The diseased heart

The diseased heart

There are numerous signs of a sickness of the heart. The first of them, is finding it difficult to live by the purpose of our creation, which is to know Allah The Almighty, love Him, yearn to meet Him, turn to Him in repentance and to prefer doing all this to any other desire. Indeed, whoever gives precedence to his or her whims, over the love of, and obedience to, his or her Lord, then his or her heart is certainly diseased.

Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Have you seen the one who takes as god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?} [Quran 25: 43]. Some of the righteous predecessors said that this verse refers to the person who is led by his or her base wants and whims; hence, he or she lives like an animal, with no knowledge or worship of Allah The Almighty, in violation of His orders and prohibitions. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.} [Quran 47:12]

Let us not forget that as we sow, so shall we reap. Therefore, if a person not only does not live life according to what pleases Allah The Almighty, but instead actively pursues a lifestyle of disobedience to Him through His very blessings, he or she will neither find comfort nor be relieved of pain, after death, in the Hereafter. Allah The Almighty, Says (what means): {He will gulp it but will hardly [be able to] swallow it. And death will come to him from everywhere, but he is not to die. And before him is a massive punishment.} [Quran 14:17]

Another sign of a diseased heart is that a person is not disturbed by insubordination to Allah The Almighty. A poet spoke of how a dead person does not feel the pain of any wound; using that analogy, conversely, a sound heart feels great pain when a sin is committed, and, so, is quick to repent to Allah The Almighty, as He Says (what means):

{Indeed, those who fear Allah - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight.} [Quran 7:201]

· {And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.} [Quran 3:135]

The meaning of “remember [Allah] ” in both verses, refers to the act of bearing in mind His magnificence, His threats and His punishments, and so, they seek His forgiveness. On the other hand, the one who has a diseased heart will keep on committing sin upon sin.
In another place in the Quran, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.} Commenting on this verse, Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that this means committing one sin after the other, to the extent that the heart becomes blind. In contrast, a person with a sound heart will follow an evil deed with a good one and make sure to repent after a wrongdoing.

A diseased heart, moreover, manifests itself when a person does not feel any pain of being unaware of the truth, whereas, someone with an upright mind could not tolerate that when coming across any confusing matters, or having false beliefs. Verily, ignorance is a serious calamity that pains anyone with a sound heart.

Some scholars would say: “Allah was never disobeyed with anything worse than ignorance.” Also, Imaam Sahl, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked: “O father of Muhammad! What is worse than ignorance?” He replied: “To be oblivious of one’s obliviousness.” Indeed, such a state entirely hinders the path to knowledge, for a person is unaware of his or her need for it. It was once said that ignorance before one’s death is death itself; the bodies of the ignorant are like graves for the soul and they will have no resurrection until the Day of Resurrection.

Another sign of having a diseased heart is deviating from what is useful to what is harmful. Many people, for instance, refrain from listening to the Quran, about which Allah The Almighty Said (what means): {And We Send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.} [Quran 17:82]. Instead, they listen to songs that instill hypocrisy, and perhaps disbelief, in their hearts and stir their base desires. Such people sin, by preferring what Allah and His Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, hate.And that, in itself, is a consequence of having a diseased heart and only increases it in sickness. On the other hand, the more the heart is sound, the more it loves what Allah The Almighty and His Messenger,sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, do, as He Says (what means):{but Allah Has endeared to you the faith and Has Made it pleasing in your hearts and Has Made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided.} [Quran 49:7] The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “He would taste the sweetness of faith, who is content with Allah as [his] Lord, with Islam as [his] religion and with Muhammad, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as [his] Prophet.” [Muslim] He, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said:“No man from among you will have [perfect] faith, until he loves me more than his own self, children, family and all mankind.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

The last symptom of an ill heart is that a person settles in this worldly life, satisfied with it and is at peace in it, feeling no sense of alienation, such that he or she no longer looks forward to the Hereafter or works for it. Conversely, when a heart becomes sound, it yearns for the Hereafter, to the extent that it perceives the sickness of others, while they do not see its soundness. The state of a person with such a heart, in life, bears the spirit of the Hadeeth in which the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Be in this life as if you were a stranger or a traveler.” [Al-Bukhari].

Reference Link

Hardness of the heart

The hard heart is that which contains a mixture of harshness and toughness; a heart that is void of submission and the sense of turning to Allah The Exalted in repentance at all times. This is the severest punishment ever. This is why the disbelievers are punished with having a hard and harsh heart.

Maalik ibn Deenaar, may Allah Have mercy upon him, said in this regard, "Allah The Almighty Punishes the wrongdoers in their hearts and bodies as well. They are punished with a hard and miserable life and laziness and indolence in carrying out acts of worship.

However, there is no punishment that is severer than having a hard heart." [Hilyat Al-Awliyaa’]

Furthermore, Imaam Al-Mar‘ashi, may Allah Have mercy upon him, stressed the same meaning saying, "No one was afflicted by a severer calamity than having a hard heart." [Hilyat Al-Awliyaa’]

Dear readers, let us ponder over what Allah The Exalted Says (which means): {Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah Is not unaware of what you do.} [Quran 2:74]

This verse refers to the story of the children of Israel and the miracle of reviving the murdered man and to all the examples, warnings and adversities that had befallen the Children of Israel. Those Divine Miracles would cause huge mountains to shake and solid rocks to dissolve! Actually, it was worthier of their hearts to be softened by such amazing miracles, yet they did not. Allah The Exalted Clarified that their hearts had become more of rocks and even worse in hardness due to the fact that they rejected Iman after knowing and understanding the requirements of attaining Iman and its conditions. Hence, these hearts were like rocks and even worse in hardness. Indeed, rocks are a good example that people use to indicate hardness. Yet, Allah The Exalted Excluded some rocks from that absolute hardness, but Did not Exclude the hearts of the children of Israel. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah.} [Quran 2:74]

Let us reflect on this description of the one who has a hard heart. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {… and his sin has encompassed him…} [Quran 2:81]

This means that his sins and wrongdoings have encompassed him totally from all sides until he was surrounded with his own sins and wrongdoings from all directions. These sins and wrongdoings worked as a separator that detached him from all that is around him. Undeniably, this is clearly evident when a sinner does not repent of his sin, he is tempted to commit it more and more. This incites him to preoccupy himself exclusively and be wholly taken up with committing such sins and even graver sins and wrongdoings.

Hence, sins subdue and overwhelm such a person totally and take hold of his heart entirely. Accordingly, he becomes inherently inclined to committing sins, liking and loving them, believing that this is the ultimate and optimal way to relish happiness and pleasure, disliking all who would come on his way in attaining that fake happiness and joy, and disbelieving anyone who would advise him to avoid such sins. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Then the end of those who did evil was the worst [consequence] because they denied the Signs of Allah and used to ridicule them.} [Quran 30:10]

Regrettably, this man's sins become like a thick tent that screen everything around him. He no longer senses or thinks of the fact that Allah The Exalted Sees him all the time. He loses sight of the enduring pleasures in Paradise, the promised and anticipated punishment in Hellfire, the evil schemes of the devil that are all set to mislead Mankind, and the pity of the kind angels. Such a sinner fails to notice all these facts while being wholly lost in his sins and wrongdoings. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said: "When an adulterer commits illegal sexual intercourse, then he is not a believer at the time he is doing it, and when a drinker of an alcoholic liquor drinks it, he is not a believer at the time of drinking it, and when a thief steals, he is not a believer at the time of stealing, and when a robber robs, and the people look at him, he is not a believer at the time of doing robbery." [Al-Bukhari]

