Three Types of Hearts

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This is the heart that contains life but also possesses a defect. It has two urges calling it, one leading it to life and the other leading it to death and it follows whichever of the two that predominates.

Because the heart is described as possessing life or death, it is classified into three types:

The First: The Correct and Sound Heart.

This is the truthful and secure (salīm) heart, the only type of heart that its owner can bring to Allāh which will rescue him on the Day of Judgement [from the Grievous Punishment]. Allāh, the Exalted says,

The Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail, except he who brings to Allāh a truthful and secure heart.[1]

The meaning of salīm (secure) is sālim (the one who is secure), it has come in this form because it depicts an innate attribute or description of the described. As such it is grammatically like the words tall (tawīl), short (qasīr) or graceful and charming (dharīf).

Therefore the one whose heart is described as salīm is characterised so because this attribute of truthfulness and security has become a constant and established description of it. In this respect it is like the terms, ‘the one who knows’ (‘alīm) and ‘the one who has power’ (qadīr). It is also the opposite of diseased (marīd), sick (saqīm) and ailing (‘alīl).

The statements of the people explaining the meaning of the secure and truthful heart have differed. However they all revolve around the [following] basic concept,

[The truthful and secure heart] is that which is secure from every carnal desire that opposes the order and prohibition of Allāh. It is secure from every doubt and uncertainty that would obscure or go against His narrative. It is secure from displaying servitude to any other than He just as it is secure from seeking the ruling of other than His Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore it becomes secure through loving Allāh and seeking the ruling of His Messenger. It becomes secure through showing Him dread (khawf), reverential hope (rajā’), placing its trust and reliance upon Him (tawakkul), turning to Him in repentance (inābah), humbling itself before Him (dhull), preferring what Pleases Him in every circumstance and distancing itself from everything that would Displease Him in every possible way. This is the reality of servitude (‘ubūdiyyah) which can only be directed to Allāh, Alone.

Therefore the truthful and secure heart is that heart which is secure from committing any form of shirk whatsoever and instead its servitude is only directed to, and purely for Allāh, the Exalted. Its desire, love, trust and reliance, repentance, humbleness, dread and reverential hope is only for Allāh and its actions are purely for His sake. Hence if it loves, it loves for the sake of Allāh; if it hates, it hates for the sake of Allāh; if it gives, it gives for the sake of Allāh; and if it withholds, it withholds for the sake of Allāh.

But this alone does not suffice until the heart becomes secure from submitting to, and going to anybody else but the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) for judgement. Therefore the heart ties a firm bond with him (peace be upon him), resolving to follow him and obey him alone in sayings and actions. These sayings comprise the saying of the heart – which are the matters of belief, and the sayings of the tongue – which conveys what the heart contains. These actions comprise the actions of the heart – which refer to its desire, love, dislike and other connected matters, and the actions of the limbs.

Therefore the judge for all these matters – the major and minor of them – is that which the Messenger (peace be upon him) came with. Hence the heart does not put itself before him in any matter related to belief, saying and action. Allāh, the Exalted says,

O you who believe! Do not put yourself forward in front of Allāh and His Messenger.[2]

 meaning: do not speak [of a matter] until he has spoken of it and do not act until he has commanded it.

Some of the Salaf said,

There is no action, even if it be small, except that two records will be unfurled for it: why? and how?

meaning: why did you do it? How did you do it?

The first question enquires about the cause, onset and motive of the action. Was it done for some temporary, worldly gain or for some worldly purpose such as attaining the praise of people? Was it done for fear of the blame of people, to attain some worldly desire, or to repress some worldly dislike? Or was the motivation of this action the establishment of the rights of servitude [to Allāh], the seeking of increasing ones love of and closeness to Allāh, the Glorious and Exalted, and seeking the means of drawing close (wasīlah) to Him?

The essence of this question is: was it upon you to perform this action for the sake of your Master or did you perform it for some personal gain or by way of following your base desires?

The second question enquires about the following of the Messenger (peace be upon him) in that action of worship. Meaning: was that action you did from those actions which have been legislated for you upon the tongue of the My Messenger or was it an action that I did not legislate and was not pleased with?

