THE POWER OF THE HEART

Almighty Allah says: ‘Heaven and earth do not contain me, but the heart of the believer contains me.’

—The noble Messenger Muhammad (S)

The heart of a human being is a secret; it is the most important part of humanity. Even if we are wrong, but our hearts are sincere and truthful, Almighty Allah will guide us because of our honesty.

In Surah al-Anfaal, Almighty Allah says, 'O you who have made a firm commitment [to Allah], respond to Allah and His messenger when He calls you to that which gives you life, and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and to Him you will be gathered’ ([8]:24).

Almighty Allah gives life to the faithful, submissive believer who expresses their faith from the heart. In the above verse, Almighty Allah says that He is between a human being and his heart. His power is in us; to unleash the power we have to express our faith from the heart. The hearts of human beings, their every thought and intention, are secret to all except Almighty Allah.

In Surah al-Imran Almighty Allah says: ‘Allah knoweth well all the secrets of the heart’ ([3]:119). In Surah al-Baqarah Allah reminds us: ‘Know that Allah knoweth what is in your hearts, and take heed of Him, and know that Allah is OftForgiving, Most Forbearing’ ([2]:235).

The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) made his will completely subservient to the Will of Almighty Allah. When we devote our heart to the Will of Almighty Allah, inspiration will come to us from Him. The heart is the cradle where we source our innermost feelings and desires to succeed in life. Almighty Allah has absolute knowledge of our thoughts in our hearts. He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘Qalbul Mu’min Arshullah—the heart of the Believer is the throne of Allah.’

When a person makes a niyah (intention) to change habits and live a healthy, happy and balanced life, the intention must come from the heart that is the source of humankind. The power of Almighty Allah emerges as He assists and guides us to success. When we make a sincere focused niyah, dormant forces, faculties and talents that Almighty Allah has placed in us come alive as His power works through us.

We must obey the order of Almighty Allah and live the Sunnah of our noble Messenger Muhammad (S), who was the living embodiment of the Noble Qur’an. Almighty Allah

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orders believers to heed the call of our Nabi Muhammad (S). If we don’t procrastinate in complying with Almighty Allah’s Will, He will guide and bless us with peace and honour in this world and eternal bliss in the Hereafter.

We must start immediately and make our niyah; a sincere intention attracts His attention and Almighty Allah’s help follows. Ask Almighty Allah for what we want, comply with the teachings of the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S), and Almighty Allah’s power will step in. The heart is not in the control of humankind; Almighty Allah’s power controls it. Almighty Allah can change the heart whenever He Wills. That is why He is called ‘Muqallibul Quloob’, that is ‘Changer of Hearts’.

Men and women who are not actively pursuing selfdevelopment and taking the path of least resistance are allowing evil forces to influence and confuse them. We are responsible for obstructing Almighty Allah’s power to manifest; we unwittingly seal our hearts from the influence of Almighty Allah (SWT).

In Surah Qaf Almighty Allah says: ‘It was We who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein’ ([50]:16).

Almighty Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein. We must obey Almighty Allah with a sincere heart filled with desire and passion. We will all eventually appear before Almighty Allah and all our hidden thoughts will be exposed.

We will have absolutely no control over our words, thoughts and deeds; they will be revealed when we die.

Almighty Allah and the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) do not benefit in any way by inviting us to follow the guidance of Almighty Allah. All the divine injunctions have been presented for our benefit. Almighty Allah is guiding us to discover Him and live a happy, successful life.

Iman (faith) gives life to the believer; the unbeliever is dead. The Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of our noble Messenger Muhammad (S) contain the truth of life and success in both worlds: Dunya (this World) and Aakhirah (the Hereafter). Following the truth and having faith are essential preconditions to put life into the heart. Have faith, read the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah. The life of the heart is the power of Almighty Allah; it is unleashed through our sincerity, honesty, integrity and belief in the All-Powerful Almighty Allah and His noble Messenger Muhammad (S).

For the light of Almighty Allah to manifest itself, such blockages as hate, greed, jealousy, envy, selfishness and being ungrateful to Almighty Allah must be removed. These are poisons and obstructions of the heart. Hate is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. They impede our progress to live happy, healthy and successful lives.

When blessed with the opportunity to do something good and contribute our energy for Almighty Allah, we must not hesitate; we must go ahead and do it immediately. Don’t delay or waver to do good, we don’t know when

Almighty Allah will bless us with another opportunity.

