Purification of the Heart

Definition

False hope is a "quick-acting poison" that produces an inordinate attachment to worldly concerns, which is a cause of so many diseases of the heart. This poison is extended hope (taṭwı̅l al-'amal), assuring oneself that death is a long way off—a mental environment that leads people to lead their daily lives as though a long life is guaranteed. The dangers of this delusion are self-evident.

In some ways, extended hope is a necessary human condition (e.g., planting orchards or having children). A famous Persian story speaks of a shah who passed by an old man planting an olive tree, which takes decades to produce good fruit. The shah asked, "Do you believe this tree will be of any benefit to you, old man? You will die before it bears fruit." The old man replied, "Those before me planted and we benefited. We should plant so that others after us might benefit." The shah was so impressed with the old man's concern for the future generations that he rewarded the old man with money. The old man then said to the shah, "You see! The tree has brought me benefit already." The shah smiled and rewarded him again.

The extended hope that Imam Mawlu̅d calls a "poison" is akin to false hope that generates hardheartedness and indolence due to heedlessness of the Hereafter.

Hoping for longer life

Although extended hope can harden hearts, Imam Mawlu̅d says there are exceptions, like one who is "engaged in preparing for tomorrow or writing works." One is not blameworthy for dedicating years of work for a single end product, like a scholarly work from which many people may benefit. If is one of the highest things a person can do. It is, in fact, a form of perpetual charity (ṣadaqah ja̅riyah), whose reward accrues in favor of its progenitor, even after he or she has died. In cases like this, one is not censured for desiring a long life because one seeks to strive in ways that serve God, His religion, and humanity.

The Prophet ﷺ warned against desiring death, for one "should desire life either to repent and make amends for past iniquities, or if one did much good, to increase his righteous deeds." There is so much optimism and hope in this statement of the Prophet ﷺ.

Hope (raja̅') and extended hope

Imam al-Qara̅fı̅ differentiates between the hope inherent in the Arabic word raja̅' and the hope implied by taṭwı̅l al-'amal. The Qur'an praises one who hopes for God and meeting Him in the Hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is natural to dislike death, but ultimately meeting God is something the believer seeks and looks forward to." This kind of hope is known as raja̅'. It is hope coupled with sincere effort to achieve what one hopes for.

Signs and Symptoms

When one believes that he or she will live for a long time, what ensues is a diminution of pondering one's mortality as well as a sense of independence from God.

Wretchedness

Fuḍayl ibn 'Iya̅ḍ—a great early scholar and a man of asceticism—said that the world is divided into two types of people: felicitous (sa'ı̅d) and wretched (shaqı̅). No third category exists. [He] said that there are well known signs of wretchedness. The first is having a hard heart. Scholars have said that if you want to know whether or not your heart is hard, then look at your eye. If it is dry and unmoved to tears, this is an indication of a hard heart. A person who has sympathy and softness in the heart is said to have a moistened eye.

The second sign is a lack of modesty or shame.

The third sign is coveting the world.

The last sign of wretchedness is having extended hopes.

Hardheartedness and indolence

The indolence (as a result of extended hope) or sloth (kasl) shows itself in lassitude concerning matters of the Hereafter, such as fulfilling the obligatory acts of worship and other religious dictates.

The Qur'an speaks of certain people who, after a long span of time, became hardhearted and ungodly (QUR'AN, 57:16). When a person suffers the passage of time without consistent and serious reflection about the Hereafter, the world takes hold of his heart more and more, which has a way of making it hard. Those who have hard hearts become corrupt. This dynamic applies to societies as it does for individuals.

Hope and fear

It was common among Muslim scholars to discuss the delicate balance between hope and fear. If one is overwhelmed with fear, he enters a psychological state of terror that leads to despair (ya's)—that is, despair of God's mercy.

Nonetheless, an overabundance of hope is a disease that leads to complacency and dampens the aspiration to do good since salvation is something guaranteed (in one's mind, that is). Human beings simply cannot handle being assured of Paradise without deeds that warrant salvation. Too many will serve their passions like slaves and still consider themselves saved. In Islam, faith must be coupled with good works for one's religion to be complete.

Empty wish (umniyyah)

There is yet another kind of hope called umniyyah, which is blameworthy in Islam. Essentially, it is having hope but neglecting the means to achieve what one hopes for, which is often referred to as an "empty wish." One hopes to become healthier, for example, but remains sedentary and is altogether careless about diet. To hope for the Hereafter but do nothing for it in terms of conduct and morality is also false hope.

