Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
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The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam informed us in a very
famous tradition, commonly quoted with reference to halal and haram,
about the importance of the heart. He said:
“There is in the body a clump of flesh –
if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good and if it becomes bad,
the whole body becomes bad. And indeed it is the heart.” [The hadith in
full :- Bukhary, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49: Narrated An-Nu’man bin
Bashir: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘Both legal and illegal things
are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things
and most of the people have no knowledge about them . So whoever saves
himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor.
And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who
grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and
at any moment he is liable to get in it . (O people!) Beware! Every
king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal
(forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it
becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets
spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.]
He said that after explaining that the
halal is clear and that the haram is clear and that between them are
obscure areas, not known to most people. However, what protects a person
from the haram and ensures that he remains in the halal is knowledge ;
but beyond knowledge, it is the state of the heart. If the heart is
good, then it makes use of the knowledge and it avoids what is
prohibited. If the heart is bad, then the knowledge is of no benefit to
it and it will indulge in what is prohibited. The Prophet Sallallahu
‘Alayhi Wa sallam, on the last pilgrimage, informed his Companions and
the nations of Muslims to come, that there is no favour or no special
place of the Arab over the non-Arab; nor is there any favour or special
position of White over Black, but that favour in the sight of Allah, is
with those who fear Him, those who have taqwa. After bearing witness to
that, he said that “Taqwa is in the heart.”
In these statements and other similar
statements, we find stress being placed on the heart – that the heart is
the part of the body, which Allah has favoured over all other parts. It
is the place of iman. Had there been in the body another part that were
nearer to Allah, taqwa would have been placed there because iman is the
most valuable thing that a human being can have. There is nothing more
valuable. It is the determination ultimately of those who have belief in
Allah – those who have accepted the message and who have chosen
Paradise over Hell. It is the distinction of those who have belief and
those who have disbelief.
The value of iman is more than all of the
things of this world. This is why the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu
‘Alayhi wa sallam said that for ALLAH to guide by your hands a single
person to Islam is worth more than anything in this world. For you to
help someone to find iman is worth more than any of the things in this
world. The heart is the place by which the correctness of deeds is
judged. The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam said : ” Deeds
are judged according to the intention.” The place of the intention is
not on the lips. It is in the heart . [The hadith in full:- Bukhary,
Volume 1, Book 2, Number 51: Narrated ‘Umar bin Al- Khattab: Allah’s
Apostle said, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every
person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever
emigrated for Allah and His Apostle, then his emigration was for Allah
and His Apostle. And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a
woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.”]
Our deeds – what we do externally – are
judged ultimately by the states of our hearts. These are good deeds.
Evil deeds are evil, but these good deeds are in reference to those that
we perceive to be a part and parcel of righteousness. Allah will
inspect the hearts to determine whether they are truly acts of
righteousness. The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam had
informed us that the first 3 people who would be cast into the Hell Fire
are people who were involved in what everybody considers great acts of
righteousness. They are the scholar who taught knowledge; the wealthy
person who gave from his wealth in charity and the martyr who gave his
life fighting in the path of God.
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi
Wa sallam, in an authentic narration, said that they would be among the
first groups of people thrown into because the scholar, when he taught
the knowledge that Allah gave him, did not do so for the sake of Allah.
He taught so that people would praise him, saying what a great scholar
he is and how knowledgeable he is. Allah will say to him: “You received
your praise, what you sought in that world. But there will be nothing
for you in the next.” So he will be drawn off on his face and thrown
into Hell.
Similarly the rich individual – the
philanthropist, who was generous with his wealth. He gave and people
praised his generosity, but Allah will say, “You did it for the praise
and you were praised. There was no sincerity there; it was not for the
sake of Allah. You did it for as long as people appreciated it, but when
people did not pay you mind, you were not generous anymore. Your
generosity was conditional; it was not really for the sake of Allah.” So
that individual will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.
And the martyr – the one whom we all
assumed had died fii-sabilillah. We would think that his place in
Paradise is guaranteed. But Allah will say: “You fought so people would
say, ‘How brave this one is! How strong and courageous he was!'” People
said it; they praised him, but he did not do it for the sake of Allah,
so he will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.
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