Assalaamu Alaikum!

A few weeks ago, some family friends came to visit after a long time. As both of them are enthusiastic gardeners, it didn’t take long before we began speaking about their garden. As they’ve been away from home for a couple of weeks, there was no one to water their trees in their absence (I live too far away, in case you are wondering) and the lack of rain during the past few months, they found some of their trees almost dead when they returned home. Their garden needed immediate care, but didn’t take long to start looking healthy again. I loved how excitedly they told me “ In only ten days, we can already see so much change.”

This made me ponder over the question “Aren’t our hearts the same?”

A check up

Its easy to recognize the symptoms when a tree is dying. From the colour of the leaves, the branches suddenly becoming bare as the leaves fall off, to the “lifeless” look it starts to have, we can tell that we have to give it urgent attention and care if we want it to survive.

But are we able to recognize it when our hearts are slowly dying?

I am not referring to our physical heart that keeps pumping blood through our body, but our spiritual heart. Just as our physical heart is affected by the things such as our diet and our lifestyle, our spiritual heart is also affected by what we do on our day to day basis. The difference however, is that while an expert can tell us what’s wrong with our hearts after conducting medical examinations, the responsibility of examining our spiritual hearts is on us. We have to do the uncomfortable task of opening up our hearts and look for signs of a heart suffering from spiritual illnesses. Just like any other problem, if we do not address them, its going to make our hearts weaker and more vulnerable to “attacks” from its enemies.

Does your heart feel numb and empty? Do you feel like you are in a spiritual rut? Do you see signs of arrogance in your heart? How much space does your heart has for Allah and His messenger? Is your heart dominated with love for worldly pleasures and material possessions? These are just a few questions you can start with to assess the “condition” of your heart.

Reviving a dying heart

Fortunately, this is a problem with solutions. The best cure for our hearts is already within reach to all of us.

“And among His signs is that you see the earth devoid of life, but as soon as We send down rain upon it, it begins to stir to life and swell. Indeed, the One Who revives it can easily revive the dead. He is certainly Most Capable of everything” (Quran, 40:39) 

Just as the rain sent down by Allah can revive a dead land, the revelation sent down by Him can revive a dead heart. Just as the rain changes a lifeless land to a place where plants and vegetation can flourish, our hearts are in need of Quran to stay healthy and alive. However, the hustle culture we live in sometimes makes us forget or neglect prioritizing things that nurture our hearts. Our focus often remains on the “urgent” and “important” things in our busy and overscheduled lives.

We live in an age where its easy to spend time with Quran. Give Quran some time from your day. Make it non-negotiable. Listen to your favorite Qari, sit with your Mushaf and recite or read the translation of a few verses. Even a few minutes of Quran a day will make a huge impact on your heart. Just as watering a dying tree saved it, watering your heart with words of your Lord can nourish it!

Only a thirsty tree knows the worth of few drops of water. Only a starved heart knows the worth of a few verses of revelation. Next time you recite the Quran, imagine it nourishing your heart, quenching its thirst and healing it.

A dose of faith for you

“Reflect on the concept of priorities and true love. When a believer truly believes that the Quran and its memorization and understanding is of the highest priority, he or she will find time for Quran’s companionship regardless of how busy life becomes” – 114 tips to help you finally memorize the Quran, Suleiman Hani

Jazakallah khair for reading.

If you found this beneficial or helpful, please do share with your loved ones.

Samar