A sick heart and its treatment

A person who has acquired a lot of knowledge and has got degrees such as B.A., M.A. or Ph.D., etc., without knowing Allah Ta’ala, knows nothing. Knowing Allah Ta’ala is a knowledge that is more essential than all other knowledge.

How will you know if you know Allah Ta’ala?

There is a sign for that. When you love Allah Ta’ala, it means that you have known Allah Ta’ala. Everyone can say that he loves Allah Ta’ala. However, the sign of true love for Allah Ta’ala is found in not giving preference to anything over the love of Allah Ta’ala.

Every part of the body has a specific function. When it does not function properly, it is called a handicap and we say that this part of the body is sick. The main function of the heart is to love Allah Ta’ala more than everything. When the heart does not function in that way, spiritually speaking, it is called a sick heart.

The cure for this illness is found in trampling the desires and pleasures and in keeping it within the limits that Allah Ta’ala has fixed. That is, we must apply the Shari’ah in its entirety according to the perfect model of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam). And this depends on willpower. Just like everything, the willpower to practice Deen which is called Tawfeeq is in the hands of Allah Ta’ala. However, just like everything, Allah Ta’ala has placed a means for that also.

Normally, Allah Ta’ala has attached/put the willpower to practice Deen with/in the Suhbat (company) of pious people. That is why Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has recommended staying in the company of good people. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) pointed out that the reason for this is that a person tends to adopt the character of his close friend. So, if his close friend is a good person, he will also inculcate and develop the good characters found in him. On the other hand, he can even assimilate it without knowing it.

[English version of "Ene le cœur malade et so traitement" – Al Jamiat – Vol.3 No.4]