but we can always choose not to, and therefore find ways not to, because Allah gives us the wisdom.

13. It is with this wisdom as an advantage that Allah gives to us that makes us the best creation to be His vicegerent on earth. He clearly said this in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:30), "Behold, our Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent on earth."
 
14. The conversation that follows between Allah and the angels in the same surah proves to us that with Allah's permission, and because Allah teaches Adam (and us), we mankind know what even the angels don't know. Ultimately, it indicates Allah's absolute power over everything. In a way, why don't we thank Him for such a great status that He gives to us?

15. My intention for this article is so that we know how Islam is a way of life that suits us in all aspects, and only by following what Islam teaches us, we preserve our norm and premordial nature (fitrah), and therefore prosper in life now and in the Hereafter.
 
16. Automatically, going against Islam is going against ourselves (premordial nature) which leads us to nothing but disaster. Disobeying Allah adds more disease into the heart and eventually, invites His Wrath and punishment in Hellfire, may Allah protect us from that.

17. "In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves)." Surah Al-Baqarah, (2:10)

18. I'd like to end this article with 3 powerful prayers that hopefully insya Allah will help us prosper in what ever things we do in life and so that He helps keep our hearts strong to be faithful towards Him, even if we have to die to protect our faith and dependance we put upon Him insya Allah. My prayers that they benefit us all. Ameen~

19. The first 2 can be found in the Quran as follows (translation):
  
a) O my Rabb! Expand me my breast. Ease my task for me, and remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand what I say. (20:25-28)

b) O my Rabb! Bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous, grant me honorable mention on the tongue of the truth among the latest (generations), make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss." (26:83-84)

c) O Allah! The Turner of the hearts, keep our hearts firm on Your deen. (Sahih Muslim)
Ya Muqallibal Qulub, tsabbit qalbi  'alaa diinik
 20. The third du'a (prayer) above is of special importance to me, as it strongly reminds myself that no matter who we are or how much knowledge we have in Islam, no one can ever escape from misguidance except with the permission of Allah. So, I recommend we read this prayer everytime after solah (solat) insya Allah.

21. May Allah bless us all, He knows best, no doubt, absolutely ;-)

P/S: Authored by Ibnu Hanaffi, as adapted from amirulasyrafhanaffi.blogspot.com

Wassalam ;-)

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