Why is jealousy so prevalent? Why is hatred so predominant? Why is there so much friction between families? Why is such evil rife amongst us? Why have we lost our family values? Or most of all, why have we lost our Islamic values? The simple answer to these questions is lack of cleanliness of our hearts. The Prophet Muhammad  (peace and blessings be upon him) mentions:

“ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة: إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله، ألا وهي القلب”

“Listen! Within the body is certainly a piece of flesh, when it is flawless/sound/good (free from all spiritual diseases), the whole body will be flawless/sound/good. When it is corrupt/spoilt/unsound (filled with spiritual diseases) the whole body will be corrupt/spoilt/unsound. Listen! It is the heart”. 

(Bukhari, Hadith number:49)

From the above statement we find out that the heart is the organ from where all actions (good and evil) stem. If our heart is good then all our actions will be good and if our heart is corrupt then the same will be the outcome of our actions. Thus, the route to good actions is a clean heart.

The above statement is so comprehensive that it indicates to us the cure for the evil that is widespread amongst us. In this day and age we are not prepared to keep our hearts clean; whereas in fact the uncleanliness of our hearts plays a vital role in our way of living as good Muslims and hence the jealousy, the hatred, the negative effect on our family values, the negative effect on our Islamic values, the friction between families and evil.

Let’s take the example of a face, a person tries his utmost to keep his face clean, he tries to make sure that not even a speck of dust appears on his face, if a person’s face becomes filthy he tries all means necessary to get rid of the filth, why? Because he knows that if another person was to see him with filth on his face, it would have a negative impression regarding him on the onlooker. In exactly the same manner; when a person has a spiritually impure heart, it has a negative impact on his whole body and the way he acts. This type of person would be more prone to act in an indecent manner to others. For example, if a person has malice (which is from amongst one of the spiritual diseases) for another, it is more than likely that he will backbite the one whom he has malice for, or he might even hit him (i.e. which consists of using the hands contrary to the manners of Shariah).

Among our pious predecessors, there were those who understood and gave much importance to the cleansing of the heart that even whilst having a bath or shower, they made the prayer from their hearts: “Oh Allah, just as I am cleaning my external body in the very same manner, please, cleans my internal body (indicating to the heart)”. Furthermore, whilst going to the lavatory they use to say: “Oh Allah, just as you are giving me the ability to clean my external impurities in the very same manner, please, cleans my internal impurities (indicating to the spiritual impurities of the heart)”.

Moreover, let’s not forget a very important tradition/habit (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad  (peace and blessings be upon him):

قال أنس بن مالك، قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يا بني، إن قدرت أن تصبح وتمسي ليس في قلبك غش لأحد فافعل» ثم قال لي: «يا بني وذلك من سنتي، ومن أحيا سنتي فقد أحبني، ومن أحبني كان معي في الجنة»

Hadhrat Anas ibn Malik  (may Allah be pleased with him) states: the Messenger of Allah  (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “Oh my son, if you can spend your day and night in such a state where there is nothing of deception in your heart for anyone (that you don’t have hatred for anyone) then do so” Thereafter he said to me: “And that is from my Sunnah (tradition), and whoever revives my Sunnah (tradition)  he has loved me, and whoever loved me shall be with me in paradise”.

(Tirmidhi, Hadith number:2678)

From the above narration we can clearly conclude that keeping the heart free from spiritual ailments is an act that not only has an impact on our morals, but it is also a gateway to paradise.