Open Your Heart

For a moment, magpie was silent. Then he said, "O my brothers and sisters! A servant is not afflicted with any chastisement greater than a hard heart and of being remote from Allah. Hardness of the heart comes about by four things, when the level of need is exceeded: eating, sleeping, speaking and socialising. Hearts that are attached to carnal passions are veiled from Allah to the extent of these attachments.

So, open your heart! The greatest way to open your heart is tawheed. This is based on its completeness. Its strength and increase expand its owner’s heart. Guidance and tawheed are the greatest ways of opening the heart, while shirk and misguidance are the greatest ways of constricting the heart. Allah said,

فَمَنۡ یُّرِدِ اللّٰہُ اَنۡ یَّہۡدِیَہٗ یَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَہٗ لِلۡاِسۡلَامِ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّرِدۡ اَنۡ یُّضِلَّہٗ یَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَہٗ ضَیِّقًا حَرَجًا کَاَنَّمَا یَصَّعَّدُ فِی السَّمَآءِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یَجۡعَلُ اللّٰہُ الرِّجۡسَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
"So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islām; and whoever He wants to send astray - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe." (QS. Al-An'aam [6]:125)

From the ways of opening the heart, is the light Allah places in the hearts of His slaves; surely, it expands and brings joy to the hearts. If the heart is void of this light, it will be constricted such that it becomes tighter than a prison cell.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When the light (of truth) enters the heart, it expands and opens up.” The Companions asked, “Is there any evidence of this (in the life of a Muslim)?” He replied, “Being ever mindful of the eternal life of the Hereafter, and remaining at guard in this life of delusion, and preparing oneself for death before it comes.” [reported by al-Hakim]

The slave’s heart will expand in proportion to his portion of light.

Knowledge opens the heart and expands it until it becomes wider than the world, while ignorance constricts the heart and restrains it. Each time the person’s knowledge widens, his heart expands. This does not occur with all knowledge; rather, this occurs with the knowledge that is the inheritance of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). This is beneficial knowledge. The people of knowledge have the widest chests, the broadest hearts, and the best manners.

The heart is opened by devotion to Allah, loving Him with all your heart, turning towards Him, and enjoying worshiping Him. There is nothing that expands the hearts more than that, such that it is sometimes said, “If I am in Paradise in this condition, then it will be a good life.”
Love has an amazing effect on expanding the heart and curing the soul; no one knows this except one who has experienced it. The more the love increases and the stronger it becomes, the more the heart expands. In contrast, the greatest thing that restricts the heart is turning away from Allah and attaching the heart to other than Him, being heedless of remembering Him, and loving other than Him. Whoever loves other than Allah will be punished by that thing, and it
will imprison his heart.

Constantly remembering Allah in every situation, opens the heart. And just as remembering Allah has an amazing effect on expanding the heart, being heedless of Allah has an amazing effect on constraining and punishing the heart.

The heart is opened by showing kindness to the creation and benefiting them with various acts of kindness, such as wealth and physical efforts. Generosity expands the heart and cures the soul, while stinginess constricts the heart. The Prophet (ﷺ) gave an example of the miser. He (ﷺ) said,

مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِ مَثَلُ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، قَدِ اضْطَرَّتْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا، فَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْمُتَصَدِّقُ بِصَدَقَتِهِ اتَّسَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى تُعَفِّيَ أَثَرَهُ، وَكُلَّمَا هَمَّ الْبَخِيلُ بِالصَّدَقَةِ انْقَبَضَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ إِلَى صَاحِبَتِهَا وَتَقَلَّصَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَانْضَمَّتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَسَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ فَيَجْتَهِدُ أَنْ يُوَسِّعَهَا فَلاَ تَتَّسِعُ
"The example of a miser and the one who gives in charity, is like the example of two men wearing iron cloaks so tightly that their arms are raised forcibly towards their collar-bones. So, whenever a charitable person wants to give in charity, his cloak spreads over his body so much so that it wipes out his traces, but whenever the miser wants to give in charity, the rings (of the iron cloak) come closer to each other and press over his body, and his hands gets connected to his collarbones."
Abu Huraira (رضى الله عنه) heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "The miser then tries to widen it but in vain." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Courage opens the heart; thus, the courageous have the widest hearts while the cowards have the most constricted hearts. They have no joy, no happiness, and no pleasure except like that of animals. As for the delight of the soul, then the cowards are devoid of this. The condition in which the person will be in his grave will reflect the condition of his heart. It w ill either be bliss or punishment.

The heart is opened by removing the lowly attributes from the heart. If a person implements the means to expand his heart while not removing the means that constrict the heart, then he will not obtain the result of expanding his heart.

The heart is opened by avoiding excessive looking, talking, listening, mixing with the people, eating, and sleeping. These excesses cloud and restrict the heart; rather, most of the punishments in this life and the next come from them. How constricted are the hearts of the people who indulge in all of them!?

