ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT TIME TABLE FOR FINALS, TAJWEED & SYLLABUS:
Tajweed audios need to be submitted before 28th Feb'24.
Those who need to practice can contact us (details given at the end of this class).
Check the timetable & syllabus for the Final exams at the end of the class.
ETIQUETTE - class 9
Diseases of the Heart
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ informed us in a very famous narration, commonly quoted with reference to lawful and unlawful, about the important role of the heart.
He ﷺ said: “Both lawful and unlawful matters are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and many people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious matters (by staying away from them) saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious matters (will eventually) indulge in what is forbidden. This is like (the example of) a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allaah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) matters. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it is reformed, the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt; indeed it is the heart.” [Al-Bukhaari]
He ﷺ said that after explaining that the lawful matters are clear and that the forbidden ones are clear and that between them are obscure areas, not known to many people. However, what protects a person from the forbidden matters and ensures that he remains in the lawful ones is knowledge; but beyond knowledge, it is the state of the heart. If the heart is good, then it makes use of the knowledge and it avoids what is prohibited. If the heart is corrupted, then the knowledge is of no benefit to it and it will indulge in what is prohibited.
The Prophet ﷺ during the last (and only) pilgrimage, informed his Companions and it was an instruction to the entire Muslim nation to come, that people are not favored based on their race or color, but rather based on piety and on how much they are Allaah fearful. After that, he clarified that the place of piety is in one’s heart.”
In these statements and other similar statements, we find
Stress being placed on the heart
That the heart is the part of the body, which Allaah has favored over all other parts.
It is the place of faith, and had there been in the body another part that was nearer to Allaah, piety would have been placed there, because faith is the most valuable thing that a human possesses. It (faith) is the determination ultimately of those who have belief in Allaah those who have accepted the message and who have chosen Paradise over Hell. It is the distinction of those who have belief and those who have disbelief.
The value of faith is greater than the value of all the things of this world. This is why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that for Allaah to guide by your hands a single person to Islam is worth more than anything in this world. For you to help someone to find faith is worth more than any of the things in this world. [Al-Bukhaari]
The heart is the place in which the correctness of deeds is judged. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Deeds are judged according to the intention.” The place of the intention is not on the lips. It is in the heart.
'Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended…” [Al-Bukhaari]
Our deeds - what we do externally - are judged ultimately by the states of our hearts. Good deeds are in reference to those that we perceive to be a part and parcel of righteousness. Allaah will inspect the hearts to determine whether they are truly acts of righteousness.
The Prophet ﷺ in an authentic narration, said that some people from among these types of people would be among the first groups of people thrown into Hell because the scholar, when he taught the knowledge that Allaah gave him, did not do so for the sake of Allaah. He taught so that people would praise him, saying what a great scholar he was and how knowledgeable he was. Allaah will Say to him: "You received your praise, what you sought in that world. But there will be nothing for you in the Next.” So he will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell.
Similarly, the benefactor, who was generous with his wealth. He gave and people praised his generosity, but Allaah will Say: “You did it for the praise and you were praised. You did it for people to appreciate you.” So that individual will be drawn off on his face and thrown into Hell. [Muslim]
All is telling us that ultimately, even the highest of deeds can be of no avail if the hearts are sick; if the hearts are corrupt. So the place of the heart should, in our minds, occupy great attention. We have to spend much of our time observing, being aware of the state of our heart.
So there is no other faculty in the human body and existence that a believer should be more concerned about. We have to make sure that this faculty is functioning as Allaah wishes it to function. We should be greatly concerned about it. The Prophet ﷺ often used to supplicate, beginning with: “I seek refuge in You, O Allaah, from knowledge that does not benefit, and from a heart which does not fear.” [At-Tirmithi, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah]
TYPES OF HEART
The hearts are of three types:
1) The correct heart, that is secure from all desires that oppose the command of Allaah and His prohibitions, and it is secure from all doubts that contradict what He informs. Just as it is secure from worshipping anything else besides Allaah and from seeking judgement from any person other than His Messenger.
2) The dead heart, this being the opposite of the correct heart containing no life, neither knowing its Lord nor worshipping Him.
3) The heart that has some life but also has defect or the Sick Heart. So it contains love of Allaah, faith in Him, sincerity and trust towards Him from those things that are essential to it remaining alive. It also contains the love of vain desires and preferences for them, despicable morals and manners from those things that cause its death, and it is constantly wavering between these two condititions.
So the first type of heart is the living humble, soft and gentle heart.
The second type is dry, harsh and dead heart.
The third is the heart which is diseased, it can either be made secure or have its destruction sealed.
All of the diseases of the heart are founded upon desires and doubts. The life of the heart and its illumination is the cause of all good to be found in it and its death and darkness is the cause of all evil to be found in it.
The heart can never be alive and correct except through cognisance of the truth and loving and preferring it to everything else. There can never be any happiness or joy or correction for it unless it makes its sole object of worship and desire Allaah alone. This can never be perfected except through purification of the heart, repentance, and its relinquishing itself from all types of false loves and despicable manners. This can never be attained except through striving hard against one’s soul that incites towards evil, and bringing it to account, and combating the satans from amongst men and jinn: from the human satans by turning away from them and combating their evil with good; from the satans from amongst jinn by holding oneself from them through rememberance of Allaah the Exalted, and seeking refuge with Him from them.
