How Do I Cure These Diseases of the Heart?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

How to cure diseases of the heart as mentioned below:

• Fearing enemies;
• Disease of desires, like woman;
• Hardness of heart.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Fearing one’s enemies and having desires for the opposite gender are natural states of the human being. These are not necessarily diseases of the heart. However, they can be indicative of other issues.

Indications of Fear

Having a fear of the creation is indicative of a weakness in faith and a lack of true knowledge of Allah Most High. Although it is normal to be in this state, we all should strive to strengthen our faith and increase our knowledge of Allah Most High.

Allah Most High says, “(…) Of all of Allah’s servants, only the knowledgeable (of His might) are (truly) in awe of Him. Allah is indeed Almighty, All-Forgiving.” [Quran, 35:28]

Remembering Allah Most High, reflecting on the Quranic verses and Prophetic narrations about Allah’s greatness, and striving to obey Allah Most High in all circumstances are of the three greatest means to strengthen faith and knowledge of Allah Most High. [Haddad, Book of Assistance]

When one realizes that Allah Most High is the sole actor in the world. Nothing happens except that Allah Most High has chosen, decreed, and brought it into existence. None benefits or harms except Allah Most High. It is through achieving certainty on this belief that one is freed of any hope towards or fear of the creation; they will only have hope and fear for Allah Most High.

Overcoming Desires

Physical desires are not in themselves blameworthy. Without them, the human species would not last. The goal is the bring one’s desires into moderation under the scope of Divine Sacred law. [Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din]

Even this, however, can prove difficult, but there are various things one can do to facilitate this pursuit. [Ibid.]

1) Remembrance of Allah Most High

Most times, when one falls victim to their sinful passions, it is at a time of and due to heedlessness. [Ibid.]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Satan perches on the heart of the human; when he remembers Allah, he (Satan) retreats. When he is heedless, he (Satan) whispers.” [Bukhari]

2) Finding a Permissible Alternative

The best solution to control sinful desires is to find an avenue permitted in the Sacred Law to fulfill that desire. Regarding physical desires towards the opposite gender, an Islamic marriage is the greatest means. [Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din]

3) Subduing the Desires

There are a few things one can do to subdue the desires, such as the following:

• Lessening one’s food intake;
• Lessening foods that stir up the desires: such as red meats;
• Lessening situations where one’s desires may be stirred up. This includes lowering the gaze, not viewing anything where there is a likelihood of seeing erotic content, and not allowing oneself to think sexual thoughts to the extent possible. [Ibid.]

Hardness of the Heart

From the above steps, one’s heart will necessarily become less hard. It is the sins and following of the desires that harden the heart. Aside from this, the most effective means of softening the heart is to cry in supplication or prayer to Allah Most High. [Sa‘d al-Aydarus, Kitab al-Buka’]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.

He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.

In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.