By Dr. Khaalid Abu Shaadi
Reference Link

Reasons of heart hardness

>

Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the faithful Prophet, his family and all his companions, and so: So the heart is the king of the organs and their leader, so if the heart is straightened all the organs will be straightened, and if the heart is spoilt all the organs will follow him and be spoilt, as the Prophet (pbuh) said: "There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart." «ألا إن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح لها سائرالجسد،وإذا فسدت فسد لها سائرالجسد، ألا وهي القلب» And because the heart has this importance, it is necessary to know the reasons of its sickness, spoilt and death in order to determine the suitable cure for these diseases which provoke the heart and affect its course, so either it weakens or dies, and we will quickly mention- in short- the reasons of hardheartedness, and it is not a secret that the opposites of these reasons are the cure for the hardheartedness or the reasons of the goodness and straightens of it. so from the reasons of hardheartedness: 1- Loving the world and be greedy on it. 2- Hoping for long living (life) and forgetting the sudden of death. 3- Attaching to things other than Allah the Exalted. 4- Sailing in the sea of fake hopes. 5- Contributing with the people in disobeying God. 6- Sleeping a lot. 7- Postponement. 8- Eating and drinking a lot. 9- Laziness in doing the allegiances. 10- Living with forbidden money, food, drinks, and others 11- Forgetting the previous sin and accumulating sin over a sin. 12- The excessive luxury and the fake pride. 13- Calumny, backbiting, cursing, insulting and making people's honor a material for amusement and joking. 14- Lying, falsehood, and defamation. 15- Sarcasm and mocking at others. 16- Laughing, joking, amusement, and playing a lot. 17- Pride, self-admiration, and falsehood. 18- Grudge, jealousy, hatred, and competing to win the world and its breakage. 19- Anger, suspicion of the others, and impatience with them. 20- Stinginess, miserliness, and holding spending in the fields of beneficiation. 21- Carelessness in God's (the Almighty) remembrance, thanking, praising him. 22- Negligence in praying, and disrespecting their appointed times, articles, obligation and Sunnah. 23- Leaving the congregational prayer with no excuse. 24- Lack of reverence while praying. 25- Leaving abstaining (Wara’) in doubtful matters. 26- Anxious, carelessness, and rashness. 27- Sitting with the rich people of the world most of the time. 28- Spending time with the people of desires, and innovations. 29- Listening to music and songs. 30- Wasting time in watching satellite TV channels. 31- Tolerance in loyalty and innocence. 32- Leaving Sunnah and Nawafel on purpose. 33- Breaking the promises and betraying the agreements. 34- Talking too much but without remembering Allah. 35- Obeying Shaytan (devil) and his companions. 36- Following the desires and the soul which guides to evil. 37- Imitating the disbelievers (Allah's enemies). 38- The men are imitating the women, and the women are imitating the men. 39- Injustice, aggression on others and attacking them without any right. 40- Ignorance concerning the religious and world conditions. 41- Courage in doing what Allah the Almighty has forbidden, and tolerance in doing sins depending on courtesy, forgiveness, and the abundance of mercy. 42-Following the desires and avoiding the way of the chaste people. 43- Roughness and rudeness in dealing with others. 44- Deceit and dishonesty for the Muslims and spoiling the relations between them. 45- Reading books, novels, poems, and newspapers which call for disbelief and atheism, or having sexual intercourse and sexual deviation without any regulatory restriction. 46- Underestimating the small sins. 47-Farness from the Holy Qur'an whether reading, learning, considering, working with it, and using it as the arbitrator in our life. 48- Farness from all the deeds which leads to heart goodness as remembering death, visiting graves, remembering the barrier, reckoning, paradise, hell and so on. 49- Ingratitude the parents and cutting the ties of kinship and harming the neighbors. 50- Hating the Prophet's (pbuh) companions. 51- Leaving enjoining the right, forbidding the wrong, and advising the Muslims. And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, on his family and his companions.
Reference Link

Allah knows the secrets of every heart

Before you disobey Allah, remember that Allah Almighty sees you. He knows what you hide and what you show in public, as {Allâh knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.} [Surat Ghâfir 40:19] In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful O dear brother, you, who fear Allah, Glorified and Exalted: - Before you disobey Allah, remember that Allah Almighty sees you. He knows what you hide and what you show in public, as {Allâh knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.} [Surat Ghâfir 40:19] {يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ‌} غافر: 19 Transliteration: YaAAlamu khainata alaAAyuni wamatukhfee alssudooru - Before you disobey Allah, remember that the angels count all your deeds and sayings. They write them down in your book of deeds. Allah says, {Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).} [Surat Qâf 50:18] {مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَ‌قِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ} ق: 18 Transliteration: Ma yalfithu min qawlin illa ladayhi raqeebun AAateedun - Before you disobey Allah, remember the moment of death, the moment when the soul leaves your body, while it is severely pulled. At that moment, you will wish that you had turned unto your Lord in repentance. You will wish that you had prayed and had read the Quran. Allah Almighty says, {And one leg will be joined with another leg (shrouded). (29) The drive will be, on that Day, to your Lord (Allâh)!} [Surat Al-Qiyyâmah 75:29-30] {وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ ﴿29﴾ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ} القيامة: 29-30 Transliteration: Wailtaffati alssaqu bialssaqi (29) Ila rabbika yawmaithin almasaqu - Before you disobey Allah, remember the grave, its torment, and its darkness. It is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of Hellfire. There, there is no fearful father or a merciful mother. - Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when people are resurrected; barefoot and naked. - Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when the scrolls will fly. Some will take their books of deeds with their right hands, while the others will take them with their left hands. - Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when the sun will draw so close to the heads that there will be left only a distance of one mile. The people will be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their heels, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some will be bridled by perspiration. We seek refuge in Allah. - Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when your organs will testify against you with what they had done of good or evil. Allah says, {Till, when they reach it (Hell-fire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes, and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do.} [Surat Fussilat 41:20] {حَتَّىٰ إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُ‌هُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ} فصلت: 20 Transliteration: Hatta itha ma jaoohashahida AAalayhim samAAuhum waabsaruhum wajulooduhum bima kanoo yaAAmaloona - Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists, sinners), will say, {“Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!” And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice.}

[Surat Al-Kahf 18:49] {يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ‌ صَغِيرَ‌ةً وَلَا كَبِيرَ‌ةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرً‌ا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَ‌بُّكَ أَحَدًا} الكهف: 49

Transliteration: ya waylatana ma lihatha alkitabi la yughadiru sagheeratan wala kabeeratan illa ahsaha wawajadoo ma AAamiloohadiran wala yathlimu rabbuka ahadan -

Before you disobey Allah, remember the day when some people from the nation of Muhammad, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, will be given their scrolls by the left. The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, will say, “‘O Lord, (these are) my companions! O Lord, (these are) my companions!’ And it will be said to him, ‘You do not know what new things they introduced (into the religion) after you.’”

[Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim] «يا رب أصحابي أصحابي فيقال إنَّك لا تدري ما أحدثوا بعدك» رواه البخاري ومسلم -
Before you disobey Allah, remember that you will cross the sirât (path), which is set up by Hellfire. According to your actions, either you will be saved or the clutches of Hellfire will get hold of you. We seek refuge with Allah. Allah Almighty says, {There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell): this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished.}

[Surat Maryam 19:71] {وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِ‌دُهَا ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا} مريم: 71 Transliteration: Wain minkum illa wariduha kana AAalarabbika hatman maqdiyyan

- Before you disobey Allah, remember that you will stand before the Hands of Allah, Glorified and Exalted. There will be no screen or an interpreter between you and Him. Moreover, He will remind you of every sin you have committed. - Before you disobey Allah, remember when the sinner, on the Day of Resurrection, will say, {“Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allâh (i.e. I have not done what Allâh has ordered me to do),} [Surat Az-Zumar 39:56] {يَا حَسْرَ‌تَىٰ عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّ‌طتُ فِي جَنبِ اللَّـهِ} الزمر: 56 Transliteration: ya hasrata AAala ma farrattu fee janbi Allahi wain kuntu lamina alssakhireena - Before you disobey Allah, remember Hellfire, the remoteness of its deeps, the severity of its heat, and the torment of its people when they are pulled on their faces. - Before you disobey Allah, remember that sins lead to the lack of success, and the deprivation of knowledge and sustenance. They lead to distress, short life, and sudden death. Sins are the reasons of the vanishing of chastity and modesty. Furthermore, the greatest punishment of sins is that they cause the estrangement between the slave of Allah and his Lord. When this relationship is ruptured, the means of good depart, and the means of evil connect to him.

Reference Link

The Decrease of Eemaan can lead to the heart getting sealed by Allah

The previous discussion centered on the causes for the increase of eemaan. The discussion here however, is on the causes for its decrease. Since, just as eemaan has causes that increase and develop eemaan, it also has causes that decrease and weaken it. just as it is required of the Muslim to be aware of the causes for the increase of eemaan in order for him to apply them, likewise, it is demanded of him to know of the causes of its decrease so that he remains apart from them. This obligation emanates from the perspective found in the proverb:

I learnt evil, not for evil, but to guard against it … for whoever among the people is not aware of evil, will fall into it

Moreover, it has been established in the Saheehayn from Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yamaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said: "The Companions used to ask the Messenger of Allaah concerning the good and I used to ask him about the evil in fear of it afflicting me." [Al-Bukhaaree, 8/93 and Muslim, 3/1475]

Ibn al-Jawzee said: "Being well-versed with evil embodies an alertness against falling into it." [Talbees lblees, page 4 and see al-Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah, 10/301 and onwards]

Thus, learning the causes behind the decrease of eemaan and being aware of the factors that weaken it and of how to safeguard one's self from them is a vital matter, which must be looked at. In fact, gaining knowledge of these causes is no less important than learning the causes for the increase of eemaan.

Before I begin to mention and shed light on the causes for the decrease of eemaan, I would like to point out that the non-maintenance of the causes of the increase of eemaan, neglecting to strengthen it and paying no regard to this, is deemed in itself a cause from the causes that decrease eemaan.

To therefore disregard the aforementioned issues and not pay any attention to them, weakens and decreases the eemaan. So just as their preservation is a cause for increase, in like manner, their disregard is a cause for decrease.

