Rebuild Your Life – Fight Corruptors of the Heart – Part 2

By

Rana Rais Khan – Founder and Editor-in-Chief Hiba Family Resource Centre

Ibrahim at Tawejri, an Arab scholar has beautifully explained the five main root causes that corrupt a human heart. Why do you need to fight them in the first place?

Simply because your behaviour contributes to either the peace around you or the unrest. You are either a source of oppression or compassion. You either bring darkness of sins to others or light of Iman.

You must rid yourself of the corruptors of the heart that have been discussed in the last blog and this one, while others in subsequent parts of the series. The second corruptor of the heart is ‘riding the waves of desire.’

• Riding the Waves of Desire

The ocean of desires has no shore. The world’s most destitute people ride on it. The travelers of this ocean buy from Shaitan false promises, far-fetched imaginary hope, lies, etc.

Allah (swt) states in the Quran: “We have certainly created for hell many of the Jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock, rather they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.” (Al Araaf 7:179)

People who are always needy and want something to make them happy jump from one desire to the next. They desire variety in life as opposed to simplicity or minimalism. They will order food but not finish it. Buy stuff but won’t use it. Scroll for hours eyeing everything others have or they don’t have.

Allah (swt) has defined them as cattle that mindlessly munches grass the whole day not realizing when to stop. It has no purpose in life but to graze more and more. Actually even the cattle serve humans with its milk, meat and hide. But humans who are driven by desires are non-beneficial. They take more than their need, hoard what they have, don’t even enjoy what they have been granted.   

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim states about the one who is constantly desiring something or the other as a person who is:

1, Disgraceful

2, Morally corrupt

3, Spiritually weak

According to the writer, their motives of desires can be grouped as follows:

1. To acquire power, kingdom or a leadership position simply to rule
2. To travel and sight see with no mission in life
3. To earn wealth, build empires and be attached to material success
4. To have a lust for women/men or practice homosexuality
5. To mindlessly follow, play or watch games and sports
6. To fulfil other sinful pleasures

How to combat these desires?

1. The best remedy to cure one’s desires is firstly to identify it. Know which desire is taking you away from Allah (swt).

• Tell yourself that you will overcome your desire and not let Shaitan win. Shaitan simply invites you. He doesn’t have the power to make you do something.

• Make sincere Dua to Allah (swt) to grant you Nafs e Mutmainna (a satiated soul) and protect your Nafs (self).

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ ‏لَا تَشْبَعُ ‏ ‏وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا‏

“Allahumma inni aoodhubika min ilmin la yanfaoo, wa min qalbin la yakhshaoo, wa min nafsin la tashbaoo wa min dawati la yustajaabu laha.”

“O Allah! Indeed I seek refuge with You from knowledge that is not beneficial, and from a heart that does not fear, and from a self that is not satiated and from a prayer that is not answered.” (Muslim)

• Identify your trigger and distance yourself from the source of these desires such as a person, friends, social media, company you keep, news feed, loneliness, boredom, anger, hunger,etc.

• To fill the vacuum created add some Ibadah for strength, a new friend with higher Iman, a Quran study circle, likeminded company who is also battling their Nafs so you don’t feel alone and abandoned.

• Know that Allah (swt) loves you for simply trying even If you fumble, fail or lose your track. Just get back on it again with firm resolve. 

• Never give up! Allah (swt) is on your side. Never stop making Dua! Allah (swt) loves to help those striving against their Nafs and the Shiatan. After all you are reading this blog. Who decreed it for you? Who led you to read it? Allah (swt) did. 

 The believers’ hopes are based upon goodness. They long to please Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) states: “That is the bounty of Allah, which He gives to whom He wills and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty.” (Al Jumuah 62:4)

• Attaching yourself to the world instead of Allah (swt)

This is a major corruptor of the heart. It drives a wedge between you and the benefit Allah (swt) had decreed for you. Instead of obeying and relying upon the Creator, people ignore the purpose of their life in Dunya blindly chasing it. Dunya was never meant to be their purpose but simply a means to achieve their servitude to Allah (swt). Prophet Muhammad (sa) repeatedly informed the believers about it.

“And do not make [as equal] with Allah another deity. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.” (Adh Dhariyat 51:51)

But can you stay detached from Dunya and be a true slave of Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) has already presented to us countless examples in every era to follow. What attracts us in Dunya?

1. Possessions – Prophet Sulaiman (as) had a kingdom Allah (swt) never granted to anyone, yet he was an Abd (slave) of Allah (swt) living right in midst of it all. His palace had glass floors with water flowing underneath it. His throne was a marvel to behold.
2. People – Prophet Muhammad (sa) will be granted the largest following on the day of judgement. Even in his lifetime at the time of Hajj he was addressing to over one lac believers at Arafah. His message spread far and wide beyond Arabia. But he never forgot his status as a slave of Allah (swt).
3. Money – Abdur Rahman bin Auf (rta) was granted so much wealth by Allah (swt) that after his demise, the gold and silver had to be chopped with axes. Yet he was a slave of Allah (swt) who earned Halal Rizq, spent in charity, fought wars for Allah (swt), worshipped Him and obeyed Him only.
4. Power – King Dhulqarnain is known to be a mighty, knowledgeable and resourceful king who traversed the globe from east to west. But he was also a man of justice and humility remembering his slavery to Allah (swt). Never did he transgress his limits but brought Khair to everywhere he went.
5. Status – Abu Bakr as Siddiq (rta) was a man with the highest reputation among the Sahabah. He was a constant companion to Prophet Muhammad (sa) and his father in law too. Yet he never boasted his affiliation with the messenger (sa) through family ties or service. He was a humble believer who cried when he recited the Quran.  

Allah (swt) states: “Do not make [as equal] with another deity and [thereby] become censured and forsaken.” (Al Isra 17:22)

What happens when our heart is attached to Dunya?

1. Dunya enslaves us. The attachment becomes our Master instead of Allah (swt).
2. Your attachment stops benefitting you and begins to cause pain.
3. It’s a double loss. We neither benefit by attaching to Allah (swt) nor from running after Dunya.
4. We lose divine support of the Creator and reliance of the creation, both.
5. We develop Shirk and are left to our own devices.
6. We become blameworthy in our own sight too.

In another place Allah (swt) states: “So do not invoke with Allah another deity and [thus] be among the punished.” (Ash Shuara 26:213)  

Find out the remaining two corruptors of the heart in Part 3 of this series.

Partially adapted from a course taught by Safiya Khan – ‘A Path to Spiritual Awakening.’