4. Disliking the truth and having difficulty accepting or

submitting to it. 5. Feeling discomfort among righteous believers, but contentment among misguided people, sinners or even evildoers. 6. Being susceptible to misconceptions and doubts; being attracted to discussions and debates related to misconceptions rather than to reading Qur'an and more beneficial deeds. 7. Not being affected by admonition. Poisons of the heart All acts of disobedience are poison for the heart and lead to its sickness, but there are four in particular that are more widespread and 40 Zarabozo, 1999, pp. 472-3. have the strongest negative impact upon the functioning of the heart: unnecessary and harmful speech, unrestrained glances, overindulgence in food, and bad company.41 The first three of these will be discussed below, while the fourth will be covered in the chapter on social relations.

Unnecessary and harmful speech Many people often forget that they will be held accountable for their speech as well as their behaviour. For this reason, the | Messenger of Allah ( ) told us: «A slave may utter a word without considering its consequences, and it will cause him to fall into the fire, as far as the distance between the east and the west.» (recorded by Muslim) «A slave (of Allah) may utter a word which pleases Allah, without giving it much importance, and because of that Allah will raise his or her ranks (of reward); a slave (of Allah) may utter a word (carelessly) which displeases Allah, without thinking of its gravity, and because of that, he or she will be thrown into the hellfire.» (recorded by Bukhari) «Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jawbones (meaning his mouth and tongue) and what is between his two legs (meaning his private parts), I will guarantee paradise for him.» (recorded by Bukhari) Guarding the mouth and tongue entails protecting them from unlawful speech such as lying, backbiting, slandering, cursing, quarrelling and the like. This also includes abstaining from unlawful food and drink. The tongue is easily and quickly moved, which is the | reason the Prophet ( ) reminded his followers regarding it. Once words are spoken, they may cause extreme harm, which can be 41 Farid, A., (Ed.), 1993, The Purification of the Soul (Works of al-Hanbali, al Jawziyya, al-Ghazali), London, U.K: Al Firdous Ltd, p. 23. difficult to remedy.

It is much easier to restrain the tongue in the first place, rather than deal with the consequences. Unrestrained glances In relation to modesty and protecting the private parts, Allah H ( ) mentions the commandment to lower the gaze and avert it from anything that is unlawful: {Tell the believing men to restrain their glances and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to restrain their glances and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment...} (Qur'an 24: 30-31) The believer should only look at what is permissible.

If a person's gaze unintentionally falls upon something forbidden, he or she should look away immediately. The Messenger of Allah ( ) | said: «Beware of sitting in the streets. They said: O Messenger of Allah, we have no alternative but to sit in the streets to converse with one another. The Messenger said: If you insist, then give the street its rights. They asked: What are the rights of the street, O Messenger of Allah?

He said: Lower your gaze, return the greeting (the Islamic greeting of peace), enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.» (recorded by Bukhari and Muslim) | The Prophet ( ) also said: «Guarantee me six things and I will guarantee you paradise: when any of you speaks, he should not lie; if he is entrusted with something, he should not betray that trust; if he makes a promise, he should not break it; lower your gaze; restrain your hands; and protect your private parts.» (a reliable hadith recorded by Ah.mad and Ibn H.ibbaÃn) Gazing at things that are unlawful may provoke the heart to evil such as attraction and desires, which may then lead a person towards forbidden behaviour in order to fulfil them. Farid mentions in his compiled book on purification of the soul: Shaytan (Satan) enters with the glance, for he travels with it, faster than the wind blowing through an empty place. He makes what is seen appear more beautiful than it really is, and transforms it into an idol for the heart to worship. Then he promises it false rewards, lights the fire of desires within it, and fuels it with the wood of forbidden actions, which the servant would not have committed had it not been for this distorted 42 image. The Prophet ( | ) confirmed the connection between the gaze of the eyes and the private parts when he said: «The son of Adam has his share of fornication decreed for him, and he will commit that which has been decreed.

