Quran the Message that Bestows life

The Book sent by the Merciful Lord through his exalted Prophet (s.a.) contains natural and spiritual laws, it has the message of life and teachings that enliven the hearts.

The Almighty says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ

“O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life”

(Surah Anfal 8:24)

And

أَوَ مَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا

“Is he who was dead then We raised him to life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, like him whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth?”

(Surah Anam 6:122)

O living heart! You do not know who is a dead one! A corpse is one who does not remember Allah!” (Shaykh Sa’adi)

The Holy Quran says,

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً

“Whoever does good whether male or female and he is a believer, We will most certainly make him live a happy life.”

(Surah Nahl 16:97)

The hearts, which are dead due to disbelief and hypocrisy, turn to belief and the real lif if the solid proofs of Quran convince them. Thus it is this Quran, which is a cure for the hidden ailments.

وَشِفَاء لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ

“And a healing for what is in the breasts.”

(Surah Yunus 10:57)

At another place the Quran says,

قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاء

“Say: It is to those who believe a guidance and a healing.”

(Surah Ha Mim 41:44)

And also,

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers.”

(Surah Bani Israel 17:82)

Thus the Holy Quran is the absolute cure. It cures the spiritual diseases of its followers It is a clear mercy too. It bestows its believers with well being, health and fortitude. It teaches them to acquire good morals. It commands them to live peacefully in the society and the obtained its benefits.

Refutation of a wrong Notion

Due to lack of knowledge some people say: “The sins of the heart are such that they are committed in large numbers.” They say that is not possible for human beings to escape them. Therefore it is not our duty to avoid them. That is it is not necessary to avoid them under the law of Shariat. Hence there is no divine chastisement for such things.” Some people also say: “These are only moral teachings and it is not certain whether they are prohibited by Shariah.”

Those who say such things carry a wrong notion:

“The sins of the hart are those improper thoughts that often occur to the people. It is not possible to prevent them from occurring to our minds. Therefore such matters do not fall within the purview of religious obligations and they do not carry divine chastisement.”

However, there is a difference between the “Sin of the heart” and “thoughts.” The sins of the heart are such that one can prevent them from entering ones heart. If they are already present in ones heart they can be removed by the person. The sins of the heart are things that remain in the heart.

For example you see a Muslim man on a wine shop. A thought comes to you that he is an alcoholic and he is there to purchase wine. This thought has entered your heart involuntarily. Now it depends upon you to keep this thought a permanent place in your heart. You begin to think bad of the person and label him a drunkard and a transgressor. Thinking bad about a Muslim is a sin of the heart.

If you desire you can at once realize that it is a satanic instigation. You can justify the circumstances of man. You can say that ‘perhaps he has come for some other important errand’. ‘May be that he I waiting for someone’. You can rid your heart of evil thoughts by finding similar justifications.

Or for example, you see someone having a new possession of bounty. A thought strikes you immediately: why did he get this bounty? If you at once realize that it is a satanic thought and by the light of your faith and knowledge you discard it from your mind there would be no sin on you. Involuntary thoughts are altogether among the forgiven deeds. Whenever a thought like this occurs to you, you must at once say to yourself that, ‘Allah has given him these bounties. It is according to divine wisdom. To object the againsts a divine act is equal to disbelief. Allah is having the power to give a similar or better bounty.’

However, if you give a permanent place to this thought in your heart and wish that the person lost that bounty, you become afflicted with a sin of the heart, namely, jealousy.

Or for example, you have been hurt by a word or action of another person. Now it is possible for you to ignore it, forgive him or to take a suitable revenge. But if instead of this you become inimical to him and you hurt him more than he has harmed you, you shall be involved in the sin of the heart that is known as malice.

Thinking bad of someone, jealousy and malice, as you have seen are such things that find a permanent place in your heart. And it is within your powers to allow them to settle in your heart or not. It is also upto you whether you let them remain in your heart or throw them out. A passing thought even if it is based on disbelief is pardonable because it was involuntary and there is no sin for it.

To be cautious of Satanic whisperings is a sign of belief

It is mentioned in Usoole Kafi that in the time of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) the Satan put an evil thought in the heart of a person. He said, “Who has created you?” “Allah”, replied this man. “Who has created Allah?” asked the Satan. This person was very aggrieved and worried due to this thought. He came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) and said, “I am finished!” and then he narrated the details. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said,

“By Allah! This is pure belief (Eimaan).”

