10 Ahadith on purification of the heart. A heart is the most important part of a person because it is the “inner self” of any person. In Quran, this inner self is known as the “Qalb” or the “Heart”. What favors us (Muslims) in the sight of Allah (SWT) is the state of our heart. What will save us on the Day of Judgment is a sound heart. So we can say that heart is playing a very important role in our life and it has an amazing position in Islam.
Here are some Ahadith on purification of the heart.
Hadith 1
Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ
Verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 52, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Hadith 2
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
الْغِنَى فِي الْقَلْبِ وَالْفَقْرُ فِي الْقَلْبِ مَنْ كَانَ الْغِنَى فِي قَلْبِهِ لا يَضُرُّهُ مَا لَقِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَنْ كَانَ الْفَقْرُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فَلا يُغْنِيهِ مَا أَكْثَرَ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّمَا يَضُرُّ نَفْسَهُ شُحُّها
Wealth is in the heart and poverty is in the heart. Whoever is wealthy in his heart will not be harmed no matter what happens in the world. Whoever is impoverished in his heart will not be satisfied no matter how much he has in the world. Verily, he will only be harmed by the greed of his own soul.
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 1618, Grade: Sahih
Hadith 3
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لا يَبْلُغُ عَبْدٌ حَقِيقَةَ الإِيمَانِ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِلنَّاسِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ
The servant does not attain the reality of faith until he loves for people what he loves for himself of goodness.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 238, Grade: Sahih
Hadith 4
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me:
يَا بُنَيَّ إِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ وَتُمْسِيَ لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِكَ غِشٌّ لِأَحَدٍ فَافْعَلْ
Young man, if you are able every morning and evening to remove any rancor from your heart towards anyone, do so.
Then, the Prophet said to me:
يَا بُنَيَّ وَذَلِكَ مِنْ سُنَّتِي وَمَنْ أَحْيَا سُنَّتِي فَقَدْ أَحَبَّنِي وَمَنْ أَحَبَّنِي كَانَ مَعِي فِي الْجَنَّة
Young man, that is my Sunnah. Whoever revives my Sunnah has loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2678, Grade: Hasan
Hadith 5
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ أَقْوَامٌ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِثْلُ أَفْئِدَةِ الطَّيْرِ
People whose hearts are like the hearts of birds will enter Paradise.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2840,Grade: Sahih
Al-Nawawi commented on this tradition, writing:
قيل معْنَاهُ مُتوَكِّلُون وقِيلَ قُلُوبُهُمْ رقِيقةٌ
It is interpreted to mean they are those who rely upon Allah, or those who have soft hearts.
Source: Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn 1/45
Hadith 6
Abu Huraira reported: A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he complained about the hardness of his heart. The Prophet said:
إِنْ أَرَدْتَ تَلْيِينَ قَلْبِكَ فَأَطْعِمْ الْمِسْكِينَ وَامْسَحْ رَأْسَ الْيَتِيمِ
If you want to soften your heart, feed the poor and pat the head of the orphan.
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 7522, Grade: Hasan
Hadith 7
Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
الْمُجَاهِدُ مَنْ جَاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ
The one who strives in jihad in the way of Allah is he who strives against his soul.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1621, Grade: Sahih
Hadith 8
Zayd ibn Arqam reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا
O Allah, grant my soul a sense of righteousness and purify it, for you are the best purifier.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2722, Grade: Sahih
Hadith 9
‘Amr ibn Shurahbil reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا يُذْهِبُ وَحَرَ الصَّدْرِ صَوْمُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ
Shall I tell you about what will rid the heart of impurities? Fasting three days of every month.
Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 2385, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi
Hadith 10
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اللَّهُمَّ أَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِنَا وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِنَا وَاهْدِنَا سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَنَجِّنَا مِنْ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَجَنِّبْنَا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِي أَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُلُوبِنَا وَأَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ وَاجْعَلْنَا شَاكِرِينَ لِنِعْمَتِكَ مُثْنِينَ بِهَا قَابِلِيهَا وَأَتِمَّهَا عَلَيْنَا
O Allah, bring our hearts together, reconcile between us, guide us to ways of peace, and deliver us from darkness into light. Keep us away from immorality, outwardly and inwardly, and bless us in our hearing, our seeing, our hearts, our spouses, and our children. Accept our repentance, for you alone are the Relenting, the Merciful. Make us grateful for your blessings, praising and accepting them, and give them to us in full.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 968, Grade: Sahih
