In the name of Allah, and may the peace and blessings be upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad, I say these words.

Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart!

Late last night, I sat alone, pondering on my past, my present, and my unknown future. My past – my history – will always be the largest and most personal resource of experiences, thoughts, and emotions for self-realization. As I look back I see with complete clarity my evolution through the different phases of my life; every person, trial, and experience has touched me in one way or another and helped form the man I am today. Although I am proud of who I am, I could be better. Greater men before me have always striven for more despite their recognized accomplishments. Through time we attain power; power comes with knowledge and experience. However, coupled with knowledge and power comes responsibility, responsibility to do what is right. In His name I testify that we must do whatever is in our power to make things right.

That brings me to my present; given what I know and believe dictates how I live – or should live – in the present. In the present we are always faced with challenges in life, challenges to the heart and mind. At times the heart and mind are difficult to separate, they function in sync with each other, and other times – particularly with clear matters – it is noticeable as to what one MUST do despite the internal struggle between heart and mind. I am currently facing struggles which weigh heavily on my chest, simply due to the responsibility I feel based on my past experiences and the knowledge I possess. There are those I wish to warn, and those I wish to guide, however I could face negative consequences as a result.

It is during these times where I do not know which to follow, do I follow my heart, or do I follow the logical processing of my mind? The mind surely paves an easier path before me, but the heart, well, seems should be the correct way to go. If you are familiar with me through recent posts and specifically posts I have removed from my past, you will know my fascination with the heart; in His name I follow my heart.

On the authority of Wabisa bin Mabad, may Allah be pleased with him said:

I came to the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he said: “You have come to ask about righteousness ?” . I said:” Yes.” He said: “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and moves to and from in the breast even though people again and again have given you their legal opinion [in its favor].”

Hadith Hasan transmitted from the Musnads of the two Imams, Ahmed bin Hanbal and Al-Darimi, with a good chain of narration.

Pay attention dear brothers and sisters, “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and moves to and from in the breast even though people again and again have given you their legal opinion [in its favor].”

With this knowledge, and with the lack of tranquility in our breasts, our soul rages for change. How do I go about changing that which I’m currently facing?

On the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudari, who said: I heard the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:

“Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest of faith.”

Related by Muslim.

Though I could be weak and change only in my heart that which has caused a stir within me, I would be lying to myself about it being satisfactory. This leads me to my future. Allah has given us all the choice to live freely as we will, every path we choose has a different outcome. I suppose I should always remember that as a general rule, in His name it would always be more rewarding for me to influence change with my hand (i.e. to take action), then in lower rank to make change with my words, and finally within my heart. I ask Allah to give us all the strength to be righteous regardless of the consequences, and to reward us for the good choices we make in this life. In His name Ameen… Allahoma Ameen.