Purity of Heart: How to Improve It

 

Every child is born innocent, sinless, and angelically pure. If you look at the innocence of a child, this is how close we should be to Allah the Almighty.

A child brought up knowing love and tenderness retains a healthy sense of self-esteem and worth. However, it remains that every child develops an ego, and each encounters life experiences that adversely affect their trust and innocence.

When we are pure at heart, our hearts become innocent and clean like children. But to remain this way is a daily challenge.

Not Being Taught a Moral Life

Optimistically, most children learn the meaning of integrity and how to live a moral life.

When children learn integrity and morals, they grow up having self-worth, making it is easier to relate to God. They have common sense, and their life is made easier.

ess fortunate children may, as adults, go through life aimlessly – without knowing how to navigate their journey – making up the rules as they go along. They lack a sense of self-worth or purpose that should have been instilled in them by parental figures.

Sometimes, they feel jealous and exhibit competitiveness toward others. These individuals tend to search for love wherever they can find it, ultimately facing betrayal and disappointment, leading to heartache and lack of trust.

Despair

When a person feels hurt, disappointed, or alone, despair and depression begin to take root.

Many people lead lives of desperation and emptiness, devoid of morals – conditions that make life complicated.

In such a state, it becomes easy to miss seeing the beauty of Almighty Allah around us; or to see Him as the One who loves us unconditionally. In taking these things for granted, it becomes commonplace to lose trust in God.

Judging Others

Even when trying to live moral lives, a lack of self-control leads to speaking badly toward or judging others.

In not striving to live exemplary lives, showing empathy toward one another, giving in charity and brotherhood, upholding the common good, and supporting justice – life becomes mundane.

Overcoming Shame

Many new converts, and Muslims who strayed from the straight path, have lived immorally – against the tenants of Islam. Sometimes this is found in Western cultures, where self-focus vs. service to others is predominant.

In either case, Allah the Almighty is All-Forgiving, Most-Merciful, and whatever our mistakes, repentance, asking His forgiveness, seeking forgiveness of others, and forgiving ourselves, purifies our hearts.

The love of Allah the Almighty invokes self-worth. Our mere existence is proof that we are a creation of His beauty!

He loves us with the tenderness of a mother holding her newborn child. Almighty Allah is always with us. We are never alone.

Forgiveness brings us peace of mind and purity of heart if we submit our whole hearts to Allah the Almighty.

Becoming Close to Almighty Allah

The acts of prayer and dhikr (remembrance of Allah the Almighty), bring us inner peace. Remembering Him throughout the day, being aware of the beauty and awe of His creation rekindles that child-like quality of innocence we had at birth.

Being merciful and kind, having a good heart, refraining from being judgmental, cruel, jealous, or self-righteous will restore peace of mind and purify our hearts.

Physical Cleanliness

Physical purity and cleanliness will also contribute to the purity of our hearts. We should physically take care of and beautify ourselves.

Eating healthy halal food and drinking enough water will make us feel better about ourselves.

Purifying ourselves before prayer with proper wudu washes away our sins.

When we uphold our responsibility to family and keep our word, we are worshiping God.

Guarding our words, not using profanity with the same mouths that recite the Quran or Allah the Almighty, keeps our minds clean.

Being fair, not hurting others unjustly, and using good judgment prevents drama and conflict in our lives.

Reflection

Taking time to reflect in solitude, and pausing several times a day (not just for the daily prayers), to feel the closeness and companionship of Allah the Almighty, and seeking refuge in Him through times of despair, is essential in maintaining purity of heart, because life is far from perfect.

We should also pause throughout the day to make dua for others affected by misfortune.

Gratitude also nurtures peace of mind and purity of heart; teaching us to value whatever we have in our lives.

Forgiveness

Having the ability to forgive and apologize for doing something wrong, or hurt someone, is an invaluable virtue.

Holding onto a wall of anger between our brothers or sisters brings complexity and impurity into a believer’s life.

