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Strengthen Your Heart



وَكُـلاًّ نَّقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاء الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ

وَجَاءكَ فِي هَـذِهِ الْحَقُّ وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَى

لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And all that We recount unto thee of the stories of the apostles is in order that We may make firm thy heart thereby. And in this there hath come to thee truth and an exhortation and an admonition unto the believers.
[Surah Hud 11:120]

One of the reasons why Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed the stories of the previous Prophets was that these accounts would strengthen the heart of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Similarly for us, one of the best ways of gaining inspiration, strength of heart and understanding of deen is to study the lives of the sahabah (companions), pious predecessors and the ulama (scholars) of the past.


Strengthen Your Heart Part 2

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Quran:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ

لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ
“And those who disbelieve say,’Why isn’t the Quran revealed to him in one go?’ In this way We strengthen your heart…..”

[al Furqan 25/32]

The Quran was revealed piecemeal to Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم over a period of 23 years rather than all at once. Angel Jibraeel عليه السلام would come to Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم with revelation at intervals and Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم would be waiting eagerly. He would become perturbed and worried if Jibraeel عليه السلام did not arrive. When he would finally arrive with revelation, it would strengthen the heart of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Human beings are naturally forgetful and it takes constant bombardment and repetition for a message to find a place in one’s heart. Many of us fail to act upon the teachings of deen because they have not been etched in our minds and engraved in our hearts. For this reason it is vital that a person regularly and consistently attends gatherings of ilm (knowledge) because one is constantly reminded ; one’s heart is strengthened and this is the method of the Quran and sunnah of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم as demonstrated in the above verse. When a person continues to attend such gatherings over many years, there will come a time when he will see the benefit of all that learning, for example, in a situation such as a calamity or misfortune.



Experience True Love

Our religion has a lot to teach us about love. Once a person becomes immersed in the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم, nothing else means anything at all as the person reaches such a degree of imaan that he actually tastes the sweetness of imaan. How can this be achieved? Not from books but only from those people who themselves are immersed in the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى ; sit with them and the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى which is found in their hearts will find its way to you. You will be painted with the same love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم. This can only happen in pious company and by placing oneself in the care and in the servitude of our elders and our ulama (scholars) and those who have already experienced the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and who daily taste the sweetness of imaan.