The fornication of the eyes is looking; the fornication of the tongue is speaking; the fornication of the ears is listening; the fornication of the hands is striking; and the fornication of the feet is walking. The soul wishes and desires, and the private parts confirm or deny that.» (recorded by Muslim) Falling into these traps distracts the heart and leads one to forget more important matters, such as remembrance and obedience of Allah. It may also lead the heart to become blind due to disobedience, which makes it unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. Overindulgence in food H The believer is instructed in both the Qur'an and the Sunnah to avoid excess in food and drink. Allah ( ) says: {...Eat and drink, but be not excessive.

Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.} (Qur'an 7: 31), The Prophet ( | ) said: «A human does not fill any container worse than his stomach. It is enough for him to have some morsels to strengthen his back (keep his back straight). If he must eat more, then 42 Ibid., p. 27. it should be one-third of his stomach for food, one-third for drink and one-third for breathing.» (a sound hadith recorded by at-Tirmidhi and Ãjah) Ibn Ma Excess in eating leads to laziness in fulfilling obligatory duties such as prayer, as well as other recommended acts. It increases the likelihood of disobedience by instigating desires and reducing selfcontrol. A person is more likely to become angry, for example, after having overindulged.

The mind also functions less effectively on a full stomach, and this has been confirmed by scientific research. When the stomach is full, more blood goes to that area to process the food, leaving less blood available for the brain. Effects of sins upon the heart and soul Sins have a harmful effect upon the heart and the soul, with the degree of damage depending upon the severity of the sin. The Hadith and the Qur'an describe the sinner's heart: «When a believer sins, there is a black spot on his heart. If he repents and asks pardon, his heart is polished, but if he does more, it increases until it gains the ascendancy over his heart.» (a reliable hadith recorded by atTirmidhi) That is the rust or stain mentioned by Allah, Most High: {No!

Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.} (Qur'an 83: 14) H Sins weaken the determination and the power of the heart to obey Allah ( ), while they strengthen the resolve to commit more sins. The desire for repentance is gradually weakened until it is 43 completely removed from the heart. In this way, sins either inflict the heart with a disease or lead to its complete death. When a person 43 al-Jawziyyah, I. Q., 2006, Spiritual Disease and its Cure, London, UK: AlFirdous Ltd., p. 74. persistently engages in wrongdoing, his or her heart becomes sealed.

The rust increases to such an extent that it completely encases the heart. Once the heart breaks its connection with Allah, it becomes more difficult to return or bring it back to a purer state, in the same way that it is difficult to remove rust from a physical object. According to a sound hadith recorded by Bukhari and Abu DaÃwood, some of the diseases from which the Prophet ( ) sought | refuge in Allah included: worry and grief, inability and laziness, cowardice and miserliness, burden of debts and being overpowered by other people. When the heart is occupied with a disconcerting matter relating to the future, it leads to worry; if the heart is concerned with a matter from the past, it causes grief. If a person neglects aspects which lead to achievement, and this is due to his or her incapacity, then it results in inability.

If this is due to a lack of willpower, it is due to laziness. If there is a lack of benefit due to a cause in the body, it is cowardice; if it is because of wealth, it leads to miserliness. When others act in a superior manner towards a person with justification, it is due to the heavy burden of debt; if it is not justified, it is because of some people overpowering or oppressing others.44 Another effect of sin is the deprivation of knowledge. Sin extinguishes the light of knowledge and corrupts the mind by smothering and blocking its insight. Even if the truth is presented to these people, they are unable to perceive it due to the darkness that surrounds them.

They will be submerged in the confusion of disbelief, innovation and misguidance. The hearts of the sinners are constantly in a state of worry and H anxiety. There is a sense of isolation from Allah ( ) and from other people, particularly from righteous people. This isolation increases until they are unable to benefit from knowledgeable people and are completely surrounded by workers of Satan. 44 Ibid., pp. 100-101. All of the evil and harm experienced in this world and in the hereafter is due to their own sins and transgression.45 Allah (H) says: {And whatever strikes you of disaster Ð it is for what your hands have earned, but He pardons much.} (Qur'an 42: 30) He also mentions, regarding the punishment of the disbelievers in the hereafter: {That is for what your hands have put forth [of evil] and because Allah is never unjust to His servants.} (Qur'an 8: 51) Another effect of sinning is the removal of the blessings and S protection of Allah (H). `AbdullaÃh ibn `Umar ( ) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (|) supplicated with these words: «O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the withdrawal of Your blessing and the change of Your protection (from me) and from Your sudden wrath, and from every displeasure of Yours.» (recorded by Muslim) Purification of the soul Allah created humans with the potential for both good and evil.