Through purity of heart, we become more empathetic. If Allah the Almighty is Forgiving and Merciful, we should strive to emulate the examples set out in the Quran and Sunnah, beginning with extending mercy toward one another.

Life of Simplicity

Following the middle path, Allah the Almighty makes practicing Islam easy for us.

Islam is not intended to complicate our lives but encourages that we live in simplicity and to avoid seeking excess in the material aspects of this life.

Material things complicate our lives and diminish both physical and spiritual purity.

Simplicity brings purity of heart. Living a life of simplicity and purity will bring us back to the innocence of a child, resulting in greater happiness and peace of mind. It will make our lives easier.

Our lives become enriched by viewing the world as a creation of God’s beauty, and we should take care to not destroy the earth or be wasteful.

We should look to ourselves as creation of Allah that we, ourselves, are beautiful, and that we should make ourselves beautiful, our relationships beautiful, and that we will be rewarded in the hereafter, for Allah loves a pure and beautiful heart. This is what is most desired to Allah in the hereafter.

In looking to ourselves as the inherently beautiful creation of Allah the Almighty, it becomes easier to understand that, by striving to maintain purity in our hearts, the inner beauty we were born with radiates through our appearance, and our relationships improve as well.

What aspect of our character does Allah the Almighty value the most concerning the hereafter? He is looking for whether or not we have a pure and beautiful heart. - aboutislam.net

The People of Light

 Light is something that is mentioned when obeying Allah many times. When we disobey Allah, darkness prevails. May Allah make us all people of light!

A Believer’s Good Deeds

-aboutislam.net

7 Are Safe on the Day of Judgment – Are You One of Them?

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give protection with His Shade* on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection), and they are:

A just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosque; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful and high ranking woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’; a person who gives a charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand might not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

1. A Just Ruler

The concept of Justice in Islam is very important and it is something which the Muslim—the ruler and the ruled—must apply in all matters without exception.

Justice means to give each the right he deserves: Muslim or non-Muslim, relative or stranger, friend or enemy. Allah says:

[…] do not let hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness […] (5:8)

Unfortunately, even if we admit this in theory, we quickly forget it in practice. So we find that when we speak about our friends and loved ones, we praise them beyond reason and when we speak about those whom we hold difference with, we can find no good in them and we capitalize on their bad points.

This is far removed from the justice which Allah loves and gives great reward for, as mentioned in the following hadith:

The doers of justice will be on thrones of light at Allah’s Right Hand – and both of Allah’s Hands are Right Hands. (Muslim)

They are those who were just in their ruling, with their families and in all that over which they were given authority.

2. A Youth who Grew up in the Worship of Allah

In another interesting hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he says:

Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth before you become old, and your health before you fall sick, and your richness before you become poor, and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death. (Ahmad)

Shaykh Yaser Birjas states in one of his (sermons):

“Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic, when he lays out the foundations for his future, and when he plans his life.

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook.

The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to seize the moment and take advantage of it.

A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal (lawful) sustenance and worshiping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life.”

Moreover, this young age is a time when desires are more, and the will to disobey Allah is more. The mind is rebellious and the temptations of the shaytan (Satan) are at its maximum. The one who does his part in restraining himself/herself and obeys Allah surely deserves the shade under the throne of Allah.

3. A Man whose Heart is Attached to the Mosques

Numerous hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) say that praying in the mosque has 27 times more reward than praying in homes (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Also the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

He does not take a step [towards the mosque] except that because of it, he is raised by one rank and one sin is removed from him. Then when he prays, the Angels do not cease supplicating for him [for] as long as he remains at his place of Prayer [saying]: O Allah send blessings upon him, O Allah have mercy upon him… (Al-Bukhari)

It must be emphasized here however, that all the hadiths encouraging the men to be attached to the mosques are not intended to lead one to the conclusion that Islam is a religion which should be confined to the mosques, as many people imagine.

Nonetheless, the mosque should be at the heart of the Muslim community, and the role of those in authority of the mosques is vital here.

They are the ones mainly responsible for making the mosque a welcome refuge for the Muslims, rather than an arena for politics and power struggles as many seem to have become these days.

