By Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim
al-Jawziyyah (d.751H)
When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its
thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed
from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and
wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.
Not every individual who is endowed with
knowledge and wisdom and dons its robe is from
among its people. Rather the People of Knowledge
and Wisdom are those who have infused life into
their hearts by slaughtering their desires.
Al-Fawaa`id [pp. 111-112] of ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah,
may Allaah have mercy upon him.
[The translation is taken from 'An Explanation
of Riyaadh as-Saaliheen Vol. 1, Trans. Abu
Sulaymaan and modified.]
The servant is not afflicted with a punishment
greater in severity than the hardening of the
heart and its being distant from Allaah. The
Fire was created to melt the hardened heart,
this heart which is the most distant of hearts
from Allaah. If the heart becomes hardened the
eye becomes dry [and finds no joy or
tranquillity].
There are four matters, when the limits are
transgressed with regards to them, harden the
heart: food, sleep, speech and sexual
intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does
not derive nourishment from food and water and
similarly a diseased heart does not benefit from
admonishment or exhortation.
Whosoever desires to purify his heart then let
him give preference to Allaah over his base
desires.
The heart that clings to its base desires is
veiled from Allaah in accordance to the strength
of its attachment to them. The hearts are the
vessels of Allaah upon His earth, hence the most
beloved of them to Him are those that are most
tender, pure and resistant to deviation.
[A reference to the hadeeth, "Truly, Allaah has
vessels from amongst the people of the earth,
and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of
his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of
them to Him are the softest and most tender
ones" and it is hasan. Refer to as-Saheehah (no.
1691)]
The transgressors preoccupied their hearts with
the pursuance of this world. If only they had
preoccupied them with Allaah and seeking the
Hereafter then they would have instead reflected
upon the meaning of His Words and His Signs that
are witnessed in creation. Their hearts would
have returned to their owners (in whose chests
they reside) bestowing upon them marvelous
wisdom and pearls of benefit.
When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its
thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed
from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and
wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.
Not every individual who is endowed with
knowledge and wisdom and dons its robe is from
among its people. Rather the People of Knowledge
and Wisdom are those who have infused life into
their hearts by slaughtering their desires. As
for the one who has destroyed his heart and
given precedence to his desires then knowledge
and wisdom are deprived from his tongue.
The destruction of the heart occurs through
possessing a sense of security and negligence.
The heart is fortified through fear of Allaah
and dhikr. If the heart renounces the pleasures
of this world then it will be directed towards
pursuing the bliss of the Hereafter and it will
be amongst those who call to it. Should the
heart become content with the pleasures of this
world the bliss of the Hereafter ceases to be
pursued.
Yearning for Allaah and His meeting is like a
gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing
away the blazing desire for this world.
Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his
Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil
condition and whosoever sends it amongst the
people shall be disturbed and excessively
perturbed. This is because the love of Allaah
can never enter the heart which contains love of
this world until the camel passes through the
eye of a needle.
Therefore the most beloved servant to Allaah is
the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He
selects for His Love, whom He causes to purify
his worship for Him, who dedicates his life to
Him, his tongue to His dhikr and his limbs to
His service.
The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick
and its cure lies in repentance and seeking
protection from evil.
It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and
it is polished through dhikr.
It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and
its adornment comes about through taqwaa.
It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body
becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and
thirst is satiated through knowledge, love,
reliance, repentance and servitude to Allaah.
