How do you treat the heart?
Category: General, Problems & Solutions
How do you treat a sick heart? When the heart is sick it should be treated with the following four things:
1. Al-Qur’aan al-Kareem
This is actually the cure of all the diseases of the heart. Allaah says:
Interpretation: “And We send down from the qur’aan what is healing and mercy for the believers, and it only increases the unjust in loss.” al-Israa’ 82
The meaning of this verse is that Allaah 3azza wa jall has sent down the Qur’aan as healing for those who believe in it. So the Qur’aan is a cure for ignorance but also for the diseases of the heart that make you feel pain and those that do not make you feel pain. It is also a mercy for the believers because it leads them to the satisfaction of Allaah. The last part of the aayah means that the Qor’aan is either for the person or against the person. Al-Qur’aan is a cure for a person when he believes in it and does that which Allaah says and calls for. It is a loss for a person and it will give him more loss when he does not believe in it and does not follow what it says. It is a cure for the greatest diseases, namely kufr and shirk. Whereby it teaches you the difference between kufr and imaan and tawheed and shirk and it teaches you how to strengthen your imaan and tawheed and how you should distance yourself from shirk and those who perform shirk. Another disease is doubtfulness. Allaah Subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa says:
Interpretation: “Alif laam miem. That is the book in which there is no doubt and is a guidance for those who have taqwa. Those who believe in the unseen and perform prayer and spend of that which We have provided them with. And those who believe in what has been sent down to you and to those before you, and are certain of the Hereafter. These are the ones who follow the guidance of their Lord, and these are the ones who succeed.” al-Baqarah 1-5
The Qur’aan is the cure for all diseases: kufr, shirk and cravings. And it is a guidance where the knowledge of imaan and ahkaam resides. It gives examples of previous peoples how Allaah Subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa punished them ánd it indicates how the final fate of the believers and disbelievers will be. Al-Quraan al-kareem is a healing for the heart and a healing for the body. The Prophet sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam and the sahaabah used the Quraan as a cure for diseases of the body, among other things.
2. What is wrong with my heart?
Usually it has to do with three things. It is important to take note of these issues.
1. The power has become less from the heart. Do you want to give your heart more strength and fuel and refuel more imaan?
You can do this by:
– doing good deeds: recommended fasts and prayers, istikhfaar (asking forgiveness). When Nooh called his people to perform tauwbah and istikhfaar, he said to them:
Interpretation: “…ask your Lord for forgiveness, indeed He is Forgiving. He will then send down on you abundant rain from the sky and multiply your possessions and children and He will give you gardens and He will give you rivers.” Nooh 10
Many people wonder why the greenery is disappearing from their land. Many sisters wonder why they don’t get pregnant. People who are poor wonder why they don’t get richer etc. Solution: RETURN ISTIKHFAAR.
– Remembering Allaah. After all, Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa says:
Interpretation: “Know: by remembering Allaah, the hearts come to rest.” ar-Ra3d 28
2. No protected heart. The Muslim should protect his heart from the things that damage the heart such as bad sittings, bad friends, bad environment, etc.
3. Sins. The minor and major sins that are performed cause the heart to become damaged and hard. One should ask for repentance (tauwbah) and forgiveness from Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa for this.
3. Dealing with and overpowering your nafs (soul).
Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa says:
Interpretation: “I declare that I myself am not innocent. Verily, the soul incites to evil, except in those who are gifted by my Lord”. Yusuf 53
This ayaah makes it clear that the ego leads the person to evil, if the person himself does not lead the nafs to good. The more imaan and knowledge this person has, the better he can direct his ego. In general, the ego wants to: stand up for itself, defend itself, stand up for its honor, get angry, get happy, etc. This can lead to many evils. Hence, the ego must be governed through the precepts of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa and sometimes forced to do the right deeds: to be patient, to love in the right way and to get angry and defend in the right way. When this is not done one will lead his ego to badness, or his ego will lead him to badness. When someone scolds, hits or hurts you the first thing you tend to do is stand up for your ego. Defending yourself in this situation is a thing we have to unlearn. The first thing we need to think is: what is happening in this moment? Is one performing a sin? Is one taking away a right that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa has given to me? Is someone advising me? Is someone tempting me to evil? Etc. And when someone hurts me and thereby commits a sin then this person has transgressed the right of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa. In doing so, you should not stand up for your ego but for the right of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa. You should point out to the person that he or she is committing a sin. And that only after that do you concern yourself with your own right, when the right of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa has been rectified.