4. Two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that

Having mutual love for the sake of Allah is one of the great doors leading to the good of the Hereafter and a cause of tasting the sweetness of faith in this world.

Loving one another for Allah’s sake means one loves another only because of his deen (religion). So it does not matter what the person looks like, what he wears, how rich or poor he is, where he comes from, or what the color of his skin is-perhaps you dislike everything about him, but you love him for his iman: this is loving for Allah’s sake.

“Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent says:

“Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will have pillars of light and will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs.” (Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad

5. A man who is tempted by a woman of beauty and position but he says, “I fear Allah”

The same is for the woman tempted by a man and she says, “I fear Allah.”

This world is full of temptations which lead to burning in the Fire and amongst them is that which comes from women.

Many a man has led his soul into destruction on account of the lure of a woman, which is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that the most important provision which we need to protect ourselves from this and all other temptations in life is the fear (khawf) of Allah.

This fact is alluded to in the following Quranic verse:

And as for him who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed Paradise will be [his] refuge. (79:40)

6. A man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity

This part of the hadith shows two very important qualities that should be the hallmark of every Muslim. First is charity. We should give charity so much that even we forget the amount of charity we have given. Have you ever wondered that the ones who give charity never become poor? Even if they give millions in charity?

The second point emphasized is the fact that the one who gives charity should give it in secret. The early generations of the Muslims used to give charity so secretly that even their wife didn’t know.

Riya’, showing off in worship, is the hidden shirk (associating partners with Allah), destroying all blessings of a good deed, and making it null and void, as it is done to show off to the people and not for the sake of Allah.

The best way to keep ourselves in check is to do all sunnah and nafl (voluntary) acts of worship in secret and away from the eyes of the people.

7. A man who remembered Allah in private and shed tears

Another amazing reminder from the Quran comes to my mind every time I listen to this part of this verse:

Has not the time come for those who believe that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? […] (57:16)

When was the last time we cried for the sake of Allah? When was the last time that we turned our faces to Allah in secret, and our eyes overflowed with tears remembering every sin that we committed day and night? Did we ever cry thinking of the immense Mercy of Allah, and all the blessings He has bestowed upon us?

This hadith mentions crying in secret, as it is commonplace to cry publicly when the Imam makes du’a. The fear of showing-off remains even here, and hence the one who cries in secret will be given shade under the Throne of Allah, on a day when there will be no shade but Allah’s shade.

If you contemplate the seven whom Allah will shade with the shade of His Throne when there is no shade but His, you will find that they deserved that shade because of their opposition to their inner desires.

Allah is the One to be petitioned to grant us protection from our desires, which are inclined to evil, and that He makes our desires in accordance with what He loves and what is acceptable to Him. He has power over all things, and He is most worthy of answering our petition.

May Allah indeed enable us to be among those whom He shades under His Throne on a day when there is no shade but His shade!

Source: Suhaib Webb

About Raiiq Ridwan

Raiiq Ridwan is a Bangladeshi medical student at the University of Bristol, UK. He has a Bachelors In Arts in Islamic Studies at the Islamic Online University. He is founder of "The One Message". He’s certified life coach. He can write on topics related to Quran, dawah, depression, anxiety, achieving goals, productivity etc.

Ayat An-Noor – The Verse of Light

Stunning, heart-touching verse of the Quran! Listening to the verse of light will make you feel so much comfort…Try it!

Only Allah’s Light Can Defeat the Darkness

- aboutislam.net

Qur’an Recitation: Lightning Sparks for Your Brain

 

Throughout history, many civilizations have made significant progress in the world of science and various other fields through the proper employment of their brains.

However, the Islamic civilization surpassed them in achieving superbly remarkable progress using both materialism and idealism.

A non-Muslim professor, in a 4th year undergraduate class on the history of science, once said, “If it wasn’t for their political problems and constant fighting between each other, the Muslims would have been on the moon by the 1400’s”.