Shaykh Muhammad al-'Uthaymeen states: "As for the decrease of eemaan, it has many reasons..." he then them mentioned a number of points, from them: "Abandoning obedience, for eemaan decreases as a result of this. This decrease will be proportional to the significance of the particular act of obedience; the more significant and emphasized it is, the greater will be the decrease resulting from not performing it. It maybe that eemaan vanishes in its entirety, like in the abandonment of prayer." [Fath Rabb al-Barittah, page 66]

This is shown by the saying of Allaah:

"Indeed, he succeeds, who purifies it (i.e., his soul). And indeed, he fails, who corrupts it." [Soorah ash-Shams (91): 9-10]

This noble Qur'aanic text signifies the importance of obedience and its preservation and that it is one of the greatest reasons for the purification of the soul. In sharp contrast, it also indicates the danger of neglecting obedience and of falling into disobedience and that it is one of the greatest reasons for failure and loss.

Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentions in his Tafseer.

"His saying, "Indeed, he succeeds who purifies it". Allaah says that indeed, he succeeds who purifies his soul; so he greatly purified his soul from kufr and disobedience and he rectified it through righteous actions ..." [Tafseer at-Tabaree, 15/211-212]

At-Tabaree than related some accounts from the Salaf that support this: He related from Qataadah, ‘Whoever works good, purifies it with obedience to Allaah.’ He also related from him, ‘Indeed, he succeeds, who purifies his soul with righteous actions.’

He related from Ibn Zayd that he said, ‘He succeeds, whom Allaah has purified his soul.’

He related from Mujaahid, Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr and 'Ikrimah, "Indeed, he succeeds who purifies it." They said: "whoever rectifies it."

Ibn al-Qayyim relates that al-Hasan al-Basree said: "He succeeds, who purifies his soul by rectifying it and directing it towards obedience of Allaah and he fails, who ruins it and directs it towards disobedience of Allaah"

He also transmits from Ibn Qutaybah that he said: "It means: he succeeds, who purifies his soul, i.e., cultivates it and elevates it by obedience, righteousness, truthfulness and doing good deeds." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 1/65]

As for the saying of Allaah "and indeed, he fails who corrupts it."

Ibn Jareer states: "Allaah, may His mention be elevated, says, ‘and he failed in his request, the one who corrupts it does not attain the righteousness he seeks and searches out for, i.e., Allaah corrupts it by neglecting and disparaging it, through forsaking his soul concerning guidance until he perpetrated sinful deeds and abandoned obedience to Allaah."

He then related a report from Mujaahid, that he said: "And indeed, he fails who corrupts it." i.e., misguided it. He relates on Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr: 'i.e., he misled it.’ and on Qataadah again: ‘i.e., caused it to sin and debauched it.’ [Tafseer at-Tabaree, 15/212-213]

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "i.e., he reduced and concealed it by abandoning actions of piety and embarking upon disobedience. The immoral one is always in a hidden place, has chronically ill conduct, is an obscure person and has a lowered head; the one who embarks upon obscene deeds has indeed corrupted his soul and suppressed it." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 1/65 and see At-Tibyaan fee Aqsaam al-Qur'aan of Ibn al-Qayyim, page 21]

Thus, whoever purifies his soul by performing the commandments and avoiding the prohibitions has indeed succeeded and prospered and whoever corrupts his soul by abandoning the commandments and embarking upon the prohibited has indeed lost and failed. Regarding the causes for the decrease of eemaan and the factors that weaken it, they are many and of different sorts. However, in general, they are two categories and a number of factors reside under each category:

1. Internal Causes

As for the first category, it is made up of the internal causes or inherent factors, which bear effect upon the eemaan by decreasing it. These are many factors;

(i) Ignorance

This is one of the most significant causes for the decreases of eemaan, just as knowledge is one of the greatest causes for the increase of eemaan. The knowledgeable Muslim does not prefer the love and enactment of matters that harm him and cause him pain and misery to that which constitutes his benefit, success and rectification.

The ignorant person on the other hand, because of his excess ignorance and deficient knowledge, he may give preference to some of these things over that which contains his success and rectification. This is because the scales with him have been turned upside down and it is because of his feeble perception.

Knowledge lies at the root of all good and ignorance lies at the root of all evil.

The primary reason for love of oppression, transgression, embarking upon obscene acts and committing unlawful deeds is ignorance and the corruption of knowledge, or the corruption of intent, and the corruption of intent traces back to the corruption of knowledge. Hence, ignorance and corruption of knowledge form the main and primary reason for the corruption of actions and weakness of eemaan.

Ibn al-Qayyim writes: "It has been purported that the corruption of intent is caused by the corruption of knowledge. Since, if the person truly knew of the harm and its implications within the detrimental action, he would not have preferred it. This is why when one has knowledge that a particular desirous and delicious food contains poison, he does not dare approach it. Thus, his knowledge of the various types of harm present within the harmful act is weak and his resolve to avoid what he could fall into as a result of committing the act is also weak.

This is why eemaan is in accordance to this. The one who has true eemaan in the Fire in the way he is supposed to have, to the extent as if he is viewing it, will not take the path that leads to it, let alone strive along that path with his might. The one who has true eemaan in Paradise in the way he is supposed to have, his soul will not consent to refrain from seeking it.

This is a matter that a person can see in himself concerning the benefits he strives for or the harms that he tries to deliver himself from in this world." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 3/133]

Hence, the soul is fond of that which will harm it and not benefit it because of its ignorance of the harmful effects. In this light, one who examines the Noble Qur'aan, will find the greatest indication that ignorance is the cause for sins and obedience.

Allaah says:

"...They said, 'O Moosa, Make for us a deity just as they have deities.' He said, 'Verily, you are a people who are ignorant.' " [Soorah al-A'raaf (7):138]

Allaah says:

"And remember Loot. When he said to his people, ‘Do you approach vile sins while you see (each other). Do you approach men in your lusts rather than women. Rather, you are a people who are ignorant" [Soorah an-Naml (27):54-55]

Allaah says:

"Say, ‘Do you order me to worship other than Allaah, O you ignorant people." [Soorah az-Zumar (39):64]

Allaah says:

"And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance ..." [Soorah al-Ahzaab (33):33]

Additionally, there are other texts of this like, which show that the greatest reason for the shirk, kufr, iniquities and embarking on sins that people fall into, is ignorance of Allaah, His names, His attributes and of His reward and punishment.

For this reason, whoever disobeys Allaah and commits some form of sin is an ignorant person, as understood from the Salaf in the explanation of His saying:

"Allaah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil out of ignorance and repent soon afterwards. It is they to whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is ever All-Knowing, All-Wise" [Soorah an-Nisaa' (4):17]

And in His saying:

"... Your Lord has written Mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds, then surely, He is oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Soorah al-An'aam (6):54]

And His saying:

"Moreover, your Lord is towards those who do evil out of ignorance and afterward repent and do righteous deeds, verily, your Lord thereafter, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Soorah an-Nahl (16):119]

The meaning of "...out of ignorance..." in these aayaat, i.e., out of the doer's ignorance of its consequences and obligation of the anger and punishment of Allaah. It is his ignorance of the fact that Allaah sees and observes him and ignorance of the decrease of eemaan that returns to him or its complete disappearance.

Thus, everyone who disobeys Allaah, then he is ignorant in this respect, even if he is aware of the prohibition. Indeed, having knowledge of the prohibition is a condition for it to be regarded as disobedience and punishable. [Tafseer Ibn as-Sa'dee, 2/39]

A group of the Salaf reported this type of understanding on the aayah. At-Tabaree related several of these reports in his tafseer. He relates on Aboo al-'Aaliyah that he used to mention that the Companions used to say: "Every sin that a slave is afflicted with; it is out of ignorance."

Qataadah relates: "The Companions assembled and concluded that concerning everything that Allaah is disobeyed with, it is out of ignorance, whether intentionally or not."

Mujaahid said: "Everyone who disobeys his Lord; he is an ignorant person, until he comes away from his disobedience."

He also said: "Anyone who commits disobedience of Allaah, that is ignorance on his behalf until he leaves off his disobedience."

As-Siddee states: "As long as he is disobeying Allaah, then he is an ignorant person."

Ibn Zayd says: "Every person who commits some form of disobedience of Allaah, then he will always be an ignorant person until he retracts from it." [Refer to these reports and others in Tafseer at-Tabaree, 3/229 and 5/209; Tafseer al-Baghawee, 1/407; al-Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah, 7/22 and Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/463]

Hence, ignorance is a dangerous disease and a lethal illness. It draws on the person numerous disastrous calamities and consequences.

If this disease takes command of him and dominates a person, do not even bother to question his devastation. For he will be sinking into the darkness of disobedience and sins, deviating from Allaah's straight path and giving way to the demands of misconceptions and desires. Unless the mercy of Allaah embraces and emends him with the aid of the heart, the light of vision and key to all good: beneficial knowledge, which produces righteous action. As there is no other cure for this illness besides knowledge.

This disease will not separate from the person except if Allaah teaches him that which will benefit him and inspires him with good conduct.

