BismillaahirRaHmaanirRaHeem
Assalaamu 'alaikum wa raHmatullaahi wa barakaatu
The Purification of the Soul from the works of Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbabli,
Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jawziyaa, and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
Chapter 5-The Four Poisons Of The Heart

You should know that all acts of disobedience are poision to the heart
and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off
course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases.

Ibn al-Mubarak said: I have seen wrong actions killing hearts, And
their degradation may lead to their bcoming addicted to them. Turning away
from wrong actions gives life to the hearts, And opposing your self is
best for it. Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his
heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by
avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to
wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness
from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong
actions.

By the four poisions we mean unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances,
too much food, and keeping bad company. Of all the poisons, these are
the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart's
well-being.

******************* Unnecessary Talking *******************

It is reported in al-Musnad, on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet
*saaws* said: "The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart
is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put
right." (1)

This shows that the Prophet *saaws* has made the purification of faith
conditional on the purification of the heart, and the purification of
the heart conditional on the purification of the tongue. At-Tirmidhi
relates in a hadith on the authority of Ibn Umar: "Do not talk excessively
without remembering Allah, because such excessive talk without the
mention of Allah causes the heart to harden, and the person furthest from
Allah is a person with a hard heart."(2)

Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "A person who
talks too much is a person who often makes mistakes, and someone who
often makes mistakes, often has wrong actions. The Fire has a priority
over such a freqent sinner."(3)

In a hadith related on the authority of Mu'adh, the Prophet *saaws*
said, "Shall I not tell you how to control all that?" I said, "Yes do, O
Messenger of Allah." So he held his tongue between his fingers, and then
he said: "Restrain this." I said, "Oh Prophet of Allah, are we
accountable for what we say?" He *saaws* said, "May your mother be bereft by
your loss! Is there anything more than the harvest of the tongues that
throws people on their faces (or he said 'on their noses') into the
Fire?"(4)

What is meant here by 'the harvest of the tongues' is the punishment
for saying forbidden things. A man, through his actions and words, sows
the seeds of either good or evil. On the Day of Resurrection he harvests
their fruits. Those who sow the seeds of good words and deeds harvest
honour and blessings; those who sow the seeds of evil words and deeds
reap only regret and remorse. A hadith related by Abu Huraira says, "What
mostly causes people to be sent to the Fire are the two openings: the
mouth and the private parts."(5)

Abu Huraira also related that the Messenger of Allah *saaws* said, "The
servant speaks words, the consequences of which he does not realise,
and for which he is sent down into the depths of the Fire further than
the distance between the east and the west."(6)

The same hadith was transmitted by at-Tirmidhi with slight variations:
"The servant says something that he thinks is harmless, and for which
he will be plunged into the depths of the Fire as far as seventy
autumns."(7)

Uqba ibn Amir said: "I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is our best
way of surviving?' He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied:
"Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your
privacy, and weep for your wrong actions."(8)

It has been related on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Prophet
*saaws* said, "Whoever can guarantee what is between his jaws and what
is between his legs, I guarantee him the Garden."(9)

It has also been related by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let
whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain
silent."(10)

Thus talking can either be good, in which case it is commendable, or
bad, in which case it is haram.

The Prophet *saaws* said: "Everything the children of Adam say goes
against them, except for their enjoining good and forbidding evil, and
remembering Allah, Glorius and Might is He." This was reported by
at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Ma'jah on the authority of Umm Habiba, may Allah be
pleased with her.(11)

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them,
and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar said "Stop! may
Allah forgive you!" Abu Bakr replied; "This tongue has brought me to
dangerous places."(12)

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: "By Allah, besides Whom no god exists,
nothing deserves a long prison sentence more than my tongue." He also used
to say: "O tongue, say good and you will profit;desist from saying evil
things and you will be safe; otherwise you will find only regret."

Abu Huraira reported that Ibn al-Abbas said: "A person will not feel
greater fury or anger for any part of his body on the Day of Judgement
more than what he will feel for his tongue, unless he only used it for
saying or enjoining good."

Al-Hassan said: "Whoever does not hold his tongue cannot understand his
deen."

