As Allah swt says in the Quran Sharif in Sura Ar-Ra’d:

013.028 الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ

الْقُلُوبُ

Allatheena amanoo watatma-innu quloobuhum bithikri Allahi ala bithikri Allahi tatma-innu alquloobu

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.

And in a hadith reported by Muslim sahih hadith and narrated by Uqbar ibn Amir:

We were entrusted with the task of tending the camels. During my turn, when I came back in the evening after grazing them in the pastures, I found Allah’s Apostle peace be upon him standing and addressing the people. I heard these words of his: “If any Muslim performs ablution well, then stands and prays two rak’ahs thinking about them with his heart as well as his face, Paradise will be guaranteed for him.”

And in an other hadith Abdullah Ibn Abbas reports that

“He saw saw Allah swt with his heart”

The heart the core of our personality is the storage place for knowledge and wisdom, and it can guide us along the path towards God’s pleasure.

The heart however can be afflicted by disease that causes it to be preoccupied by the love of life and lust rather than the love of Allah. Each and every one of us needs to inspect his heart carefully to diagnose any affliction, and search for cures.

016.023 لا جَرَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ

الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ

La jarama anna Allaha y’’alamu ma yusirroona wama yu’Alinoona innahu la yuhibbu almustakbireena

Undoubtedly Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal: truly He loves not the arrogant.

And arrogance is but only one of these diseases that afflict the heart.

To clear our hearts of any afflictions we need two things:

l. Ask for God’s guidance – Everytime we pray we repeat the ayat In Surah Al Fatiha, “Ihdi nas sir’at al-mustaqeem,” “show us the straight path”. If we have sincerity in our heart and really request it this is the key to God’s acceptance of our request and, insha’allah granting it. Remember the hadith I spoke of just now said that we should be performing the rakahs not with our bodies but “thinking about them with your heart” this is an important message for us to heed it is a great blessing from Allah swt

2.Exert the effort to identify the ailments the diagnosis and the effort to avoid the deeds and sins that fill the heart with impurities the curse.

For it is narrated by An Numan bin Bashir that Rasul Allah SAW said:

Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled the whole body gets spoiled, and that is the heart.

Amongst these ailments that spoil the heart are: Anger rage, Envy, Stinginess, Ostentation, Love of position and power, Arrogance. We have to look at our intention in every act and struggle with our nafs to be clear of these ailments of the heart when we set out to do anything. When we set out for the day.

To understand the meanings of a deed we have to understand the intention that it was performed under:

Rasul Allah SAW said that “actions are known by their intentions” and those “intentions determine the nature and the reward or punishment that comes from a person’s deeds”

Intentions reside in the heart and are the sole determinant of the worth of one’s deeds – the same act can be judged as a sin or a good deed depending on intention.

If a person attempts murder and shoots at someone with the idea of killing them but misses it is as though he had killed that person, because he set out with that intention. However his crime would be judged by the secular authorities, in the end Allah SWT knew what intention was in his heart and would judge according to that intention. We cannot know what is in another person’s heart but Allah SWT knows all and sees all, even what we attempt to hide. So we must be aware of our intentions at every moment.

If a person were to decide to commit adultery but he or she repents before this happens and then refrains then the intention of the repentance is greater then the original because the person was able to turn back from that course. And it is reported in Bukhari and Muslim that Rasul Allah SAW said “He who is inclined towards an evil deed but does not carry it out is rewarded by Allah for one full measure of good deed.”

But in the same case if same person, just about to commit adultery, is interrupted from doing so. – and does not actually commit the sin, because he was prevented from doing so by an external factor, not out of any fear of Allah SWT. Therefore he has still earned himself a sin, as if he had actually completed his sinful deed, because the intention was never repented, just the act was never completed and Allah SWT knows best what is in our hearts.

Part 2

In Ramadhan, insha’allah, we should think about our intentions and our emotions and how we deal with them in our lives.

Anger/Rage – A minimum level of anger should exist to protect oneself and belongings, this anger should however be tempered. And our intention should always be moderate it.

A modest level of anger is acceptable in matters related to religion.

To succeed in moderating anger one should always be reminded of two points:

Train ourselves not to get too attached to worldly possessions and keep our necessities to a minimum.

Remember that Allah SWT is the boss. i.e. his will dominates. E.g. if you wanted a certain job, but was not successful, remember that this is God’s will and there must be a good reason for that, though it might not be obvious to you at the time, in any time frame, we only see a small part of a bigger picture.

If we do get anger we can moderate this anger physically by following the Rasul Allah’s advice SAW as narrated in Al Tirmithi & Al Bukhari:

If one feels anger becoming him he/she should:

If standing – sit down

If sitting – lie down

If lying – make abolution or have a shower

When anger afflicts a person, he/she tend to move forward – by supressing this motion you curb the anger.

We must remember to have Taqwa for Allah (SWT) at all times, to remember and to do justly to others.

003.133 وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ

وَالأرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

Wasari’Aoo ila maghfiratin min rabbikum wajannatin ‘Aarduha alssamawatu waal-ardu o’Aiddat lilmuttaqeena

Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that of the whole of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for those who are conscious of Allah (SWT),-

003.134 الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ

وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Allatheena yunfiqoona fee alssarra-i waalddarra-i waalka{th}imeena alghay{th}a waal’Aafeena ‘Aani alnnasi waAllahu yuhibbu almuhsineena

Those who spend freely, whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon all men, for Allah loves those who do good;-

Sayeed Ali Ibn Abu Talib asked a slave for warm water to wash his hands. The slave, who was young and inexperienced, poured boiling water onto his hands which burnt them. He got very angry and was about to strike the slave when he was reminded him of that ayat and said:

…Those who restrain anger… – “I have restrained my anger”

…And pardon men… – “I have pardoned you”

…For God loves them who do good… – “go – I have granted you your freedom.”

The Rasul Allah (SAW) said: “One who, in spite of having the ability to avenge, controls his anger, will be singled out, and called by Allah (SWT), over and above the multitude on the Day of Judgment …” Al-Boukhari

In another hadith a Bedouin came to Rasul Allah (SAW) from the desert and asked Rasul Allah (SAW) for advice on what it means to be a good Muslim. He was known for his hastiness and his anger and Rasul Allah (SAW) said “Do not be overpowered by anger”, the man repeated that three times and the prophet’s answer was the same each of the three times. Al Boukhari

Lastly we have a hadith which narrates the story of Abu Baker who was being insulted by a man – he kept quiet until he could no longer take it and finally answered back in anger.

At that moment Rasul Allah (SAW) left and when he was asked why he left he said: “When you were silent the angels answered on your behalf, but when you started answering the angels left and Satan came and I could not sit in the same place as Satan.”

Islam does not advocate turning the other cheek, but it strongly advocates the control of tempers and the cleansing the heart of anger.

So my fellow muslims I remind myself and you with the following advice:

Always look into your heart and inspect your real intention before performing an act.

May God help us restrain our anger and pardon people.

May God help us do good and be charitable.

May God help us forgive and overlook

Ameen