When do I become happy? When I get a lot of haraam money? Or win a haraam prize? Should I then be happy or become sad? Someone who does not get his ego right will be happy. One who actually learns to control his ego will become sad at this time, because the money is tainted and if one eats from this, one eats tainted food and takes fire in his belly. There is a difference between those who overpower their ego and those who do not. And as we know: prevention is better than cure. Before you perform an act, it is important that you check the diagram of how you should think. For example, if you think this way, you are the master of your ego. If you do not think in this way, and start doing things without conscious state, here your ego has won by leading you where it wants to go.
One of the things that help overpower your ego is before you go about your business to know that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa is watching you and hearing you. A higher step is that you ask yourself would you perform that deed if you were standing before Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa? Suppose you see the hellfire with your eyes, would you perform this thing or not? It is not a matter of being able to overpower your ego, but a matter of sincerely wanting to overpower it! This is what you have to think about when you are overpowering your ego. When you rejoice and you see that it is not working, you have to warn yourself! Another way is: how much reward will I miss if I neglect an obligation? And how much sayyi’aat will I get if I commit this sin? In this way, you should try to overpower yourself. If you still commit this act then at that time you should realize that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa does not make the writers (angels) write your sins in your book for six hours. For six hours the angel waits to write your sin in your book. This is to give you the chance to ask repentance and forgiveness for your sin. If you do not do this, it will still be written down. The Prophet sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam says, “if he then regrets and repents he does not write it down, otherwise it will be written as one sin” (authenticated by Shaykh al-albaani in his book As-Silsilato-Ssahiehah).
If you have committed this act and at that time you die and come before Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa: what answer will you give? If you have no answer or a weak answer, you should repent immediately. And it is also important to have a conversation with your ego. You should accuse your ego first and make it clear to your ego that you want to send him and yourself to the satisfaction of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa. One of the sahaabah who was in jihaad, his ego was fighting him (should I fight or not)? He said to his nafs: you will be forced to fight, because paradise is waiting for you and you want to save yourself from hellfire. Thus he kept exhorting himself while he was fighting the battle.
4. Overpowering Shaytaan
You must cure your diseases by overpowering your shaytaan. The shaytaan wants one thing: for you to eventually succumb to sin. The Prophet sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam says: “iblies sits on his throne every day and when the day comes he sends his soldiers. Then one comes to him and says: I made him quarrel with his wife until he divorced her. Then iblies says to him: they are already together. Then another one comes to him: i made him quarrel with his father. Then iblies says: they have already made up. Then another one comes and says: I got him killed and iblies says :it’s you and he crowns him. Then another one comes and says: I made him leave islaam. Iblies says: you are him you are him and crowns him the king of the jinn”.
It is important to overpower shaytaan by:
1. Having knowledge of his wiles;
2. By knowing yourself (who am I, my characteristics, weaknesses and strengths and how can I remove my weaknesses and remove habits, etc.)
3. By getting close to Allaah Subhaanahu wa ta3aalaa through the worship and remembrance of Allaah. This is so that you will be protected by Allaah. Shaytaan has only one power: the power of whispering. The Prophet sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam says: “alhamdulillaah that Allaah has reduced the power of shaytaan to whispers” (transmitted by Ahmad and Abu Daawoed). When you know and recognize his wiles then you will not fall into his trap.
The Prophet sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam united refuge from the evil of the ego and the evil of the devil. Indeed, he sallallaahu 3alaihi wa sallam said to Abu Bakr, “Say: Allahoemma Faatiras-samaawaati wal-ard, ‘Aalimal-ghaybi wash-shahaadah, Rabba koelli shay-in wa Maliekah, ash-hadoe allaa ilaaha illaa Ant, a’oedhoe bika min sharri nafsie wa min sharrish-shaytaani wa shirkih, wa an aqtarifa ‘alaa nafsie soe-an aw adjurrahoe ilaa moeslim”.
The translation: “O Allah, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, Knower of the Hidden and the Open, Lord of all things and the Possessor of them. I testify that no one has the right to be worshipped but You. I seek refuge with You from the evil of my ego and from the evil of the devil and his idolatry; and that I do harm to myself or that I bring this upon a Muslim. Say this in the morning and the evening and when you go to bed.” (Sahieh Abie Daawoed and Sahieh at-Tirmidhie)