The least harmful of a tongue's faults is talking about whatever does
not concern it. The following hadith of the Prohet *saaws* is enough to
indicate the harm of this fault: "One of the merits of a person's Islam
is his abandoning what does not concer him."(13)

Abu Ubaida related that al-Hassan said: "One of the signs of Allah's
abandoning a servant is His making him preoccupied with what does not
concern him."

Sahl said, "Whoever talks about what does not concern him is deprived
of truthfulness."

As we have already mentioned above, this is the least harmful of the
tongue's faults. There are far worse things, like backbiting, gossipying,
obscene and misleading talk, two-faced and hypocritical talk, showing
off, quarrelling, bickering, singing, lying, mockery, derision and
falsehood; and there are many more faults which can affect a servant's
tongue, ruining his heart and causing him to lose both his happiness and
pleasure in this life, and his success and profit in the next life. Allah
is the One to Whom we turn for assistance.

Footnotes:

1. Da'if hadith, Al-Mundhari, 3/234; and al-Iraqi in al-Ihya, 8/1539.
2. Da'if hadith, at-Tirmdihi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/92, gharib; no one
elsehas transmitted it other than Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Hatib,
whomath-Thahabi mentions, 1/43, stating that this is one of the gharib
hadithattributed to him.
3. Da'if hadith, Ibn Hibban and al-Baihaqi, and al-Iraqi in his edition
ofal-Ihya, 8/1541.
4. Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, ath-Thahabi.
5. Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhi and Ahmad; also al-Hakum and ath-Thahabi.
6. Al-Bukhari in Kitab ar-Riqaq, and Muslim in Kitab az-Zuhud.
7. At-Tirmdihi, Kitab az-Zuhud; he said the hadith is hasan gharib.
8. At-Tirmdihi in Kitab az-Zuhud with a slightly different wording;
hesaid the hadith is hasan. This wording is reported by Abu Na'im
inal-Hilya.
9. Al-Buhhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308 and Kitab al-Hudud, 12/113.
10. Al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308; Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, 2/18.
Thecomplete hadith is: "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day
eitherspeak good or remain silent; and let whoever believes in Allah and
theLast Day be generous to his neighbour; and let whoever believes in
Allahand the Last Day be generous to his guest."
11. THe hadith is hasan and is reported by at-Tirmdhi in Kitab
az-Zuhudand by Ibn Majah in Kitab al-Fitan. At-Tirmidhi classifies it as
hasangharib. We have no report of it other than from Muhammad ibn Yazid
ibnKhanis.
12. Hasan according to Abu Ya'la, Baihaqi and as-Suyuti. Musnad,
1/201;as-Sa'ati.
13. Sahih, at-Tirmdhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 6/607; Ahmad, al-Musnad,
1/201;as-Sa'ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani, 19/257; hadith number 12 in
an-Nawawi'sForty Hadiths.
******************************

BismillaahiRaHmaanirRaheem
Assalaamu 'alaikum wa raHmatullaahi wa barakaatu

******************** Unrestrained Glances ********************

The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted
to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in
his heart. This can result in several kinds of corruption in the heart
of the servant. The following are a number of them:

It has been related that the Prophet *saaws* once said words to the
effect: "The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytan. Whoever lowers his
gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he
will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him."(14)

Shaytan enters with the glance, for he travels with it, faster than the
wind blowing through an empty place. He makes what is seen appear more
beautiful than it really is, and transforms it into an idol for the
heart to worship. Then he promises it false rewards, lights the fire of
desires within it, and fuels it with the wood of forbidden actions, which
the servant would not have committed had it not been for this distorted
image.

This distracts the heart and makes it forget its more important
concerns. It stands between it and them; and so the heart loses its straight
path and falls into the pit of desire and ignorance. Allah, Mighty and
Glorious is He, says:

--*< And do not obey anyone whose heart WE have made forgetful in
remembering Us- who follows his own desires, and whose affair has exceeded
all bounds. (18:28)--<*

The unrestrained gaze causes all three afflications.