Therefore the first question concerns sincerity (ikhlāş) and the second concerns following (mutāba‘ah) for indeed Allāh does not accept any action until both these pre-requisites are met.

The method of absolution from the first question is to purify ones sincerity such that it is for Allāh Alone.

The method of absolution from the second question is to actualise the following of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and by securing the heart from any intent that would impair its sincerity and any base desire that would impair its following.

This is the reality of the secure and truthful heart from which ensues victory and bliss.

The Second: The Dead Heart

This is the heart that contains no life. It does not know its Lord and it does not worship Him by complying to His command and doing that which He Loves and is Pleased with. Instead it is a slave to its carnal desires, temptations and pleasures, even if these lead to the Displeasure of its Lord and His Anger. As long as it fulfils its cravings and attains its worldly desires, it does not care if its Lord is Pleased or Displeased. Therefore it worships other than Allāh. It directs its love, dread, reverential hope, pleasure, displeasure, glorification and submission to other than Him. If it loves, it loves for the sake of its base desires; if it hates, it hates for the sake of its base desires; if it gives, it gives for the sake of its base desires; if it withholds, it withholds for the sake of its base desires. It gives preference to its base desires and these are more beloved to it than the Pleasure of its Master.

Base desires are its leader, carnal desires are its commander, ignorance is its driving force, and negligence is the vessel [upon which it travels]. It is completely engrossed in contemplating how to attain its worldly desires. It is driven wild by the intoxication of its base desires and love of the temporal things. It hears the call to Allāh and the Abode of the Hereafter from a distant place and does not respond to the sincere advisor. It follows every cunning devil and the world is the cause of its anger and the cause of its pleasure. Base desires make it deaf and blind to anything other than falsehood. In this world it is like that which is said concerning Laylā,

An enemy to whosoever she displays enmity and at peace with those she likes Whosoever she draws close to, he loves and draws close to. Mixing with the person who has this heart is a sickness, interacting with him is poison and sitting with him is destruction.

  

The Third: The Diseased Heart

This is the heart that contains life but also possesses a defect. It has two urges calling it, one leading it to life and the other leading it to death and it follows whichever of the two that predominates.

It contains love of Allāh, the Exalted, faith in Him, sincerity to Him and trust and reliance upon him from those matters that are essential to its life.

It also contains the love of its carnal desires, giving preference to them and eagerness to attain them. It contains jealousy, arrogance, self-amazement, and love of ranking and sowing corruption in the land through attaining leadership from those matters that necessarily lead to its destruction and devastation.

It is constantly being tried by two callers, one calling it to Allāh, His Messenger and the Abode of the Hereafter and the other calling it to temporal, worldly matters. It responds to the one that is closest and most predominant at that time.

Therefore the first type of heart is the living, humble, soft, attentive and heedful heart.

The second type is the brittle, dry and dead heart.

The third type is the diseased heart, either it is closer to securing itself or it is closer to its devastation

Allāh, the Glorious, has mentioned these types of the hearts in His saying,

Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you without Shayţān insinuating something into his recitation while he was reciting. But Allāh revokes whatever Shayţān insinuates and the Allāh confirms His Signs, Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise. That He may make what Shayţān insinuates a trial for those in whose heart is a disease and whose hearts are hardened. Indeed the wrongdoers are entrenched in hostility. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it [the Qur’ān] is the truth from your Lord, that they may believe therein and their hearts may submit to it with humility. Indeed Allāh is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path.[3]

In these three verses, Allāh, the Glorious and Exalted, has mentioned two types of hearts put to trial and one type that is victorious. The two types of heart that are put to trial are the diseased and the harsh and dry. The victorious heart is the heart of the believer that is humble before its Lord, it is at rest and satisfaction with Him, submissive and obedient to Him.

