The Hearts that Allaah Likes

Assalam u alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

This is part 1 in a series of 3 posts I will be making in shaa Allaah under the category of:

أنواع القلوب فى القرآن الكريم The Types of Hearts in the Noble Quran

(As heard in a lecture by Qari Suhaib Ahmad Meer Muhammadi Hafizahullaah in the annual conference – Jubail)

As a foreword I would like to mention that these “types” are actually different states of the heart which a single heart can have in different times. Shaykh Ibn e Uthaymeen Rahimahullaah said that every beat of “breath” of the heart is a state of it. When the heart remains in a single state for a long time, then that is what becomes its Creed.

There are many types of hearts that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa has mentioned in the Quran. From them the ones that Allaah likes are:

1 – القلبُ السَّلِيْمْ The Sound Heart

It is the heart that is full of sincerity to Allaah and Taqwa and free of infidelity and hypocrisy and immorality.

As Allaah SWT says in the Quran:

إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart. [26:89]

 

2 – القلبُ المُنِيْبْ The Repentant Heart

It is the heart that is persistent in returning to Allaah in repentance and always returning to His obedience.

As Allaah SWT says in the Quran:

مَّنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَـٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُّنِيبٍ ﴿٣٣﴾ ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ الْخُلُودِ ﴿٣٤

Who feared the Most Merciful unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance]. Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.”[50:33-34]

 

3 – القلبُ المُخْبِتْ The Submissive Heart

The word “ikhbaat” in Arabic means a lot of focus.

It is the heart that focuses a lot towards Allaah, filled with the love of Allaah. Such a heart has peace in it and Allaah SWT says about such a heart in the Quran:

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

And so those who were given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord and [therefore] believe in it, and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path. [22:54]

 

4 – القلبُ الوجِلْ The Fearful Heart

It is the heart that creates in itself the fear that whether its good deeds will be accepted by Allaah or not. It is always thinking about this and wonders what will happen to it on the Day of Qiyaamah. Allaah says about such a heart in the Quran

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ 

And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord. [23:60]

Imam Ahmad recorded from ‘Aishah: I said: “O Messenger of Allaah,

(And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear…) Are these the ones who steal and commit Zina and drink alcohol while fearing Allaah?”

The Messenger of Allaah replied:

(No, O daughter of Abu Bakr. O daughter of As-Siddiq, the one who prays, fast and gives in charity, fearing Allaah). This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded something similar in which the Prophet said:

(No, O daughter of As-Siddiq, they are the ones who pray and fast and give in charity while fearing that it will not be accepted from them, (It is these who hasten  in the good deeds.)) This is how Ibn ‘Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka’b Al-Qurazi and Al-Hasan Al-Basri interpreted this Ayah.

Hazrat Aamir bin Rabee’ah reports that he once saw Umar (RadiAllaahu Anhu) pick up a twig from the ground and say, “I wish I had been this twig. I wish that I had never been created. I wish that I had been nothing. I wish that my mother had never given birth to me. I wish that I had been something gone and forgotten.”

Ibn Mubaarak, Ibn Sa’d, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musaddad and Ibn Asaakir.

 

5 – القلبُ التَّقِّيْ The Pious Heart

It is the heart that sees and honors the signs of Allaah around it. Allaah SWT says about such a heart:

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوب

And whoever honors the symbols of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts. [22:32]

The scholars are the inheritors of Prophets and due to their knowledge they are the most fearful of Allaah. (Reported by Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhee and Ibn Hibbaan. Al-Bukhaaree mentioned in his Saheeh Collection in his Book of Knowledge, Chapter: Knowledge precedes Speech and Action, the part from it: “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.”)

The scholars say that those who do not respect the people of knowledge cannot be pious.

At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), a person such described the reciters of the Quran: When it is time to fight, they flee. But when it is time to eat, they are the first ones. One of the Sahaba (radiAllaahu anhu) heard this and said you have lied, and was on his way to communicate this to the Prophet (peace be upon him) when the following verse was revealed:

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِاللَّـهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

And if you ask them, they will surely say, “We were only conversing and playing.” Say, “Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?” [9:65]

Allaah and His Messenger were not being mocked. But in reality the people of knowledge, the people of Quran, the scholars, were being mocked and Allaah related it to mocking Allaah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

 

6 – القلبُ المَهْدِي The Guided Heart

It is the heart that is satisfied on the Qadr of Allaah and is satisfied with His decisions.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever wants to know his status in the sight of Allaah should look at his heart and see how satisfied it is with the decisions of Allaah. Allaah said about such a heart in the Quran:

مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۗوَمَن يُؤْمِن بِاللَّـهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things. [64:11]

Whatever is decreed for you, you will get it even if it is buried under the mountains. Whatever is not decreed for you, you will not get it even if it is in your hands.

Imam Ghazali Rahimahullaah used to say that if man was told to write what he wants and the disadvantages of that are also written, then he is shown what Allaah has written for him he will tear apart what he has written for himself and will say I am pleased with what Allaah has written for me.

 

7 – القلبُ المُطْمَئِنْ The Satisfied Heart

It is the heart that, due to the remembrance of Allaah, is calm, tranquil, and satisfied. Allaah SWT says in the Quran.

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured. [13:28]

When we compare the number of suicides committed by Muslims as opposed to non-Muslims, the number is higher for non-Muslims. This is because their hearts are not satisfied. Even after doing and achieving everything in the world, they realize there is still an empty space that they cannot fill.

Likewise, billionaires, despite having an abundance of money, still take the aid of sleeping pills to fall asleep. In contrast, look at the people of the Quran and Hadith. They sleep so soundly that sometimes you have to try very hard just to wake them up for Fajr. 🙂

If you keep your tongue wet by the Zikr of Allaah you will be free from all the worries of the world.

 

8 – القلبُ الحَيَّ The Living Heart

It is the heart that listens carefully to the Quran. It ponders over how the previous nations were destroyed by Allaah. Allaah says in the Quran:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ

Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. [50:37]

These reminders only benefit those who have a heedful heart. Otherwise there were people who sat with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and yet the best of reminders did not benefit them.

May Allaah make our heart the way that He loves. Ameen.