It has been said that between the eye and the heart is an immediate
connection; if the eyes are corrupted, then the heart follows. It becomes
like a rubbish heap where all the dirt and filth and rottennes collect,
and so there is no room for love for Allah, relating all matters to
Him, awareness of being in His presence, and feeling joy at His
proximity-only the opposite of these things can inhabit such a heart.

Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allah:

-*< Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and quard their modesty;
that is more purifying for them. Surely Allah is aware of what they do.
(24:30)--<*

Only the one who obeys Allah's commands is content in this world, and
only the servant who obeys Allah will survive in the next world.

Furthermore, letting the gaze roam free cloaks the heart with darkness,
just as lowering the gaze for Allah clothes it in light. After the
above ayah, Allah, the Glorious and Mighty, says in the same surah of the
the Qur'an:

-*< Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth: the likeness of
His light is as if there were a niche, and in the niche is a lamp, and in
the lamp is a glass, and the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit
from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose
oil is well nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon
light. 'Allah guides whomever He wants to His Light. Allah strikes
metaphors for man; and Allah knows all things. (24:35)--<*

When the heart is a light, countless good comes to it from all
directions. If it is dark, then clouds of evil and afflictions come from all
directions to cover it up.

Letting the gaze run loose also makes the heart blind to distinguishing
between truth and falsehood, between the sunnah and innovation; while
lowering it for Allah, the Might and Exalted, gives it a penetrating,
true and distinguishing insight.

A righteous man once said: "Whoever enriches his outward behaviour by
follwing the sunnah, and makes his inward soul wealthy through
contemplation, and averts his gaze away from looking at what is forbidden,
and
avoids anything of a doubtful nature, and feeds soley on what is
halal-his inner sight will never falter."

Rewards for actions come in kind. Whoever lowers his gaze from what
Allah has forbidden, Allah will give his inner sight abundant light.

Footnotes:
14. Da'if, at-Tabarani, 8/63; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 4/314;
Ahmad,al-Musnad, 5/264

**********************************

BismillaahiRaHmaanirRaheem
Assalaamu 'alaikum wa raHmatullaahi wa barakaatu

************* Too Much Food *************

The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the
heart, strenght of the intellect, humility of the self, weakness of
desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the
opposite of these praiseworthy qualities.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'd Yakrib said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah *saaws*
say: "The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allah than
his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his
strength. If he must fil it, then he should allow a third for his food, a
third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing."(15)

Excessive eating induces many kinds of harm. It makes the body incline
towards disobedience to Allah and makes worship and obedience seem
laborious-such evils are bad enough in themselves. A full stomach and
excessive eating have caused many a wrong action and inhibited much worship.
Whoever safeguards against the evils of overfilling his stomach has
prevented great evil. It is easier for shaytan to control a person who has
filled his stomach with food and drink, which is why it has often been
said: "Restrict the pathways of shaytan by fasting."(16)

It has been reported that when a group of young men from the Tribe of
Israel were worshipping, and it was time for them to break their fast, a
man stood up and said: "Do not eat too much, otherwise you will drink
too much, and then you will end up sleeping too much, and then you will
lose too much."

The Prophet *saaws* and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them,
used to go hungry quite frequently. Although this was often due to a
shortage of food, Allah decreed the best and most favourable conditions
for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is why
Ibn Umar and his father before him-in spite of the abundance of food
available to them-modelled their eating habits on those of the Prophet
*saaws*. It has been reported that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,
said: "From the time of their arrival in Madina up until his death
*saaws*, the family of Muhammed *saaws* never ate their fill of bread made
from wheat three nights in a row."1(7)

Ibrahim ibn Adham said: "Any one who controls his stomach is in control
of his deen, and anyone who controls his hunger is in control of good
behaviour. Disobedience towards Allah is nearest to a person who is
satiated with a full stomach, and furthest away from a person who is
hungry."

Footnotes:

15. Sahih, Ahmad, al-Musnad, 4/132; as-Sa'ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani,
17/88;at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/51.
16. Da'if; it does not appear in most of the sources of the sunnah, but
is mentioned in al-Ghazzali's al-Ihya, 8/1488.
17. Al-Bukhari, Kitab al-At'ima, 9/549; and Muslim, Kitab az-Zuhud,
8/105.