Topic
Purification of the Heart
purification of the self
35 entries
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What is the spiritual heart (Qalb), and how is it different from the physical heart?
Besides the biological heart in the chest, qalb names the spiritual heart, a subtle element which finds unison with Allah and connects the believer to Him; it is the heart of the hadith which says that if it becomes virtuous, the whole body becomes good. According to the Qur'an it represents the relationship between the human being and the Lord.
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Where does taqwa (piety) actually reside?
In the heart. The Prophet pointed to his chest and said three times, “Piety is here.” It is not our bodies or our forms that concern Allah, but our hearts and our deeds.
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Do good deeds still count if they were done to be seen by people?
In the hadith related in Muslim, the first person judged on Resurrection Day is a man martyred in battle; next come a man who learnt and taught Sacred Knowledge and recited the Qur'an, and a man given various kinds of wealth. Each is told that he did it to be called a hero, a scholar and a reciter, or generous, and each is flung into the fire. Without a pure and sincere intention the deed is not accepted by Allah, even when one willingly gives away his life or his wealth.
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What does a true Sufi actually want, Paradise, or something more?
The heart of a true Sufi is set not on escaping Hell or winning Paradise, but on the love of Allah Himself.
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Why is purifying the heart (Tazkiyah) so important?
The Qur'an gives the glad tidings of success to the one who purifies himself, and names the gardens of perpetual residence as the reward of one who purifies himself. Some may think purification is just an option, but Allah commands the believers to rid the inner self of all evils and purify it. Just as there are forbidden acts, there are forbidden inner states like jealousy, greed, pride and hypocrisy.