Therefore, whomever Allaah desires good, He will teach him that which will benefit him, grant him understanding of the religion and enlighten him about what constitutes his success and happiness, so Allaah will lead him away from ignorance. Whenever Allaah does not desire good for a person, He leaves him upon his ignorance.

We ask Allaah to aid our hearts with knowledge and eemaan and that He protects us from ignorance and transgression.

ii. Heedlessness, Aversion and Forgetfulness

These three matters constitute immense cause for the decrease of eemaan. One who is stricken with heedlessness, troubled with forgetfulness and turns away, his eemaan will decrease in accordance to the presence of some or all of these three matters. It will impose on him ailment of the heart or its death because of its prevalence by misconceptions and desires.

Concerning heedlessness, Allaah has condemned it in His Book and He mentioned that it is a reprehensible mannerism, which is from the code and conduct of the disbelievers and hypocrites. Allaah also warns against it very severely. Allaah says:

"And surely, We have created for Hell, many (a people) from the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they understand not, they have eyes with which they see not and they have ears with which they hear not: they are like cattle. Rather, they are even more astray. They indeed, are the heedless ones." [Soorah al-A'raaf (7):179]

Allaah says:

"Verily, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present world and those who are heedless of our signs; those, their abode will be the Fire because of what they used to earn." [Soorah Yoonus (10):7-8]

Allaah says:

"... and verily, many among mankind are heedless of our signs." [Soorah Yoonus (10):92]

Allaah also says:

"They know only the outside appearance of the life of this world whilst they are heedless of the Hereafter." [Soorah ar-Room (30):7]

Allaah also says to His Messenger:

"And remember your Lord (by your tongue and) within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons and be not of those who are heedless." [Soorah al-A'raaf (7):205]

Thus heedlessness, which is defined as negligence that occurs as a result of a lack of care and alertness, is a dangerous disease. If it afflicts a person and overwhelms him, he will not bother with obedience of Allaah, His remembrance and worship. Instead, he will be occupied with matters of distraction, which distance him from the remembrance of Allaah. Moreover, if he does perform certain deeds in obedience to Allaah, he does them in an inadequate state and inappropriate manner, so his actions are void of humility, humbleness, repentance, fear, tranquility, truthfulness and sincerity.

Thus, these are some of the bad effects that heedlessness has on eemaan.

As for aversion, Allaah mentions in the noble Qur'aan that it has many ill effects and destructive results and consequences. Of these, Allaah has described the one who turns away as being the most oppressive and that he is amongst the criminals, as Allaah says:

"And who is more oppressive than one who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, then he turns away from them? Verily, We shall extract retribution from the criminals." [Soorah as-Sajdah (32):22]

Allaah also informs that He has set a veil and locks upon the heart of the one who turns away, so he does not comprehend or come upon the right path, ever, as in Allaah's statement:

"And who is more oppressive than one who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, but turns away from them forgetting what (deeds) his hands have sent forth. Truly, We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand it (i.e., the Qur'aan), and in their ears, deafness. And if you call them to guidance, even then they will never be guided." [Soorah al-Kahf (18):57]

This aversion on the person's part also causes a life of hardship and constriction in this world and the Hereafter. Allaah says:

"But whoever turns away from My reminder, verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." [Soorah Taa Haa (20): 124]

Allaah also informs that the one who turns away from the remembrance of Allaah is assigned associates from amongst the Shayaateen, whom thereafter corrupt his religion, as Allaah says:

"And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent, We shall appoint for him a Shaytaan to be an (intimate) companion." [Soorah az-Zukhruf (43):36]

Furthermore, Allaah informs that the one who turns away will bear a heavy burden of sins on the Day of Resurrection and that he will enter a severe punishment.

Allaah says:

"Whoever turns away from it (i.e., the Qur'aan), verily, he will bear a heavy burden (of sins) on the Day of Resurrection." [Soorah Taa-Haa (20):100]

Allaah also says:

"... and whosoever turns away from the reminder of his Lord, He will cause him to enter into a severe torment." [Soorah al-Jinn (72):17]

Similarly there are many other aayaat in which Allaah talks of the dangers and harms of aversion. The most dangerous of these is the fact that it poses as an obstacle and barrier to acquiring eemaan for the one who does not yet believe and that it weakens the eemaan of one who already believes.

It is the extent of the person's aversion that will determine his allotment of these consequences and dangers.

As for forgetfulness, which is defined as one leaving the exactness of that which he has already safeguarded. This occurs because of the weakness of his heart, or as a result of negligence on his behalf or out of deliberate intention until any trace of it is removed from his heart. [Basaa'ir Dhaway at-Tamyeez of al-Fayroozabaadee, 5/49]

This has a profound effect upon eemaan. It is a cause for its weakness; its presence decreases acts of obedience and greatens acts of disobedience.

The forgetfulness mentioned in the Qur'aan is of two types. The first type is one that a person is not excused for. This is in reference to the type that occurs deliberately, as in His saying:

"And do not be like those who forget Allaah, thereupon Allaah caused them to forget their own selves." [Soorah al-Hashr (59): 19]

The second type is one in which the person is excused. This is in reference to when the reason for the forgetfulness does not emanate from the person (whereby he intends that), as in the saying of Allaah:

"... Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or commit mistakes …" [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):286]

It has been recorded in a hadeeth (in connection to this aayah) that Allaah said: "I have done so [i.e., Allaah will not hold to us to account if we forget or commit mistakes... - and all praise is for Allaah. [t]]." [Related by Muslim 1/116 from the Hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him.]

The Muslim is required to fight his soul and to distance it from falling into this, so that he does not become harmed in his religion and eemaan.

iii. Committing Disobedience and Embarking upon Sinful Deeds

The harm and bad effect of this factor upon eemaan is well known to all. Thus eemaan, as stated by more than one of the Salaf, ‘increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience’. Just as accomplishing the obligatory and recommended deeds that Allaah has ordained increases eemaan, then likewise, performing the forbidden and disliked deeds that Allaah has not enjoined decreases eemaan.

However, sins vary greatly with respect to their rank, the evils they entail and the intensity of their harm. This is as Ibn al-Qayyim has mentioned: "Without doubt, kufr; fusooq and disobedience are of levels just as eemaan and righteous actions are of levels. Allaah says:

"They are in varying grades before Allaah and Allaah is All-Seer of what they do." [Soorah Aal-'Imraan (3):163]

He says:

"For all there will be degrees, according to that which they did. And your Lord is not unaware of what they do." [Soorah al-An'aam (6):132]

He says:

"The postponing (of a sacred month) is indeed an addition to kufr ..." [Soorah at-Tawbah (9):37]

He also says:

"... As for those who believe, it has increased their eemaan and they rejoice. But as for those whose hearts is a disease, it will add rijs [i.e., suspicion, doubt and disbelief. [t]] to their rijs." [Soorah at-Tawbah (9):124-125]

Statements of this kind are many in the Qur'aan." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 2/142]

The Qur'aan and Sunnah show that sins are of major and minor types. Allaah says:

"And if you avoid the major of the sins that you are forbidden from, We shall remit for you your (minor) sins and admit you to a noble entrance." [Soorah an-Nisaa' (4):31]

Allaah also says:

"Those who avoid major sins and al-Fawaahish except the small faults ..." [Soorah an-Najm (53):32]

It is recorded in Saheeh Muslim, that Aboo Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, relates the Messenger of Allaah as saying: "The five prayers, the Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer and Ramadaan to (the next) Ramadaan; they expiate all (sins committed) between them as long as the major ones are avoided." [Saheeh Muslim, 1/209]

As recorded in the Saheehayn, 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abee Bakrah relates from his father that he said: "We were with the Messenger of Allaah when he questioned three times, "Shall I not inform you o f the greatest of the major sins? Committing shirk with Allaah, disobedience to parents and issuing a false testimony" [Al-Bukhaaree, (10/405 Fath) and Muslim, 1/91]

Also recorded in the Saheehayn, the Messenger of Allaah was asked, ‘Which sin is the greatest before Allaah?’ He replied, ‘That you ascribe to Allaah an equal whilst it is He who created you.’ It was asked, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘That you kill your child in fear that he will also need nourishment alongside you.' It was asked, 'Then which?' He answered, ‘That you have a sexual relationship with the wife of your neighbor’ [Al-Bukhaaree, (12/187 Fath) and Muslim, 1/91, from the hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased with him]

Many other texts also show the varying levels of sins and that they are classified into major and minor ones.

Furthermore, from another perspective, these sins can be classified into four categories: Malikiyyah, Shaytaaniyyah, Sab'iyyah and Baheemiyyah; all sins can be classified under these types.

Malikiyyah sins are committed when one takes upon himself qualities of Lordship, which are not befitting for him, such as majesty, pride, domination, subjugation, highness, enslavement of people and other qualities of this type. Sins belonging to this category are of the most serious type.

As for Shaytaaniyyah sins, it is by resembling Shaytaan in envy, oppression, cheating, hatred, deception, plotting evil, ordering disobedience of Allaah and beautifying it, prohibiting obedience of Allaah and censuring it, committing innovations in the religion of Allaah and the call to innovations and deviation. This category is placed second to the first type with respect to its harms, even though its harms are lesser.

