Heart hardened? You can't Cry? Imaan lost...

When a Muslim stops practising and his sins increases, good deeds decreases, Ibadah reduces and Imaan starts to fall... here is where your Heart starts becoming hard, to the point that nothing of Islam touches it anymore. The Muslim starts getting attracted to haraam practices and doesn't even notice till its too late, that how far he has astrayed. Exactly like what our beloved Prophet (pbuh) said:
"There is in the body a clump of flesh - if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good and if it becomes bad, the whole body becomes bad. And indeed it is the heart." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Everyday we are surrounded by evil and haraam around us and many of us fell to the unseen sins and forget to repent and yet there are still those who even on knowing ignores and follows the steps of shaytaan... why is it that our Imaan becomes so weak when it comes to leaving internal desires or hawaa as we call it... Watching Television, Movies, listening to Music, going out for no reason to Malls, Market places that Allah dislikes, Backbiting, useless Talks, cursing/swearing, using abusive words, ignoring acts of Ibadah, spending more time socializing, giving more time to Worldly things... all of these, do you know is what makes your heart turn to stone... How will Allah remember you when you ignore to remember Him and follow your Worldly desires, even when you know its what Allah dislikes... Allah says in Surah Jaasiyah about those who follow their desires:
Verse 23: Have you seen him who takes his own lust as his god And Allah, left him astray with knowledge, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah Will you not then remember.

And Allah says in Surah Zukhruf:
Verse 36: And whosoever Ya`shu (turns away blindly) from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him Shaytan to be a Qarin (a companion) to him.) Verse 37. And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!

Why is it that the same way we take care of our health, our home, our husband and children we cant take care of our heart with Imaan & Allah's remembrance..? We always come up with excuses when it comes to join circles of Islamic knowledge or Ibadah or the fitna of ones Family takes over the right of our Deen Subhan'Allah.


In a Sahih Hadith of An-Nasa'i & Al-Tirmidhi, where Prophet (pbuh) said: "When the servant performs a sin a black spot appears on his heart, and if he seeks forgiveness this black spot is removed, and if he returns to sin the black spot grows until his heart becomes black, and this is the 'Raan' about which Allah said, 'On their hearts is the covering of sins (raan) which they used to earn (Qur'an, 83:14).'"
 
Ya Muslimeen judge yourself, below are just a few signs of ones heart who has submitted to their desires and call of shaytaan and has astrayed from Allah's obedience resulting in blacking the heart with sins and the heart is dying from Imaan, purity and softness...

1) You do not cry when you read the Quraan
2) You do not cry when you hear a Khutbah
3) You do not cry when you attend circles of knowledge (halaqa/ dars/ lectures) on remembrance of Allah
4) You do not cry out of fear of Allah
5) The cry of our Ummah does not effect your heart

A few ways to soften and cure your hardened Heart from the darkness of its sins to softness and light of Imaan...
1) Stop yourself from doing those things and going to those places that Allah dislikes
2) Increase your good deeds
3) Besides the Fard Salaah, include your Sunnah, Nawafil & Witr
4) Wake up for Tahajjud
5) Read & understand Quraan and Ahadith daily
6) Leave your bad companions & join the circle of good practising righteous Muslims
7) Attend circles of knowledge (halaqa/ dars/ lectures)
8) Read Islamic books/ literature
9) Keep Fast for the sake of Allah and to further help you guard your chastity
10) Command Good and Forbid Evil to whomever you can

A Quranic Dua' for protection of Heart from Surah Imran, Verse 8:
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.''

To soften your heart towards Imaan, read Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 8, book 76, Chapter Ar-Riqaq (to make the Heart Tender):
http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=76

A few Ahadith of Imaam Bukhari's Ar-Riqaq further explained by Dr Saleh as-Saleh (rahimaUllah):
http://abdurrahman.org/audio/SalehAsSaleh/Hadeeth_-_Al-Bukhari_Book_of_Ar-Riqaaq

Remember my dear Muslims, It is a curse to have a hardened heart and it is a blessing to have a soft heart. Those with hardened hearts suffer in this life, even though they may have all of the trappings of this life. What seems to be an enjoyable life is empty - it is filled with loneliness. They cannot find peace of mind and of heart because their hearts are hardened to Allah... to belief in Allah, to submission to Allah.
That is why Allah said in Surah Ta-Ha:
Verse 124: "…Whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgement." It is only with the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest.
As Allah says in Surah Ra'd:
Verse 28: "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."

The book on Diseases of the Hearts and their Cures by Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah can be found here: "Diseases of the Hearts & Their Cures" ... Insha'Allah for those who seek the knowledge to indeed benefit from.

In the end, I would say what I always say... before taking any step forward in your life, when confusion surrounds you and shaytaan seems to be winning, ask yourself... Will the Mothers of Believers, the righteous Wives of our beloved Prophet (pbuh), would ever do what I am about to do? Your answer will be clear but only will a heart full of Imaan follow that path...

May Allah guide us on the right path, the path of those whom He loves, the path of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) - Ameen. May Allah keep us firm on our Deen, on our Imaan and soften our heart towards al-Islam - Ameen. May Allah protect us from the evil of shaytaan and his whispers and forgive all our sins and accept all our good deeds - Ameen. May Allah open our path towards that which pleases Him alone - Allahuma Ameen.