Five Useful Ways for Softening A Stiff Heart

Heart is commonly associated with feelings, emotions and sentiments. Whenever someone speaks nicely or acts gently with others, that person is said to be kind-hearted, while the ill treatment of others labels one being hard-hearted. The Islamic point of view regarding this matter includes both religious and communal decency. An-Nu`man ibn Bashir once narrated the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to have said:

“Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (i.e., reformed), the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt, and that is the heart.” (Al-Bukhari)

The above mentioned Hadith gives broader insight about goodness of one`s heart. It says that this organ in body decides most of our actions. If it is filled with the fear of Allah SWT and love for His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), then such person would act rightfully while if it is lost in the gravity of ignorance from Islamic convictions, the individual would move towards immorality.

Now let us talk about some of the essential guidelines for softening of one`s heart towards attainment of spiritual uprightness:

1. Fearing Allah SWT And His Remembrance

The foremost criterion of taking one`s soul towards morality is being afraid of Wrath of the Almighty Lord. This helps a true Muslim in keeping away from the sins and purification of one`s heart from all the worldly enjoyments. Apart from fearing God, one can also take help from His constant memory as He is the Most Merciful. Allah SWT describes the state of devotees of Islam in the Holy Quran as:

So, one can attain the tranquility of heart by first having fright of the Most Powerful in case of one`s wrongful deeds and then ultimately getting the serenity through His commemoration.

2. Remembrance Of Death And Day of Resurrection

Majority of our problems arise due to negligence of the fact that we indulge in the worldly and materialistic gains, which ultimately leads us towards avoidance of our religious obligations, like praying five times a day, fasting, and conducting Zakat (charity) etc.

The passion for upholding the necessary holy duties can be gained through constant memory of one`s death and the hereafter.

This Ayah shows that the world is a temporary place to live in, and each one will have to die at some specific time. Everybody will be responsible for its actions and be handed over the reward accordingly. It also tells about wishing for the ultimate prize, i.e. paradise while living on earth which is possible only through cleansing of one`s heart from all the deceiving pleasures of the world.

3. Seeking Allah`s Forgiveness Through Tawbah

No doubt, Allah SWT forgives the transgressions of its servants when they ask for His Pardon, even when their crimes are up to the heights of the sky. The Apostle (PBUH) of Allah said:

When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. (Ibn Majah)

Hence, one can always ask for Allah`s pardon after realizing the harmful consequences of its wrongdoings, and can also get the purification of its heart through repenting on its sins.

4. Reflecting On The Holy Quran

The Sacred Scripture of the Almighty Lord is full of advices and parables which takes us towards upholding uprightness, have complete faith in Allah SWT, and avoiding the way of the Satan. God, the Exalted says in His Book:

It means that Furqan e Hameed consists of such inspirational revelations which are a great source of getting enlightenment on many issues no matter religious or social. And Allah Almighty has given the example of a mountain and described its trembling state if Quran were revealed on it. So, if a hard rock can soften up because of fear of the Lord, then one can understand the extent of need for a Muslim to weaken its heart for the sake of Allah and avoid indiscretion.

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5. Thinking About The Creations Of Allah

Allah SWT has created the entire universe with such perfection that nobody can ever imagine a thing like He has made. No matter how much science and technology progress, they cannot emulate and match the flawlessness that is found in the Almighty`s formations. For example, the scientists have although successfully produced the clones (identical beings) of a person but they are short lived and prone to diseases. Man has reached on the surface of the Moon and is planning to live on Mars but the fact remains that there are endless possibilities in the entire universe which are still to be discovered. These shows the incomparable formations of the Almighty Lord, Who says in the Holy Quran:

This verse shows that there are enough symbols and signs spread across the space and within the souls of a person which are enough for one to think that they cannot be made by any ordinary being, but Allah SWT. Indeed, pondering over all of these miraculous creations gives one to think about its dependence on the Lord for all its needs, and helps in making its heart to praise One God.

In short, the hardening and softening of heart of a true believer is all down to the fear and remembrance, of Allah Almighty, thinking about one`s death and the Judgment Day, asking the Most Merciful for His pardon, understanding and acting on the Quranic instructions, and last but not the least, reflecting on the astounding creations of Allah SWT.