The task set before all humans is to determine which of these characteristics they will support and develop, and which they will attempt to control or eliminate. The successful ones are those who purify their souls and follow the inclinations towards goodness. H Allah ( ) says: {And [by] the soul, and He who proportioned it and inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness. He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instils it [with corruption].} (Qur'an 91: 7-10) 45 Ibid., pp. 57-58. In essence, there are two paths in life: One path is to follow the guidance from Allah and develop noble and good characteristics.

This is the path of purification of the soul and the path of moderation H and balance. The other path is the path of corruption, by which the individuals reject guidance from Allah ( ) and allow lowly desires of the self to corrupt them. If people develop their righteous qualities and utilize them in their lives, they will be following the correct path. They will become H some of the noblest of creation and some of the most pleasing to Allah ( ). As they fulfil this natural inclination, there will be no distress or conflict in their personalities.

They can attain good mental and emotional health by restraining the negative attributes of the nafs, such as jealousy, greed and anger. If, on the other hand, they reject guidance from Allah and allow their base desires to control them, this will lead them to destruction. H They will become evil and corrupt and will experience a state of mental conflict and anguish. Allah ( ) mentions in the Qur'an that individuals only harm themselves in this manner: {...Whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself [nafs]...} (Qur'an 65: 1) {Whoever does righteousness Ð it is for his own soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it...} (Qur'an 41: 46) {And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves...} (Qur'an 11: 101) The path to the fire is easy, since the lower desires and passions are easily inflamed and pleasurable for the human. The Messenger of Allah (| ) said: «The fire is surrounded by all kinds of desires and passions, while paradise is surrounded by all kinds of disliked, undesirable things.» (recorded by Bukhari) The path to paradise is more challenging; it requires self-control, perseverance, and other virtues.

Success and salvation in this life (and the next) come from purifying the soul by bringing out what is best in it and minimizing, or completely eradicating, its evils. Human beings attempt to eliminate unbelief, polytheism, hypocrisy, various sins and evil from the soul and to fill it with correct beliefs, virtuous characteristics and good deeds.46 This process continues until the individuals achieve the level at which they worship Allah as if they see Him and they are aware that He sees them, since He is All-Seeing. This is the ultimate level that can be achieved in this life. The soul can be purified through acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and charity. Purification is also achieved by obeying the commands of Allah, avoiding what is prohibited, and being conscious of Allah at all times (having taqwaÃ).

Purification of the soul obviously implies purification of the H heart, which is attained by love and fear of Allah ( ) and submission to His commands. Zarabozo explains: And the heart cannot become purified until the person knows Allah, extols Him, loves Him, fears Him, has hope in Him and trusts Him and his heart is filled with these attributes. This is the true realization of the statement, `There is no God except Allah.' The heart will not become pure until it loves, extols, deifies, fears and submits to no one except Allah. And...if the heart is pure, the limbs will follow and make the actions of the person pure as well.47 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyah stated that purity of the heart is achieved by being free of five things: polytheism, which contradicts the concept of the Oneness of Allah; innovation in religion, which contradicts the Sunnah of | the Prophet ( ); desire, which contradicts the commandments 46 Zarabozo, 2002, p. 79. 47 Zarabozo, 1999, p. 470. of Allah; heedlessness, which contradicts the remembrance of Allah; and passion, which contradicts sincerity.48 Free will and accountability Several verses in the Qur'an indicate that humans have free will to make choices in regard to their beliefs and deeds. This is an honour H that Allah ( ) bestowed upon humankind, and it sets us apart from the angels.

As has already been mentioned, this free will is not absolute; it has limits. {And say: The truth is from your Lord, so whosoever wills Ð let him believe; and whosoever wills Ð let him disbelieve...} (Qur'an 18: 29) {Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or ungrateful.} (Qur'an 76: 3) There is no compulsion in religion. An individual can never be H forced to submit to Allah ( ) and His commandments; he or she must freely choose to do so. Outward demonstrations of submission are worthless if the heart has not surrendered. {There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in false objects of worship and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it.

