Purity of heart – this is that which will grant us success in the hereafter.
With the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful,
Our Pir O Murshid, Doctor, Hakim, Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah (Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib (RA) used to say: “On the day of judgement Allah Subhanatallah will look at our hearts and if it is good He will keep it and if it is not He would discard it.” There are Quranic verses with regards to this.
`Those who stood in awe of the Gracious (God) in the heart of their hearts, even unseen and came to Him with a heart turned in sincere devotion (to Him).” Al Quran 26:88 also 50:32.
The heart is important because it opens up a person’s eyes so that he could see and understand the truth.
“…Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in their breasts that grow blind.” Al Quran 22:46
The heart is important because it singularly determines our entire outlook.
“Allah’s Apostle (SAW) said…. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body which if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt then the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.” Sahih Bukahari Vol. 1, Bk. 2, No. 49”
He also said: …..piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. …. Sahih Muslim Bk 32, Number 6219. The seventh Imam, Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (RA), writes in his manuscript “Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah”: “the body is as a kingdom whose king is the heart while the (blood) vessels, the limbs, and the brain are workers.”
Our Dada Pir, Hazrath Khwaja Faquir Mohammed Ali Shah (RA) once gave the following analogy. If you have dirty water in a reservoir tank then no matter which tap you open, dirty water will come through. The heart is like this tank and all other parts are like taps.
What we ultimately desire deep down in our hearts will therefore ultimately determine who we really are. If our heart is clean then our thoughts, speech and actions would be pure and if our heart is dirty then all our actions, even seemingly good ones, would be impure.
The state or condition of our hearts would determine our intentions and the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said that our deeds would be judged according to our intentions. Even if we pray all our lives or spend most of our money in charity, we could still end up in hell because we did these things for the wrong reasons, such as wanting to be known as a pious or generous person. (see Al Hadith – chapter on intentions). Therefore focusing, purifying and preventing our hearts from being defiled is the foundation of our spirituality.
Pure means clean, untainted, wholesome, uncontaminated, unpolluted etc. We must focus our hearts solely on finding and sticking to the Truth (Haq).
This must be our primary and most important goal and this must be the motivating factor behind everything we do. Eating, shelter, money, finding a spouse; these are necessary to live but they must not be our ultimate goal. We need to have just sufficient of this so that we could pursue ‘Truth’.
Everything else in life is therefore just a means to an end. Our focus, our goal should always be to strive towards the ‘Truth”. Who am I, why am I here and what must I do to fulfil the purpose of my life? By seeking out the answers to these questions we will be taking the first step towards ‘Truth’ and our whole lives will revolve around this.
Apart from having a heart focused on ‘Truth”, we would need to constantly keep if pure. Our hearts will always be bombarded by different kinds of feelings and suggestions – some would be good and others would be bad. The Messenger of Allah said,
“(The Fitan (trials, tests) are offered to the hearts, just as the straws that are sewn into a woven mat, one after another. Any heart that accepts the Fitan, then a black dot will be engraved on it. Any heart that rejects the Fitan, then a white dot will be engraved on it. The hearts will therefore become two categories: white, just like the barren rock; no Fitnah shall ever harm this category as long as the heavens and earth still exist. Another category is black, just as the cup that is turned upside down, for this heart does not recognize righteousness or renounces evil. )’‘ Ibn Katir p161.
The trials that we will face, is that we would have to sift through the urges, passion and desires that we have and follow only what is good. If we see someone in difficulties we will have this urge to help them. This is a good feeling and we should go with the flow and assist them as best as we can.
However if someone close to us has achieved something and we feel pangs of jealousy then we should reprimand ourselves for this and not allow this to defile our hearts.
Similarly, wanting good for others, thinking good of others, kindness, sincerity, respect, humility, being just, standing up for truth, generosity, avoiding or at least feeling bad about sins, seeking repentance when we sin are all qualities that we must allow to take root in our hearts.
Pride, jealousy, greed, backbiting, being selfish, spite, deviousness, disputing, breaking relationships and hatred are not good qualities and we should not allow these feelings in our hearts because these qualities will defile our hearts.
“Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and giving like kindred and He forbids indecencies and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed and attain eminence.” Al Quran 16:90
Most of the trials we face will come about from our interaction with others and it is therefore important to think good of others no matter what status they have or what they have done.
Apart from having the opportunity of learning from these people, this kind of humble attitude would enable us to make friends instead of enemies. We will create an environment of love and caring. Being good to people and having a pure heart is closely related. Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle (SAW) said,
“The first batch (of people) who will enter Paradise will be (glittering) like a full moon; and those who will enter next will be (glittering) like the brightest star. Their hearts will be as if the heart of a single man, for they will have no enmity amongst themselves….” Sahih Bukahari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 469.