Sab'iyyah sins are sins of transgression, anger, spilling blood, pouncing upon the weak and incapable. This gives birth to many types of harms to fellow humans and boldness towards committing oppression and transgression.

As for Baheemiyyah sins, examples of this are gluttony and the desire to satisfy lusts of the stomach and genital organs. This gives rise to fornication, adultery, theft, consumption of wealth belonging to orphans, miserliness, avarice, cowardice, restlessness, impatience and much more besides these.

This particular category is where most of the sins are perpetrated by people because of their incapability of committing sins of the Saba'iyyah and Malikiyyah type. It is from this category where they enter into the remaining categories, since this leads them to the rest by the reigns. Thus, as a result of this category they enter into the area of Saba'iyyah sins, then the Shaytaaniyyah, then finally, towards contesting the Lordship and committing shirk in the oneness of Allaah.

In any case, these matters show us that sins vary in their effect upon eemaan and upon its decrement and weakening of it.

This diversity of sins and of their effect upon eemaan trace back to a variety of considerations. Some of these are: the class of the sin, its amount, the degree of its harmful effects, the place, the time, with regard to its doer and other such considerations.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says: "On the whole, the levels of al-Faahishah (i.e., lewd and illicit deeds) are determined by their corresponding evils. Thus, the issue of a man who befriends a woman or a woman who befriends a man is deemed less evil than the issue of a man or woman who has an (illegal) sexual relationship."

The one who does the crime in secret is less sinful than the one who does it publicly. The one who conceals his sin is less sinful than the one who relates it publicly to the people; this one is far removed from receiving well being and pardon from Allaah ...

Likewise, having a sexual encounter with a woman who has no husband is less sinful than having a sexual encounter with one who has a husband, because of the oppression and transgression it entails against the husband as well as ruining his bed. The sin of this person can be greater or lesser than the mere sin of fornication.

To have a sexual encounter with the wife of a neighbor is more severe than having a sexual encounter with one who is far from home, because of its connection to harming the neighbor and not maintaining the instruction of Allaah and His Messenger with regard to the neighbor.

Similarly, having a sexual relationship with the wife of a soldier on Allaah's cause is worse than having a sexual relationship with the wife of another ...

Just as its levels differ in relation to the person one has a sexual encounter with, then likewise, it also differs according to the place, the time, the circumstances and the doer.
To fornicate or commit adultery for example, in the days and nights of Ramadaan is more sinful than at any other time. Its occurrence in the blessed and virtuous places is more sinful than in any other places.

As for its difference in relation to its doer, it being committed by a free person is more vile than it being committed by a slave. This is why the punishment of the slave is half of that of the free person. It is more repugnant from the married person than the virgin; likewise the same applies for the old person in relation to the young person.

It is more repulsive from the scholar than from the ignorant, because of the former's awareness of its abhorrence and consequences and of having embarked upon it with insight, and it is worse from one who is able to do without it than from one who is poor and weak.

However, presence of particular matters, which when associated to the types of sins that are less sinful, can deem them even greater sins than those that were initially more sinful.

For example, if one associates to this faahishah, a type of passionate love, which imposes the heart to be occupied with the loved one; deifying this person; glorifying, being humble and subservient to the beloved and placing forward obedience of the beloved and that which he or she orders over and above obedience to Allaah and His Messenger.

Hence, the matters that become connected to the love and glorification of this intimate companion, to the allegiance of whom the companion shows allegiance to, to the enmity towards whom the companion shows enmity towards and towards loving and hating that which the companion loves and hates are such that they can have a more harmful effect upon the person than simply embarking upon the lewd sin.

Shaykh Muhammad al-'Uthaymeen states: "As for the decrease of eemaan, it has causes:

1. Committing acts of disobedience, Eemaan decreases according to the class of sin, its amount, the indifference the person has towards it and the strength or weakness of the incentive to perpetrate it.

As for its class and amount; the decrease of eemaan by major sins is greater than that by the minor sins. The decrement of eemaan by killing a soul unlawfully is greater than (illegally) devouring valued wealth. Its decrease by two acts of disobedience is greater than one act of disobedience and so on.

As for being indifferent to the sin; if an act of disobedience emanates from a heart that thinks little of who it is disobeying and has little fear of Him, then the resultant decrease will be greater than if it were to emanate from a heart that glorifies Allaah and is very fearful of Him except that an act of disobedience inadvertently occurs from him.

Concerning the strength of the motive for committing the sin; if an act of disobedience emerges from a person whose incentives for doing the sin are weak, then the resultant decrease of his eemaan will be much greater than if it were to emerge from one whose incentives for doing the sin are strong.

This is why the display of arrogance by a poor person and an illegal sexual encounter by an old person are more sinful than the display of arrogance by a rich person and an illegal sexual encounter by a young person. As in the hadeeth [Related by at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer, 2/301; al-Bayhaqee in ash-Shu'ab. 3/220. AI-Haythamee declares in Majma' az-Zawaa'id, 4/78: "Its narrators are narrators of as-Saheeh." Al-Albaanee declared it saheeh, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 3/74] : "Three (types of people) whom Allaah will not speak to. He will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection or sanctify them and they will have a painful punishment."

Mentioned amongst these three are the gray-haired fornicator and the poor person who is arrogant, because of the lack of strong motives they have for embarking on these disobedient acts." [Fath al-Bariyyah, page 65]

With what has preceded, the conclusion is that sins decrease eemaan and that the amount of decrease varies in accordance to a multitude of considerations. Some of these are:

1 . The class of the sin

2. The degree of its harmful effects

3. The amount

4. The place and time

5. The indifference towards it

6. The doer

The explanation of this has already preceded, and with Allaah lies all tawfeeq.

Some matters that protect a person from sins and help him to remain distant from them and to not fall into them are the knowledge of their dangers, what they give rise to, their evil consequences and extreme harms.

Ibn al-Qayyim mentions in this respect a brief and yet more than adequate statement, which is to the point. He says: "Lack of tawfeeq; incorrectness of opinion; concealment of truth (from him); corruption of the heart, lack of remembrance, squandering of time; dislike of creation (of him); alienation between the servant and his Lord; prevention of supplications being answered; hardness of heart; the exclusion of blessings in one's sustenance and life; deprivation of knowledge; the apparel of degradation; humiliation subjected by the enemy; constriction of the chest; being put to trial with evil companionship who corrupt the heart and waste time; lengthy anxiety and sorrow; hardship of life and gloominess of circumstance... are a result of disobedience and negligence of the remembrance of Allaah, which is comparable (in magnitude) to the vegetation that is produced by water and the burning that is caused by fire. The opposites of these matters arise from actions of obedience." [Al-Fawaa'id, page 62. Also see al Jawaab al-Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim, page 46 and onwards]

iv. The Soul that Greatly Commands Evil

This is a condemned soul, which Allaah placed inside the individual. It orders him with every evil, invites him to all perils and guides him to every vulgarity.

This is its nature and that is its trait, except for the soul that Allaah grants tawfeeq and which He makes firm and assists. None has been saved from the evil of his soul except by the tawfeeq of Allaah, as Allaah says relating from the wife of al-'Azeez:

"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the soul does indeed incline greatly to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills).Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Soorah Yoosuf (12):53]

Allaah says:

"...And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure..." [Soorah an-Noon (24):21]

Allaah also says to the most honorable and beloved creation to Him:

"And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little." [Soorah al-Israa (17):74]

Furthermore, the Prophet used to teach them (i.e., the people) the 'Speech of Need' (Khutbah al-Haajah): "All praise is for Allaah; we praise Him, seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our souls and from the wickedness of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides, then none can misguide him and whosoever Allaah misguides, then none can guide him." [This speech has been related by Aboo Daawood, 2/237, an-Nasaa'iee, 3/105 and others. Refer to al-Albaanee's treatise, Khutbah al-Haajah' for he gathered all the narrations and wordings of this speech]

Thus, evil is concealed within the soul and it necessitates actions of evil. If Allaah lets the servant have his own way with his soul, he will perish at the evil of his soul and the evil actions that it sanctions. If Allaah on the other hand, grants the servant tawfeeq and assists him, he will deliver him from all of this.

Allaah has made in contrast to this soul, a soul that is content *. If the soul that constantly commands evil urges the servant with something, the content soul prohibits him from it. The person at times obeys this soul, and at other times obeys the other; he himself is one of the two that is prevalent over him.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, states: "Allaah has assembled two souls: a soul that greatly orders (evil) and a soul that is content, and they are hostile towards one another. Whenever one diminishes, the other strengthens. Whenever one takes pleasure in something the other suffers pain as a result of it. Nothing is more difficult for the soul that constantly encourages evil than performing deeds for Allaah and preferring His pleasure to its own desire and there is nothing more beneficial to it than Allaah. Likewise, there is nothing more difficult upon the content soul than performing deeds for other than Allaah and that which the incentives of desire bring about, and there is nothing more harmful to it than desire... and the war is continuous, it cannot come to an end until it completes its appointed time from this world." [Al-Jawaab al-Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 184-185]

Hence, there is nothing more harmful to a person's eemaan and religion than his soul that constantly commands evil, whose standing and description is such. It is a primary reason and effective and active constituent that weakens eemaan, unsettles it and impairs it.