This is because it is desired from the heart and other limbs that they be healthy and secure, having no defect so that they can do that which agrees to their nature and the purpose for which they were created. The hearts’ stepping outside the bounds of steadfastness in obedience (istiqāmah) could either be due to its dryness and harshness or the absence of doing that which is desired of it [comprising the worship of its Lord]. In this respect it is like the mute tongue or the eye that cannot see due to some form of illness or defect that prevents the completion of these actions and their occurring with firmness.

This is why the hearts have been classified into three types:

1.    The healthy, secure heart which contains no impediment preventing it from accepting the truth, loving it and giving it preference other than its coming to know of it. Therefore its recognition of the truth is correct and it is complete with respect to its submission and acceptance of it.

2.    The dead, harsh and dry heart that does not accept the truth nor submit to it.

3.    The diseased heart, when its disease predominates than it joins the ranks of the dead and harsh heart but if its soundness predominates it joins the ranks of the truthful and secure heart.

Anything that is directed to the person by Shaytān such as his making him hear certain words, or suggests to the heart such as suspicion and doubt act as a trial for the latter two types of hearts and serve to further strengthen the living, truthful and secure heart.

This is because the living heart rejects all of this, dislikes it and hates it for it knows that the truth opposes it. Therefore it submits to the truth, is satisfied with it and submits to it. It knows the fallacy of that which Shaytān has directed to it and therefore increases with respect to its certainty of the truth, its love of it, its rejection of falsehood and its dislike of it.

However the heart put to trial remains in doubt and dispute concerning what was directed to it by Shaytān. The healthy, secure heart, on the other hand, is not harmed by what Shaytān directs to it.

Hudhyafah bin al-Yamān said that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said,

Trials and tribulation will be presented to the heart [one after another] in the same way that the mat is knitted together, reed by reed. Any heart that accepts them will have a black spot form on it. Any heart that rejects them will have a white spot put on it until the hearts end up being one of two types: a black heart, murky and like an overturned vessel, it does not know the good and does not reject the evil, [all it is seeks] is that which its base desires seek; and a white heart which will not be harmed by trials for as long as the heavens and the earth remain.[4]

Hence he likened the appearance of trails to the heart to knotting the reeds of a mat, one after the other.

He divided the hearts into two types based on how they react to these trials:

1.    A heart that accepts the trials when presented to it in the same way that a sponge soaks in water. Therefore it has a black spot form on it, and it will keep on accepting these trials until it becomes totally black and inverted. This is the meaning of his saying, “like an overturned vessel” i.e. inverted. Then when it becomes black and inverted, it is subjugated to the following two dangerous diseases that thrust it to destruction:

a.    Its confusion of the good and evil, hence it does not know the good or reject the evil. It is also possible that its disease lead him to believing the good to be evil and the evil to be good, Sunnah to be bid‘ah and bid‘ah to beSunnah and truth to be falsehood and falsehood to be truth.

b.    Its giving precedence to its base desires when seeking judgement rather than that which the Messenger (peace be upon him) came with, its yielding to them and following them.

2.    A white heart that has been set ablaze with the light of faith and its niche has been illuminated. When a trial is presented to it, it rejects it and represses it and hence its light, blaze and strength increase.

The trials that are presented to the hearts are the causes of its disease. They are the trials of carnal desires and doubts, the trials of aimless wandering and misguidance, the trials of sins and innovations and the trials of oppression and ignorance.

The first type [i.e. carnal desires] lead to the corruption of desire and intent and the second type [i.e. doubts] lead to the corruption of knowledge and belief.

The Companions (RAM) divided the hearts into four categories as is authentically reported from Hudhayfah bin al-Yamān that the hearts are of four types:

·         The heart that has solely been illuminated by a blazing torch and that is the heart of the believer.

• The heart that is encased and that is the heart of the disbeliever.
• The heart that is inverted and that is the heart of the hypocrite – he knew and then rejected, he saw only to become blind.
• The heart that has two urges: an urge calling it to faith and an urge calling it to hypocrisy. It belongs to the need that predominates it.[5]

The meaning of his saying, ‘a heart that has solely…’ means a heart that has detached itself of everything besides Allāh and His Messenger. Therefore it has separated and secured itself from everything save the truth.

