Diseases of the Heart – Lecture 4 – August 22nd, 2021

Pride – Causes and Cure

When purifying the heart of its diseases we should treat this issue with two important traits; patience and persistence until the end of life. There should not come a day when you say, “Today I am free from envy and/or pride.” One has to always be vigilant over his heart, and keep the focus on it lest the diseases creep into it again.

Pride

Allah ﷻ criticized pride and proud people in many verses in the Quran:

“I will turn away from my signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied our signs and they were heedless of them.” {Surah Al A’raf (7:146)}

“Thus does Allah ﷻ seal over every heart [belonging to] an arrogant tyrant.” {Surah Al Ghaafir (40:35)}

Diseases of the Heart – Lecture 3 – August 15th, 2021

What Triggers Envy?

1. Animosity, hostility
   When someone hates another person, then he will hate it when that person gets blessings that make them happy.
2. Pride, arrogance
   When one hates for someone else to become better than him. Ex. Envy of the Quraish of the Prophet ﷺ, they said, “Why was this Quran not sent down upon a great man from one of the two cities (i.e., Makkah and Ta’if)?” and they said, “Is it these whom Allah ﷻ favored among us?”
3. Competing over one goal
   Ex. the jealousy of the wives over the hearts of their husbands, the children for the love of their parents (i.e., brothers of Yusuf عليه السلام).
4. Love of the praise of the people
   When one wants to be the one and only (i.e., best baker, best artist, best reciter of the Quran, etc.)
   

Note: Envy is more among people with similar interests and between families, and friends.
Root of envy: love for this dunya
Cure: as a disease of the heart the only cures are beneficial knowledge and good deeds.

Diseases of the Heart – Lecture 2 – August 8th, 2021

Competition

Competition is when you hate that someone becomes better than you and you strive to compete with them. Competition happens over two matters:

Competition over religious matters; It is either obligatory (if you are looking at obligatory deeds he/she is doing) or commendable (if you are looking at commendable deeds he/she is doing).

Evidence from the Quran that competition is permissible:
– So for this, let the competitors compete.
– Race (i.e., compete) towards forgiveness from your Lord and a garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth.
Competing and racing happens when one fears that he will be left out. Ex. two slaves hastening to serve their master, both of them fearing that his friend will be beat him in servitude and thus has a higher status with his master.

Diseases of the Heart – Lecture 1 – August 1st, 2021

Why is it important to purify the heart and heal it from its diseases?

1. Allah mentioned in the Quran that no one will be saved;

إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.
26:89

2. Sick hearts won’t fulfill their duties, i.e., Knowing Allah ﷻ, loving Him ﷻ more than anyone or anything.

3. Sick hearts are susceptible to death.
Ibn Al Qayyim said, “The head heart is the one that does not know its Lord, does not worship Him according to what He orders, loves and is pleased with. Rather, it is following its desires and pleasures, even if it results in its Lord’s wrath and anger.
Al Huthaifa ibn Al Yamama said, “Hearts are 4 kinds:
a. Bare heart – clean with no dirt – with a shining light: this is the heart of the believer.
b. Covered heart: this is the heart of the kaafir.
c. Upside down heart: this is the heart of the hypocrite, he knows the truth but denies it, he sees but the becomes blind.
d. Heart with two sources pouring in; faith and hypocrisy. He is according to what prevails of the two at the moment.
Ibn Al Qayyim said, “What he meant by the believer’s heart being bare is that it is clean of false misconceptions and evil desires. With the light shining in it, he meant that he has the light of knowledge and Iman.