O my brothers and sisters! Seek your heart in three places: where the Qur’an is recited; in the gathering of dhikr; and in times of seclusion. If you don’t find it in these places, then ask Allah to bless you with a heart. For you have no heart! Allāh is the only one whose help can be sought. And Allah knows best.

Bahasa

Reference :
- Rasheed Barbee, One Hundred Pieces of Advice by Ibn Al-Qayyim, Authentic Statements Publishing

Prominence of Qalb (3)

Magpie said, "The heart relative to knowledge is like a cup relative to water, a jar relative to honey, or a valley relative to a flood. Hearts carry knowledge from Allah, and levels of certainty according to the amount of doubts. As for the doubts, doing good deeds does not benefit while they exists. On the other hand, Allah benefits the people of certainty by it."

Some of the salaf said, "The hearts are Allah's vessels on His earth. The most beloved of them to Allah is the most sensitive and pure." Allah's vessels means “containers created by Allaah”, and not “vessels containing Allah.”

So, if the heart is sensitive and soft, it easily accepts knowledge, and the knowledge then becomes firmly rooted in it and the heart is affected by it. On the other hand, if the heart is hard and harsh, it is difficult for it to accept knowledge.

Along with that, the heart must be pure and healthy, so that knowledge can grow and bear good fruit in it. Otherwise, if it accepts knowledge, and it has in it mud and filth, it will corrupt the knowledge and be like weeds in cultivation. If it does not prevent the seed from sprouting along with it, it will at least hinder its growth and flowering. This point is clear to those who reflect.

If the heart is utilized for knowing the truth, it has two sides, first, a side that advances towards the truth, the heart is being soft and sensitive, and consequently, it is attracted to the truth. From this

perspective, the heart is referred to as a container and a vessel because that name necessitates what it contains and what is placed in it.

Second, a side that turns away from falsehood. From this perspective, the heart is referred to as being pure, healthy and clean. Because these names infer the absence of evil and the non-existence of filth and mud.

Al-Hasan al-Basree once told a man, “ Cure your heart, for Allah desires that His slaves should purify their hearts.” 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, “Laa ilaaha illallaah." The “healthy heart” is one of the criteria for success in the next life."

Eagle asked, ""What the main causes that lead to a hardened heart?" Magpie said, "First, ignoring Allah’s signs. Human hearts become hardened whenever they ignore the signs of Allah. The signs of Allah are for human guidance. Consequently, when they are deliberately and consistently ignored, the heart becomes hardened to them and they have no effect. Allah’s signs are all around humans and even within themselves. Before, during and after a person commits a sin, a variety of warning signals go off like alarms. Prior to commiting a sin the innate conscience recognizes the sin, so the potential sinner can stop himself or herself before the thought becomes an act. This onscience is the awareness of good and evil which Allah insired in each and every human heart. Then again, as the potential sinner plods ahead ignoring his conscience, the angel assigned to every person advises him not to go ahead. Following the spiritual signs, Allah then sends a series of physical signs to discourage the potential sinner. The physical signs could be, another person’s advice, a telephone call, a flat tire, etc.They give the potential sinner a chance to rethink what he is about to do. If he reverses his decision he earns for himself a reward from Allah. Even while actually doing the sin, further signs are sent so that the sinner can stop before completing the act. And after the sin, other signs are sent to encourage the sinner to repent. When these signs are continually ignored, the heart develops a shell which effectively seals it off from the signs and their effects.

Second, breaking Allah’s Covenant. The “covenant” refers to Salaah, zakaah, belief in the prophets, honoring, obeying and assisting them.In thecase of Salaah, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The covenant between us and them is Salaah, whoever abandons it has become a disbeliever.” Those who only pray on Fridays, or during Ramadaan, have broken their covenant and contact with Allah. Consequently, the prescribed prayers will not have the intended effect of preventing sins as Allah said, “ Indeed prescribed prayer prevents evil speech and evil deeds.” The heart which daily commits sins by neglecting prayer becomes fossilized and impermeable to its spiritual effects. As a result, the act and words of formal prayers become customary rituals done for every reason except to communicate with Allah and to please Him. Likewise, obedience to the prophets is a critical element of the covenant of faith with Allah.

Third, ignoring trials. Allah sends trials to strengthen the believers, or to remind those of them who have strayed to return to the straight path and the disbelievers to find the true religion of Allah, or as a punishment for hypocrites and those unable to benefit from the reminder.

Tests sometimes serve as a punishing reminder to those who have gone astray and an encouragement for them to return to the correct path. When people deviate, they seldom listen to the advice of those around them. However, when a calamity strikes them or those near and dear to them, it jolts those who still have some faith into recognizing their error.

Calamities also expose those who falsely claim faith, as well as show those who disbelieve that they choose hell by their own free will. There have been cases of people converting to Islam for the wrong reasons, and, after finding more difficulties in their lives than prior to their conversion, reverting to their former beliefs.

