Part 5

their disease. [Sarah al-Bagarah (2) : 10]

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Concerning the Ailments of the Hearts and their Cures

That He may make what is thrown in by Satan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts are hardened.

[Surah al-Haj (22) : 53]

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If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread false news among the people of Madinah cease not, We shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbours but for a little while.

[Sarah al-Abzab (33) : 60]

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..and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the believers, and that these in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah intend by this parable?’

[Sarah al-Muddathtbir (74) : 31]

Theos Si AONE Breve fhe FS a “oe 55, . ena IFES AVSSY SCALE) Cis; i) ... There has come to you good advice from your Lord, and a healing for that which is in the

hearts, a guidance and a mercy for the believers.

[Sarah Yunus (10) : 57]

eS OP PIP Se Cre 4,72 Ge Coa ered ae DERM o Wy cea, And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrong-doerts in nothing but

loss. [Sarab al-Isra’ (17) : 82| 2. Fee th oer Dh Ite PIO Sr oh DIL GS;

BOa att ae acest teed AB roe ASS fetal Kal oy) 42 ol Lee ..and heal the breast of a believing people and

removes the anger of their hearts... [seerah Tawbah (9) : 14-15}

The disease of the body is the opposite of its being sound and in good health, it is a degeneration that occurs in it causing a failure of the natural senses of perception and movement. So with respect to its perception either it goes completely such as blindness or deafness, or it perceives objects incorrectly - such as its perceiving something sweet to be bitter or its hallucinating things that have no reality in the real world. With respect to the failure of its movements then examples of this would be the inability to digest food, or the body’s aversion to nourishment that it is need of, or its desire of things that would weaken it, leading to illnesses as a result of these but not leading to death or physical ruin.

Instead these failures would lead to suffering of the actual body either as a result of consuming a wrong quantity of some-

Concerning the Ailments of the Hearts and their Cures

thing or applying something to the body in the wrong way. As for the first, then it could be consuming too little a quantity of nourishment and therefore the body would require more, or it could be by consuming too much and therefore the body would requite it to be removed. As for the second, then it could be like extremely high of low temperatures due to incorrect usage of medicine.

The same is true for the disease of the heart for it is a type of degeneration that occurs in it, causing failure in its perception and desires. So with respect to its perception then this is degenerated by its being presented with doubts upon doubts until it cannot see the truth or it perceives the teuth incorrectly. Its desires are degenerated by its hating the truth which would be of benefit to it, and loving the falsehood that would cause it harm. So this is why ‘diseases’ has sometimes been explained to be doubt and suspicion, as was explained by Mujahid and Qatadah in their commentaries to the vetse,

rr yg typ ret Mer a. Leal 0315 SF go bg In their hearts is a disease and Allah has increased their disease.

[S#rab al-Bagarah (2) : 10}

and at other times to be the desite to commit fornication as in the case of the verse,

Leathe her te Base wos Ob AIOE) 2p sb alieks «Lest he in whose heart is a disease be moved

with desire. [Sarah al-Abeab (33) + 32]

This is why al-Khar®iti authored a book called, ‘The book of the Weakness of the Hearts Meaning their Diseases,’ meaning by ‘diseases’ here - the diseases of desire.

The sick person is harmed by things that the healthy person is not, so slight heat, cold, exertion or other such things will harm him due to his inability to endure them in his weakened state. Sickness, in general, weakens the one afflicted by making his endurance weak and unable to sustain what he would have been able to sustain in a strong state. So a healthy state is preserved by remaining healthy and is removed by the opposite, and the sickness is made more severe by the presence of conditions similar to those that led to the sickness in the first place and removed by the opposite. Therefore, if a sick person is afflicted by something similar to that which led him to being sick in the first place, then he increases in illness and his endurance becomes weaker, until maybe he dies. But if he is affected by something that will increase his strength and weaken the illness then the opposite will occur.

The disease of the heart is a pain that occurs in the heart such as the anger felt towards an opponent who overcomes you, for this hurts the heart.

Allah, the Exalted said,

. Tee th ow os Sh PikeG is ae Sk Beste BAD oe ..and heal the breast of a believing people and removes the anger of their hearts... [Strah Tawbab (9) : 14-15]

Concerning the Ailments of the Hearts and their Cures

So the healing for them was by removing the suffering that had occurred in theit hearts, and it is said: ‘So and so has healed his anger.’ In the case of retaliation it is said: “The close relatives of the killed sought healing,’ meaning healing of their grief, anger and sorrow - all of these being sufferings that occur in oneself. Likewise doubt. and ignorance cause pain to the heart. The Prophet (4g) said,

Could they not have asked if they did not know? Indeed the cure for ignorarice is to ask. '

And the one who has doubt in something he has taken on board, causes harm to his heart until he attains knowledge and certainty. Hence it is said to a scholar when he answers in a way that clarifies the truth: ‘you have healed me with the answer.’

‘The full text of the padith is nartated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he said, “ We

went on a journey and a man from amongst us was injured in the head by a stone. After this he had a wet dream. He asked his Companions, ‘Do you find that I have a concession for performing /ayammumn? They said, ‘We do not find any concession, for you are capable of employing water (for purification).’ So he bathed and as a result died. When we returned to the Prophet (8) he was informed of this upon which he said, ‘They have killed him, may Allah kill them! Could they not have asked if they did not know? Indeed the cure of ignorance is to ask! It was sufficient for him to perform /ayammum, sprinkle some water on the wound or put a bandage on his wound and then wipe over it, and wash the remainder of his body.”

Reported in Sunan Abi Dawid [Eng, Trans 1/89 no. 336] and ad-Daruqutni. The adith has a da‘if sanad but it has a support from the padith of Ibn ‘Abbas reported Sunan Ibn Majah [n0.572] which raises the fadith to the level of hasan, but the last part of the Aadrth starting with ‘sprinkle some water on the wound’ remains da‘if. Refer to Tamam al-Minnab (pg, 131], Sabih Sinan Aba Dawud {no. 364], Sabih Ibn Majab |no. 126), Talkhis al-Habir of Ton Hajr [1/260 no. 201], and ‘Awn al-Ma‘bad of al-Adhimabadi (1/534+ along with the notes of Ibn alQayyim in the margin). [Translator’s Note]

[1.1 Between Sickness and Death]

Sickness is of a lesser level then death, so the heart dies due. to total ignorance but becomes ill due to having fragments of ignorance, and in this case there can be either death, sickness or healing for the heart. Its life, death, sickness and the cure is greater and more vital then the life, death, sickness and cure of the body. This is why the heart becomes sick when presented with doubts and desires, or the sickness becomes more acute. If wisdom and goodly exhortation occur then theses are routes to its correction and cure.

Allah, the Most High, says,

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a ee ers 44, Behe os Patera pa, 2ate 47 Hy 2328 Orn Glas Dor Ol yegeyi ‘That He may make what is thrown in by Satan a trial for those hearts is a disease and whose

hearts are hardened. [Sarah al-Hayj (22) : 53]

Because this breeds doubts in them and their hearts harden due to their dryness, and are weakened by doubt and become

distant from faith and therefore what is thrown in by Satan becomes a trial for them.

Allah, the Most High, said,

[1.1 Between Sickness and Death]

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If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread false news among the people of Madinah cease not, We shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbours but for a little while.

[Sarah al-Abzab (33) : 60}

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..and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah intend by this parable?’

[Sarah al-Muddaththir (74) : 31]

These people’s heart (which have hardened) have not died as in the case of the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and neither are their hearts correct and pure like the pure hearts of the believers, rather they contains the sickness of doubt and desire.