Did Muslims excel at science because they harbored what others lacked? Searching inside the Islamic civilization’s educational system will lead you to the Holy Qur’an. The education system of the ancient Islamic civilization was centered on the memorization, recitation and comprehension of the Holy Qur’an.

So, how does reading the Book of Allah have such an everlasting impact on the functioning of the most complex organ of the human body?

The answer lies in the various components of the brain that are stimulated and activated when the verses from the Qur’an are being recited.

The process of reading the Holy Qur’an is analogous to an athlete in training for a marathon. When in preparation for a marathon, an athlete prepares by running long distances, consuming a healthy diet, eventually developing endurance, and habituating the muscles.

Likewise, memorization of the Holy Qur’an has the same effect on the brain of an individual. The continuous recital of the verses with the proper elocution (Tajweed) leads to the activation of certain areas of the brain which ease the act of comprehension, processing and retention under all capacities.

The Cerebral Cortex is the largest part of the human brain, associated with higher brain function such as thought and action.

Brain Activity

There isn’t only a spiritual reality to the memorization and the recitation of the Qur’an, but rather a materialistic reality which takes shape in the brain.

The main parts of the brain which are activated from the recitation of the Holy Qur’an are the three lobes of the Cerebral Cortex; the Frontal Lobe, the Parietal Lobe, and the Temporal Lobe.

The Cerebral Cortex is the largest part of the human brain, associated with higher brain function such as thought and action.

The act of listening to the Qur’an and pronouncing it accurately during memorization leads to the stimulation of the Temporal Lobes, which contains the Hippocampus which is the memory center of the brain.

The activation of this region on a consistent basis through the memorization of the Qur’an, which was done on a daily routine until over 6,000 of the Qur’anic Ayahs were memorized, leads to increased memory retention.

Likewise, the left and the right parietal lobes, which process reading, writing, speech, logic visuospatial relationships and understanding of the facial expression, are also consistently stimulated leading to improved logic and mathematical skills and stronger visuospatial skills; and this can explain the success of the Muslim civilization in astronomy and mathematics.

The Muslim civilization was home to the world’s top polymaths such as Al-Kindi, and Al-Khwarizmi.

As listening to the Holy Qur’an is equivalent to listening to music, recent studies indicate that this leads to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter—a chemical released by neurons (nerve cells) to send signals to other nerve cells.

Dopamine plays a major role in reward-motivated behavior. This also leads to pain reduction and helps individuals recover from stroke or other injuries.

It also aids in the betterment of cognitive skills as well as improving endurance and dementia symptoms.

The education system of the Muslims did serve as a cornerstone in the rise of the civilization. Having the education centered on understanding Holy Qur’an not only uplifted their spirituality, but also improved their mental capabilities, enabling success in the fields of science, technology, medicine, astronomy, mathematics and many more.

Careful surveillance of education worldwide shows that hardly any education system around the world follows a similar structure.

In order to reach full potentials as Muslims and in order to relive the legacy of the early Islamic civilization, an education system which is traditional and technological simultaneously in accordance with today’s day and time can aid in achieving great heights.

Learning is both a process and an outcome, and the best way to succeed is to follow in the footsteps of those who have left an unprecedented mark.

References:

• The Islamic Post | Online Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://www.islamicpostonline.com/health/2013/06/18/brain_research_quranic_memorization_key_muslim_scientific_discoveries-545/
• This Is Your Brain On Music. (2014). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://www.medicaldaily.com/your-brain-music-how-our-brains-process-melodies-pull-our-heartstrings-271007

- aboutislam.net

About Madiha Sadaf

Madiha Sadaf in an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa, enrolled in BSc. with Major in Biology and Psychology with Minor in Health Social Sciences.

Is Wearing Pants below the Ankles Haram?

 

Scholars agree that wearing a loose robe dropping down below the ankles with the intention of pride is wholly forbidden. However, they disagree on whether to do so would be haram or not if done with no such intention in one’s mind.

The reason for the above disagreement is the two sets of traditions, which seem to be contradictory; therefore, they have taken different approaches to resolving the conflict:

One set of traditions clearly states that whoever drops the clothes out of pride, Allah will not look at him. We also read that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘but my clothes drop down unintentionally’; whence he replied, “You are not doing it out of pride.”

