The Heart’s Confusion Between Disease and Cure Due To Ignorance and Wrongdoing

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Imam Ibn Muflih, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Know that hearts become weak and sick, and they may even perish (degenerate) due to heedlessness, sins, and abandoning (the purpose for which) they were created, such as the deeds of the hearts that are required in the Shariah. The greatest of this is associating partners with Allah. (On the other hand), they become alive, strengthened, sound through pure monotheism, vigilant and awake by fulfilling (the purpose for which) they were created, since an opposite is removed by its opposite, and a thing is affected by the reverse of what previously affected it. Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
I have seen that sins bring death to hearts, and persistence in them may lead to humiliation. Abandoning sins is the life of hearts, and it is better for your soul to disobey them.

Allah, The Most High, said:

أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَٰهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ نُورًا يَمْشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا

Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness from which he can never come out? [Al-An’am 122] [1]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said about this Ayah:

He (this person) is given both light and life, just as the one who turns away from the (Qur’an and Sunnah) receives both death (a misguided heart) and darkness (misguidance). Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, and all the Mufassirun said that such a person that he used to be an unbeliever, then Allah guided him. And regarding Allah’s statement:

وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ

And set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men.

This includes a number of (things) and one of them is that he walks amongst the people with light, while the people are in darkness, thus, his example and theirs is like that of a people who got lost during nightfall and could not find their way, while he had light whereby he could walk in the road, and could see as well as see what he is to be cautious of. The second is that he walks amongst them with his light, so they borrow from it due to their need for it. The third is that he walks with his light on the day of judgement on the bridge of as-Siraat, while the people of Shirk and Nifaaq remain in the darkness of their Shirk and Nifaq. [2]

It is reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim, or in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, may Allah be pleased with him, [who said that Allāh’s Messenger – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said]: “When a servant (of Allah) commits a sin, a black spot is marked upon his heart. Then, if he commits another sin, another black spot is marked upon his heart, until it becomes dark and covered over. At that point, it no longer recognises what is good nor rejects what is evil, except for whatever inclination of desire it has absorbed.[Sahih Muslim 144]

Thus, (vain) desire is one of the greatest diseases and opposing it is one of the greatest remedies. The human soul is prone and inclined towards ignorance and wrongdoing (if it is not guided), as Allah The Most High said:

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا

Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah’s Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). [Al-Ahzab 72]

As a result of its ignorance, it (the soul) thinks that its cure is found in following its (vain) desire, even though it is its greatest disease and the cause of its ruin. It (ignorantly and wrongfully) places the disease in the place of the remedy and the remedy in place of the disease, thus, various ailments and diseases arise from this. However, despite this, it declares itself innocent and blames its Lord, The Mighty and Majestic, through what his situation manifests and may even clearly utter this blame with the tongue and does not accept advice due to wrongdoing and ignorance.

Due to this, the hadith reported by Ibn Abbas – regarding the supplication for distress (a)– combines an affirmation of Allah’s perfect Lordship over all the creation, necessitates His oneness and that none deserves to be worshipped, feared or placing hope on anyone, except Him, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections, The Most High. In (this du’aa also is an affirmation) of His absolute Greatness, which necessitates an affirmation of every perfection. It contains the affirmation of His forbearance, which necessitates the perfection of His mercy and beneficence. Thus, the heart’s knowledge of this, necessitates its engagement in the acts of worship of the heart that are required by the Shariah, experiences a delight and joy that repels what has afflicted it, or at least diminishes it based on the strength or weakness of this knowledge- similar to a sick person who receives something that strengthens his natural physical condition. These Divine Attributes are profoundly suitable for relieving what afflicts the heart. The more a person pays closer attention to this, tastes and experiences it directly more than (others), the (effects) of it become more manifest to him than to others. [3]

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[a] Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to say during times of distress:

لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ العَظيمُ الحَليمُ، لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ العَظيمِ، لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ رَبُّ السَّمَواتِ ورَبُّ الأرضِ، ورَبُّ العَرشِ الكَريمِ

There is no god worthy of worship except, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne. [Al-Bukhari 6346 and Muslim 2730]

[1] An Excerpt from Al-Aadab Ash-Shar’iyyah 1/205-205. Risalah Publishers. 1st Editiion 1436 [2010]
[2] An Excerpt from Al-Fawaa’id. pages 140-144
[3] An Excerpt fronm Al-Aadab Ash-Shar’iyyah 1/205