Our attitude to the material aspects of our lives also has a great bearing on our hearts. When we strive for material things (Focusing on this) then we are most likely to develop all the negative qualities that would defile our hearts.
In striving for wealth we become competitive, we are always looking at ways to make more, we would not want to part with our wealth and therefore we are always bargaining or trying to cut our expenses by paying our employees less or by making them work harder etc.
If someone else is successful then we become envious of them. As Muslims we must put our trust in Allah Subhanatallah for our provision instead of putting our hearts and souls into making money.
Now if we manage to focus our hearts on truth and if we can maintain it through all the trials then this would help us develop certainty in faith. Our faith would become stronger and stronger because we would see and understand the underlying purpose of creation.
Our understanding of life would not be from that which we read in books or what we hear from others but it would be based on Truth and actual experiences. We would reach the stages of righteous people:
“…. the Truthful (in their belief, words and deeds), and the Bearers of Testimony (to the truth of the religion of Allah by their words and deeds), as well as the Martyrs, and the Righteous (who stick to the right course under all circumstances), and how excellent companions they are!” 4:69.
The Messenger of Allah said:
“(The hearts are four (types): polished as shiny as the radiating lamp, a sealed heart with a knot tied around its seal, a heart that is turned upside down and a wrapped heart. As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and the lamp is the light of faith. The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever. The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he had knowledge but denied it. As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this (pure) heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand on that heart). Ibn Khatir P116 2:20.
What this means is that when we have a pure heart then faith will take root easily and it will grow well and if we have an unclean heart then faith would not take root but instead unbelief and hypocrisy will thrive in it.
What also comes through in this discussion is that Islam is not just about the outer acts of prayer etc. (‘Zahir’) but it is also, more importantly, about our inner condition (‘batin’). Without the aid of a reflector such as a mirror it is very difficult to see the condition of our face or hair and without the aid of a true friend that can show us our inner faults it is difficult to know our inner condition. Our inner condition or spirituality is the speciality of the Pir O Murshid (Spiritual Guide) and we should associate ourselves with such people.
“And keep yourself attached to those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, constantly seeking His pleasure, and do not let your eyes turn away from them to pursue the glamour of the present life and do not follow him whose heart We have declared unmindful of Our remembrance; who follows his evil inclinations, and whose affair exceeds all legitimate limits.” Al Quran 18:28.
A true pir o Murshid with the help of Allah Subhanatallah sees our spiritual ailments and he prescribes the cure. If he sees a pure heart he would bestow such a person with special knowledge about Allah Subhanatallah (Irfaan).
If he sees a heart lacking he would prescribe a remedy. It is imperative, therefore, that the mureed pays careful attention to what the murshid advises him, especially at the time of taking ‘baith’ (pledge of allegiance) and to carry out what he advises.
Listening to, and following the Pir O Murshid teaches us submission and humility which are the first steps in nurturing a pure heart. Here is a verse from the Quran which instructs the followers of the Holy Prophet (SAW) (his mureeds) to follow him because he, with the help of Allah Subhanatallah has this ability of knowing what is going on in the depths of their hearts.
“O you who believe! respond to Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life and know that Allah intervenes between a person and (the inclinations of) his heart and that it is He to Whom you shall all be gathered (after having been raised to life).” Al Quran 8:24.
The heart is also associated with love and therefore it is important to love the people all around us especially our Pir O Murshid. Tasawaff (Spirituality) is all about loving the Pir O Murshid and there are so many Sufi love poems that bare testimony this.
There is no end to trying to keep our heart focused on ‘Truth’ and there is no end to the trials and tests that we would face in maintaining a pure hearts.
No matter how pious we are we would always encounter these trials. At a low level we might face a problem of overcoming our habits of showing off but at a higher level we will need to fight off evil thoughts that would make their way into our minds such as; because we have managed to cultivate a pure heart and because we see Reality so much more clearly we might think that we are good and pious. Such sinful thoughts are wrong. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
“Allah has accepted my invocation to forgive what whispers in the hearts of my followers, unless they put it to action or utter it.” Sahih Bukahari Vol. 3, Bk. 46, No. 705: (See Hadith No. 657 Vol. 8).
If we are successful in focusing our hearts on ‘Truth” and keeping it such (Inshallah), then we would reach an elevated state. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
“They say Al-Karm (the generous), and in fact Al-Karm is the heart of a believer.” Sahih Bukahari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 202:
Peace and salutations be upon Allah’s Messengers who are responsible for guiding humanity throughout time. Ameen.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi.
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA, (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA).
Author: Mahomed Hassan Gaffoor
His WhatsApp: +27 84 910 1486