As such, it becomes imperative for the one who seeks to safeguard his eemaan from diminution and weakness to tend to the matter of calling his soul to account, admonishing it and to increase in censuring it, so that he can deliver himself from its adverse and devastating consequences and ends.

Calling one's self to account is of two types: a type (that occurs) before the action and a type (that occurs) after the action.

As for the first type, it is to take a stance when one first has an intention and desire, and not to embark upon the action until it becomes clear to him that performing that action outweighs leaving it.

As for the second type, which is to take account of one's soul after the action, this is of three sorts:

The first is to call it to account over any obedience in which it has fallen short with regard to the right of Allaah, whereby it has not performed it in the manner required.

The second is to call his soul to account over every action, which had he not undertaken would actually have better than having embarked upon it.

The third is that he calls his soul to account for every permissible and habitual action; why did he embark upon it? Was his intention behind the action for Allaah and the home of the Hereafter; so that he be profitable? Or did he desire the world and its immediate and instant (pleasures)? If so he would lose out on that profit and that achievement will pass him by.

The greatest harm upon the servant is negligence, to forgo calling oneself to take account, to let oneself go, to take things lightly and accommodate them. This will eventually lead him to destruction and this is the state of the people of delusion: one of them shuts their eyes to consequences, lets matters take their course and depends upon attaining pardon (from Allaah). Thus, he neglects calling himself to account and pondering over the outcomes. When he does behave in this manner, committing sins become an effortless matter for him, he feels at ease with it and it becomes difficult for him to break away from his habitual sinning.

The sum and substance of this is for the person to first call himself to account over the obligatory duties. If he finds deficiency in this regard, he amends this either by repayment or rectification. He then calls himself to account over prohibited matters. If he knows that he has perpetrated something prohibited, he amends this through repentance, seeking forgiveness and enacting good deeds that wipe such bad deeds away. He then calls himself to account over heedlessness. If it is the case that he has been careless of that which he was created for, he amends this through remembrance and turning to Allaah. He then calls himself to account over what he has spoken, or where his feet have taken him, or what his hands have struck out at or what his ears have listened out to: What did you intend from this? Who did you do it for?

He must know that for every movement and utterance he makes, two registers have to be set up: a register titled 'Who did you do it for?’ and (the second register titled) 'In what manner did you do it?'

The first (register) is a question on sincerity and the second is a question on conformity (to the Sharee'ah).

If the servant is responsible and accountable for everything: his hearing, his sight and his heart, it is therefore very becoming of him to call himself to account before the account is examined (ultimately, by Allaah). The obligation of calling oneself to account is established by His saying:

"O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forward for tomorrow ..." [Soorah al-Hashr (59): 18]

The purport is that the rectification of the heart is achieved through calling one's self to account and its corruption is through negligence of one's soul and not restraining it. [Refer to Ighaathah al-Lahfaan of Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/97-100] Allaah is the One Who is sought for help and there is no power or might except by Allaah.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The soul invites to destructive matters, assists enemies, yearns every vulgarity and follows every evil. It, by its nature, adopts a course of violation.

The blessing that is unequalled, is to come away from the soul and to be free of its yoke, for it is the greatest partition between the servant and Allaah. The most knowledgeable people of the soul have the greatest contempt and abhorrence to it" [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 1/103]

We ask Allaah that he give us refuge from the evils of our souls and from the wickedness of our actions. Indeed, He is the most Munificent, the Generous.

* i.e., not another soul but a different characteristic of the same soul. Al-Qaadee Ibn Abee al-'Izz al-Hanafee, may Allaah have mercy upon him says in his commentary to al-Imaam at-Tahaawee's treatise on 'aqeedah: "Many people have recorded that the son of Aadam has three souls: a content soul (mutma'innah), a soul that reproaches much (lawwaamah) and a soul that greatly orders evil (ammaarah), and that some people are characterized by a particular one and others by another one. As Allaah has said:

"O (you) soul that is content (mutma'innah)..." [al-Fajr (89):28]

"And I swear by the self-reproaching (lawwaamah) soul." [al-Qiyaamah (75):2]

"...Verily, the soul does indeed incline greatly to evil..." [Soorah Yoosuf (12):53]

The precise determination however is that it is one soul, which has (different) characteristics. Thus, it greatly encourages evil. If it becomes opposed by eemaan it becomes one that reproaches often; it commits a sin then censures its doer and reproaches with regard to doing or not doing an action. If the eemaan strengthens, it then becomes one that is content..."

Refer to Sharh al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah by Ibn Abee al-'Izz al-Hanafee, pg. 569. Checked by Dr. Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Muhsin At-Turki and Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot, 2nd print 1413 H, Mu'sassah Ar-Risaalah, Beirut. [t]

2. External Causes

These are external causes or influences, which bear effect upon the eemaan by decreasing it. These are in reference to when the cause of the effect traces back to other then the person himself. Such causes can be generalized into three factors:

i. Shaytaan

He is held to be a strong external reason, which causes eemaan to decrease. Shaytaan is a vehement enemy to the believers. He awaits calamities to afflict them. He has no desire or goal other than to jolt the eemaan in the hearts of the believers and to weaken and corrupt it. Whoever submits to the whisperings of Shaytaan, complies with his notions and does not retreat to Allaah for refuge from him, his eemaan weakens and decreases. Indeed, it may disappear in its entirety depending on the Muslim's response to such whisperings and notions.

It is for this reason that Allaah has warned us of Shaytaan in the sternest sense and He has clarified his dangers, the detrimental consequences of following him as well as the fact that he is an enemy to the believers. Allaah ordered the believers to take him as an enemy and therefore deliver themselves from him and his whisperings.

Allaah says:

"O you who believe! Do not follow the footsteps of Shaytaan, and whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytaan, then, verily he (i.e., Shaytaan) commands Fahshaa' (i.e., to commit indecency and lewdness, etc.) and al-Munkar (i.e., disbelief, shirk, to do evil and wicked deeds, to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islaam, etc.)..." [Soorah an-Noor (24):21]

Allaah also says:

"Surely, Shaytaan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire." [Soorah Faatir (35):6]

Allaah says:

"Verily! Shaytaan is to man an open enemy!" [Soorah Yoosuf (12):5]

Allaah also says:

"Shaytaan has taken hold of them. So he has made them forget the remembrance of Allaah. They are the party of Shaytaan. Verily, it is the party of Shaytaan that will be the losers!" [Soorah al-Mujaadilah (58): 19]

Ibn al-Jawzee says: "Hence it is an obligation upon the sane person to be on his guard against this enemy, who has manifested his enmity since the time of Aadam. He has sacrificed his life and self in corrupting the circumstances of the children of Aadam and Allaah has ordered one to be cautious of him..." He then mentioned a number of such texts and then said: "The like of this in the Qur'aan is abundant." [Talbees Iblees, pg. 23]

Aboo Muhammad al-Maqdasee says in the introduction of his book Dhamm al-Waswaas: "To proceed, Allaah has indeed made Shaytaan an enemy to man. He sits in wait against him along the straight path and comes to him from every direction and way, as Allaah has related from him that he said:

"Surely I will sit in wait against them on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as being grateful ones (i.e., they will not be dutiful to You)." [Soorah al-A'raaf (7):16-17]

Further, Allaah has warned us against following him and commanded us to possess animosity towards him and to oppose him, He said:

"Verily! Shaytaan is to man an open enemy!" [Soorah Yoosuf (12):5]

He also said:

"O Children of Aadam! Do not let Shaytaan deceive you, as when he brought your parents (i.e., Aadam and Hawwaa') out of Paradise..." [Soorah al-A'raaf (7):27]

Allaah informed us of what he did with our parents as a way of cautioning us from obeying him and also to cut short any excuse for having followed him and Allaah commanded us to follow the straight path ..." [Dhamm al-Waswaas, pg.46. Also refer to Ibn al-Qayyim's introduction of his own book Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 1/10]

Thus, Shaytaan is an enemy to man. His desire is to corrupt the beliefs and to wreak havoc on one's eemaan. Whoever does not fortify himself from him through remembrance of Allaah, resorting back to Allaah and seeking refuge with Him, will become a breeding ground for Shaytaan, who will lure him to actions of disobedience, entice him to perpetrate prohibited matters and push him to embark upon lewd sins. What a perish of his religion and what a corruption of his eemaan will it be if man submits to him!

