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Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma ba’d

Rectifying The Hearts
by Shaikh Muhammad bin ‘Abdillaah al-Imaam (hafidhahullaah)

After khutbat al-hajjah, the shaikh said:

O Muslims, this khutbah is about the circumstances of mankind, the circumstances of the hearts of mankind in front of the Lord of all that exists, [on] a Day when mankind will meet Allaah. And He is the One Who called and invited us to all warn and admonish ourselves from that which we are about to hear of matters of the utmost importance.

The first matter is that the righteous actions of the limbs will not be sufficient – and [will be] of no use – unless the actions are flowing from a righteous heart. So whenever, the heart is unrighteous, then there is neither reliance nor any consideration of the actions of the limbs, whose exterior appears to be righteous.

Imams Bukhari and Muslim recorded from the hadeeth of Nu’man ibn Basheer that the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

Verily within the body is a morsel of flesh. Whenever it is sound, the whole body will be righteous and sound. And whenever it becomes corrupted, then the whole body will become corrupted. It is the heart.

And the second matter is that the wicked actions of the heart, and those hearts that oppose the legislation of Allaah are greater (and worse) than the actions of the limbs that oppose the legislation of Allaah. Our Lord says, informing us of the hearts of the disbelievers and the munafiqeen (hypocrites):

O you who believe! Do not take as advisors and consultants (and friends) those outside your religion (disbelievers and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse… (Aali ‘Imran, ayah 118)

And Allaah ‘azza wa jall’s statement that was mentioned – but what their breasts conceal is far worse – means that it is (worse) than their outward actions of disbelief (polytheism, associating partners with Allaah ‘azza wa jall) and all types of treachery. And in spite of this, their evil and disbelieving and polytheistic actions of the heart are greater than that which they manifest on their limbs. And like this, as well as anyone who conceals in his heart evil, so his evil which lies within his heart is (far) greater than the evil which he manifests on his limbs.

And the third matter, and it is an important and great matter, which is necessary for every Muslim – male and female – to learn, indeed it is that Allaah will make apparent the actions of the heart concerning good and evil deeds on the Day of Judgement.

Then the person who has a wicked heart will be disgraced in front of all of humanity, all of creation! Hence, the actions of the heart – that which angers Allaah and wages war against Allaah, and no one is able to be aware of that except for Allaah ‘azza wa jall – will be present on the Day of Resurrection.

That person will be disgraced.

How many people in the dunya think it will be easier (more likely) to have the earth swallow him up than people becoming aware of his evil intentions, his corrupted goals. And suddenly, on the Day of Resurrection, he will be disgraced before all of creation.

Hence, from here o Muslims, we are in an urgent and desperate need to know the circumstances of the one who will meet Allaah ‘azza wa jall and (that person’s) heart had already been corrupted. And some of the diseases which penetrated his heart from that which entered upon it.

The Lord of all that exists said in His Noble Book:

And does he not know that when the contents of the graves are brought out and poured forth (all mankind is resurrected). And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known. Verily, that Day (Day of Resurrection) their Lord will be Well-Acquainted with them. (Al-’Adiyat, ayat 9-11)

The shahid (reference point) is the statement of Allaah ‘azza wa jall: And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known. And the meaning of that is: it will be made apparent, and will be gathered – whatever is in the breast of mankind, pertaining to what it concealed and kept secret. Afterwards, those things will become apparent on the Day of Resurrection. On the person’s pages. On the pages on his neck (with) which he will carry his sins and crimes on the Last Day.

The Lord of all that exists said in His Noble Book:

The Day when all the secrets will be examined, then man will have no power, nor any helper. (At-Tariq, ayat 9-10)

The meaning of examining the secrets (ikhtibaar a saraair) is that Allaah will inspect and scrutinize the hearts. The inspection of the hearts on the Day of Resurrection is not the inspection of the eyes, nor is it the inspection of the ears, nor the limbs. It is only an inspection of the hearts, which was a vessel for many deeds – either good or bad.

Therefore – there on the Day of Resurrection – the hearts will be scrutinized. Allaah will inspect them, and He will make manifest what lies therein of what was concealed in this dunya.

Woe to whosoever’s heart will be examined on the Day of Resurrection, and his heart had embraced evil and immoralities and corruptions that Allaah subhanahu wa ta’aala has knowledge of. This examining will be crucial on the Day of Resurrection, when the person will be disgraced, and his secrets will be exposed. So that it will become disgraceful, bare and apparent for all of creation to see.

The Lord of all that exists said in His Noble Book:

That Day shall you be brought to Judgement, not a secret of you will be hidden. (Al-Haqqah, ayah 18)

Who will the deeds be displayed before? They will be displayed before The Knower of the undisclosed and secret conversations, The One Who has knowledge of whatever is throughout the heavens and the earth. [They will be displayed] before The One Who not a single secret is concealed from Him. [They will be displayed] before The One Who knows what the souls whisper. The display of deeds will be before Him on that Day. The apparent and secret deeds will be made laid open to Him.

Likewise, the Lord of all that exists said in His Noble Book:

And warn them (O Muhammad) of the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them (hearts) to their chests nor can they throw them out. There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the Dhalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), who could be given concern to. Allaah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. And Allaah judges with truth… (Ghafir, ayat 18-20)

Meaning, He will judge the eye of what it betrayed. He will judge the heart, the breast, which concealed that which angered Allaah, the Lord of all that exists. He will judge with truth.

So look at the circumstances of those individual’s hearts, Read more…