The Prophet (saw) said: “The qalb (heart) was given this name only because of its fluctuations. The heart is like a feather (reeshah) in the wilderness – at a base of a tree – that continues to be turned on its head by the wind.” (Imam Ahmad)
Though the heart is the most important part of our body, it is also the most volatile and unpredictable. Both of these facts explain the great attention we should pay to it and the great care it needs.
In another hadith, the Prophet (saw) paints for us another poignant portrait of the nature of our hearts. He (saw) said: “The heart of the child of Adam is more volatile and quicker to change than the completely boiling pot (qidr).” (Imam Ahmad)
The heart is similarly in a state of complete agitation as the most active part of our body. Unlike other body parts, the heart does not stop working. We can shut our eyes and close our mouths, but we can not stop thinking about and reacting to the world around us.
Why is this the case?
1.The heart is the arena where the Satan is continuously whispering and sending his soldiers of doubts and worldly desires. It is also the arena where the angel of Allah reminds us of virtue and the Hereafter. The Prophet (saw) said: “The Satan has a connection to and influence on the child of Adam and the angel has a connection and influence. The connection and influence of Satan is the promise of evil and the denial of the truth. And the connection and influence of the angel is the promise of goodness and the acceptance of the truth. So, whoever finds this let them thank and praise Allah, and whoever finds the other one let them seek Allah’s protection from Satan.” Then the Prophet (saw) read Surah of Al-Baqarah: 268: “Satan promises you poverty and commands you to commit indecency, and Allah promises you forgiveness and bounties from Him.” (Tirmidhi).
So, the battle between the soldiers of Satan and the soldiers of Al-Rahman (the Merciful) rages on in the heart. The heart is flooded with whispers from Satan to try to tempt and confuse.
The heart is the gentlest organ since it is the repository of emotions and can be swayed easily.
Don’t let your heart be tricked
Imam ibn al-Jauzi quotes a story in his Talbees Iblees (p.39) from Bani Isra’eel and since its lessons are beneficial, we share it too.
Amongst Bani Isra’eel, there was a most most pious man by the name of Barsisah. During his time, there were three brothers who had a single sister and they were all about to leave the town to go for jihad. They did not know with whom to leave their sister and who they could trust to look after her. They all agreed to leave her with that pious person. They all trusted him. They went to him and asked if they could leave her with him. She would be in the building next to him until they return from the fighting. He refused their request and sought refuge in Allah from them and their sister. They persisted until he finally acquiesced.
He said, “Put her in the house next to my place of worship.” So they put her in that house and they left, leaving her there. She remained living next to that pious person for some time. He would put food for her in front of his building of worship. Then he would lock the door and return to his place of worship. He would then tell her to come out of her house and take the food. Then Shytan approached him softly. He encouraged him to treat her kindly. He told him that it was not good to make the woman come out of her house during the day as someone may come upon her. If he took the food directly to her door that would mean a greater reward for him.
So, he continued for some time to go to her door and place the food at the front of her door without speaking to her. Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to do good and get more reward. He said, “If you took her the food and placed it in the house for her, you would get a greater reward.” He continued to encourage him. So he started to take the food into her house. He continued like that for some time.
Then Iblees came again and again encouraged him to do good. He said, “If you talk to her for a while she will be put to ease by your conversation as she is in a state of fear and she is all alone.” He then started talking to her from atop his place of worship.
Then Iblees came again. He said, “If you were to come down and talk to her while she sits at her door and talks to you, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued to encourage him until he came down and sat at his door and would talk to her. The girl would come out of her building and sit at her door and they would talk for a while.
Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to get great rewards for treating her well. He said, “If you were to go from the door of your place of worship and sit close to her door, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued exhorting him until he did so. He continued that act for a while. Then Iblees came again. This time he said, “If you enter her house and talk to her, and not make her show her face in public it would be even better for you.” He continued exhorting him until he entered her house and spent the whole day talking to her. Then when night fell, he returned to his place of worship.
Then Iblees came to him after that and continued to make her more appealing to him. Until the worshipper got upon her and kissed her. And Iblees continued to make her look nice in his eyes and desire her until he finally had intimate relations with her. She got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Then Iblees came and told the worshipper, “Do you not realise what the brothers of the girl will do to you when they see she has given birth to your son” You will not be safe if your matter becomes clear. You should go to the boy and kill it and bury it, that way you can conceal your affair and they will not do anything to you for what you did to her.” Then he said to him, “Do you think she will conceal from her brothers what you did to her and your killing of her son. Take her, kill her and bury her with her son.” He continued spurring him on until he killed her and threw her in the ditch with her son. Then he put a large rock over them and leveled it.
Then he returned to his place of worship and worshipped therein. He stayed in that state for as long as Allah willed until the brothers came back from the fighting. They came to him and asked him about their sister. He mourned her loss and started to cry. He said, “She was the best of women and that is her grave.” The brothers came to the grave and cried over their sister and asked Allah to have mercy on her. They stayed at her grave for a few days and then went to their families. When the night overtook them and they went to their beds, Shytan came to them in their sleep in the form of a traveller. He started with the eldest and asked him about their sister. The brother told him what the pious man had stated and how they were shown her grave. Shytan told him that the pious man had lied. He said, “He did not tell you the truth about your sister. He got her pregnant and she had his son and then he killed and buried her out of fear of you. Then he threw them in a ditch he dug behind the door of the house she was staying in, to the right of the entrance. Go and enter the house in which she stayed and on the right of the entrance you will find everything I told you about.” Then he went to the middle brother and did the same. Then he went to the youngest brother and did the same. When they woke, they were all surprised at what they had seen. When they met each other, they all said, “I saw an amazing thing last night,” and they informed each other of what they had seen.
The eldest said, “That dream has nothing to it so just ignore it.” The youngest said, “I will not leave it until I go and look at that place.” They all went until they reached the door of the place where there sister stayed. They opened the door and looked for the place that was described to them in their dreams. They found their sister and her son buried in a ditch, as they were told.
They asked the worshipper about it and he confirmed what Iblees had told them. They then took him and were about to crucify him. When they had him on the wooden cross, Shytan said to him, “You know that I am your companion who tempted you by the woman until you got her pregnant and you killed her and her son. If you obey me today and deny Allah, who formed and shaped you, I will rescue you from your predicament.” The worshipper then belied Allah. When he belied Allah, Shaytan left from being between him and the others and they were able to crucify him.”
In contrast, as we listened to Surah Aale Imran, these are the examples of those who kept pure hearts – the family of Imran. Surah al Baqarah explains what not to do, while Surah Aale Imran shows us what to do through real life examples.
The example of the mother of Maryam (AS), Hannah, the wife of Imran, made a promise to Allah that if He granted her a child, she would dedicate him in His service. She expected a boy so she could dedicate him to Masjid al Aqsa but she was blessed with a girl and Allah(SWT) always knows best. This daughter was Maryam (AS) who had a special chamber in Masjid al Aqsa, and she gave miraculous birth to the Prophet Isa(AS). She remained firm despite the accusations of her people.
The surah begins with us making dua for firm hearts – Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver ˹of all bounties˺. And it ends with O believers! Patiently endure, persevere, stand on guard,1 and be mindful of Allah, so you may be successful.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
When Umm Salamah (ra) was asked : ‘O Mother of the Believers, what is the duaa’ which the Prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) would supplicate the most while in your presence? ’
So she said : ‘The frequent supplication of his was :
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِى عَلَى دِينِكَ
“O, Turner of the hearts, turn our hearts to Your obedience.”