Entry into Paradise is a matter of God's mercy, which is attained by combining faith with sincere deeds that confirm one's profession of faith. Unfortunately, on the Day of Judgment, many Muslims may find themselves in Hell because of false hopes. All they have to show for their religiosity is the mere declaration of faith, a testimony unconfirmed by deeds, especially the rites of worship and charitable acts toward others.

Superstition (taṭayyur)

Imam Mawlu̅d mentions next the concept of divination and foreboding (taṭayyur). Foreboding is blatant superstition. The Imam says that superstition is lack of knowledge that everything belongs to God.

There are two types of foreboding. One is based on normative experience: observing things that consistently happen (e.g., running away from a cobra). There is no superstition in that. But this differs completely from some practices like avoiding walking under a ladder, staying clear of a black cat, and the culture that has evolved around the number 13. These superstitions emanate from having a bad opinion of God. Such superstitions are explicitly forbidden in Islam.

Treatment

Hoping for longer life to do good and reflection on death

People who recognize the urgency of the human condition and their own impending mortality do not squander their time. They set out doing good deeds, such as spreading knowledge, and this is entirely beneficial. Once, a great scholar who was a source of benefit for many people became very ill. A person came to him and asked him if he was fearful of dying. He said, "No! A verse of the Qur'an says that I will not die yet." The man asked, "Which verse?" He said, "What benefits people shall continue on earth (QUR'AN, 13:17). This kind of hope for a long life is a mercy from God, so that people who bring benefit to others will wish for more opportunity to taste the sweetness of being a harbinger of goodness.

It is no coincidence that those very people who do good and who hope to do more of it are, in fact, those who reflect on death and work for the Hereafter the most, so that the Day of Judgment will be a moment of joy and light for them.

Many of the righteous forebears of Muslim civilization stressed that one should visualize the states of death and the Afterlife: their bodies being washed and prepared for burial, being lowered into the grave, having soil cover them, being questioned by the angels, climbing out of the grave on the Day of Resurrection, and being called to stand in judgment before God, the Exalted. Spiritual masters have long said that if a person is struggling with his appetites, this exercise is a good way of controlling them. Reflection on death brings sobriety to one's state.

Fear

Fear (khawf) treats or prevents two maladies: moral complacency and self-righteousness. Having a good measure of fear is necessary to stay on the path. But when one reaches his or her deathbed, one should have absolute hope in God, and have certainty that God will offer forgiveness and allow him or her entrance into Paradise. This is having a good opinion of our Lord. The Prophet ﷺ warned that no one should die except with "a good opinion about God."

Extended hope and reality of death

Imam al-Haythamı̅ relates that having extended hope (taṭwı̅l al-'amal) is founded on heedlessness of the reality of death, which, he said, is not wrong in and of itself. There is no commandment that obliges the remembrance of death, although it is difficult to imagine a spiritual life without such reflection. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Remember death" and he said, "I used to tell you do not visit graves, now I tell you to visit graves because it will remind you of the Hereafter." Although these commands do not rise to the level of obligation, they are considered highly recommended (mandu̅b), the same way that the remembrance of God beyond what is prescribed is recommended but not obligatory per se.

God loves those who spend their youth obedient to Him and His commandments.

Superstition

What the sacred law permits as a means to avoid calamities is not superstition. Saying certain prayers, reading certain passages of the Qur'an that ward off evil, giving extra charity, and the like are acts of worship. These are based on revelation from God Himself and, therefore, differ completely from pre-Islamic practices, such as avoiding coming between two sheep, which was considered bad luck. The Prophet ﷺ warned against superstition, no matter how widespread it may be in societies.

According to Imam Mawlu̅d, the way to cure this trap of superstition is for one to simply persist in what one was doing before being confronted with whatever it is that is viewed as a bad omen. Altering one's course of action because of some perceived bad omen is admitting that the superstition has power. It is important to note that if it is not one's habit to have such bad forebodings and one finds oneself with a bad feeling about a situation or person, it is prudent to "listen to the heart". This is known as fira̅sah in Arabic, and in traditional theology is recognized simply as "discernment". It is an angelic agent that attempts to protect us from some imminent harm.