Those who transgress the limits set by Allah, expose themselves to punishment in this life and the next. Throughout the Qur’an, Allah describes numerous past nations who rejected divine guidance and were subsequently destroyed. These stories serve as warnings to humankind of the consequences of rebellion against the commandments of Allah. The trials cause those who are sincere about life, to be humble, to contemplate their states and to correct their errors. However, if the trials are continually ignored, the proud and arrogant heart becomes inoculated to the warnings opposed to guidance and hardened in its stance against the truth.

Fourth, oppression or dhulm. The greatest form of oppression is shirk. One who is accustomed to calling on others besides Allah and finds his needs fulfilled will have great difficulty giving this practise up. His heart becomes hardened to the message of the prophets; to worship Allah alone. In defense of idolatry, Satan has prepared many excuses that become a trial for both disbelievers and believers.

Fifth, remembrance of Allah has no effect. Those who, when reminded of Allah and His commands, turn away, and scoff at and scorn those who remind them, their hearts have become hardened to the remembrance of Allah.The various religious obligations were prescribed primarily to keep human beings conscious of Allah in order to help them make the right choices in life. Likewise, all acts of righteousness are forms of remembrance of Allah, as it is He who guided humans to them through His prophets and messengers.

Sixth, repeated Sins over time. The Prophet (ﷺ) warned against scorning any sins saying, “ Beware of scorned sins” When a person develops the habit of ignoring minor sins, his heart becomes progressively hardened to sin in general and major sins then become easy for him to commit. By being conscious of the smallest of sins and scrupiously avoiding them, the believer becomes firmly protected from major sins.

On the other hand, if one does not make a conscious effort to revive one’s faith and reflect on one’s actions, even pure and sincere acts of worship can deteriorate into blind rituals over time. As is said, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” The mind shifts into automatic mode and the body performs according to commands, while the heart dies."

[Part 2]

[Part 1] 

Bahasa

Reference :
- Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Commentary on Ibn Taymiyyah's Essay on the Heart, Dakwah Corner Bookstore (M) SDN BHD

Prominence of Qalb (2)

Eagle asked,"What is the right of the heart?" Magpie said, "The right of the heart is to know the truth. So, the Ultimate Truth is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. The heart was only created for the remembrance of Allah. Allah is the Lord, Author, Creator, and Beginner of every fleeting thought which occurs in the brain or crosses the mind. Whatever knowledge the heart comprehends, is among the clear signs of Allah, in His earth and His sky. Human discoveries are actually revelations from Allah. Whatever true knowledge humans learn, is what Allah has shown them and permitted them to learn. False knowledge, is from Satan. However, without Allah’s permission, even that cannot be learned." 

Eagle asked, "Which type of remembrance is a true nourishment for the heart?" Magpie said, "People often think of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in the very narrow sense: 'repeating certain prescribed statements of remembrance.' However, dhikr is in fact the heart’s remembrance and consciousness of Allah which should accompany every believer’s actions and statements. Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr said, “Dhikr is obedience to Allah. Whoever obeys Allah, has in fact remembered Him. Whoever does not obey Him is not one who remembers Him, even if he says tasbeeh, and recites the Book a lot.” Ibn Taymiyyah stated, "Every statement made by the tongue and conceived by the heart, which takes one closer to Allah, including learning knowledge, teaching it, commanding good and forbidding evil, is a form of dhikr of Allah.”

This mindfulness of Allah is the nourishment of the heart, while the formal form of dhikr - wherein a person remembers Allah with specific words at specific times, as defined by the sunnah - aids and develops the true remembrance of the heart. Furthermore, since dhikr is the heart’s nourishment, a heart which lacks it is a dead heart. Hence, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The similitude of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord, is like the similitude of death and life.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

A Syrian sage of the past said, "Remembrance of Allah in relationship to the heart is like nourishment relative to the body. Thus, as the body cannot find pleasure in food when it is sick, likewise the heart cannot find the sweetness of remembrance of Allah when it is in love the material world," or something to that effect.
When one is attached to this world, its pleasures and pursuits, this attachment occupies a great portion of the heart, which was created to be attached to Allah. Hence, it distracts the person from the higher goals of attaining closeness to Allah, righteousness, and Paradise. This is why Allah warns us, saying,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

“O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah . And whoever does that - then those are the losers.” [QS Al-Munaafiqoon(63):9]

Allah also said,

أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ

حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ

“Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you; Until you visit the graveyards.” [QS. at-Takaathur(102):1-2]

Though Muslims are certain of the fact that the world will perish, most of them have not internalised this reality and its implications in their hearts. They are instead preoccupied with their wordly desires and goals, not realizing the insignificance of this world. The Prophet (ﷺ) once passed by a dead goat which had either very small ears or mutilated ears. The Prophet (ﷺ) took it and asked his companions, “Which of you would like to have this for one dirham?” They said, “We don’t want it. What would we use it for?” He said, “Would you like to have it for free?” They replied, “By Allah, even if it were alive, we would find it defective, since it has small ears. What do you think now that it’s dead?” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) then told them, “By Allah, the world is more insignificant to Allah than this dead goat, is to you” [Reported by Muslim). Realizing this, would help us implement the Prophet’s (ﷺ) statement, “Be in this world like a traveller or a wayfarer.”

