DEAD HEART5

y Imaam Ibn AI-Qayyim aI-|avziyyah

WhiIe lhousands of MusIims are kiIIed aII over lhe vorId, and vhiIe
lens of lhousands are imrisoned and lorlured for caIIing lo lhe alh
of AIIah and for en|oining lhe good and forbidding lhe eviI, mosl
MusIims remain remarkabIy siIenl and have no vorry excel for lhe
maleriaI lhings of Iife. Their hearls have been fiIIed vilh lhe Iove of
lhis Iife and lhe forgelfuIness of lhe Hereafler.

AIIah says in lhe Qur'an:
..>.l _> _!.l _ls :, > _. _ . :, >.> l `.-`, l
.. !. > .>>., _. , . -l . -`, < ,., !., _l.-, __
"You wi|| indeed Jind them, oJ n|| peop|e, most greedy oJ |iJe,
even more thnn those who do not be|ieve in Resurrection.
Ench one oJ them wishes he cou|d be given n |iJe oJ n
thousnnd yenrs. ut the grnnt oJ such |iJe wi|| not snve him
even n |itt|e Jrom due punishment. For A||nh sees we|| n||
thnt they do" (Soorah AI aqarah, 2:96).

Many MusIims loday have become so much allached lo lheir Iife lhal
lheir desire is lo dveII among lheir famiIy, house, money and
commerce. They have forgollen lhal mallers of lhe Hereafler shouId
come before mallers of lhis Iife and lhal ve musl slrive lo foIIov lhe
orders of AIIah, nol |usl lhose ve find easy and convenienl lo foIIov.
Some MusIims loday cIaim lhal il is beller lo erform exlra rayers
and exlra fasling ralher lhan en|oin lhe good and forbid lhe eviI or
defend lhe Iives of veak MusIims. Such eoIe vouId even bIame
lhe MusIims vho slrive lo erform lhese obIigalions.

This is vhal Imaam Ibn aI-Qayyim had lo say aboul such eoIe:
''The Shailan has misIed mosl eoIe by beaulifying for
lhem lhe erformance of cerlain voIunlary acls of vorshi
such as voIunlary rayers and voIunlary fasling vhiIe
negIecling olher obIigalory acls of vorshi such as en|oining
lhe good and eradicaling lhe eviI, lo lhe exlenl lhal lhey do
nol even make lhe inlenlion of erforming lhem vhenever
lhey are abIe lo. Such eoIe are considered by lhe schoIars
lo be on lhe bollom of lhe scaIe of reIigion: Ior lhe essence of
our reIigion is lo erform vhal AIIah ordered us lo do. The
one vho does nol erform his obIigalions is acluaIIy vorse
lhan lhe one vho erforms sins. Anyone having some
knovIedge aboul lhe reveIalion of AIIah, lhe guidance of lhe
Irohel and lhe Iife of lhe comanions vouId concIude
lhal lhose vho are oinled al loday as lhe mosl ious eoIe
are in facl lhe Ieasl ious. Indeed, vhal kind of iely is lhere
in a erson vho vilnesses AIIah's sanclilies being vioIaled,
his reIigion abandoned, lhe Sunnah of His Messenger
shunned, and yel remains sliII vilh a coId hearl and a shul
moulh' Such a erson is Iike a dumb Shailan! In lhe same
vay lhe one vho laIks faIsehood is a seaking Shailan. Isn'l
lhe misforlune of IsIam due onIy lo lhose vho vhenever
lheir Iife and food are secure, vouId nol care aboul vhal
haens lo lhe reIigion` The besl among lhem vouId offer a
sorry face. ul if lhey vere chaIIenged in one of lhe lhings
lheir hearl is allached lo Iike lheir money, lhey vouId sare
no efforls lo gel il back. These eoIe, besides deserving lhe
anger of AIIah, are affIicled vilh lhe grealesl caIamily
vilhoul even knoving il: They have a dcad hcart. Indeed
lhe more aIive a erson's hearl is, lhe slronger ils anger for
lhe sake of AIIah and lhe more comIele his suorl lo IsIam
and MusIims." (A'aIaam aI-Muvaqqi'een, voIume 2, age
176).