There is another report from Abd Allah b. Mas’ud (another prominent companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him) said that his clothes would hang below the ankle; when someone pointed it out to him, he said he had a slender leg.

Another set of traditions states that the clothes should not go lower than one’s ankles; if they do, they will be in the fire.

According to most scholars, the first set of traditions provides the rationale for the prohibition: the rationale being the motive of arrogance, vainglory, and false pride.

We can very well relate to this as we see royalty in many cultures dragging their clothes on the ground. Therefore, it is understandable that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would condemn such a lifestyle. So, he wants Muslims to stay clear of such flamboyancy and vainglory: Condemnation of pride is a recurring theme in the Quran and hadith.

Thus, the prohibition of isbaal is associated with ostentation and pride. Therefore, it cannot be generalized to include those who wear their pants, as long as the pants do not touch the ground. We know that the Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed women to drop their clothes an inch or two below their ankles–if they took care to avoid sweeping the floor with them.

A second group, which consists of a minority, generalizes the prohibition; because of the strict word used, they say that anything below the ankle is forbidden without sweeping the floor.

That is the view of most scholars belonging to the four schools; as Imam Ash-Shawkani has stated, the wisdom of prohibition was spelled out in the traditions; therefore, it particularizes the general.

That seems to be a plausible view.

Having said this, I should point out that, as believers, we should shun the habit of wearing pants or robes touching the ground.

In conclusion, you need not worry about wearing pants below your knees while riding a motorbike as long as you do not do so out of ostentation.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Can People of Other Faiths Enter Mosques?

Our Mosques Should Be Open

In fact, our mosques should be open to people of all faiths or none.

Our Friday prayers, for example, could be attended by anyone.

If non-Muslims are looking to attend such a service, it might be a good idea to call ahead and find out, because policies at various mosques may be individuated and different one from another.

But in general, my advice to Muslims is to opening mosques so that non-Muslims can visit.

Ilyas Ally: The converse of that is: are Muslims allowed to attend synagogues, churches, and other places of worship?

Can Muslims Enter Churches & Synagogues?

Dr. Shabir Ally: Now, here the traditional scholarship would have said, no, because they might be thinking: OK, you go to another place of worship, maybe you are influenced to some other belief that is contrary to your own.

Maybe you start worshiping a god other than the One True God, the universal creator of the heavens and the earth.

So, you should refrain from all of these things. Now, they might say that an exception is made for the person who is a preacher of the religion.

So, he might go into another place of worship in order to guide the people towards the right path.

Nowadays, of course, the communities are interlinked. People are connected with each other. Families are, you know, have intermarriage, there are intermarriages between religions, and so on.

So, to keep all of these connections, sometimes it becomes necessary to attend another place of worship for maybe there is a wedding ceremony taking place, or some other event.

Or perhaps a Muslim is just accompanying a non-Muslim friend or relative to their place of worship and wants to associate with that community in some way.

So, the scholars would make some distinction between those who are established in religion and those who are not.

So, those who are well established in the religion, they would say, OK, there’s no danger. You’re going there: you already know your own faith, and there’s no danger in going into another place of worship.

And, so long as you do not worship another god or acknowledge a belief that is contrary to your own, then you’re fine.

Attending Funerals

Ilyas Ally: How about attending the funeral of a non-Muslim friend or relative?

Dr. Shabir Ally: The answer to this can be controversial. So, let me just clarify that there is a passage in the Quran, in the ninth chapter, that people will cite as indicating that Muslims cannot attend such funerals.

But I would say that this is in reference to those hypocrites in Medina who were clearly out to assassinate the Prophet (peace be upon him), to demolish the Islamic faith, and so on.

But in general, now, we’re not dealing with such persons, that we’re dealing with the average individual who is friendly towards Muslims. Muslims are friendly towards them. They would attend the funeral, and naturally Muslims would reciprocate by attending their funerals as well.

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net