The heart, a vital organ and
essential in its role of pumping blood in the human body is considered, since
ages, as the seat of feelings. This is certainly due to the fact that the heart
rate increases with emotions. Indeed, love is symbolized by a heart! The heart
is small but can contain vast emotions like the ocean. Over the centuries, an
infinite amount of expressions in different languages have been linked
to heart; expressions associated with emotions (e.g. with a good heart, with
all my heart, with rage in the heart), courage (e.g. having one’s heart in the
stomach – French Expression “avoir du coeur au ventre”), others in
which a loved one is designated (e.g. my little heart, my heart), the inner
life (e.g. speaking from the heart), or even the memory (e.g. learning by
heart). In our local Creole language there can also be found: Lekér sale (dirty heart), Lekér roche (having a stone in place of the heart),Lekér fermal (a wounded heart), Lekér l’or (a golden heart/ a heart of
gold)...
The heart is also a great
symbol related to many interpretations, including: The dwelling of faith and of
knowledge, understanding, thinking, feelings etc. The heart is described by
scientists as the king of organs; it is the seat of the sincerity of a person,
without which none of his actions are accepted.
Several hadiths explicitly
cite the supremacy of the heart. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Surely
there is in the body a small piece of flesh; if it is in good condition the whole
body is in good condition, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt and
that is the heart.” (Bukhari). He (pbuh) also said: “Surely
Allah does not look at your bodies nor your faces but He looks at your hearts.” (Muslim).
Wabisah Ibn Ma’bad (ra)
said: “I once went to the Messenger of God (pbuh) and he said:"
“Have you come to inquire about virtue (good)?”
“Yes,” I replied, and he said: “Ask your heart. Virtue is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart,
and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people
pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.” (Musnad
Ahmad)
The heart is the seat of
understanding. Allah (swt) reminds us in His Book that it is the heart which is
endowed with reasoning:
So have they not travelled through the earth and have
hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes
that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the
breasts. (22: 47).
And We have certainly created for Hell many of the
jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have
eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not
hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who
are the heedless. (7: 180).
It probably happens to each
of us to take the time to put in order, clean (and arrange) our room, our
office or our home... well, in the same way, we must take the time to put our
heart in order, cleaning it in all its nooks and crannies and ensuring that all
impurities are removed. This cleansing of the heart is crucial. It must be done
with the utmost care using the most effective spiritual products such as the
invocation of prayer. This purification of the heart is so paramount that God
ensured that His Prophet (pbuh) has his heart purified from an early age, so
that his message become credible, attractive and pure, by sending to him two
angels who split open his chest spiritually and cleaned his heart.
With the
arrival of Ramadan (and now with the approach of Eid-ul-Fitr), Allah (swt) in
His infinite mercy calls us to take care of our heart. This is an opportunity
for them to make a great cleaning! It is absolutely necessary to get rid of
impurities that are accumulated because as a result of sin, the hearts become
hard, impure, sick or dead. Therefore, let us wash our Lekér sale (dirty hearts) with sincere repentance and
forgiveness. Take the opportunity to revive our dead hearts and hearts of stone
with the reading (and understanding) of the Quran. Reinforce our weak hearts,
broken hearts, sad hearts and sinking hearts with Zikr:
Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured
by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts
are assured. (13: 29)
Zikr for the heart is like
water to fish: What is the situation of the fish when it comes out of water?
For the Muslim to enjoy Zikr, and his tongue to tally with his heart and gives
the desired effect in the heart, it is imperative that the evocation is bound
to worship that is meditation (a form of worship) as the Allah (swt) says in
the following verses:
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth
and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of
understanding;
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or (lying) on their
sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying),
“Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You (above such a
thing); protect us then from the punishment of the Fire. (3:191-192)
The Holy Prophet (pbuh)
linked everything to the condition of the heart. When we eliminate our evil
characters and we endorse good manners, we have a healthy heart. This is why
Allah (swt) says in the Quran:
The Day when there will not benefit (anyone) wealth or
children, But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” (26: 89-90).
The brain can be stuffed
with knowledge, but it shall be useful to the wearer only if his knowledge is
canalised through a healthy heart. Science without conscience is the ruin of
the soul.
In this blessed month and
also for the other eleven months, let us be men and women of heart. From the
bottom of the heart, let us take to heart the task of purifying our heart. Let
us struggle to empty our hearts of hatred, jealousy and resentment; that our
hearts are not ignited by worldly temptations but rather they are full of love
for Allah (swt); that our hearts do not swell up with pride and disdain but
have love for our neighbour; that our hearts do not despair and lose hope but
swell with hope and enthusiasm. The reform of the heart is only possible when
adorning it with virtues and wisdom and perfuming it with love.
To all my brothers and
sisters, I wish with all my heart that through your efforts Allah (swt) grants
you a purified heart, a peaceful heart, a living heart and a healthy heart. And
may Allah unite our hearts. Ameen
-Friday Sermon of July 25, 2014 (27 Ramadan 1435 Hijri), delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius.