Page 1
The Islamic Bulletin
Issue 21
Issue 21
V
ol
. XXII, N
o
. 27
in
this
issue
L
etters
to
the
E
ditor
.......................... 2
I
slamic
W
orld
N
ews
.......................... 3
N
egative
F
actors
that
A
ffect our
H
eart
. . 4
S
he
’
s my
S
ister
.................................. 5
S
tories of
the
S
ahabas
........................ 7
W
omen
in
I
slam
................................. 8
H
ow
to
L
ower our
G
aze
. .................. 9
T
he
T
hings we
W
aste
......................... 10
H
ow
to
C
ultivate our
S
piritual
L
ife
. ... 10
E
xcellence of
S
ome
S
urahs
. ................ 12
D
u
’
aas
/ P
rayers
. ............................... 12
T
he
M
ost
B
eautiful
N
ames of
A
llah
.... 18
I
slamic
S
cience
................................... 18
R
amadan
’
s
D
iet
.................................. 22
C
ook
’
s
C
orner
.................................. 22
K
id
’
s
C
orner
..................................... 22
T
he
T
ricks of
S
haytaan
A
gainst
Y
ou
.... 23
H
elp
S
upport
the
I
slamic
B
ulletin
........ 23
T
he
I
slamic
B
ulletin
Published by the
Islamic Community of
Northern California
A Non-Profit Corporation
P.O. Box 410186
San Francisco, CA 94141-0186
E-Mail:
info@islamicbulletin.orgWebsite:
http://www.islamicbulletin.orgH
appy
R
amadan
!
What if we made a resolution to Allah that this Ramadan is the beginning of the new
me? As others make their resolutions for New Year, Ramadan would be a starting point
as a new resolution for Muslims. What if we approached Ramadan as a whole month
to practice this new resolution and work mainly on changing one organ in the body,
the heart, and then striving to continue this life-style throughout the year?
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that there is one organ in the body and if that organ is
in good condition, the whole body is in good condition. If that organ is corrupted, the
whole body is corrupted. And that organ is the heart. The heart is the center of man’s
body and spirit. If the heart does not pump blood to one of the billions of cells, that
single cell dies away very quickly. For the continuation of one’s life, the heart occupies
a unique place among the limbs of the body. This is also proved by the fact that most
deaths nowadays happen due to heart attacks and failures. So no one can ignore the
significance of the heart in man’s biological and physical life.
Now, if we return to the spiritual and Islamic perspective, the same is true. The heart
is the center of a good ritual life, which leads one to Paradise. It is our heart that emo-
tionally drives limbs to move towards the good. The brain that is the center of man’s
intellectual capacity works according to the feelings and emotions of the heart. TheHoly
Quran elevates the status of the heart in the spiritual realm to a very high degree. The
most important act of religious life, belief (iman), is actualized by man’s heart before the
uttering of the tongue. A good heart is defined very clearly in the Quran:
“Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah
and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when
hearts and eyeballs will be overturned.”
(Quran 24:37)
On the Day of Resurrection, only those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will
be saved. Allah says:
“The day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever
brings to Allah a sound heart.”
(Quran 26:88-89)
In defining the healthy heart, it is a heart cleansed from all things that challenge what Allah
commands, or disputes what He forbids. The hearts which fulfill the purpose of their creation
always remember Allah and feel His presence. Such hearts are the centers of love for God
andallHis Prophets (Maypeaceandblessings beupon themall). Theydonot allowany room
for worldly concerns and lusts. Such hearts are classified as sound hearts and are free from
evil. These hearts will benefit their owners on theDay of Resurrection, where therewill be no
helpers, intimate friends, supporters, family, wealth, or riches.
A Muslim with a healthy heart must dedicate it to its journey’s end and not base his
actions and speech on those of any other person except Allah’s Messenger (S). The Holy
Prophet (S) said: “Allah does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but
He scans your hearts and looks into your deeds.” (Muslim)
Today’s life is a speedy world with fast food, instant photos, on-line banking, and a lot
more. It is natural that we may get stressed out. Since a healthy heart leads to a healthy
life, we should take care to maintain our heart in good health. We should first identify
the factors that affect our heart and the factors we need to improve our mental health.
To the best of our knowledge, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the first person ever to
have talked about the importance of a healthy heart. He (SAW) also gave some very
good suggestions to maintain a healthy heart. Let us be aware of the way stress affects
our heart and in turn affects our body. May Allah give us the knowledge to control
stress, before stress controls us. We must remember that Prophet Muhammad (S) said:
“The man who is merciful and kind hearted to every relative and to every Muslim will
be an inhabitant of Paradise.”