The heart becoming defective and weak revolves around two basic matters: the curruption of knowledge and the corruption of intent, and these in turn lead to two destructive illnesses-anger and misguidance. Misguidance being the end result of corruption of knowledge and anger being the end result of the corruption of intent. So these two diseases are the lords of all the ailments that afflict the heart. Its cure lies in guidance based on knowledge. Guidance based on knowledge is to know the Truth and to follow it. The whole of the Qur’aan is a cure for these two diseases and others and it contains perfect guidance.
Allaah, the Most High, said:
“There has come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a healing for that which is in your breasts, a guidance and mercy for the believers.” [Surah Yoonus (10):57].
“O you who believe! Answer the call of Allaah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life, and know that Allaah comes in between a person and his heart. And verily to Him you shall be gathered.” [Surah al-Anfaal (8):24].
“He brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living.” [Surah ar-Room (30):19].
“Those who reject our signs are deaf, dumb and in darkness.” [Surah al-An’aam (6):39].
THE FOUR POISONS OF THE HEART
You should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its running off course, against that of Allaah, and so its sickness festers and increases.
Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allaah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.
By four poisons we mean:
Unnecessary talking,
Unrestrained glances,
Too much food and
Keeping bad company
Of all the poisons, these are the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart’s well-being.
“The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right.” [Anas in al-Musnad]
Unrestrained Glances:
Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allaah: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is more purifying for them. Surely Allaah is aware of what they do.” [24:30] .
Too much food:
The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the heart, strength of intellect, humility of the self, weakness of desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities. Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma’d Yakrib said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say: “The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allaah than his stomach. A few moesels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing.”
Keeping Bad Company:
Unnecessary companionship is a chronic disease that causes much harm. How often have the wrong kind of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allaah’s generosity, planting discord in their hearts which even the passage of time-even if it were long enough for mountains to be worn away-has been unable to dispel.
Companionship: Four categories
A servant should benefit from companionship. In order to do so he should divide people into four categories, and be careful not to get them mixed up, for once one of them is mixed with another, then evil can find its way through to him;
The first category are those people whose company is like food: it is indispensible, night or day.
The second category are those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in.
The third category: are those people company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees and strengths and weakneses.
Associating with one or more of them is like an incurable chronic disease. You will never profit either in this life or the next life if you have them for company.
The fourth category are those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison: its victim either finds an antidote or perishes. Many people belong to this category. They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and advocate other beliefs. They call what is Sunnah a bid’ah and vice-versa.
“Every person has a pledge for that which he has earned.” [Surah at-Toor (52):21]
HOW TO CURE YOUR DISEASED HEART
Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalaanee rahimahullah said:
The heart has been singled out because it is the leader of the body and through the purification of the leader, the subjects become purified, and with his corruption they become corrupted.
So if you, O servant of Allaah, wish to cure your heart then it is upon you to be truthful with regards to:
Seeking refuge with Allaah
Putting trust in Him,
To pray a great deal of supererogatory prayers,
To Perform the actions of obedience to Allaah frequently,
To pray the night prayer while the people are sleeping,
To treat your heart by making it continuously stick to the remembrances and by
Befriending only the righteous
Frequently recite the Qurâan.
And Allaah will indeed allow all of this to be preserved by Him.
NEXT TERM (starts in a couple of months InShaAllah - those who pass TERM 1 now can join TERM 2)
We will study the Etiquette of a Muslim with Parents, Spouse, Children, Relatives, Neighbors and general Social Etiquette.
TIME TABLE & SYLLABUS FOR THE FINAL EXAM
Syllabus:
Whatever we have studied from Week 1 – 9 apart from Seerah.
Exams Time table : -
20th Sha'baan.....(1st Mar).....TAFSIR
Read note below for Tajweed
22nd Sha'baan.....(3rd Mar).....TAWHEED
24th Sha'baan.....(5th Mar).....FIQH
26th Sha'baan.....(7th Mar)......ETIQUETTE
TAJWEED
*Tajweed submissions should be done before 28th Feb'24 so that you can add your marks in your final exam.
Brothers need to send their Audios reciting Surah Fatiha to 966578171372.
Sisters, please send a msg (NOT THE AUDIO) to +966582809853 you will be given the number to send your audio to.
If you have a Tajweed teacher you can recite to him/her and ask for marks out of 10 we will accept that InShaAllah. (Ask your teacher to be lenient please).
Note:
Those sending an Audio please recite while keeping your mobile close to your mouth (but not too close to avoid the breathing noise).
Please do not be shy, we are not here to judge anyone, rather help everyone InShaAllah!
You can find many online links to practice Tajweed - search on Youtube or Google for "Practice Tajweed Online" and learn or you can you https://en.muqri.com/
Please do not be shy, we are not here to judge anyone, rather help everyone InShaAllah!
TIPS FOR THE TEST
An important lesson for our lives, get a good understanding of this and try to make a positive change in your lives based on that.
Remember the types and Poisons of the Heart.
Know the cure.
Do not have to memorize the Ayahs, just get a good understanding about them.
ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENT
The marks for Attendance/Assignment will be given based on the below activities: -
Practice & Preach any 5 Sunnahs from the Etiquette Class of Week 8 that you were not following. - 5 Marks.