Ruhul Adab

Commentary of Imam Hassan Cisse

28. Haal

After acquiring the knowledge of Allah and His laws, the next important knowledge is the knowledge of Mankind, for whom the laws are meant. Man is a complex structure and the most influential organ in this complex structure is the heart. The Prophet ﷺ has said in a sound Hadith: “… In the body is an organ, if this organ is healthy, the whole body becomes healthy. If it is unhealthy, the whole body becomes diseased. Alas, this the heart”. Allah SWT said in a narration that implies: “The whole seven heaven(s) and earth(s) cannot contain Me, but the heart of a faithful servant is enough to contain Me”. In the Qur’an 33:4 Allah says, “And Allah has not put for any man two hearts in his body”. A healthy heart is therefore a reflection of piety and good manners, while a diseased heart is also prone to evil and the way of shaytan.

      The spirit is that essence that gives life to the heart and the whole body. The spirit enables the body to function and gives it the ability to see, hear, talk, work, eat, etc. Allah says in the Qur’an 17:85 “And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul (Spirit). Say, “’The soul is of the affair of my Lord.’” When the heart is removed from the body, the body becomes useless. So also, when the spirit is removed from the body, it becomes lifeless. Therefore, to know man, the study of the different states of heart or soul or spirit is very important. The different conditions or states of the heart or soul are referred to as Haal. The soul can exist at six different states, and if properly trained can move from the lowest state to the best state. The first state is that in which the heart is inclined to doing evil. The heart or soul in this state is referred to as “Nafsu Ammaratu bi Su-i” (A soul prone to evil). Allah has said in the Qur’an 12:53 “Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy”. The second state of the soul, which is a degree higher than the first, is the state that sees evil as a blameworthy act and constantly blames itself. It seeks for forgiveness after committing evil. The soul in this state is referred to as “Nafsul Lawwama” (The Blaming Soul). Allah says in the Qur’an 75:1-2 “Will I not swear by the resurrection day, will I not swear by the Blaming soul…” The third state is the soul that can differentiate between good and evil due to inspiration it receives from Allah. The heart or soul in this state is referred to as “Nafsul Mulhima” (An Inspired Soul). Allah SWT says in the Qur’an 91:7-8 “By the soul and its proportioning, and its being inspired as to what makes it evil and what makes it pious”. From the above state, a further training toward abandoning evil actions will graduate it to the fourth state. The soul becomes content in this state. It is referred to as “Nafsul Mutma’inna” (The Contented Soul). Allah says in the Qur’an 13:28 “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured (content)”. The state of the soul that remains contented, by remembrance of Allah, attains a higher degree of being pleased with Allah. If he also maintains being dedicated with being pleased with Allah, the soul attains the highest degree where Allah is pleased with it. These fifth and sixth states are mentioned in the Qur’an 89:27-30 “[To the righteous it will be said], “O reassured soul, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], then enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise!”

To be continued in sha Allah …

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