A Reminder About the Heart and the Need to Protect It
As salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. First and foremost, all praise is due to Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala for His wisdom and knowledge, and peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Brothers and sisters, our hearts are not fixed black or white - they constantly shift, just like our iman can ebb and flow. Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala tells us in Surah An-Nisa that “mankind was created weak” (wa khuliqa al-insanu da'ifan). The heart is a vital organ; it nourishes the whole body and even affects our thinking and understanding. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam warned us about this small piece of flesh in the body: if it is sound, the whole body is sound; if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Sometimes the heart becomes sick and starts to estrange us from the mercy of Allah - we may feel everything around us seems normal, yet our heart no longer responds to the warmth, peace, and guidance that come from Allah. This shows how what we let into our hearts matters. We either fill it with peace, submission, and true contentment, or with stress, doubt, and fleeting pleasures. Life can feel like we’re suffocating, like something is off, but we still go on and life keeps passing. Are we really living fully when we chase desires that leave our heart tired for only a short-lived happiness? Ask yourself: is this true happiness, or was the closest time to real happiness when you were nearest to Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala? I say this because I care for you all, for the sake of Allah. From childhood we tend to place our hearts where they feel safe and happy, but sometimes that is an illusion. We have made this dunya into a false paradise and avoided the real path that leads to the Lord - a path that includes trials and struggles but brings us close to Allah and eternal reward. Trials are temporary; they test and refine us, leading us back to Allah, strengthening our faith, and transforming hardship into something beautiful. Don’t change with the world - change for the sake of Allah. Everything in this life changes, including our hearts and circumstances. That is why struggles are temporary - they shape us, break and rebuild us into something better if we turn to Allah. Remember that Allah, in His mercy, gave us the ability to choose where to place our hearts. The world is full of blessings from Him, but our misuse or neglect of those blessings can lead us into a loop of chasing comfort that never truly satisfies. It’s not the world’s or Allah’s fault if we feel lost; it’s often our own negligence in guarding the heart. Some may blame the world, but the real issue is allowing the heart to attach to things that pull us away from Allah’s mercy. Yet there is hope: it is never too late to fill our hearts with Allah’s reminders and love - He is Most Merciful, and no amount of sin is beyond His forgiveness if we sincerely turn back. The prophets taught us mercy and to heal the heart with good intentions and remembrance. Let that be our path: to lead by Allah, not by greed or fleeting desires. May Allah protect our hearts, increase our iman, and guide us to what pleases Him. Ameen.