Protect Your Heart

The heart is central to our lives and eeman, yet it is very volatile and unpredictable. Avoid exposures that will compromise the condition of your heart.

Salamun alaykum wa rahmatullah,

In the previous newsletter, we reminded ourselves that our main purpose on earth is to worship Allah, and even though many opposing forces are working against us in achieving this aim, we must continue to strive and struggle to remain firm on the path of righteousness. The starting point as discussed is by strengthening our eeman. It is the major force that will drive our actions and make it easier for us to navigate the challenges that stand our way in seeking the pleasure of Allah.

Once we are able to firmly establish eeman in our hearts and continue to strengthen and maintain it, we will then need to continuously protect our hearts.

Why is this important? The heart is the most important part of the body.

Aside from its biological function that makes it a vital organ in the body, it also plays a major role in our spiritual existence. It is central to our lives and eeman, and its condition determines the quality of both. The Prophet described it as a morsel of meat in the body of men, that if it is well, the whole body is well; and if it is corrupt, the rest of the body will be corrupt.

In describing the centrality of the heart to the existence of humans, Abu Hurairah said; “the heart is the king and the limbs are its soldiers. So if the king is good, the soldiers will be good. And if he is evil, his soldiers will be evil.”

This is undeniable. We all see it play out in our daily lives, and it is thus clear that the heart sets the tone for the rest of the body just like the king directs the soldiers under his service.

However, as important and central the heart is to the body, it is also the most volatile and unpredictable part of the body. The Prophet that the heart is given the name “qalb” only because of its fluctuations. He described the heart as a feather in the wilderness that continues to be turned on its head by the wind. The human heart is continuously moving from one emotion to another, and from one intent to the opposite in a few seconds. Just like the feather blown in different directions in the wilderness, the heart fluctuates between different emotions, thoughts, and intentions.

Shaytan understands the volatility of the heart, as well as its centrality and influence on all other parts of the body and our existence. Therefore, he targets it as an arena where he continuously whispers and sends his soldiers of doubts and worldly desires to tempt and lead man astray from the path of his Lord. He understands that once he is able to sow the seed in our hearts, it will grow through the whole body and influence our deeds and existence. Thus, it is highly important for us all to protect our hearts.

Respected brothers and sisters in Islam, know that your heart is so essential and yet unstable. Your heart is more susceptible to sickness and influences around it; thus, it must be carefully protected. You should not allow everything to flow into it without considering the effect it will have on your heart.

Everything that you allow into your heart leaves an impact – either positive or negative. You should therefore avoid all forms of fitnah that will leave a black dot in our heart, lest it becomes a black, turbid, desire-soaked heart.

In the words of Imam Ghazali, “if the first inward thought is not warded off, it will generate a desire, then the desire will generate a wish, and the wish will generate an intention, and the intention will generate the action, and the action will result in ruin and divine wrath. So evil must be cut off at its root, which is when it is simply a thought that crosses the mind, from which all the other things follow on.”

The best way to protect your heart is therefore to avoid exposures that will compromise its condition.

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