By Shaykh Ustadh Hisham Abu Yusuf
17 January 2025

﷽

Whilst we fear physical diseases that claim lives, there exists a far more devastating condition – the death of the heart. This spiritual death turns us into walking shells, physically present but spiritually hollow. Throughout history, humanity has faced devastating plagues – the Bubonic Plague claimed 250 million lives, the Spanish Flu took 15 million souls, and recently, COVID-19 reminded us of our physical vulnerability. Yet today, I want to speak to you about an epidemic far more severe, one that claims not just bodies, but souls.

Think of your heart as an engine. Just as a car won’t move without its engine running, when our spiritual heart dies, our worship becomes empty motion. We stand in prayer feeling nothing. We hear the Qur’an without being moved. We find ourselves lazy in Allah’s remembrance. These aren’t just moments of low Iman – they’re symptoms of a heart in crisis.

Allah speaks directly to this condition in the Qur’an in Surah Al-Hadid, asking us:

When this verse was revealed to the companions in Madinah, it struck them like lightning. They recognised immediately the danger of letting their hearts become hardened to Allah’s remembrance. Allah further warns us about hearts that have rusted from sin:

As we approach Ramadan, understanding this message becomes crucial. The blessed month is like rain from the heavens, but consider what happens when rain falls on different types of earth. On fertile, well-maintained soil, the rain brings forth abundant growth. But when it falls on hard, stone-like ground, the water simply runs off, leaving no trace of its blessing. Our hearts are like this earth – if we don’t cultivate them through regular remembrance of Allah, they become like stone, unable to benefit from even the most blessed times.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us that remembering Allah is what keeps our hearts alive. He said in a Hadith reported by Imam Bukhari:

The example of one who remembers his Lord and one who does not, is like the example of the living and the dead.

But this remembrance doesn’t require us to abandon our daily lives. We can remember Allah while commuting, cooking, or working. The Prophet ﷺ himself would seek Allah’s forgiveness 100 times daily (Sahih Muslim), saying his heart would feel agitated without daily remembrance. If he, who was free from sin, felt this need, how much more do we need this spiritual medicine?

The Qur’an itself is our greatest tool for softening the heart. Allah describes it as:

Like gentle rain on hardened earth, consistent recitation of the Qur’an gradually softens our hearts, making them receptive to guidance and spiritual growth.

For those of us drowning in sin, our Prophet ﷺ gave us another powerful prescription – visiting graves. He said in a hadeeth reported in Muslim:

I used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now visit them, for indeed they remind you of the Hereafter.

This practice jolts us back to reality, reminding us that “every soul shall taste death”. When you place your hands in the soil of a grave, remember that one day, this same earth will cover you. This Ramadan could be our last. Shouldn’t this thought alone stir our hearts to action?

My dear brothers and sisters, don’t let your hearts die while you still have breath in your lungs. Start today –right now – with simple, consistent remembrance of Allah. Let the Qur’an be your daily companion. Seek forgiveness frequently. These small actions can revive even the hardest heart, bringing it back to life before Ramadan.

The greatest regret on the Day of Judgement will be looking back at the opportunities we wasted, the hearts we allowed to harden, the spiritual deaths we could have prevented. Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Begin the work of reviving your heart today, so when Ramadan arrives, your heart will be like fertile soil, ready to receive its blessings and flourish in its light.

O Allah, revive our hearts with Your remembrance. Grant us the sweetness of worship and the joy of connecting with Your words. Allow us to benefit from the coming days of Ramadan and make our hearts soft to Your guidance. O Allah, don’t let us be among those whose hearts have died while their bodies live. Grant us hearts that tremble at Your mention and find peace in Your remembrance. 

Ameen.

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