How To Make The Heart Tender – Ar Riqaq!

When a Muslim stops practicing Islam, his/her sins increase. Faith (Imaan) starts to weaken when Ibadah reduces. This is the point where heart starts becoming hard to the point that nothing about Islam touches your heart. The Muslims start getting attracted to forbidden acts and they fail to notice it till it’s too late. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 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.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

We are surrounded by evil and Haram. All of us commit sins on daily basis, may they be intentional or unintentional, but the main thing is repentance. A true Muslim will feel guilty about the committed sin and repent. If a Muslim ignores to do so, that means he/ she is under the influence of Satin. This is where the faith becomes so weak that one loses the desire to keep away from sins.

When Muslims spend more time in activities which Allah dislikes such as cursing, backbiting, ignoring ibadah, listening to music, watch movies etc, the heart eventually turns to stone.  In Surah Jassiyah, Verse 23, Allah says:

“Have you seen him who takes his own lust as his god And Allah, left him astray with knowledge, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah Will you not then remember.”

In Surah Zukhruf, Verse 36 and 37, Allah says:

“ And whosoever Ya`shu (turns away blindly) from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him Shaytan to be a Qarin (a companion) to him.) And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!”

Here are some of the Ahadith to melt/tender your heart and to revert it to Islam:

Narrated by Anas (RA), The Prophet said: “O Allah! There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter, so (please) make righteous the Ansar and the Emigrants.” (Bukhari, Book 8, Volume 76, Hadith 422)

Narrated by Sahl (RA), prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “A (small) place equal to an area occupied by a whip in Paradise is better than the (whole) world and whatever is in it; and an undertaking (journey) in the forenoon or in the afternoon for Allah’s Cause, is better than the whole world and whatever is in it.” (Bukhari, Book 8, Volume 76,Hadith 424)

Abu Huraira (RA) narrated:

“By God except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and used to bind a stone over my belly because of hunger. One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions) used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from God’s Book and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so. Then `Umar passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from God’s Book, and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so. Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet (PBUH)) passed by me and he smiled when he saw me, for he knew what was in my heart and on my face. He said, “O Aba Hirr (Abu Huraira)!” I replied, “Labbaik, O God’s Messenger (PBUH)!” He said to me, “Follow me.” He left and I followed him. Then he entered the house and I asked permission to enter and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl and said, “From where is this milk?” They said, “It has been presented to you by such-and-such man (or by such and such woman).” He said, “O Aba Hirr!” I said, “Labbaik, O God’s Messenger (PBUH)!” He said, “Go and call the people of Suffa to me.” These people of Suffa were the guests of Islam who had no families, nor money, nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an object of charity was brought to the Prophet (PBUH), he would send it to them and would not take anything from it, and whenever any present was given to him, he used to send some for them and take some of it for himself. The order off the Prophet upset me, and I said to myself, “How will this little milk be enough for the people of As- Suffa?” thought I was more entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen myself, but behold! The Prophet (PBUH) came to order me to give that milk to them. I wondered what will remain of that milk for me, but anyway, I could not but obey God and His Apostle so I went to the people of As-Suffa and called them, and they came and asked the Prophet’s permission to enter. They were admitted and took their seats in the house. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “O Aba-Hirr!” I said, “Labbaik, O God’s Messenger (PBUH)!” He said, “Take it and give it to them.” So I took the bowl (of Milk) and started giving it to one man who would drink his fill and return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and return it to me, and I would then offer it to another man who would drink his fill and return it to me. Finally, after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached the Prophet (PBUH) who took the bowl and put it on his hand, looked at me and smiled and said. “O Aba Hirr!” I replied, “Labbaik, O God’s Messenger (PBUH)!” He said, “There remain you and I.” I said, “You have said the truth, O God’s Messenger (PBUH)!” He said, “Sit down and drink.” I sat down and drank. He said, “Drink,” and I drank. He kept on telling me repeatedly to drink, till I said, “No. by God Who sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in my stomach).” He said, “Hand it over to me.” When I gave him the bowl, he praised God and pronounced God’s Name on it and drank the remaining milk.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Book 81, Hadith 4).

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