Let me start my
conversation with what my heart is murmuring at this moment:
Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh
Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam
Yeh Manzile Hai Kaunsi
Na Voh Samajh Sake Na Hum
Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam
Yeh Manzile Hai Kaunsi
Na Voh Samajh Sake Na Hum
Thought generally refers to any
mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness.
It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or
arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness,
and imagination. Because thought underlies almost all human actions
and interactions, understanding its physical and metaphysical origins,
processes, and effects has been a longstanding goal of many academic
disciplines including, among others, biology, philosophy, psychology, and
sociology. [Wikipedia]
Thinking
allows beings to make sense of or model the world in different ways,
and to represent or interpret it in ways that are significant to them, or which
accord with their needs, attachments, objectives, plans, commitments,
ends and desires. Thought is that which enables a person to grasp concepts
dealing with one's environment.
On a
funny note: Thought for some is only a “Qayaal”
of “Tum ko dekha to ye qayaal aaya”. Or “Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Me Qayaal aata hai”.
From the
above things mentioned I wanted to convince my heart that, “Thought / Qayaal,
Samajh / Understanding” are related to Heart
rather than the Mind, which is also evident in Quran.
“Heart”
in Arabic is commonly referred “Qalb”, without going into deep Quranic
knowledge where it also referred as “Al-Fuad”, “Sadr”, “Al-Lubb” etc with
different instances.
Imam
al-Raghib in his Mufradaat says that “qalb”
literally means to turn something around on its face, or to flip something
over, such as the turning over of a cloth, or the turning of a person when they
turn away from the direction they were going in to another direction. Hence,
its derivatives all express some form of this flipping or turning over, so
inqilaab as a verb can be used in the Qur’an for “turning on their heels”, or
changing your direction to retreat and flee from battle, or as a noun to mean
the act of overthrowing someone, where a sense of a flip in power or revolution
(literally) is expressed. It is also used in its passive sense to express being
turned, rather re-turned, to Allah, Most High, after death. [Taken from Seekersguidance.com]
Now you
see, you are something which turns. [To The Heart]
Don't
think that your heart is 'strong'. The heart is a vulnerable fool. It turns
easily. That's why it's called ‘qalb’ (that which turns). – Yasmin Mogahed
In their
hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease and grievous is the
penalty they (incur) because they are false (to themselves).(2:10)
Our
beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam also warned:
“Listen
carefully! there is a piece of flesh in man’s body, if it is healthy then the
whole being is healthy and if it is corrupted then the whole being is
corrupted. Beware! That piece of flesh is the heart.”(Bukhari)
But there
is one important question that is “Do you
know what kind of Heart Allah wants?”
“The Day
whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, But only he (will prosper) that
brings to Allah a sound heart.” Quran (26:89)
"Who
feared (Allah) Most Gracious unseen and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him).
(50:33)
"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.''
(13.28)
Yes, Allah
wants a heart – which is sound, an Allah fearing, which turned in devotion to
him, which is always in remembrance of Allah.
How to do
we get that?
Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says:
‘He sent
down water on you from heaven, to purify you thereby and to put away from you
the defilement of Satan, and to strengthen your hearts and to confirm your
feet.’ (8: 11)
This ayah
is about Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala strengthening the hearts of Sahaba, in the
battle of badr. Badr, for which Allah himself says as distinguishing days, he
only strengthened the hearts.
Similarly,
Ambiya(a.s) made dua for their heart as follows:
"Our
Lord!" (They say) "Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast
guided us but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor
of bounties without measure. (3:8)
Our
beloved Prophet also has taught dua’s practically:
Narrated
by Umm Salamah (Radia Allahu ‘Anha) that, The Prophet Muhammad
(Salla-Allahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) made this Du’a the most:
”Allah Humma, Ya
Muqallib Al-Quloob, Thabbit Qalbi ‘Alaa Deenik,”
“O Turner of the
hearts, make my heart firm upon Your Religion.”
The
Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
“Verily,
the hearts of all the sons of Adam are between the two fingers out of the
fingers of the Compassionate Lord as one heart. He turns that to any
(direction) He likes.
Then The
Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
Allāhumma Musarrif Al-Qulūbi Sarrif Qulūbana
‘Alā Tā’atika
“O
Allah, Turner of the hearts, direct our hearts to your obedience” -
Saheeh Muslim
MUSARRIF/SARRIF: Both of these words are
from the same root which has many meanings. Of those meanings are, to turn, to
divert, to turn from another direction, to avert, and to change. The meaning of
this word in this du’a is to turn or direct. How is this word
different from “Muqallib Al-Qulūb?” There are a few differences linguistically,
but the essence of both supplications is the same. Qallaba,
just likeSarrafa, means to change and turn the direction of something.
The linguistic difference is that Qallaba points more to constant moving
and turning about, while Sarrafa points to changing of the
direction. When we make this Du’a, we are asking Allah (Subhanahu
wa Ta ‘ala) to Sarrif, turn and direct our hearts to His
Obedience, while in the other du’a, we are asking Allah to Thabbit, make
our hearts firm on Islam, and not qallib because the heart is
constantly changing about and turning directions.
QULŪB: Qulūb is plural of
Qalb which means the heart. Qalb is the general word for
heart. It comes from the root which means something that turns around and about
and upside down, as mentioned above. It is the nature of hearts that they are
constantly changing.
TĀ’ATIKA: Tā’ah means
to obey and to submit. The beauty of this word is that it not only means to
submit one’s self, it specifically means to submit willingly, voluntarily and
on one’s own free will. We are asking Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta ‘ala) to
direct our hearts to willingly submit and obey Him.
"Keep praying for what you are seeking.
Impossibility and possibility are merely concepts of your mind, to Allah
nothing is impossible."
Baarak-Allaahu Feekum - Wa SallAllaahu Wa-sallam 'alaa Nabiyyinaa Muhammad, Was-Salaam 'alaykum wa-Rahmatullaahi wa-Barakaatuhu.