Furthermore, regardless of one’s efforts seeking the pleasures of this world, these efforts do not ensure that they will attain what they seek. As a matter of fact, the one who detaches himself from the pleasures of this life, will be rewarded with the dunyaa, as well as inner contentment and ease in his affairs. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever makes this world his main goal, then Allah will scatter his affairs for him, He will place poverty before his very eyes, and nothing will come to him of this world except that which was already written for him. But whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, then Allah will gather his affairs for him, He will place richness in his heart,and the world will come to him conquered and submissive.”If the heart is busy with the remembrance of Allah, aware of the truth, and reflecting on knowledge, it is in its correct location, just as the eye when used to look at things is in its correct location. By “correct location” means that it is being utilized as it was meant to be utilized. That is, that it is not being misused. On the other hand, if it is not used for knowledge and it is unaware of the truth, it forgets its Lord and is not in its location. Rather, it is lost. Certainly its correct location is the truth and everything besides the truth is false. When the truth is abandoned, all that remains isfalsehood and misguidance. Therefore, if it is not located in the truth, there is nothing left for it but falsehood.
The heart itself does not accept anything but the truth. So if what is contrary to the truth, is put in it, the heart will not accept what it was not created for it. That is the way sunnah of Allah and you will never find change in Allah's sunnah. In spite of that, the heart is never left on its own unattended, for it will always remain in the valleys of thoughts and the realms of aspirations. It will never be in the state of emptiness and abandonment like that of the eyes and ears. It may be put in the wrong location, neither set free or suspended, where it in fact has no location.
It is amazing that this state only becomes manifest to a person when he returns to the truth, either in this life when he repents or when he ends up in the next life. He will see the vileness of the state in which he was and just how far his heart was astray from the truth, if it was used in falsehood. On the other hand, if the heart is left in the state in which it was created, void of any reflection and empty of any thought, it would accept knowledge, free from ignorance, and see the clear truth, then believe in its Lord and turn to Him in repentance.

Everyone is responsible for belief in Allah and on the Day of Judgement. Every human being has the belief in Allah imprinted on his soul and Allah shows every idolator, during the course of his life, signs that his idol is not Allah. Hence, every sane human being is required to believe in Allah as One God who is without partners. However, Allah through His mercy and grace, accepts the excuses of those to whom a messenger did not bring the message along with those incapable of comprehending the message due to destined physical inabilities.
Every child is born in the natural state of belief. This is Allah's Sunnah in which He created people. There will be no change in Allah's creation. That is the correct religion. However, in most situations, the soul becomes occupied with the temptations of this world and its bodily needs, so its desires block the heart from the truth. Ibn al-Qayyim explains that desires lead to one’s wants and goals being distorted or ruined. His goals and wants become things which are not beneficial. This causes a person to overindulge in this wordly life because he lacks certainty concerning the realities of the Hereafter. A dangerous thing about desires is that it can affect a person after he has gained knowledge, a state usually more difficult to cure than ignorance. Furthermore, desires are of so many varieties, that a person must strive to control all of them. There are sexual lusts, desire for power or prestige, desire to be praised or admired due to beauty, wealth, status, and even piety or knowledge, etc. A person can become enslaved to his desires, such that he sees the truth according to them. Al-Qurtubee quoted Ibn Mas‘ood as saying, “You are living in a time in which desires are controlled by the truth. However, there will come a time in which the truth will be moulded by desires. We seek refuge with Allah from that time.” In his essay of worship, Ibn Taymiyyah also stated, regarding one enslaved to his desires, “ If one attains what he desires, he is pleased and if he is unable to attain it, he becomes discontented. Such a person is a slave (abd) to the things he desires. He is a slave of it, since true slavery and servitude are the enslavement and servitude of the heart.”

In this state it, is like an eye staring at the ground. In that state, it is impossible for it to see the crescent moon, or even to glance towards it. This statement is taken from the following Qur’anic parable,

اَفَمَنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ مُکِبًّا عَلٰی وَجۡہِہٖۤ اَہۡدٰۤی اَمَّنۡ یَّمۡشِیۡ سَوِیًّا عَلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ

“Then is one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect on a straight path?” [QS Al-Mulk (67): 22]

Or he could be inclined towards the truth, but desires and material needs block the heart from following the truth and it becomes like an eye that has a floating impurity in it which prevents it from seeing things. Whims and desires can intervene before the heart learns the truth and block it from reflection on it. Thus, the truth will not become clear, as was said, ''Your love of something, blinds and deafens." A person in love is often unable to see the faults of the one whom he or she loves. The principle of blinding love applies to anything human beings become infatuated with or addicted to.

