Of these five, some added one more: eating from Halaal earnings.
The heart is a vital organ in the human body that plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being.
In modern days, the heart attracts more attention because of the increase in heart patients around the world. Food, lifestyle and family are the major factors that determine heart health. Big campaigns are launched to make the public aware of the sensitivity of the heart. If necessary care is not taken, it is vulnerable to harm.
But, on the other hand, we need to be careful of another role of the heart. How many of us are alert to the heart’s role in controlling our character and behavior? This essential role of the heart cannot be ignored.
Reading the Quran:
When reading the Quran, a believer feels calm and quiet. It is a proven fact known to all who practice it. Normal reading without due respect to the Quran might not render any results, but careful reading remembering Allah’s mercy and the Quran’s highness provides a very different experience. Because of all these facts, the Quran is the medicine of the heart.
Ibn Qayyim says:
اُطْلُبْ قَلْبَكَ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ مَوَاطِن: عِنْدَ سَمَاعِ القُرْآنِ، وَفِي مَجَالِسِ الِّذكْرِ، وَفَي أَوْقَاتِ الخَلْوَةِ، فَاِنْ لَمْ تجَدْهُ في هَذِه الموَاطِنِ فَسَلِ اللَه َأْن يَمُنَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقَلْبٍ فَاِنَّهُ لا قَلْبَ لَكَ[1]
Watch your heart in three places: during the time of the Quran, in the gatherings of remembrance of Allah, and when you are alone. If you can’t find it in these three places, ask Allah to give you a heart, because you don’t have any heart.
Empty stomachs
When our stomachs are full, we get bored and weary. Overeating may render too much harm to the body as well. Empty stomachs make our minds dynamic and lively, and moderate eating is required to keep it up. Eating too much makes us fall asleep and prevents us from worshipping Allah.
Night Prayer:
The Quran says the characteristics of the believers are as follows:
تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ [2]
They arise from their (beds).
The Quran’s commentators say that this verse points towards the night prayer.
Another verse states:
كَانُوا قَلِيلاً مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ * وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ [3]
“They used to sleep but little of the night, and in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness”
The Prophet says:
عَلَيْكُمْ بِقِيَامِ الليْلِ فَإِنَّهُ دَأْبُ الصّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَقُرْبةٌ إلى اللهِ تَعَالَى، وَمُكَفّرَةٌ للسَّيِّئات، وَمُنَهاةٌ عَنْ الإثْمِ،وَمُطْرِدَةٌ للداءِ عَنْ الجسد[4]
It is upon you to perform night prayer, because it was the practice of the righteous people before you.” It is a means of obtaining closeness to Allāh the Exalted, it erases sins, it prevents wrongdoings, and it drives away sicknesses from the body”
The prophet himself was performing night prayers.
عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً فَافْتَتَحَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ عِنْدَ الْمِائَةِ فَمَضَى فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ عِنْدَ الْمِائَتَيْنِ فَمَضَى فَقُلْتُ يُصَلِّي بِهَا فِي رَكْعَةٍ فَمَضَى فَافْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ آلَ عِمْرَانَ فَقَرَأَهَا يَقْرَأُ مُتَرَسِّلاً إِذَا مَرَّ بِآيَةٍ فِيهَا تَسْبِيحٌ سَبَّحَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِسُؤَالٍ سَأَلَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِتَعَوُّذٍ تَعَوَّذَ [5]
Hudhaifa said: “I prayed with the Prophet one night. He started with (chapter) Al Baqara, so I thought he’d make Rukoo after that. Then he started with Al Nisaa and recited it. Then he started with Aal-Imraan and recited it. He would recite it slowly; when he passed by an Ayaa with Tasbeeh, he would make Tasbeeh. When he would pass by (an Ayaa with) a request, he would request it. When he would pass by (an Ayaa with) a seeking of refuge, he would seek refuge.”
Pre-dawn supplication:
عمرو بن عبسة رضي اللهُ عنهُ يقول :قُلْتُ يا رسُول الله ! هلْ منْ ساعةٍ أقْربُ من الأُخْرى أوْ هلْ منْ ساعةٍ يُبْتغى ذكْرُها؟ قال:«نعمْ،إن أقْرب ما يكُونُ الربُ عز وجل من العبْد جوْف الليْل الآخر،فإن اسْتطعْت أنْ تكُون ممنْ يذكُرُ الله عز وجل فـي تلْك الساعة فكُنْ ».[6]
Amr bin Abasa t asked the prophet: Is there any hour that is more preferable to prayer than another hour? Or is there any hour worth remembering? Prophet r said: Yes, at the end of the middle night, Allah will be nearer to His slave (believer). If you can arrange yourself to become among the people who remember Allah on that hour, then do so.
Another hadith says:
عنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ يَقُولُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ[7] ”.
Prophet r said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, (ie His mercy) comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, and (Allah) will say: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation?” Is there anyone to ask Me, so I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”
These verses and sayings of the prophet r clarify the importance of the prayer at night, especially at pre-dawn time.
Friendship with pious people:
ما جلس قومٌ مجلسًا يذكرونَ اللهَ فيه إلَّا حفتهُم الملائكةُ وتغشتهُمُ الرحمةُ وتنزلَتْ عليهم السكينةُ وذكرَهُم اللهُ فيمن عندَه[8]
“No group of people remembers Allah, but angels surround them, mercy comes down upon them, and tranquility descends upon them.” – Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.
مَثَلُ الْجَلِيسِ الصَّالِحِ وَالْجَلِيسِ السَّوْءِ، كَحَامِلِ الْمِسْكِ وَنَافِخِ الْكِيرِ، فَحَامِلُ الْمِسْكِ، إِمَّا أَنْ يُحْذِيَكَ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَبْتَاعَ مِنْهُ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَجِدَ مِنْهُ رِيحًا طَيِّبَةً، وَنَافِخُ الْكِيرِ، إِمَّا أَنْ يُحْرِقَ ثِيَابَكَ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَجِدَ رِيحًا خَبِيثَةً [9]
‘The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him