The Hardn

ness of
o the
e Hearrt
Wednesday, 20 June 200
07

By Im
maam Ibnul-Q
Qayyim al-Jawzziyyah (d.751H
H)
When the heart
h is nourish
hed with dhikr, its thirst quencched with conte
emplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall
s
witness rem
markable and wondrous
w matters and be insp
pired with wisd
dom.
Not ev
very individuall who is endow
wed with know
wledge and wisdom and do
ons its robe is from among its
i
people. Rather the Pe
eople of Know
wledge and Wisdom are thos
se who have infused
i life intto their hearts
s by
slaughte
ering their des
sires.

Al-Fawaa`iid [pp. 111-112

2] of ibn Qayyim
m al-Jawziyyah
h, may Allaah have
h mercy upo
on him.

[The translation is taken from

f 'An Explanation of Riyaa
adh as-Saaliheen Vol. 1, Tran
ns. Abu Sulaym
maan and modified.]

The servan
nt is not afflicte
ed with a punish
hment greater in severity than
n the hardening
g of the heart and
a its being distant
from Allaah
h. The Fire was
s created to me
elt the hardene
ed heart, this he
eart which is th
he most distantt of hearts from
m
Allaah. If th
he heart becom
mes hardened the
t eye becomes dry [and find
ds no joy or tra
anquillity].

There are four

f matters, when
w the limits are transgressed with regards to them, hard
den the heart: food,
f sleep, speech
and sexuall intercourse. A body afflicted by disease do
oes not derive nourishment
n fro
om food and water
w and simila
arly a
diseased heart
h does not benefit
b from ad
dmonishment or
o exhortation.

Whosoever desires to purify his heart th

hen let him give
e preference to
o Allaah over hiis base desiress.

The heart that

t clings to its
s base desires is veiled from Allaah in accordance to the strength
s of its attachment
a to th
hem.
The heartss are the vessels of Allaah upo
on His earth, hence
h the most beloved of the
em to Him are those
t that are most
m
tender, purre and resistant to deviation.

[A referencce to the hadee

eth, "Truly, Alla
aah has vesselss from amongsst the people off the earth, and
d the vessels off your
Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender
ones" and it is hasan. Refer to as-Saheehah (no. 1691)]

The transgressors preoccupied their hearts with the pursuance of this world. If only they had preoccupied them with
Allaah and seeking the Hereafter then they would have instead reflected upon the meaning of His Words and His
Signs that are witnessed in creation. Their hearts would have returned to their owners (in whose chests they reside)
bestowing upon them marvelous wisdom and pearls of benefit.

When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall
witness remarkable and wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.

Not every individual who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom and dons its robe is from among its people. Rather
the People of Knowledge and Wisdom are those who have infused life into their hearts by slaughtering their desires.
As for the one who has destroyed his heart and given precedence to his desires then knowledge and wisdom are
deprived from his tongue.

The destruction of the heart occurs through possessing a sense of security and negligence. The heart is fortified
through fear of Allaah and dhikr. If the heart renounces the pleasures of this world then it will be directed towards
pursuing the bliss of the Hereafter and it will be amongst those who call to it. Should the heart become content with
the pleasures of this world the bliss of the Hereafter ceases to be pursued.

Yearning for Allaah and His meeting is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire
for this world. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil condition
and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. This is because the love of
Allaah can never enter the heart which contains love of this world until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.

Therefore the most beloved servant to Allaah is the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He selects for His
Love, whom He causes to purify his worship for Him, who dedicates his life to Him, his tongue to His dhikr and his
limbs to His service.

The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick and its cure lies in repentance and seeking protection from evil.

It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and it is polished through dhikr.

It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through taqwaa.

It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through
knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allaah.