So, the heart will remain in dark thoughts. This is often due to pride that prevents it from seeking the truth. Allah says,

اِلٰـہُکُمۡ اِلٰہٌ وَّاحِدٌ ۚ فَالَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ مُّنۡکِرَۃٌ وَّ ہُمۡ مُّسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ

"Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant." [QS. An-Nahl (16):22]

Whims and desires could also oppose the heart after it became acquainted with the truth causing it to deny the truth and turn away from it, as Allah said regarding them,

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ

"I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them." [QS Al-A'raaf (7):146]

A classic example of this principle from the era of the Prophet (ﷺ) is that of Umayyah ibn Abis-Salt, about whom the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Umayyah ibn Abis Salt almost accepted Islam.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Umayyah was from the Thaqeef tribe of Taif, and was among those who searched for the true religion and read the Scriptures. It is said that he was among those who converted to Christianity. He frequently mentioned Tawheed and the Day of Resurrection in his poems. From his research in the Scriptures, he informed Aboo Sufyaan that the time for a prophet to appear among the Arabs had come and he hoped that it would be himself. However, his research showed that the prophet would be from the descendents of ‘Abd Manaaf. Soon afterwards, Muhammad (ﷺ) appeared, and Umayyah informed Aboo Sufyaan that it was him. When Aboo Sufyaan asked, “ Shouldn’t we follow him?” He replied, “I feel shy before the young women of Thaqeef, because I used to tell them that I was going to be the one. Could I then become a follower of a boy from ‘Abd Manaaf?”

At-Tabaraanee Ibn Mandah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that al-Faari‘ah bint Abis-Salt, the sister of Umayyah later came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and recited some of Umayyah’s poetry and he said, “ Hi's poetry believed, but his heart disbelieved.”
Shareed said, "One day when I rode behind Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) on the same animal, he asked me, “Do you remember any of Umayyah ibn Abis-Salt’s poetry?” I replied, "Yes." He said, “ Go on then.” So I recited a couplet and he said, “ Carry on.” So I recited another couplet and he said, “Some more,” until I recited one hundred couplets. He commented, “He was almost a Muslim in his poetry ” [Sahih Muslim]
He lived until the Battle of Badr and composed poetry for those of the pagans who died during it. Umayyah died after that, a pagan till the end, in the 9th year AH. Abul-Faraj al-Asfahaanee reported his last words on his deathbed were, “ I know that the hanafiyyah is correct. But doubt preoccupied me concerning Muhammad (ﷺ).”

[Part 3]
[Part 1] 

Bahasa

Prominence of Qalb (1)

Magpie said, "O my brothers and sisters, we have heard from the eagle how the intellect, or Aql, works. Know that Allah created every part of the human body for a specific purpose and a particular function. Thus, the hand was created for grasping and holding, the foot for walking, the tongue for articulating speech, the mouth for eating, the nose for smelling, the skin for touching, and likewise, the remainder of the internal and external limbs and organs. If a person uses a limb according to the way it was created to be used and for the purpose for which it was designed, that is the clear truth and justice on the basis of which the heavens and earth were set up. Furthermore, that is better and beneficial for that limb and its owner, as well as for the function for which it was used. Such a person is truly righteous whose state of being is upright and such people are following guidance from their Rabb and it is they who will be successful.
If the limb is not used in the proper way and, instead, it is left unused, that is a loss, and its owner is cheated. The “proper way” is the way pleasing to Allah; the way in accordance with the divine commandments, also known as the sharee‘ah. So, if it is used in contradiction to what it was created for, that is misguidance and destruction and its owner is among those who exchanged the blessings of Allah with disbelief.

The master of all limbs and their head is the heart, as it has been named "qalb." The heart was called qalb because it is the essence of what the body contains and the essence of everything is its heart. Ibn Taymiyyah said, 'Indeed, Allah created the human heart in order for them to know things in the same way which He created the eye to see things and the ear to hear things.'
Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir, that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying,

الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيِنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى، يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلاَ إِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

"Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart." - [Sahih Al-Bukhari, 52]

Allah has placed in the heart a warner for each of us whenever we approach evil. This is evident from the hadeeth recorded in Musnad Ahmad, that (ﷺ) the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “ Allah has laid down a parable of a straight path. On each side is a wall with open doors and curtains hanging down over the open doors. At the top of the path there is a caller saying, 'Go straight, all of you, on the path and do not deviate.' Above him is another caller who says, 'whenever anyone tries to open any of those doors, ‘Woe to you! Do not open it, for if you (do so), you will go through it.’ The path is Islam, the open doors are the things that Allah has forbidden, and the curtains hanging down are the limits of Allah. The caller at the top of the path is the Qur'an and above him is the (one who) admonishes for Allah’s sake and who is present in every Muslim's heart.”
This warner is sometimes referred to as the conscience. If careful attention is paid to its warnings, the individual’s inner thoughts and outer actions improve and the warnings in turn get stronger. If the warnings are ignored, the outer actions and inner thoughts become increasingly destructive and the signals become progressively weaker until they can no longer be perceived. This state is referred to by Allah as blindness. In many cases, despite their weakness, these signals never die out, because if they did, the possessor of such a heart would never be able to repent. Allah, in His supreme mercy, has allowed the signals to continue so that an individual may spend a good portion of his life doing evil, yet change totally in the latter years of his life and die among the righteous.

