`

How Allah strengthens the hearts of believers

How Allah strengthens the hearts of believers
by
April 19, 2024
in Khutbah
No Comments
1094

An-Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying,

عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُله أَلا وَهِي الْقلب». متفق عليه.

“Verily, there is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good; but if it becomes corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. Verily, it is the heart.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

In this narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) confirms the importance of the spiritual heart in this life and in the afterlife as well. The heart is the physical and spiritual core of our life. Our actions and intentions are all related to the heart. If the heart is sound, the intentions and actions are sound. If the heart is corrupt, then no matter what you do, actions will be corrupted. This is why Allah mentions the heart repeatedly in different ways – as the heart (qalb) as well as the chest (sadr).

The heart is so important and the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to supplicate Allah to keep his heart firm.

The volatility of the heart

“The heart was not named Qalb except because of its constant changing.”

عن شهر بن حوشب قال: قلت لأم سلمة رضي الله عنها ، يا أم المؤمنين، ما كان أكثر دعاء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا كان عندك؟ قالت: كان أكثر دعائه: «يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك». 

Shahr ibn Hawshab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

I asked Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): “O Mother of the Believers, what was the supplication that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say most frequently when he was with you?” She said: “The supplication he said most frequently was:

‘O Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion!'”  (Tirmidhi)

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: «يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ» فَقُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِكَ وَبِمَا جِئْتَ بِهِ فَهَلْ تَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللَّهِ يُقَلِّبُهَا كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ»..

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) often said, “O You who turns the hearts about, establish my heart in Your religion.” Anas said, “Prophet of God, do you fear for us who believe in you and in your message?” He replied, “Yes. The hearts are between two of God’s fingers and He turns them about as He wills.”  (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

عن الْمِقْدَادِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ قَالَ: مَا آمَنُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ بَعْدَ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:”لَقَلْبُ ابْنِ آدَمَ أَسْرَعُ تَقَلُّبًا مِنَ الْقِدْرِ إِذَا استجمعت غليانا”.

I do not feel safe for anyone after what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) who said:

‘The heart of the son of Adam changes more rapidly than a pot when it boils.’ (Ibn Abi Asim)

When the pot is boiling, the water bubbles vehemently and is in an unstable state, transitioning from a liquid to a gas. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked for firmness in faith. In another narration, Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ “‏ مَثَلُ الْقَلْبِ مَثَلُ الرِّيشَةِ تُقَلِّبُهَا الرِّيَاحُ بِفَلاَةٍ ‏”‏

‘The likeness of the heart is that of a feather blown about by the wind in the desert.'” (Ibn Majah and Ahmad)

How to keep the heart firm

In different ayahs of the Quran, Allah tells us He gives some hearts extra power, and tells us how He makes other hearts weak as He casts fear in them. He said in Surat Al Anfal:

إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ فَاضْرِبُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْناقِ وَاضْرِبُوا مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنانٍ

“When your Lord inspired to the angels, ‘I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.’ ” (8:12)

Therefore no matter how much miliary might or strength the disbelievers may have, Allah will cast fear in them so they will collapse. Regardless of their numbers or ammunition, if Allah casts fear in them they will ultimately collapse. At the same time, Allah fills the hearts of believers with strength. The Quran uses a special term for this, rabata. When you tie a rope firmly, this is rabata.

Ibn Ashur said:


The reality of Rabata is to tighten the bond on something, which is metaphorically strengthening the heart and removing disturbance.

Ibn Ashur provided insight into the verse in Surat al Qasas where the mother of Musa (peace be upon him) faced peril and had to place him in a basket in the river. Allah fortified her heart, enabling her to take this action; otherwise, she might have faltered and endangered herself. She was desperately scared, but Allah gave her strength.

وَأَصۡبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَـٰرِغًاۖ إِن كَادَتۡ لَتُبۡدِی بِهِۦ لَوۡلَاۤ أَن رَّبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ

And the heart of the mother of Mūsā became restless; indeed she was about to disclose this (the real facts about Mūsā), had We not strengthened her heart to remain among those who have firm belief (in Allah’s promise). (Al-Qaṣaṣ, Ayah 10)

The term ‘rabata’ appears three times in Quran: firstly in Surat al Qasas, where it fortified the resolve of Musa’s mother, then again in Surat al Kahf. Ibn Ashur said that when you strengthen a weak limb, you bandage it or put it in cast. This allows the limb to heal and mends the fracture.

