Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

Society Religion & Philosophy
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It is reported that Ibrâhîm b. Adham (d162H) – Allâh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abû Ishâq, Allâh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrâhîm] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allâh but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allâh’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytân but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ’ 8: 15, 16.

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

very nice topic

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

I will have to re-write this.

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

As believing Muslims we should always seek refuge from a dead heart. The heart is very important in worshipping Allah. So when you pray strive to do it with the presence of your heart, strive to keep in mind WHOM you are standing before, it is the very being that created YOU. The creator of this universe, it is with his will that we even breathe. Also think well of Allah, he IS certainly very powerful, and certainly he IS very merciful, all that is required from us is trust and patience. Trust Allah with certainty of a reply: One must be certain that Allah does whatever he wishes, whenever he wishes.

All the actions depend on the heart's belief (conviction) and therefore the heart is considered the most important organ of the body, a Hadith the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Indeed, there is a flesh in your body that if it be sound, then the whole body is sound, and if it be corrupt then the whole body be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart." (Sahih, Muslim)

Also in another relevant verse Allah says, "O you have attained to faith! Do not attempt to pray while you are in a state of drunkenness, but wait until you know what you are saying" (An-Nissaa 4:43) So for myself instead of making supplication in arabic script repeating what I do not understand I beseech in my own language in an effort to keep my heart attentive. I use only verses of Arabic that I fully comprehend. (In salah I obviously use only Arabic).

The following excerpt may help describe what it means for one to have an attentive heart, I don't remember the source by the author is Imam Ali: "When they come across a verse which contains awe, they bend their ears of their hearts towards it, and feel as though the sound of Hell and the cries are reaching their ears. If they come across a verse creating eagerness of Paradise, they pursue it avidly, and their spirits turn towards it eagerly, and they feel as it it is right there in front of them" This is being attentive. The ability to believe with so much depth that you can feel/see it right before your very eyes.

I hope I am not off mark with my conclusion. I do a lot of leisure reading (Islam, makeup, health, cooking), and I always keep a bank of knowledge on my hard drive,& always store info I find beneficial to my well being.

Please remember me in your prayers as well :p I most certainly will appreciate it.

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

very nice polished gems but i always have one question how can we strong our iman and faith .. means if we pray and our dua or desire or any type of diffuculty came so we get depressed i know na umedi gunnah hain but still what i can do for strong faith

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

Peace cancerian87,

In that case be in patience and remember Almighty Allah. ur patience will may be last few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years. Indeed 'patience' is highly good deeds among many others.

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Re: Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

Subhan'Allah! Very powerful verse indeed. Jazak'Allahu khair for this.