Ibn Hajar commented on the Prophet’s stress on the heart saying, “He specified the heart for that because it is the leader of the body; when the leader is good the followers become good and when he becomes corrupt so do the followers. [The statement] contains a notation about the great importance of the heart, encouragement to reform it and an indication that pure earnings have an effect on it. The intent that is connected to it is the understanding that Allah has placed in it.
It is also used to prove that Aql is in the heart. Allah says,

اَفَلَمۡ یَسِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ فَتَکُوۡنَ لَہُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ یَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ بِہَاۤ اَوۡ اٰذَانٌ یَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِہَا ۚ فَاِنَّہَا لَا تَعۡمَی الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَ لٰکِنۡ تَعۡمَی الۡقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِیۡ فِی الصُّدُوۡرِ

"So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts." - [QS.22:46]

And Allah also says,

اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَذِکۡرٰی لِمَنۡ کَانَ لَہٗ قَلۡبٌ اَوۡ اَلۡقَی السَّمۡعَ وَ ہُوَ شَہِیۡدٌ

"Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind]." - [QS.50:37]

The Qur’anic commentators said it meant "Aql” and that He referred to it as the heart because it is the place where [Aql] resides.” Ibn Katheer quoted well-known student of Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, as saying, “ It means a sound understanding with which he comprehends, or a good mind.”  

As the heart was created to know things, its pursuit of things of a desire for knowledge is called thought and reflection, just as the ears pursuit of speech desiring to hearm it is called listening, and the eye's attention to things trying to view them is called sight. Thus, thought relative to the heart is like listening relative to the ear and sight relative to the eyes, etc. If the heart comes to know what it reflected on, that was its goal, likewise, if the ear hears what it listened for, or the eye sees what it looked at. But attainment of these goals is not automatic, though we tend to take it for granted. Each and every one of them is actually one of the many blessings granted by Allah.

Philosophers seeking the purpose of life, scientists searching for the origin of life, etc. Many people may read the Qur'aan but only those who fear Allah and believe in the unseen, establish regular prayer and spend in charity from their wealth gain the knowledge of guidance from it. How many thinkers do not find the knowledge they seek, just as many looking for the new moon do not see it, and many listening for a particular sound do not hear it. Its opposite is one who is given knowledge of something which he did not reflect on nor did he have previous knowledge about it, like one who suddenly sees the crescent moon without intending to do so or one who hears a statement without listening out for it. All of this is due to the fact that the heart by itself accepts knowledge. This issue depends on the fulfillment of certain conditions and the preparedness of the organ. It could be the result of a human act and thereby be what was desired or it could come as a favor from Allah and be a talent.
The righteousness and correctness for which the heart was created is that it understands things. I do not say that it only knows things, for someone could know something and not understand it, he could even be negligent of it or reject it. The one who understands something is one who is able to specify its limitations, accurately define it, be conscious of it, and confirm it in his heart. In time of need it is sufficient for him, and his actions match his statements, his internal is the same as his external. That is one who is granted wisdom and whoever has been given wisdom, has been given a great good.
People, vary in their ability to understand things from perfect to deficient, and in the amount they understand from a little to a lot, and from general to precise, etc.

The three organs, hearing, sight and emotion, are the main means of gaining knowledge and understanding it, of understanding what is liked and disliked, and of distinguishing between those doing good for
the person and those doing evil, etc. Adult humans are able to understand or deduce the hidden reasons behind actions, while animals and children are not. For example, a cow maybe fed regularly order to be fattened for slaughter and consumption. Relative to the cow, the humans who fed it were doing what was good for it, but their intentions of killing it, relative to the cow, were evil.
I mean, the knowledge that distinguishes between humans and other animals, outside of what they share with them like, smell, taste and touch. Even the senses of smell, taste and touch can provide such knowledge when interpreted by the human mind. For example, something might smell good, taste nice and feel comfortable and yet be harmful or it may smell bad, taste terrible and feel uncomfortable and yet be beneficial. Animals, like children, are unable to distinguish in many circumstances what is actually harmful or beneficial to them. Here, we focuses on the senses of sight and hearing, as these are the most frequently used sources for gathering information. Their dominance is reflected in the frequent Qur’anic references to them to the exclusion of the others.

Allah said,

وَ اللّٰہُ اَخۡرَجَکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بُطُوۡنِ اُمَّہٰتِکُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ شَیۡئًا ۙ وَّ جَعَلَ لَکُمُ السَّمۡعَ وَ الۡاَبۡصَارَ وَ الۡاَفۡـِٕدَۃَ ۙ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ

"And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful." - [QS.16:78]

Ibn Katheer explained that Allah mentions His blessings to His servants in that He brought them from their mothers’ wombs not knowing anything, then He gives them hearing to recognize voices, sight to see visible things and hearts - meaning reason - whose seat, according to the correct view, is the heart, although it was also said that its seat is the brain. With Aql, a person can distinguish between what is harmful and what is beneficial. These abilities and senses develop gradually in a human being. The more he grows, the more his hearing, vision and intellect increase, until they reach their peak. Allah has created these faculties in human beings to enable them to worship their Rabb, so they use all these organs, abilities and strengths to obey their Master.