The meaning of his saying, ‘illuminated by a blazing torch’ refers to the niche of faith. Therefore he indicated by his words, ‘that has solely…’ that is secure from the false doubts and misguiding carnal desires. He indicated by his words, ‘a blazing torch’ that it was set ablaze and illuminated by the light of knowledge and faith.

The ‘encased heart’ refers to the heart of the disbeliever because it is immersed by a veil and covering and hence the light of knowledge and faith cannot reach it. This is as Allāh said, relating from the Jews that they said,

And they say: our hearts are wrapped.[6]

This veil is the covering that Allāh has placed on their hearts by way of punishment for their rejecting the truth and being too arrogant to accept it. Therefore it is a covering upon the hearts, a seal for the ears and a blindness for the eyes. This is the obscuring screen upon the eyes talked about in His saying,

And when you recite the Qur’ān, We out between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an obscuring screen. We have put coverings over their hearts lest they should understand it and deafness in their ears.[7]

When the people who have these types of hearts are admonished to purify their Tawhīd and following (ittibā‘), they turn on their heels and run!

The ‘inverted heart’ refers to the heart of the hypocrite as Allāh, the Exalted says,

Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties regarding the hypocrites? Allāh has cast them back [to disbelief] because of what they have earned.[8]

This means that he causes them to relapse and return to the falsehood that they used to be in due to their earning their invalid and false deeds.

These are the most evil of hearts and the vilest of them for it believes falsehood to be the truth and shows love and allegiance to those who follow it. It also believes the truth to be falsehood and displays enmity to those who follow it. The Aid of Allāh is sought!

The ‘heart that has two urges’ refers to the heart that has not become established upon faith and neither has its torch illuminated it because it has not devoted itself solely to the truth that Allāh sent His Messenger with. Instead it contains some faith and some of its opposite and hence it is closer to disbelief than faith sometimes and at other times it is closer to faith than disbelief. The heart follows whatever is predominating in 

Why are New Muslims Leaving Islam?

Had the new Muslim been supported, been shown how to pray, been taught the foundations of Islam and given a firm foundation, been put in touch with a good group of brothers or sisters that took them under their wings and looked after them; they would have had the tools and strength of faith to deal with the tests that face most new Muslims.

“I don’t know if you can help me; I don’t even know where to start. My life is a mess. I’ve been a Muslim for 5 years and each Ramadan instead of increasing in my emaan, I question whether I can continue living as a Muslim. The loneliness I have felt over the last 5 years is one I never felt before I became Muslim. I feel it even more in Ramadan. I receive so many emails about how to complete the Qu’ran in 30 days, how to attain taqwa but I just struggle trying to get through the days.

When I took my shahadah, so many sisters hugged me and gave me their phone numbers but after a few weeks, they didn’t respond to my calls or my messages. I’m so alone, it really hurts. They told me they would help me learn how to pray. I still don’t know how to pray. I’ve tried youtube and books but they don’t work.  I’m really struggling. I phoned my local masjid and they laughed at me after I told them how long I was Muslim and couldn’t pray. I’m so down and alone. I wish I could be like most and look forward to Ramadan. I wish I could read the Koran. I wish I could pray taraweeh. I wish I didn’t feel so alone. I have tried; I went to the masjid to break my fast. But nobody spoke to me. They offered me food and drink but then after praying they just ate in their little circles smiling and laughing. You’re my last attempt – can you help me? I’m desperate.”  Mandy

Sadly, the SOLACE team receive many emails like that of Mandy’s. There’s a sound proportion of revert sisters who receive support and they really work diligently with their SOLACE support workers to make positive change in their lives.  In contrast however, there are sisters like Mandy who disappear despite our willingness to support them. It is as though they are scared to receive support only to be let down for the umpteenth time. As a team, we can only pray and make du’aa that they will meet beautiful sincere Muslims who will help them as they should have been helped during those first few fragile weeks of being a very new Muslim.