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says: "Beware of enabling Shaytaan to establish himself in the very home of your thoughts and intentions, as he will corrupt them in such a manner that will make difficult its correction thereafter. He will cast all sort of whisperings and harmful thoughts at you and he will prevent you from thinking about what may benefit you and it is you who have aided him against yourself by empowering him over your heart and thoughts and he then placed you in the possession of such thoughts." [Al-Fawaa'id, pg. 309]

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, put forward an excellent similitude in this regard, which lies in total agreement. He says in another excerpt from his book: "If you would like a consistent example for this, then his parable is that of a dog that is extremely famished; between you and the dog is a piece of meat or bread. He looks attentively at you and sees you not opposing him and he is so close to you. You drive him away and yell out at him and yet the dog refuses but to hover round you in circles and to try to deceive you with regard to what you possess in your hand." [At-Tibyaan fee Aqsaam al-Qur'aan, pg. 419]

His intention, may Allaah have mercy upon him, behind this parable is to demonstrate the scope of Shaytaan's danger to man if he does not seek refuge with Allaah from him and fails to retreat back to Allaah for refuge from his evil, through beneficial words of supplication and blessed forms of remembrance.

However, whoever turns away and is instead averse to that, Shaytaan will cling to him in this way in which he will tempt and dictate to him until he eradicates his eemaan. Allaah says:

"And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (i.e., this Qur'aan and worship of Allaah), We appoint for him a shaytaan to be a Qareen (i.e., an intimate companion) to him. And verily, they (i.e., shaytaans) hinder them from the Path (of Allaah), whilst they think that they are guided aright! Till, when (such a) one comes to Us, he says (to his qareen), ‘Would that between me and you were the distance of the two Easts (or the East and West), a worst (type of) companion (you are indeed)!" [Soorah az-Zukhruf (43):36-38]

ii. The World and its Allurements

This is the second external factor, which bears effect on a person's eemaan by decreasing it.

Hence, one of the causes of the decrease and weakness of eemaan is to be engrossed with the transient things of this temporary worldly life; to occupy one's time with it; be devoted to seeking it and to race after its pleasures, temptations and seductions.

Whenever the servants longing for this world intensifies and his heart becomes attached to it, his obedience will weaken and his eemaan will decrease accordingly. Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says: "The extent of the servants desire for the world and of his pleasure with it determines his slackness towards obedience of Allaah and seeking the Hereafter." [al-Fawaa'id, pg. 180]

Accordingly, Allaah, the Wise, the All-Aware, censured the world in His Book and made clear its vileness and wretchedness in many aayaat in the Noble Qur'aan, Allaah says:

"Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, just like the vegetation after rain, which pleases the tillers; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter there is a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and there is forgiveness from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." [Soorah al-Hadeed (57):20]

Allaah also says:

"And put forward to them the example of the life of this world, it is like the water (rain),which We send down from the sky. The vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds then scatter. And Allaah is Able to do everything. Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the everlasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord, for rewards and better in respect of hope" [Soorah al-Kahf (18):45-46]

Allaah says:

"... and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of this world as compared with the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment" [Soorah ar-Ra'd (13):26]

Allaah also says:

"Verily, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present world, and those who are heedless of Our Aayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). Those, their abode will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn." [Soorah Yoonus (10):7-8]

This contains the greatest warning to one who is pleased with the life of this world, is comforted by it, is heedless of the aayaat of Allaah and who does not hope to meet Him.

Furthermore, Allaah says in censuring those of the believers who are pleased with this world:

"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth in the Cause of Allaah (i.e., Jihaad) you cling heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world as compared with the Hereafter." [Soorah at-Tawbah (9):38]

The Prophet said: "By Allaah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but l fear that the world will be spread out for you just as it was spread out for those before you and then you will compete for it just as they competed for it and then you will be destroyed just as they were destroyed." The hadeeth is agreed upon [i.e., both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim relate it. [t]. Al-Bukhaaree, (6/258, 7/320 Fath) and Muslim, 4/2273 from the hadeeth of 'Amr Ibn 'Awf, may Allaah be pleased with him]. In another wording of theirs, "… you will be distracted just as they were distracted."

Reference Link

Sealed hearts

<p>Sealing of a heart is described as hardening of a heart through unbelief and disobedience and having a state that makes it impossible to believe. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says: "A black stain occurs in the heart as a result of every sin." The following is stated in a verse, &ldquo;Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with him; but He forgiveth anything, else to whom He pleaseth.&rdquo; (an-Nisa, 4/48).<br />What we understand from the hadith and verse above is that the biggest stain that blackens the heart is polytheism, that is, associating partners with him. If a person advocates polytheism and struggles against believers defending it, the black stain in his heart becomes darker and larger day by day. Gradually, it invades all of the heart. It becomes almost impossible for that man to accept belief and oneness. To put it in the words of the writer of Risale-i Nur Collection, &ldquo;they are incapable of reform and unreceptive to good.&rdquo;<br />The verse mentioned above was sent down about the polytheists that formed a group opposed to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and struggled against him. The fact that polytheism established sovereignty over their hearts and no place was left for oneness is expressed as &ldquo;the sealing of the hearts&rdquo;. The ones for whom the door of guidance is closed are those polytheists. The closing of the door of guidance is not in question for every person who commits sins, oppresses others or associates partners with Allah. Otherwise, how can we explain the fact that tens of thousands of people that had worshipped idols before embraced Islam in the Era of Happiness? If the heart of everybody that associated partners with Allah were sealed, no polytheist would become a Muslim. Those whose hearts are sealed are the ones that are impossible to turn to oneness. And they fall in that pit by using their own wills.<br />We would like to mention an important point: In Risale-i Nur Collection, unbelief is analyzed in two parts: non-acceptance and acceptance of non-existence. The following is stated about non-acceptance, that is, &ldquo;not accepting the truths of belief&rdquo;, &ldquo;it is indifference, a closing of the eyes to something, an ignorant absence of judgment.&rdquo; In acceptance of non-existence to advocate the unbelief and to try to prove its wrong creed is in question. The second group mostly stands in the unbelief front and struggle against the people of belief.<br />We say mostly because there are some people among them, though very few, who find the true path and embrace Islam. As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them (about the torture of Allah) or do not warn them; they will not believe. However, the warning and not warning are not the same to you; it is the same to them. You have done your duty, showed them the evidence of Allah and explained it to them; the reward is yours and the sin is theirs. As for the indifference, why they do not believe: it is because Allah, the Exalted, sealed their hearts and ears. They no longer have the ability to perceive, to search and find out, to listen to and to hear and to accept the truth.<br />They have their hearts but they have lost their strength in the beginning of the creation; they have acquired a second habit that covered it with their bad attitudes. That acquisition was caused by Allah. From then on, they have never looked at anything accept their own selves, desires, wishes and their personal and individual aims. All of the activities and abilities of those hearts that were created to understand the truth were suffocated by the desires of their souls; they were covered with obstinacy against the truths about the future except their own interests in the future and in the present. In accordance with this verse: &ldquo;Did we not give you long enough life so that he that would should receive admonition?" (Fatir, 35/37), they completed the period of thinking and unbelief became their apparent acquisition, nature and second creation. They will not think about, listen to, want to listen to, know, want to know or accept the truth, evidence about souls like the heart, and a spiritual and rational miracle like the Quran. In addition, there is a veil on their eyes...<br />In the visible world, they will not see the form of the world, the formation of the ores, the situation the plants and animals, the visible true evidence like anatomy even if they want to look because their ayes are veiled. A veil of ignorance, lust, evil and egoism pervaded them. For instance, they look at the sky every day and see the view that their hearts like but they do not see and think about how the small eye in the body perceive that distant view with a momentary light that matches the pupil of the eye. When they are hungry, they seek bread but they do not think about and see how they perceive the bread outside, how and thanks to whom they harmonize with it.... Thus, they are deprived of all of the three means of knowledge that are necessary to understand the truth: the heart and the mind, sound senses and hearing the news.<br />How are hearts sealed? As it is known, things like envelopes, containers, covers and doors are sealed. The hearts of men are like the envelopes and containers of sciences and knowledge. Our sense of understanding is kept there. An ear is like a door; the things we hear enter through that door. Especially the news in the past, in the future and in the present, the concepts in the books are known through hearing. Then, the sealing of the heart is like the sealing of the envelope; the sealing of the ear is like the sealing of the door. Our Prophet stated the following in a hadith:<br />"When a sin is committed for the first time, a black point, that is, a black stain occurs in the heart. If the person repents and asks forgiveness from Allah, the heart shines again. If the person does not repent and he repeats the sin, the stain becomes larger; in time, it becomes so large that it covers all of the heart like a cover. It is what is mentioned in the following verse in Chapter al-Mutaffifin: "By no means! But on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do!" (al-Mutaffifin, 83/14). It is the stain mentioned in the verse."<br />That hadith shows that sins cover the heart like an envelope if they are repeated. Then, it is sealed by Allah as it is mentioned in the verse. That pervasive stain is impressed on the heart. Although it is like erasable ink that is written on a shiny surface of paper at first, it becomes an inerasable, printed stain afterwards. In other words, it becomes a second nature through habits. It is neither erased nor removed; then, there is no way to faith, nor a cure for unbelief.</p>
<p>The acquisition of the sealing and the impression are by the slave; their creation is by Allah. Then, the attribution of the act sealing to Allah is not rational metonymy but is truth as Ahlu Sunnah understands it and there is no forcing. That hadith and verse explain the habit in ethics very well. It explains very well that the value of the ethics and religion lie in continuation and habits. That point is the secret of education and training. It also explains the difference between insisting on sins and not insisting in terms of religion. The fact that regarding sins as halal and regarding haram as halal are acts of unbelief is related to that principle. The result of those habits, that second nature and that strong ability for the unbelievers relating to the issue of belief are the same for believers in terms of deeds. Good deeds become your habit as you do them continuously. Bad deeds become a second nature through habits. The course of life means the acquisition of the habit. Man&rsquo;s will has no connection with the first creation. However, in the habit, his first share is important. However, the creation of the result out of it belongs to Allah. Then, there is no forcing in those issues like the first creation. Man has no creation here but acquisition. Man receives what is created and on the other hand , he acquires what will be created; his heart is the way through which Allah creates. Man is not the original; he is the deputy. If Allah had not given men hearts in the beginning or if He had given them as sealed, then, there would have been forcing. However, the verse does not say so.</p>
<p>Then, to try to attribute forcing to Allah through those verses as some Europeans do means not to understand those verses. Although Allah knew that they would not believe, he held them responsible for belief. Since nothing can take place outside the knowledge of Allah, the following question is asked, "Is that belief not something that one cannot afford?" However, it should be understood as follows: That offer is not something that one cannot afford in terms of the first creation, therefore it took place. However, the second offer is something that cannot be afforded. Therefore, it was not made but it was known. According to the wisdom of the Quran and Islamic principles, there exists no act of forcing in knowledge. They also say that there is no mental obligation in it. Forcing and obligation are the results of will and creation.<br />The fact that Allah knows something from the present and past does not mean that He makes it or He has it made. The one who knows does not have to do it; something that is known does not have to be done. The wish can become an action only through a power and a creation together with that power. Therefore, we find in ourselves a lot of knowledge that is not connected with will and a lot of wills that did not take place although there is power.</p>
<p>All of them show us that knowing, wanting, power and creation are a group of attributes. Therefore, that fact that Allah knows does not mean that He makes people do something by forcing them. And Allah created the seal after the slave wanted the second nature and the power he mentioned; and the offer eventually became unaffordable in a transient and variable way. It is possible and it is what has happened. It is appropriate for it to take place like that.</p>
<p>To sum up fate is not something that forces. They did not become unbelievers because Allah knew it; Allah knew that they would become unbelievers and ordained that they would be unbelievers. If the meaning of the ordaining of the one who is never infallible is considered, it is understood easily. There is no salvation for them; there is a great punishment for them because they do not believe in belief and the hereafter doubtlessly. As the name of Allah, the book of Allah, prophets, the hereafter are mentioned, those sealed hearts become twisted and wriggled; those sealed ears wuther, those veiled eyes become stupefied. After they die, they undergo the torture of Hell.</p>
<p> Reference Link</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Why Allah seals some hearts

