By Baimot M. Lakman
Our hearts are a beautiful blessing from Allah, and we must do everything we can to keep them healthy. Just as we should take care of our health and diet in order to avoid heart disease, we should also take care of our spiritual side. We are beings with a body and a soul. We must strike a balance and care for both aspects of our existence.
What is the sealed heart?
We must not allow our hearts to remain sealed and veiled for the rest of our lives. We must realize that a sealed heart is one that is diseased. This is a heart full of hostility, hypocrisy, animosity, arrogance, and disbelief; it is a heart that is forgetful of Allah’s commands; it is a heart that loves showing off and is a habitual sinner in private and God-fearing in public; it is a heart that has forgotten the remembrance of Allah; it is a heart that is truly preoccupied with worldly desires; it is a hypocritical heart; it is a heart that always follows unlawful desires and allows them to overtake their reasoning; it is a heart that beats ill towards other people; it is a heart that feels sad and broken when it sees other people’s happiness and excellence in life. This is the sealed heart that only perceives the negative aspects of life.
We should learn from this verse that we should not wait for Allah to seal our hearts, because those who have sealed their hearts will meet a tormenting punishment. Spiritual heart disease is worse than any other sickness since it requires our sincerity to fully treat and cleanse our hearts.
How can we heal our hearts that have been sealed?
By performing more good deeds and making innumerable du’as, one might dispel the darkness that has engulfed the heart. We must hold ourselves more accountable for our misdeeds by assessing our behavior. Are we abiding by the commandments of Allah or committing sins constantly? If we are conscious of our sins, we must hasten to seek forgiveness and repentance from Allah. I know it won’t be simple, and it will take more time and practice, but we must take the first steps to ultimately remove the seal from our hearts. Try to involve ourselves in the remembrance of Allah and do greater obeisance to Allah in solitude. Spend some quality time with Allah. We must confess our faults and humble ourselves before Allah. Lastly, we must constantly keep the hereafter in mind. If we keep in mind that our activities will be assessed in the hereafter, we will be reminded to do good things sincerely. I know we are frail beings prone to errors, but we have the power of reasoning to steer us on the right path.
It is still possible to be forgiven. This month of Ramadhan is the finest time to ask forgiveness and repent for whatever we have done, whether in private or in public. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Never give up hope on that. May Allah make it easier for all of us to provide us with this chance to begin a God-fearing life. In Shaa Allah, may Allah unseal all the sealed hearts and instill in them the fear and love that beats only for Allah.