The picture for most new reverts is indeed a very positive one. One needs only to attend a shahaadah ceremony and observe the mixture of excitement and nervousness sprawled across the face of the one taking that amazing step; crossing from the fields of kufr into the vastness of tawheed. It is such a joyous moment – both for the new Muslim and for those who are present, witnessing the guidance of Allah unfold in an individual’s life. Most faces are streaming with tears  as their hearts increase in faith in the One and Only Creator, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala).

It is equally overwhelming for the new believer as she is swamped with hugs, kisses, books, hijabs and telephone numbers. There is a sense of a new immediate family, and the fear of what their own non-Muslim family will say and do is subdued by the hope that their new Muslim family will be there no matter what.

Quite tragically, the situation can at times be very different just as Mandy described in her email. More than likely, brothers and sisters that attend a shahaadah ceremony really do have a good intention to keep in touch. Certainly excuses must be made; perhaps they imagined that the new believer has a solid support network, after all, there were so many telephone numbers handed over that day.  Others may be busy in their own lives and feel pressurised with the responsibility of helping a new Muslim. Passing on a few books and CDs is sufficient but what if they needed somewhere to stay?

The sad reality is that too many brothers and sisters leave the responsibility to others assuming that there is enough support when in fact, the new Muslim has absolutely no one to support her. It is at this delicate time that she definitely needs support as the onset of tests pervade her life. It is as though upon uttering the testimony of faith, the new believer is tested to see whether they truly believe as Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:

‘…We might test him who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and the Lord watches over all things.’[1]                                                                                                                                          

Had the new Muslim been supported, been shown how to pray, been taught the foundations of Islam and given a firm foundation, been put in touch with a good group of brothers or sisters that took them under their wings and looked after them; they would have had the tools and strength of faith to deal with the tests that face most new Muslims.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of the above at the crucial beginning of their Muslim life, the following types of issues arise which sadly often lead to someone like Mandy entering Islam with zeal and belief and leaving it weeks, months or years later with hatred and disbelief…

Rejection by family

A large number of new Muslims experience negative reactions from their non-Muslim relatives.  The experiences vary from being ignored, physically removed from the family home, and we have even received cases of others who were locked up and beaten by relatives. It is at this time that support from Muslims is crucially needed. However, many new Muslims endure these tests with their family with minimal support or understanding from members of the Muslim community. Often, the rejection and abuse received at the hands of family members is too much for some and they succumb to the pressure of leaving Islam feeling that they have no other alternative because all the brothers and sisters disappeared and hence there is no other alternative.

Choosing a wrong spouse

Many brothers and sisters feel that there is a simple quick fix for the new Muslim who has been abandoned by their own relatives: To get married and get married quickly! This is the case more so with female reverts than their male counterparts. The sister is struggling to learn Surah Al Fatihah and before she knows it, she is flooded with recommendations of pious brothers who are looking to get married, brothers who could help her on her path. She is given a good breakdown of what characteristics constitute a good Muslim husband; one who wears trousers above his ankles and observes a beard. Well-meaning sisters persuade the new Muslim to marry their own recommendation with choruses of ‘Trust me, my husband has known him for years – he’s a good practising brother!’ Regrettably, there is no mention of his character, likes and dislikes and the likelihood of compatibility. Two or three meetings are conducted by a wali (guardian) appointed at the last minute. The nikaah takes place in a small room within the masjid.  Non-Muslim relatives who have not abandoned their daughters, look on in dismay as their dreams of their daughter’s wedding is shattered. Or the new Muslim takes the next most important step in her life without the knowledge of her non-Muslim relatives.

Months down the line, still struggling to learn how to pray, she is either divorced or living a very miserable married life. Years down the line, we find that she has remarried four to five times in the same manner as more brothers and sisters pity her and persuade her into thinking that marriage will solve her problems. Children are born into this situation and live with a mother who is severely depressed with only one visible sign of Islam – her hijab.  It is only a matter of time before the last sign of Islam is removed and she seeks peace and tranquillity in her old lifestyle or religion. This example may seem extreme to many but shockingly this is the reality for many new Muslims.

