Where is your heart?!

 Outward physical acts are not valid and acceptable unless they are accompanied by appropriate actions of the heart, because the heart is like the king and the physical faculties are like his troops. If the king is evil his troops will also be evil.

Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In the body there is a piece of flesh: if it is sound the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt.”  Similarly the (hidden) actions of the heart inevitably affect the (visible) physical actions. So precedence must be given to that which is more obligatory, whether it is called inward or outward. 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among you: destructive envy and hatred. These are the shavers. I do not mean that they shave hair but they shave away religious commitment. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which if you do it, you will love one another. Spread (the greeting of) salaam amongst yourselves.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2510; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2038).

Whoever ponders with true insight such warnings about the diseases of the heart will undoubtedly strive to cleanse his heart thereof, and will seek help in doing so by doing outward physical acts, praying to his Lord to cleanse his heart of hatred, destructive envy, rancour and so on, as Allaah says, describing the prayer of the believers: 

“and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed”

[al-Hashr 59:10 – interpretation of the meaning]

One of the most important remedies for diseases of the heart is to study and ponder the texts which include warnings to the one who leaves these diseases to fester in his heart, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise who has an atom’s-weight of arrogance in his heart.” (Narrated by Muslim, 91). 

Dhikr-Allaah (remembrance of Allaah) is one of the greatest of good deeds and the best of actions by means of which one may draw closer to Him. There are dozens of texts which speak of its virtues, enjoin it and encourage it, such as the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds, the most pleasing to your Sovereign, those that raise you most in status, and that are better than your giving gold and silver, or meeting your enemy (in battle) and you strike their necks and they strike you necks?” They said: “Yes,” He said: “Remembrance of Allaah (dhikr), may He be exalted.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3373) and Ibn Maajah (3790); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.


Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Dhikr may be in the heart, or on the tongue, but the best is that which is both in the heart and on the tongue. If it is limited to just one of them, then the heart is better. 

We ask Allaah to make us among His slaves who remember and thank Him, and to help us to remember Him, thank Him and worship Him properly. 

O Allah! Inspire me with good conduct and save me from the evil of my selfishness. O Allah! I ask You to guide me to the doing of good deeds and abstaining from bad deeds and love those who are humble, and to forgive me and show mercy to me. And if You wish a trail for Your servants, take me to You before falling into it.




O Allah! Grant us such fear of You as will come between us and acts of disobedience to You; such obedience to You as will bring us to Your Garden; and such certainty that the calamities of this world will be made easy for us by You. Let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our faculties as long as You grant us life, and let it be the last to be taken away from us. Avenge us from those who have wronged us and help us against our enemies. Let no calamity be fall our religion; let not worldly affairs be our greatest care or all about which we know; and Let not those who have no fear of You and who do not show mercy toward us rule over us.