And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.} (Qur'an 2: 256) H Allah ( ) mentions that some people believe and do righteous deeds, by their own free will and choice, and then enter paradise; others disbelieve and do evil deeds, by their own free will and choice, and then enter hell. 48 al-Jawziyyah, 2006, p. 148. {That day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.} (Qur'an 99: 6-8) {...And they will be called: This is paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.} (Qur'an 7: 43) {So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your day; indeed, We have [accordingly] forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.} (Qur'an 32: 14) Allah bestowed upon humans the ability to think and to reason. This ability is necessary for accountability, because they could not be responsible for their behaviour or choices if they had no capacity to reason or to distinguish between good and evil. In that case, it would H be unjust to hold them accountable for their decisions, and Allah ( ) is never unjust.

Another important element is knowledge. Knowledge is strongly emphasized in Islam; it enables us to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, lawful and unlawful. Without knowledge, we would find ourselves in a complicated maze, attempting to find the correct path. Out of Allah's mercy, He blessed us, through revelation, with the essential information that we need to discover our way easily and clearly. Knowledge is truly one of Allah's greatest blessings.

With this knowledge and the ability to reason, we are capable of freely deciding which path to follow. As discussed earlier, the will of a human being is connected to H the will of Allah ( ); nothing happens by the will of the individual H alone. Only that which is destined by Allah will transpire. As He ( ) says: {Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way. And you do not will except that Allah wills.

Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. He admits whom He wills into His mercy...} (Qur'an 76: 29-31) Free will, accountability, and divine decree (qadr) We will not be held accountable for that which has been decreed for us that we had no control over, but we will be answerable for the choices that we make and what we earn. We are not commanded to do that which Allah has decreed for us; rather we are commanded to do that which is enjoined upon us. There is a difference between what Allah wills for us and what He wants from us. What He wills for us, He has kept secret, but what He wants from us He has commanded us to do.

The fact that Allah (H) knows what we will do from now until our death, and that this has been written in a book, is not an excuse for us to avoid responsibility. The fact that Allah, in His allencompassing knowledge, knows what His creation will do, does not imply any form of compulsion. Qadr (divine predestination or destiny) may be cited when calamities or trials occur such as poverty, poor health, death of a loved one, loss of wealth, and so forth. When believers are patient and accept these calamities as coming from Allah and His decree, this signifies true faith. Qadr, however, cannot justify the mistakes or sins of individuals; for those, the sinners should seek forgiveness from Allah (H).

Allah says: {So be patient [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is true. Ask forgiveness for your sin [fault] and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.} (Qur'an 40: 55) While this verse was directed to the Prophet (|), it implies that all believers should seek forgiveness for their sins. Prophets may make errors in judgment, but they have been protected by Allah from committing sins. The general conceptualization, then, is that people cannot use qadr as an excuse for the things that they do and the choices that they make.

In the case of that which is beyond their abilities to control, they may attribute it to qadr. Even in the hereafter, the disbelievers will admit their sins and be unable to produce any type of excuse. {And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of hell, and wretched is the destination. When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up. It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them: Did there not come to you a warner?

They will say: Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said: Allah has not sent down anything; You are not but in great error. And they will say: If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the blaze. And they will admit their sin, so [it is] alienation for the companions of the blaze.} (Qur'an 67: 6-11) It is unacceptable to use qadr as an excuse for committing sins or failing to perform obligatory deeds. This would imply that the laws of Allah are meaningless and that the judgment, rewards and punishments should not happen or are unjust. This is obviously not true of the mercy and justice of Allah.

The polytheists use qadr as an excuse for their associating partners with Allah. They argue that if Allah had wanted them to obey Him, He would have willed it, implying that He willed their disobedience. If their excuse was legitimate or defensible, Allah would not punish them. {Those who associated with Allah will say: If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything. Likewise did those before deny until they tasted our punishment. Say: Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us?