Al-Bukhari reported that on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ

"Allah, Mighty and Sublime be He, said, 'Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.'"

In tafsir Ibn Katheer, the meaning of the hadeeth is that when a person is sincere in his obedience to Allah, all his deeds are done for the sake of Allah, so he only hears for the sake of Allah, he only sees for the sake of Allah - meaning he only listens to or looks at what has been allowed by Allah. He does not grasp or walk except in obedience of Allah, seeking Allah’s help in all of these things.

Although all three are mentioned together, the eye is inferior to the heart and the ear. It is different from them in that it only sees things that are present and corporeal, like images and objects. On the other hand, the heart and ears enable one to know about spiritual and theoretical things that are invisible and intangible. Furthermore, even these two are different in that the heart understands things by itself and knowledge is its nourishment and specialty. As for the ear, it merely carries words containing knowledge to the heart. In itself, it captures statements and words,and when they reach the heart, the heart extracts from them the knowledge they contain. Actually, this is the case for all the senses. All the five senses are sources of information that the mind-heart interprets and acts upon.

The master of knowledge, in reality, is the heart. The remainder of the organs and limbs are gatemen to whom information reaches, which they were unable to acquire by themselves. It is the master to the degree that whoever loses any of the other organs, loses only the knowledge that was conveyed through it. Thus, the deaf person is unable to gain knowledge from speech, and the blind person is unaware of what vast knowledge objects contain. A blind person who feels the surface of a pyramid or a space shuttle cannot understand the history behind them by his sense of touch.
Likewise, whoever looks at things or listens to the words of scholars, without the participation of the heart, does not understand anything. Thus, the pivot of affairs is the heart.

Those who have been granted wisdom and benefit from knowledge are on two levels. First level, either a person who sees the truth by himself and accepts it and follows it, without needing anyone to invite him to it. That is one who truly possesses a heart. Second level, a person, who does not understand thetruth by himself, but needs someone to teach it to him, clarify it for him, advise him regarding it and mold him according to it. That is an attentive person who "listens attentively, meaning “he hears the speech, comprehends and understands it in his mind and grasps its implications by his intellect.” That is one whose heart is present and not absent. As Mujaahid said, "He was given knowledge and it was a reminder for him."

[Part 2]

Bahasa

Following The Forefathers

"Iblis has deceived members of this Ummah in matters of creed using two paths," the eagle continued. "The first, blind fllowing, making taqlid, of forefathers. The secod, dwelling into matters that humans could never comprehend, which resulted in much confusion.
As for the first path, Iblis convinced imitators that proofs may become confusing, and that the truth may become hidden, so it is best to imitate others. Many people went astray because of this way of thinking. In fact, it is the destructive path of most people; Yahud and Nasara imitated their forefthers and scholars, and so did the people of Jahiliyyah. And let it be known that the same argument they used to praise imitation can be used to condemn it - If proofs became confusing and the truth unclear, then it is a must not to imitate because imitation will lead to misguidance.
Allah tells us about His close friend, Ibrahim, alayhissalam, and how He bestowed upon him guidance aforetime, i.e., He had already guided him at an early age. He inspired him with truth and evidence against his people. Allah says,

اِذۡ قَالَ لِاَبِیۡہِ وَ قَوۡمِہٖ مَا ہٰذِہِ التَّمَاثِیۡلُ الَّتِیۡۤ اَنۡتُمۡ لَہَا عٰکِفُوۡنَ

"When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues to which you are devoted?'" - [QS.21:52]

meaning, Ibrahim asked, which you worship with such devotion.

قَالُوۡا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا لَہَا عٰبِدِیۡنَ

"They said, 'We found our fathers worshippers of them.'" - [QS.21:53]

means, they had no other evidence apart from the misguided actions of their forefathers.

قَالَ لَقَدۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اَنۡتُمۡ وَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ

"He said, 'You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.'" - [QS.21:54]

meaning, speaking to your fathers whose actions you cite as evidence would be the same as speaking to you. Both you and them, are misguided and are not following any straight path.

In the Qur'an, Surah 26 Shuaraa verses 69-82, Allah tells us about the story of Prophet Ibrahim, alayhissalam, when he asked his father and his people, “What are these things that you worship?”They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?”They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”

It is well known that one of the most popular reasons for disbelief in our Prophet (ﷺ) and the numerous before him was, an adherence to ones ancestral legacy. By accepting a messenger’s claim, one would have to acknowledge that the heritage that had been a source of pride and identity is now reduced to a history of misguidance, ignorance and a legacy of false beliefs and practices. It is not an easy thing to accept, much less to declare for anyone. Incidentally, we have it much easier now than the contemporaries of any prophet as they had to take one man’s word over their entire tribe, community, leadership and over and above all, their own family legacy. The Qur’an captures the thought process of those who follow their family’s religious, social & ethical legacy in two very similar verses. Allah says,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

"And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.2:107]
And

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

"And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers.' Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?" - [QS.5:104]

Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, condemned those imitating their fathers, saying,

بَلۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا وَجَدۡنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا عَلٰۤی اُمَّۃٍ وَّ اِنَّا عَلٰۤی اٰثٰرِہِمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ

"Rather, they say, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided.'" - [QS.43:22]

meaning, they have no grounds for their belief in idolatry apart from the fact that they are imitating their fathers and forefathers who were following a certain Ummah or way, i.e., religion.