That is, since he feared divine retribution, it showed that he was cautious of the Satan’s whispering. Therefore it is a proof of belief and actual belief itself.

There are many traditions in Usoole Kafi that imply that there shall be no punishment for unsuitable thoughts. These narrations state that one can avoid evil thoughts by reciting ‘Laa ihaaha illallaah.’ Another tradition mentions a command to recite Allah’s remembrance by saying Aamanna billahe wa rosoolehi wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah.

“We believe in Allah and His Messenger and there is no power and might except by Allah.”

Our discussion so far has shown us that the sins of the heart are the things that remain behind in the heart and we have control over them. They are not like passing thoughts. This book shall prove the illegality of each of these sins from the point of view of Shariat.

There is no other way

The cure of the Spiritual diseases and the well being and health of the heart are not such that some person would consider them easy or ignore them. It requires a great effort. One has to fight against the self. Sometimes we have to forgo pleasures. It is not that we disregard those pleasures. Rather, at that time we are sacrificing a lesser pleasure something much higher and pleasurable. All this becomes necessary for a pure human life. In order to reach such heights we have consider difficulty as ease and consider problems to be bounties.

Consider grief as a bounty because the aim has become higher. You are looking at the eye of the hynea around the flock of sheep as if it is a seashell.

A person with a healthy heart spends his life in peace and ease. He achieves the satisfaction of his Lord. The worldly grief is compensated by spiritual delights. When a person with a peaceful heart departs from this world he begins a life that is absolutely restful and filled with pleasures. He is offered such bounties as the eye has never seen, the ear never heard and no one has even imagined them. He achieves a real kingdom. Whatever he desires is at once presented to him.

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا

“And when you see there, you shall see blessings and a great kingdom.”

(Surah Dahr 76:20)

An Astounding Fact

How surprising that man goes to great lengths to assure his physical health and well being. He spends a great part of his wealth on it and even takes bitter medicines and gets himself operated. But he does nothing for the well being of his heart. He pays no heed to the cure of his spiritual diseases. The matter of spiritual health is much more important than physical health. But man makes no effort to get this cure. He ignores the advice of Allah and the Prophet (s.a.) regarding these internal ailments. He is completely heedless. Whatever worldly discomforts he has to suffer due to spiritual diseases, he resigns himself to them. He considers the punishment that awaits him in the Hereafter to be distant. He has no faith in it. The doctor says: This disease could prove fatal and he believes it at once. Till his last moments he strives to be cured. But when Allah and the Prophet says, “The spiritual diseases are indeed fatal!” It is surprising that man is not prepared to accept that he is prove to be harmed by the spiritual illnesses. Even if there had been a slightest risk reason would have compelled him to take precautionary measures.

Allah only tells you to abstain from wine in this life. The doctor only tells you to avoid sweets when you have jaundice.” You do not forgo a haraam act for the sake of religion when Allah says. But for the sake of physical health you forgo a halaal thing?”

(Persian couplets)

The curtain of heedlessness will be removed at the time of death. Man shall see himself and his diseases. But at that time he shall find no cure for them. No matter how much he entreats Allah, no matter how much he repents, he shall not be of any use.

أَن تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يَا حَسْرَتَى علَى مَا فَرَّطتُ فِي جَنبِ اللَّهِ

“Lest a soul should say: O woe to me! For what I fell short of my duty to Allah.”

(Surah Zumar 39:56)

Prescription is not a cure

Some Muslims think that it is sufficient to recite the Kalema. They think that it is enough that the Holy Quran is a heavenly and a religious book. They keep it on a shelf. On a high shelf. They do not read its verses with introspection. They do not act upon its exalted method of living. However, if a doctor writes a prescription for him he does not act in this way. That one keeps it in his pocket and feels content with it or keeps it on a high shelf. He does not rest till he purchases the medicines prescribed in it and till he partakes them. It would certainly be illogical to go to a doctor, get a prescription from him and just sit at home. His common sense will prevent him from such behavior.

Disbelief (Kufr) is not the only Spiritual Disease

There are some other Muslims who act upon some of the Quranic commands. For example they offer prayers, keep fasts etc. But there is no soul of life in their actions. They ignore other teachings of the Quran. On top of it they consider themselves owners of Qalbe Saleem (a peaceful heart). They think that the divine retribution that is prescribed for spiritual diseases is concerned only with the disbelievers. Due to this wrong notion they become proud and continue in this compounded ignorance forever. (Compounded ignorance is that they are ignorant of their ignorance!)

They have a mistaken notion that the only spiritual disease is Kufr. It is only one of its kinds. There are many other spiritual ailments and the Holy Quran has mentioned their cure in various places.

Despite being a Muslim, one can be afflicted with spiritual diseases. The following two verses are sufficient to prove this statement.

لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ

“If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist, We shall most certainly set you over them.”

(Surah Ahzab 33:60)

وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا مَثَلًا

“And that those in whose hearts is a disease and the unbelievers may say: What does Allah mean by this parable?”

(Surah Muddasir 74:31)

As you see both these verses mention Muslims who have disease in the heart, which is why they are mentioned separately along with the disbelievers and hypocrites.

Now who is that Muslim who has never been a target of changing thoughts and satanic whispherings? Who has remained steadfast in Allah’s service and never looked towards or attracted by evil? Who could claim to be absolutely pure of selfish desires? All these are some of the diseases of the heart and polytheism is just a kind of this illness. Allah says,

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

“And most of them do not believe in Allah without associating others (with Him).”

(Surah Yusuf 12:106)

It is related from Imam Baqir (a.s.) that “associating” in this verse implies associating in obedience. On one hand people believe in the Oneness of Allah and consider Him alone worthy of worship. But on the other hand they obey the Shaitan also. They become obedient to him in performing sinful acts. And Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says,

“Indeed this ayat is aimed at more than two-thirds of the people.”

(Usoole Kafi)

Who is that Muslim who has remained free all his life from jealousy, malice, pride and greed? The Holy Quran has mentioned the spiritual ailments. Thus it is obligatory upon all Muslims to study them. In addition to the Quran they must also pay attention to the sayings of Ahle Bayt (a.s.). They should act upon the laws framed by the scholars based on Quran and hadith. Beware, that the time of repentance passes away.

Lack of belief – The Real Ignorance

A heart that is bereft of faith is afflicated by such diseases that are compared to blindness, dumbness and deafness by the Holy Quran,

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ

“Deaf, dumb (and) blind, so they do not understand.”

(Surah Baqarah 2:171)

That is, the hearts of those whose ears are incapable of hearing the truth, whose tongues cannot speak truth and whose eyes cannot see the reality.

The Quran also says,

وَمَن كَانَ فِي هَـذِهِ أَعْمَى فَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ أَعْمَى

“And whoever is blind in this, he shall (also) be blind in the hereafter.”

(Surah Bani Israel 17:72)

This verse and other such verses inform us that in the Hereafter the apparent form of people will be the same as their inner form. For example,

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ

“On the day when hidden things shall be made manifest.”

(Surah Tariq 86:9)

Thus one who has not see Allah with his inner eye, has not trusted the truth and has not aligned himself with the right way, in the Hereafter, too, he shall not be able to see Allah’s bounties. In the same way one who has not perceived truth by the ears of his heart and has not accepted it, he would not be able to hear the pleasurable bounties of Paradise and its inmates.

Such hearts do not have a healthy faith. Hearts bereft of faith one sick hearts. The Almighty says,

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ

“There is a disease in their hearts.”

(Surah Baqarah 2:10)

فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ

“So a seal is set upon their hearts.”

(Surah Munafiqoon 63:3)

أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

“Nay, on the hearts there are locks.”

(Surah Muhammad 47:24)

كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“Nay! Rather, what they used to do has become like rust . upon their hearts.”

(Surah Mutafafeen 83:14)

كَالأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ

“There are as cattle, nay, there are in worse errors.”

(Surah Araaf 7:179)

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللّهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

“Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve.”

(Surah Anfal 8:55)

A Disbeliever is worse than animals

The superiority of men over animals is that Allah has given human beings the capacity to perceive the truth. He can heed advice and act upon it. One who doe not use this ability is deprived of the status of a human being. All that remains in him is a beast or an animal.

In the first supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiya Imam Zainul Aabedin (a.s.) says:

“And were they to be such, they would certainly have gone beyond the bounds of humanity into the frontiers of beastliness. They would have conformed to the description which He has given in His Unique Book, Saying, “What are they except like brutes or even more aberrant from the way?”