Signs of a Dead Heart According to Ibn Athaillah
Signs of a Dead Heart According to Ibn Athaillah - A person who has a dead heart, he will tend to put his personal interests and lust ahead of matters of obedience and love for the creator. In QS. Al-Furqan [25]: 43 is mentioned,
أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلاً
"Have you (Muhammad) seen the person who makes his lust as his god. Will you be his protector? ”
Ibn ‘Athaillah as-Sakandari conveyed the words of wisdom in his book Al-Hikam that among the signs of a dead heart is that there is no sorrow for missed obedience and no remorse for the mistakes made. Both signs show that the absence of the values of faith firmly embedded in his heart.
When obedience is passed on, the dead heart finds no remorse at all. So because of the heart that is no longer healthy. The heart should be able to feel every thing that brings God's pleasure, so that it makes him happy. While the dead heart feels the same obedience and wrath of God. Obedience does not make him happy, immorality does not make him sad. There is no significant difference between the two. In this context the Prophet Muhammad SAW said,
مَنْ سَرَّتْهُ حَسَنَتُهُ وَسَاءَتْهُ سَيِّئَتُهُ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ.رواه أبو الفرج البغدادي
"The person whose goodness makes him happy and whose badness makes him sad, then he is a believer (perfect)"
Similarly with a dead heart, it does not recognize the feelings of remorse for the wrong that has been done. He considered it normal and would do it again at another time. The dead heart does not know the beauty of the days with obedience, but it judges it equally between good and evil.
As for the person whose heart is sick, he always follows evil with evil as well. Al-Hasan Al-Bashri rahimahullah said, "It is sin upon sin so that it makes the heart blind, then die." While a healthy heart always follows evil with good and follows sin with repentance. In His book, Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُواْ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ
"Surely the pious, when they are overshadowed by the evil thoughts (sins) of the devil, they immediately remember God, then they also see (his mistakes)."
While a person who has a pure heart will always depend his life only on God, he does not get tired of living life with obedience and always prioritizes things that are beneficial. The owner of this pure heart is prone to have a beautiful and happy life, because in his life he is more concerned with the affairs of the hereafter than the world.
So, what is the condition of your heart today?