They claimed that they are rightly guided by following their fathers and forefathers. This is their claim with no evidence. Then Allah points out that what these people say was already said by those who were like them among the nations of the past who disbelieved in the Messengers. Their hearts and their words are similar.
And Allah says,

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍۢ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ

"And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following.'" - [43:23]

قَٰلَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُم بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ

"[Each warner] said, 'Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?' They said, 'Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers.'" - [43:24]

‘Even if they were convinced of the truth of what you have brought to them, they will not follow it, because of their evil intentions and their arrogance towards the truth and its people.

In blindfolowing (making taqlid) there is a nulicaton of intelect because intelect was meant for contemplation. Indeed, it is inappropriate of someone who was handed a lit candle to turn it off and walk in the darkness.
Most followers of schools of thought, glorify certain people, and therefore follow their opinions without adequate analysis. This is the essence of misguidance because people should consider the opinion itself, not the one holding this opinion. Al-Harith lbn Hawt asked Sayyidina Ali, radhiyallahu 'anhu, "Could Talhah and al-Zubayr have been on the wrong path?" Sayyidina Ali responded, "You have been deceived. Truth is nt determined according to identity of individuals (who claim to behold it). Realise the truth and only then will you identify those who are on it."
Imam Ahmad lbn Hanbal used to say, "It is a sign of a lack of knowledge for someone to imitate another man in matters of creed". This was why Imam Ahmad adopted the position of Zayd regarding the grandfther's inheritance instead of Abu Bakr's position.
Proofs of matters of creed are clear, and no logical person could not realise them. As for matters of branches (not related to creed), it is better for a layperson to imitate someone knowledgeable. This is because these matters are large in number and it is more likely for a layperson to misunderstand. However, the layperson is still required to use his intellect to identfy the person (scholar) most worthy to be imitated.

As for the second path, just as Iblis was able to deceive simple minded folks into practicing taqlid, he was also able to deceive those with some intelligence. He did so to his best of ability. Iblis deceived some to reject imitation and encouraged them to contemplate in a particular field of thought. He made some believe that it is a sign of weakness to adhere to the apparent meanings of religous verses, so he directed them towards the way of philosophers - to the point of taking them out of the fold of Islam.
Iblis swayed others to reject imitation and to dwell into sciences of kalam (theological rhetorics and deductive reasoning). They thought that this would remove them fom the ranks of laypeople.
It was not out of weakness that early scholars of Islam remained quiet regarding the harm of kalam. Rather, they saw that it did not provide satisfctory answers, and converted truth into falsehood, so they remained silent about it and encouraged others not to dwell into it. Imam Al-Shafi'i said, 'It would be better for a servant to commit all the sins fom which Allah has forbidden, except Shirk, than for him to dwell into kalam.' He also said, 'If you hear someone saying thigs like: 'The name is the same as the thing which was named', then bear witness that he is of no religion.'
He also said, 'My ruling regarding people of kalam is that they must be beaten with palm tree branches, and they must be taken around tribes, and it must be announced: this is the punishment of those who abandon Qur'an and Sunnah and dwell into kalam.'
Amad Ibn Hanbal said, 'a person of kalam will never succeed, scholars of kalam are of no religion.'

How could kalam not be condemned? It lead Mu'tazilah to believe that Allah only knew generalities of things not the details. And Jahm Ibn Safan said, 'Allah's Knowledge, Ability and Life are recent (became after they were not).' He also said, 'Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, is not a (physical) thing.'
Abu 'Ali Al-Jubba'i, Abi Hashim and their fllowers fom Basrah, claimed that non-existence is something with an essence and attributes, and that Allah does not have the ability to create anything. He can only bring thigs out of non-existence to existence. The Mujabbirah sect claimed that a human had no free will, just like inanimate objects, deprived of choice and action. As for Murji'ah, they said, 'Whoever uttered the Shahadatain, will never enter the Hellfre, even if he committed all sins.' They went against many Prophetic traditions that advocate all muwwahidun (monotheists) would eventually exit the Hellfire."

Then the eagle said, "O my brothers and sisters, it is fom the enmity and hopelessness of the devil that he tries to misguide mankind from the Path of Allah; and this misguidance takes so many shapes and forms. From planting seeds of doubts, to giving rise to deviant ideas, antithetical to the sacred teachings of divine revelation of Islam. Many deviations remaining prevalent today, while more continue to be plotted by the devil and his allies that need to be exposed and pre-empted. And Allah knows best."

Reference :
- Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi, The Devil's Deceptions, Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.

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[The Firqa]

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