Hadith Info: Assess Yourself

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “When Eeman (faith) enters the heart, the heart opens up to Islam.” At that he was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, is there a sign by which this may be recognized?” He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Yes, loss of interest in the place of deception, longing for the place of eternity, and preparation for death before it comes.” [Bayhaqi]

“The place of deception” refers to this transitory world, while “the place of eternity” refers to the Hereafter.

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) once recited the Ayat: “And whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his heart to Islam.” [Surah al-Anaam, Ayat 125] Then he (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) explained this Ayat by the above mentioned Hadith.

This Hadith informs us of several realities:

1. First Eeman enters the heart then the person’s heart accepts Islam.

2. The sign of a person’s heart having Eeman and having opened up to Islam is that:

(a) The person loses interest in the things of this world.
(b) The person longs for the Akhirah; longs for having the test of life behind him and being granted an eternal abode in Paradise where he can live a peaceful, struggle-free existence, with his happiness never diminishing.
(c) The person worries more about his home in the soil then his home on the ground; what he can do to convert his grave into one of the spacious and beautiful gardens of Paradise. The home on earth is to be lived in for only a short time while the home underground is not only to be lived in for much longer but is also an indicator of what is to come next. So his days are spent preparing for his death more than they are spent enjoying his life.

Take stock of your heart yourself.

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