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Note the beggar that calls on us, the person raising funds for a mosque, the student needing a scholarship or bursary or a project to serve Almighty Allah. In Surah al-Ma‘arij Almighty Allah reminds us not to forget: ‘The needy who is prevented for some reason from asking’ ([70]:25). Never put off what can be done today, for who knows what will happen tomorrow.

When we follow Almighty Allah’s call and the Sunnah of our noble Messenger Muhammad (S), the heart of man comes at the disposal of Almighty Allah (SWT). When Almighty Allah Wills to keep His servant protected from evil, He puts a barrier between that person’s heart and sins. Our good deeds become a barrier when misfortune is about to happen; Almighty Allah allows this barrier to prevent calamity from taking place. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) frequently made this du‘a: ‘O reverser of hearts! Keep my heart firm on the faith chosen by You (Allah).’

We must not delay in enhancing our ability to understand what Almighty Allah wants. We must be obedient to the injunctions of Almighty Allah and His Rasool (S). Spend time reading the Noble Qur’an and follow the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S). Our time on this planet is temporary; we should not miss this God-given opportunity to discover ourselves. Let us live in this brief passing phase as an infinite spiritual being, having a material experience.

In Surah al-Mu’min, Almighty Allah quotes the man who had made a faith-commitment to Him: ‘O my people follow me; I will lead you to the path of right. O my people! This life of the present is nothing but temporary convenience; it is the Hereafter that is the home that will last’ ([40]:38–39).

The believer says without doubt that eventually we will return home to Almighty Allah; that is where we come from. The present life is temporary; the life to come is eternal.

In the final analysis this world is an illusion. When we sleep, we don’t know we are dreaming. We only realize we were dreaming when we awaken. In the same way, while living on this planet called earth, we are in an illusion, a dream, we realize this only when we die. When we die, our dream or the opportunity that Almighty Allah has given to us to discover Him, to live a life of bliss is lost. We cannot ask Almighty Allah for another chance; there is no return to amend the mistakes.

Make your niyah now; intention is a power Almighty Allah has blessed us with; it is a powerful energetic force. Almighty Allah will allow the intention to manifest if we have a sincere desire to repent. Almighty Allah will only forgive us while we are still alive and breathing. The moment we die it is all over; we return to our home. Satisfied or in a state of confusion, this depends on us; how we empower ourselves, utilizing and applying Almighty Allah’s blessing in this material plane.

In Surah an-Nahl Almighty Allah and His angels welcome the pious soul with greeting of reassurance and make it easy

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for him to die and return to his natural habitat: ‘Those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity, saying (to them) Peace be on you, enter ye the garden, because of the good which ye did in the world’ ([16]:32).

In Surah al-An‘am Almighty Allah promise the righteous: ‘For them will be a home of peace in the presence of their Lord; He will be their friend because they practised (righteousness)’ ([6]:127).

If our intention is from the heart, Almighty Allah has the power to influence our consciousness during our brief stay on earth. We will insha’Allah become Allah-conscious, which will direct our lives. We won’t be misled by wrong or evil desires similar to the ‘deaf, dumb and blind’.

In Almighty Allah’s eyes the worst beings are those who do not understand: the ‘deaf, dumb and blind’, as referred to in the Noble Qur’an. Almighty Allah has given us the tongue to speak with, ears to hear with, and a heart and mind to understand. These are talents we have been blessed with and must always speak the truth even if it goes against us. Hear the truth and avoid vain talk; our ears also influence our thoughts by what we hear. Our thoughts influence our feelings, which in turn influence our mind and therefore, behaviour. These talents that Almighty Allah has bestowed on us, if followed and applied faithfully will insha’Allah unleash the power of Almighty Allah placed in our hearts.

The lines of communication with the silent voice of Almighty Allah are inspirational. This is a secret only Almighty Allah knows. Spiritual knowledge that comes to us is a favour and mercy of Almighty Allah. It belongs to the realm that lies beyond human perception. Humankind, created to achieve the highest status, has been entrusted with powers superior to entire creation. The sun, moon, stars and all other creations, including the universe, have been placed at the service of humanity. These great, powerful blessings are embedded in us. To use our energies and efforts to control our nafs we must be disciplined and strong-willed.

In the Noble Qur’an (Surah al-An‘am), Almighty Allah says: It is Allah Who hath made you (His) agent inheritors of the earth. He raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: For thy Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful ([6]:165).

We have the power because Almighty Allah has, by His Will, created us superior to the entire creation. When we strive, exert energy and embark on the path of obedience to Almighty Allah, we rise higher than angels. With righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character there will be harmony in the family (home). If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in society. When there is order in the Ummah (society), there will be peace in the world.