"If we examine the trials and tribulations all over earth, we'll find they are rooted in human hearts. Every criminal, miser, abuser, scoffer, embezzler, and hateful person does what he or she does because of a diseased heart. So if you want to change our world, do not begin by rectifying the outward. Instead, change the condition of the inward. It is from the unseen world that the phenomenal world emerges, and it is from the unseen realm of our hearts that all actions spring...."
Excerpted from Hamza Yusuf's "Purification Of The Heart"- my favorite book in the whole wide world!
I wish that each and every one of us would have a copy of this book. A copy not just to read once and stash away, half-hidden on a library shelf. But a copy that remains by our side, continuously read, re-read and pondered. This isn't a normal book that you can afford to read, put aside and remember some of it but forget most.
Every page in this book is a unique jewel, glowing with meanings that will stir your mind, heart and soul. You are left feeling awed, inspired and thirsty for more.
Last night before I fell asleep, I sat in my bed reading it with only my side lamp on. Even though I had read those very same pages before, the experience was just as spiritually uplifting, thought provoking, and surreal. I was momentarily transferred to somewhere else... someowhere much purer.
This book tackles each and every disease that manifests itself within the hearts in the form of hatred, miserliness, envy, arrogance, vanity, anger, fraud and headlessness.
It speaks of all those diseases and many more, and discusses their underlying causes and cures.
Can you imagine a world free of those ungodly traits?
You can't change the world, or the fact that it is full of such diseases. What you can do however, is stop cursing the world and start working on yourself. Together, we must embark on this journey of purification. Let's start from our hearts.... that's what will really count at the end.
The Qoran verse describes the Day of Judgement as a day in which neither wealth nor children shall be of any benefit [to anyone], except one who comes to God with a sound heart (Quran, 26:88-89)
I'll leave you with another random excerpt I read today:
"There is foolishness in being vain about what one has accomplished, given its ephemeral nature. But when one is thankful to God and acknowledges and praises Him as the source of this goodness, then the accomplishment outlasts our earthly lives and the memories of people, for God preserves it."
This is probably way off topic here, but this is how Hamza Yusuf chooses to end his "Acknowledgments" section:
Finally, my immense gratitude goes to the mother of my children, Liliana, whose pure heart is fortunate enough not to need the content of this book.
I was so touched, I wanted to cry.
Isn't it the sweetest thing? EVER..
2 comments:
To realize that the greatest rewards and prizes fil dunia wal akhreh can be obtained simply by observing this little "Mudhgha" within us,in reference to al 7adeeth al nabawai:
Ina fil jasad mudhgaha itha sala7at sala7a al jasad kulahu wa itha fasadat fasada al jasad kuluhu.( I'm quoting from memory).
Also , I just love the story about the man whom the prophet singled out as destinied for "al jannah " on 3 consecutive days , arousing the curiousity of al sa7abah for his extraordianry worship earning him such a privilige ! Then comes the big surprise when the sa7abi sought to discover his secret : He earned this "bushra" doing nothing more than what everybody does ,except for one more thing, he sleeps every night with a PURE HEART holding no grudge, envey or hatred for any one!!
A pure heart !! If we can only observe this little mudhgah within us , remembering again how the prophet(peace be upon him) at the end of a 7adeeth hit with his palm upon his heart and said:
"Al takwa ha huna, al takwa ha huna ."
Alluhuma i7faz lana slamat kuloobina wa ij3al ghinana fi kuloobina .
So very true susu:)
May Allah bless us all with pure hearts.. for it is the greatest of blessings!
Post a Comment