1Chapter One THE SOUND HEART

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “And the soundheart is the one which is secure from shirk, hatred, jealousy, envy,covetousness, pride, love of the world and leadership. So it is safefrom every harmful thing which distances it from Allaah and it is safefrom every doubt that contradicts His information (i.e., Revelation).It is safe from every desire that opposes His command and from everywish that competes (repels) what He intends (from His servants), and itis also safe from everything that cuts it off from Allaah. So thissound and safe heart is in a paradise in this world and in a paradisein the barzakh and in a paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Theheart’s safety and soundness cannot be perfected, absolutely, until itis secure from five things:(i) From shirk which nullifies tawheed(ii) From innovation which opposes the Sunnah(iii) From a desire/lust that opposes the command (of Allaah)(iv) From heedlessness that contradicts remembrance (of Him)(v) From a desire that nullifies purity and sincerity (in intent andpurpose)These five are barriers to Allaah and beneath each of them are manyother categories that contain unique issues which cannot be enumerated.[al-Jawaab al-Kaafee (1/176)].