Moving towards an extreme version of Islam

Zeal and passion for Islam is evident in many new Muslims. Like sponges, they are eager to learn, absorb and implement. There seems to be a misconstrued silent rule that upon entering Islam, a complete rejection of everything that came before is required. With an ‘all or nothing’ mentality, she severs family ties as she cannot live her life surrounded by ‘kaafirs’.  Clothes are put into bin bags and phone numbers are changed. Within a few days, the new believer changes from wearing jeans to completely covering from head to toe in black. The new Muslim believes she is moving in the correct direction as she receives impressed compliments from other sisters. Shortly down the line, those initial strict immediate changes begin to show its cracks as she wonders why she feels no connection, deep faith or tranquility in her salaah. She wonders why her heart feels dead and why she now craves to go back to the life that she once led.

Confused, depressed and with only a speck of emaan left in her heart, she wonders what to do. She cannot return to her family whom she cut ties with. In addition to the strained relationships she has with other sisters and the sisterhood, the  marriage she is in which is full of constant arguments and depression – with all this, she makes an all or nothing choice again and leaves Islam altogether.  

There are so many other issues that could be highlighted within this article. But the purpose of this article is not to depress the readers but to portray the other side of the New Muslim’s life which often goes unheard.

Ramadhan is a time where many reverts feel very alone. We know that the purpose of Ramadhan is not to socialise but rather it is to attain taqwa of Allah. However, we must try to view Ramadhan from the perspective of a new believer. Coming from a very non-Muslim sociable lifestyle, there are very few chances to really socialise. Ramadhan is seen by many reverts as a time to be with others, to share, eat and grow together. When this is not present, stark truths are deeply felt and the new Muslim begins to realise them; the family they lost upon entering Islam, their lack of Muslim friends and as a result, the huge social void in their lives begins to emerge.

Fasting those first few times without much needed encouragement to make it until iftar is a huge mountain to climb and so many new Muslims give up and break their fasts intentionally. This results in them living the rest of Ramadhan truly believing that they will never be forgiven, that Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) hates them and that they are destined for the hellfire.

Observing large extended families coming together, enjoying iftar, attending taraweeh prayer together and preparing for the equivalent of Christmas, Eid Al Fitr, is quite a depressing time as they realise yet again that they are all alone.

Eid is the most dreaded time of the year. Since they are no longer attending family functions such as weddings, birthday parties, and religious festivities, they hope that Eid would be a joyous occasion to share with others. However, some deliberately choose not to leave their homes on Eid, unable to witness everyone else’s happiness at the Eid salaah knowing that they will be returning home alone. 

How can brothers and sisters make a difference this Ramadhan and Eid? More importantly, how can brothers and sisters support reverts throughout the whole year so that the rate of apostasy is widely reduced? Here are some tips that we hope every reader will try to implement with at least one revert whom they know:

• Invite a revert around for iftar. Call them and ask after them. Do not assume that they are fine or even fasting. It doesn’t matter how long they have been Muslim. Really show that you care about them.
• Give a gift to a revert this Eid. It will build the love between you both and can have a lasting effect in their perception of Muslims at a time when they might be going through a difficult time.
• Share a part of your Eid day with a revert; even if it is just for one hour. Really go out of your way to make it a special time for them.
• Besides Ramadhan and Eid, one of the most important ways you can help a revert is to help them build a very solid foundation in their deen. Bring them closer to Allah and help them develop a strong relationship with their Creator. This step is probably the most crucial as it marks the difference in how they deal with the various tests that will come their way.
• Do not look at a revert in terms of how long they have been Muslim. Remember that they spent twenty, thirty or even forty years with certain thoughts, and practices that were completely alien to Islam. The psychological transition into a completely different way of life can take years.
• Dedicate yourself to really helping at least one revert Muslim for life – help them learn how to pray, share good and difficult times together, attend lectures together – seek knowledge together. Commit yourself to helping them for life.

MESSAGE FROM UMM RAIYAANssalamuu alaykum, As a SOLACE team we are grateful to Allah (Swt) first and foremost for the opportunity to create awareness about the difficulties reverts face. islam21c.com has been an amazing platform to further this type of awareness and we would also like to thank islam21.com for offering us the chance to contribute towards their articles.