Khutbah - Soundess of the Heart

Friday Khutbah (June 25, 2004) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher

Have you ever considered that if you were carrying some glass vessels and you neglected to clean off any dust or dirt that was on them, their glitter and shine would disappear?  Hearts are the same if they bear one thing after another from anger, hatred, rancour, spite and envy. If the possessors of these hearts hasten to purify them from these diseases, every sorrow and grief will disappear, happiness will spread and the heart becomes sound.  On the other hand, if this purification is neglected, attitudes accumulate, faults come one after another and huge barriers are constructed that prevent any return to love and harmony until hatred arises in every heart towards its brother, and this does not cease except with powerful treatment which may leave marks that time will not erase. 

Indeed, soundness of the heart of believers means the securing of the heart from all envy, malice, and rancour towards Muslims.

It is from the dua of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “O Allah!  I ask you for firmness in fulfilling your command, and determination upon guidance, and I ask you to make me grateful for your blessings, and to perfect my worship of you, and I ask you for a sound heart and a truthful tongue.”  And he, sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to say, “Do not let one of my companions inform me about another for I love to go out to you with a sound heart.” 

Indeed, soundness of the heart and its purity is the key to a harmonious society.  How is the state of a society that is led by plots and schemes and corruptions and there is spreading amongst the individuals of the society slander and treachery and then the hearts of the individuals are filled with deceit and envy and other sicknesses?  The soundness of the heart is a divine blessing and gift that we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to grant us. 

Know, o brother Muslim, and sister Muslimah

That soundness of the heart from there being anything in it towards a Muslim is a reason for an action being accepted.  As the Hadith says, ‘actions are presented every Monday and Thursday, then Allah the Almighty, on that day, forgives every person who does not associate anything with Allah, except the person who has between him and his brother hatred.  Then He says:

“Observe these two until they are reconciled.

So look at how many people lose out on blessings, who carry in their hearts hatred and rancour. They continue to put off purifying their hearts and continue to miss out on Allah’s blessings.

And know that soundness of the heart is one of the attributes of the people of paradise.  Allah says:

“We shall remove from their hearts any hatred and they will be like brothers facing each other on thrones.”  (Hijr: 47)

And He says in another ayah:

“And We shall remove from their hearts any rancour, beneath them will be rivers flowing.”  (al-a’raaf: 43)

So look to this description and contemplate, may Allah have mercy on you. 

Know that soundness of the heart is also a path to paradise.  One day the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was with a group of his companions and he said to them, ‘A man will appear to you now who is of the people of paradise.’  Then these people waited for the appearance of this man, looking in anticipation for this person who Allah loved and had made him from the people of His paradise, and saved him from being of the people of the fire.  A man appeared from the Ansar, his beard dripping from wudu’.  There was amongst those present a youth from the youth of the Muslims.  He was a possessor of great aspiration and ambition, striving for a high rank with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  This youth was Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with them both.  His soul strived to know the secret of this man, so he devised a strategy by which the man permitted him to live with him for three days, so Abdullah endeavoured in this period to know what it was that this man did, from good deeds and superogatory acts, and so forth, that made him from the people of Paradise.  He did not see a lot of night prayer or much fasting; he seemed like an ordinary worshipper, so he asked him, ‘What is it that you do that makes you from the people of paradise?’  So the man said, ‘It is none other than what you see, except that I never have in myself any rancour towards another Muslim, and I never envy anybody for the blessing that Allah has given them.’ That was it. Then Abdullah said, ‘This is what gives you such a high rank, and it is that which we are not capable of.’  i.e. We are unable.

Do you not see how this man was designated for paradise for the soundness of his heart?  Look how Abdullah bin ‘Amr designated this great character by declaring that people would not be able to do the same except with great struggle of the self.  Yes, it is the great souls themselves that are able to disregard offence and receive it with goodness, thereby preserving a pure and sound heart. 

And the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf, peace be upon him, is one of the greatest examples of a sound heart. After his brothers did to him what they did, and after he came into a position in which he was able to take revenge, he refused to take revenge for himself and for the pleasure of himself.  Rather he compensated for his brothers their measure and gave them their need and said a saying that we are in need of today.  Rarely do we hear it today from our brothers: 

“No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you.” (Yusuf: 92)

Then he pardoned them and sought forgiveness for them.  More astonishing than this is that he requested for them an excuse for what they did, as Yusuf said:

“After Shaytan had sown enmity between me and my brothers.” (Yusuf: 100)

Death was approaching Abu Dujanah al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, and his face was beaming with joy, and something was said to him regarding this:  “No action is stronger with me than two things: I did not speak regarding that which did not concern me, and the other, is that my heart was always sound towards Muslims.”  Amazing!  Indeed, these are hearts rising above their nature, exalted above revenge for themselves. So how far, from these examples of the righteous, is the person who bears a grudge against his brother, merely for a word that was said, nothing being intended by it? He interprets it to be evil, while he could interpret it otherwise and find much good. 

How far, from the examples of the righteous, is he who opens his heart and lends an ear to everybody who carries news and information and false utterances, biased against his Muslim brothers?  He does not investigate, and he does not verify it, rather he is happy with it and cheerful.  The poor wretched person does not know that this is entering him into the traps of Shaytan and filling his heart with hatred and rancour towards his brothers in religion and faith.

How far, from the examples of the righteous, is he whose heart is rarely sincere towards anybody?  He envies this person, he shows hatred towards someone else, and he is angry towards a third person, and he has a bad opinion about a fourth person, he accuses a fifth. He is always suffering from whisperings and doubt and suspicion, constantly feeling animosity.

We should consider our hearts, so why these dark faces amongst brothers?  Why this mutual separation and aversion?  Do you demand that others be infallible, and you forget that you make mistakes day and night, and your Lord is Mighty and Forgiving, and He holds you account for your actions, and He pardons you and ennobles you and forgives.  Does this not call you to forgive and pardon your brothers?

Is it not from the beauty of life that you say to your brother when you shake his hand, ‘O Lord!  Forgive me and this brother of mine.’  Then you can conceal for him in your heart that you have forgiven him his shortcomings and mistakes and offences towards you.  If you do this you will find the sweetness of faith and the joy of brotherhood of Islam, which Allah strengthened in His believing servants, when he said:

“And remember with gratitude Allah’s favour upon you, for you were enemies, and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His grace you became brothers.” (Aali-‘Imran: 103)

We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to purify our hearts from difficulties and hypocrisy and bad manners and we ask Him to remove hatred from our hearts, and to unite them amongst us, and to make us brothers, loving one another in His glory, ameen.

2^nd Khutbah

Oh Muslims

Soundness of the heart from every sickness is a serious matter, because it affects everything else: the actions of the limbs and the sayings of the tongue. Allah does not look at our bodies or appearances, but at our hearts. Our hearts are a place for faith, love, and fear of Allah, and love towards our fellow brothers. It is not a place for rancour, envy, hatred and other diseases.

We ask Allah to purify our hearts and spread peace and love amongst us. Ameen,

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