In Surat al Kahf, in the story of the People of Cave, Allah strengthened their hearts when they were trying to escape from persecution, as they had done all they could to deliver the truth, going against the tyrant of their time, and now their lives were in danger.

وَرَبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِذۡ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰ⁠تِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَن نَّدۡعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إلهاً لَّقَدۡ قُلۡنَاۤ إِذࣰا شَطَطًا

We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never invoke any god other than Him, otherwise we would be saying something far from the truth. (Surat al-Kahf, Ayah 14)

The third instance rabata is mentioned is on the battlefield. Allah Almighty said that He gave courage to the believers in Surat al Anfal in the Battle of Badr, as He did again at the Battle of Uhud,

إِذۡ یُغَشِّیكُمُ ٱلنُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً وَیُنَزِّلُ عَلَیۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ لِّیُطَهِّرَكُم بِهِۦ وَیُذۡهِبَ عَنكُمۡ رِجۡزَ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِ وَلِیَرۡبِطَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَیُثَبِّتَ بِهِ ٱلۡأَقۡدَامَ

When He covered you with drowsiness, as tranquility (descending) from Him and sent down upon you water from the heavens, so that He might purify you with it, and remove from you the impurity of Satan, and so that He might strengthen your hearts and make (your) feet firm therewith. (Surat Anfāl, Ayah 11)

This is extra power that Allah gave those who are in difficulty. He assured them He was with them – whether in a verbal altercation between truth and falsehood, or a physical fight, at an individual level or on the battlefield.

We see this incredible and extraordinary strength in the people of Gaza today. No one can imagine going through what they are enduring. It is only the divine strength He has imbued them with that has enabled them to carry the load of the Ummah on their shoulders.

When Allah strengthens your heart

Allah strengthens the hearts of those who turn to Him, seek His aid, and rely on Him in three situations:

The first situation is during Jihad for the sake of Allah, as mentioned in Surat Al-Anfāl, Ayah 11.

The second situation is when speaking the truth in front of tyrants, as in Surat al-Kahf, Ayah 14.

The third situation is during times of calamity and trials as we see in Surat al-Qaṣaṣ, Ayah 10.

The people of Gaza are carrying the Ummah

It is not us who are doing the people of Gaza a favour by making dua for them. It is them who are showing the world what is the truth and what is falsehood. This is the explanation of the Quran before our eyes. This is the beauty of the Quran. It is timeless.

Bear in the mind that Allah will not strength the hearts of those who are disbelievers or those who cling to dunya.

Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ ‏”‏ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْوَهَنُ قَالَ ‏”‏ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ ‏”‏ .ابو داود.

“Soon the nations will call each other against you, just as people call one another to eat from a dish.” Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers that day?” He replied, “No, you will be numerous that day, but you will be like the foam of the sea, and Allah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will throw wahn into your hearts.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is wahn?” He said, “Love of the world and dislike of death.” [Abu Dawood]

Allah strengthens the hearts of those who cling to Allah and the Hereafter. If you support the cause of Allah, Allah will support you.

“O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.” (47:7)

A sound heart is strong heart

The soundness of our heart depends on our connection with Allah. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that it is the morsel of flesh which determines the health of our whole body. On the Day of Judgment, nothing will benefit anyone except the soundness of their heart. When you obey Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), Allah will give you a booster to your heart and make your faith firm. If you are intoxicated by desires and clouded by worldly affairs, however, your heart will be weak. You need to polish your heart through repentance and fulfilling your obligations. Then Allah will give you strength.

Since Allah created Adam there has been a battle between good and evil, truth and falsehood, which will not stop until the Day of Judgement. No matter what, we must side with the truth.

In yesterday’s vote on full UN membership for Palestine, 12 out of 15 members voted in favour, but two abstained – Britain and France. One country, the US, used its veto and Palestine’s chance of finally becoming a full member of the UN collapsed, showing that international law, justice and human rights are meaningless. The veto overrides fairness. The International Court of Justice were unable to deliver justice. The UN is controlled by ongoing dictatorship as long as the veto is in place. I wish to live to see the veto scrapped and real justice served.

We ask Allah to grant us firmness in our faith. Ameen.

Based on the Khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim 19th April 2024

share

Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

Recommended Posts