You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying. Say: With Allah is the farreaching [conclusive] argument. If He had willed, He would have guided you all.} (Qur'an 6: 148-149) If qadr were a valid excuse for sins, disobedience and immorality, the people of hell would use it when they see the punishment before them and realize the nature of their final destiny. Allah tells us that in fact they will not use it as an excuse; instead they will say: {...Our Lord, delay us for a short term; we will answer Your call and follow the messengers...} (Qur'an 14: 44) {But those whose scales are light Ð those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in hell, abiding eternally. The fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles. [It will be said]: Were not My verses recited to you and you used to deny them?

They will say: Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers.} (Qur'an 23: 103-107) The duty of the prophets and messengers was to warn and advise their people and to establish evidence against those who refused to accept or follow the guidance. Their mission was only to convey the message and to warn of a harsh punishment for those who reject it. The disbelievers then would have no excuse on the Day of Judgment to justify their disobedience to Allah. If qadr were an acceptable excuse for committing sins, definitive proof would not have been established by the messengers.

In fact, there would have been no real purpose in sending them in the first place. {[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that people will have no argument against Allah after the messengers. And ever is Allah exalted in might and Wise.} (Qur'an 4: 165) {Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away Ð then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification.} (Qur'an 24: 54) The importance of intention | The Messenger of Allah ( ) said: «Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, (then) his migration was for Allah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.» (recorded by Bukhari and Muslim) This is one of the most comprehensive hadiths of the Prophet | ( ).

It applies to almost every rational action of the human being, including both speech and actions of the body, and both obligatory and voluntary deeds. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyah defined intentions as people's knowing what they are doing and knowing the purpose behind the action. Intelligent, deliberate actors do not do anything without first formulating it and desiring it.49 This intention involves a purpose, resolve and determination to do something, and the individuals will do it as long as there is nothing to prevent them from doing it, and as long as their intention does not change.50 Note that the place of intention is in the heart, not on the tongue. Intentions fall into one of three categories: good, pious intentions; religiously neutral intentions; and evil intentions. As noted in the hadith, people shall get only what they intended.

If they intended good, the result will be good; if they intended evil, they will obtain an evil result.51 Their intention is what sets believers apart from disbelievers, and pious persons apart from sinners. Two people may do exactly the same deed, but the outcomes may be completely 49 Sadlan, al-Niyyah (pp. 98-99) as quoted in Zarabozo, 1999, p. 123. 50 Zarabozo, 1999, p. 123. 51 Ibid., p. 136. opposite, due to their different intentions. The same type of act may H be rewarded or punished by Allah ( ), according to what is contained in the hearts. H Allah ( ) only accepts and rewards deeds that are done sincerely for His sake. In fact, any deed performed with the sole intention of pleasing Allah, which is also in conformity with His Sharia, is considered an act of worship.

This may even apply to acts that are merely permissible, if the person knew the act was permissible and performed it as a means of getting closer to Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that the most exclusive faction of people who obtain nearness to Allah are those who alter the nature of their permissible deeds into acts of obedience to Allah. For those who truly know Allah, even the most routine and mundane deeds of life become acts of worship; while for the masses, even the ritual acts of worship become routine.52 Intention is a deed that all responsible persons are capable of performing. We should take the steps necessary to purify our H intentions, to be sincere to Allah ( ) and to seek His pleasure. We should follow the means that will bring us closer to Allah through rituals, reflecting on His creation and blessings, and comprehending His attributes; doing this will lead us to be more obedient and more sincere to Him.

It will become easy for us to desire what Allah commands us to perform, and to avoid what He prohibits. The soul will automatically guide us to perform those deeds that are most pleasing to Allah.53 This is a significant endeavour for each human being, and it H must become the goal and purpose of our existence. Allah ( ) says: {And I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me [alone].} (Qur'an 51: 56) 52 Ibid., p. 147. 53 Ibid., p. 152. Purity of intention is the distinguishing feature between H worshipping Allah ( ) correctly and worshipping Him incorrectly or not at all. It differentiates worship of Allah alone (tawh.eed) from worship of something along with Allah (shirk).54 Conclusions regarding the nature of humans In summary, we can say that humans have certain features that set them apart from the rest of Allah's creation. These include the following: