The means to a righteous heart - Sheikh Saleh al Fawzaan

Question: What is the way to the righteousness of the heart and to purify it from hatred and envy? And what are the most helpful means to make the heart righteous in this life?

Answer:  Righteousness of the heart is achieved by a few things.

The first: having a sincere intention for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, in the righteous deeds. And remembering the Greatness of Allaah, the Majestic and Exalted, remembering that you stand in need of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and increasing in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah. Allaah, the Most High, has said:

{Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.}

[Soorah ar-Ra'd (13): 28]

So from that which brings the heart to life, is increasing in the remembrance of Allaah. And verily, he (the Prophet) صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم has said:

“The example of the one who remembers Allaah and the one who doesn’t remember Allaah, is like the example of the living and the dead.”

Also from the means of bringing the heart to life, is eating from halaal (legal, permissible food) and staying away from eating haraam (forbidden food). For verily, eating from haraam hardens the heart, corrupts the heart or makes the heart sick. Because bad food influences the heart and the body.

Also from the means of bringing the heart to life… Allaah, the Most High, has said:

{O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat (all kinds of Halaal foods which Allaah has made legal), and do righteous deeds.}

[Soorah al-Mu'minoon (23):51]

And Allaah has ordered the believers with that which He ordered the Messengers with. He said:

{O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah – Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the Tayyibaat that We have provided you with.}

[Soorah al-Baqarah (2):172]

He should eat from the Tayyibaat, meaning: the permissible things. Because Allaah makes the Tayyibaat permissible for us and makes the Khabaa’ith (all evil and bad things) forbidden for us. So eating from the Tayyibaat, which are the permissible things, feeds the hearts a good meal. And eating from the Khabaa’ith feeds the hearts a bad meal.

That which makes the hearts sick as well, is listening to songs and musical instruments, which has increased a lot in this time! And that which makes the hearts sick as well or makes it die, is being devoted to satellite TV, the internet and what is broadcasted in these media from wickedness, evil thoughts, forbidden desires and disgusting scenes. This is from that which makes the hearts sick.

Also, accompanying bad people and sitting with them corrupts the hearts. Similarly, accompanying the best people, the scholars and the people of khayr (good), is from that which brings the hearts to life.

Translated by: Yâsîn Abu Ibrâhîm