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan,

 

Allah wants all of us to believe in him and be right and straight in faith. He created everything and affirmed everything to worship no one but him. But explain me the following; why would some hearts and minds be sealed if He wanted everyone to follow Islam; worship only Him?

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 25:

25 Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee; but We have thrown veils on their hearts so they understand it not and deafness in their ears; if they saw every one of the Signs not they will believe in them; in so much that when they come to thee they (but) dispute with thee; the disbelievers say: "These are nothing but tales of the ancients."

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Why does Allah seal some hearts

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 90 Surah Balad verses 4-9:

4 Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.

5 Thinketh he that none hath power over him?

6 He may say (boastfully): "Wealth have I squandered in abundance!"

7 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

8 Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?

9 And a tongue and a pair of lips?

10 And shown him the two ways?

 

The Truth is that Allah has allowed and guided mankind to chose one of the two ways: one is of the guidance to Allahs Way, and the other is the way of Shaitaan. He has clearly shown man the two ways, and guided mankind by appointing Messengers and sending the Book of Guidance. And Allah has given mankind the intelligence and the free will to choose between the Right and the Wrong Ways, without any force or pressure! And that is precisely the test Allah has involved mankind in for a period of one short transitory life on this earth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2:

He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 29:

Proclaim, This (Quran) is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills may accept it, and whosoever wills may reject it.

 

Thus, it is not as if Allah Subhanah pulls out 5,000 names a day and declares that these 5,000 must be guided, whether they like it or not!; or pulls out 5,000 names and declares that they must not be guided!

 

Whoever amongst mankind chooses, with his own free will, reasoning, and intelligence to follow the Right Path of Allah, he is guided aright. Whoever chooses, with his own free will, to follow any other way, then he has chosen the path of Shaitaan, and has thus gone astray!

 

Thus whoever accepts the guidance sent by Allah, and chooses with his own free will to follow the path shown the appointed Messenger of Allah(saws), Allah is pleased with this person and allows him to follow that Path.

 

And whoever rejects the guidance sent by Allah, and follows any other path than that shown by the Messenger of Allah (saws), Allah is displeased with this person, but still allows him to follow his chosen path! And that is because Allah has put mankind through a test in this worldly life!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 8:

Is he then, to whom the evil of his conduct is made alluring so that he looks upon it as good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? For Allah leaves to stray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So let not thy soul go out in (vainly) sighing after them: for Allah knows well all that they do!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verses 36-37:

36 Is not Allah enough for His servant? But they try to frighten thee with other (gods) besides him! For such as Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.

37 And such as Allah doth guide, there can be none to lead astray! Is not Allah Exalted in Power (able to enforce His Will) Lord of Retribution?

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rom verse 29:

Nay!!! The wrong-doers (merely) fellow their own lusts being devoid of knowledge. But who will guide those whom Allah leaves astray? To them there will be no helpers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah Jathiya verse 23:

Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire? Allah has knowing (him as such) left him astray, and sealed His hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn Guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 97:

It is he whom Allah guides that is on true guidance; but he whom He leaves astray for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather them together prone on their faces blind dumb and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire.

Whatever path man chooses of his own free will, Allah will allow him to take that path and complete his test; and only in the Hereafter the results of success or failure will be declared.

 

Thus it is not that Allah Subhanawataala forcefully guides or misguides anyone amongst mankind.. but it is the condition and principle of the test Decreed by the Lord All-Just that He allows those who wish to be guided to be guided aright, and He allows or leaves those who wish to stray to be left astray for the period of the test.

Please allow us to relate a simple example which would clarify your very important question, Insha Allah.

 

Just as when one gives an examination in a school or university, during the time the exam is actually in progress, the teacher may come behind and see the answers being written by his student; but it is the very nature and sanctity of tests and exams, that the teacher neither encourages (although he could!) the student who is writing the correct answers, nor stops (although he could!) the student who is writing the wrong ones; but rather the teacher allows each student to fulfill the test according to the stipulated time. It is only after the exam papers are submitted at the end of the stipulated time, will the teacher mark the papers and let the students know who has passed and who has failed the exam.

 

Similarly, whoever accepts the guidance sent by Allah, and chooses with his own free will to follow the path shown the appointed Messenger of Allah(saws), Allah is pleased with this person and allows him to follow that Path.

 

And whoever rejects the guidance sent by Allah, and follows any other path than that shown by the Messenger of Allah (saws), Allah is displeased with this person, but still allows him to follow his chosen path! And that is because Allah has put mankind through a test in this worldly life! He has guided mankind aright by sending His Messengers and revealing His Books, and given man the free will to choose whichever path he wishes to take: the Path of Guidance, or the path of misguidance. Whatever path man chooses of his own free will, Allah will allow him to take that path and complete his test; and only in the Hereafter the results of success or failure will be declared.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 25:

25 Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee; but We have thrown veils on their hearts so they understand it not and deafness in their ears; if they saw every one of the Signs not they will believe in them; in so much that when they come to thee they (but) dispute with thee; the disbelievers say: "These are nothing but tales of the ancients."

When one becomes so obstinate in his disbelief, that he refuses to see the manifest Signs of Allah and ponder over them, or listen to the good counsel of those who seek to help him save himself from the Wrath of Allah, it is as if they themselves have decided and chosen to close their sight, and their hearing, and their hearts to the Guidance of Allah Subhanawataala..and because man is involved in a test for a period of this one short transitory life, The Lord Most High allows them this path of obstinacy which they have chosen for themselves!

It is not that Allah Subhanawataala has Commanded that their eyes or ears or hearts be sealed, but because they themselves chose to close their sights, and their hearing, and their hearts to the Truth, Allah Subhanawataala allowed them and gave them permission to do so..One can awaken one who is sleeping; but how can one wake one who is awake but pretends to be sleeping???

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 57:

57 And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord but turns away from them forgetting the (deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this and over their ears deafness. If thou call them to guidance even then will they never accept guidance!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 6-7:

6 As to those who reject Faith it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

7 Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).

 

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Reference Link