Hardness of the Heart is a Cause of Many Sins

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Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have Mercy on him] said:

“Hardness of the heart is a cause of many sins.“

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saaleh al-‘Uthaymeen [may Allaah have Mercy on him] commented:

The evidence for this is the Statement of the Most High:

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ وَلاَ تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىَ خَائِنَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنْهُمُ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“So because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. And you will not cease to discover deceit in them, except a few of them. But forgive them, and overlook (their misdeeds). Verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (good-doers - see V.2:112). ” [al-Maa’idah 5:13]

From this we understand that obedience to Allaah is a cause for ones heart to be softened. The more one increases in obeying Allaah, the softer his heart will become – and softening the heart is the objective of the believer.

This is because hard hearts - may Allaah Protect us from them - do not fear their end. They do not find their pleasure in gaining reward.

For example, they may read many Aayat in the Quraan pertaining to the promise of reward and the threat of punishment but in his heart, all the Ayaat are same (i.e. without there being any effect) – may Allaah Protect us.

However, the heart which is soft is effective and finds pleasure in the Ayaat of promise and is terrified and flees from the Ayaat of punishment.

This is the reality of how to determine what a hard or soft heart really is.

If you see your heart not moving, it stays static when reciting the Ayaat of promise and reward, and remains static when reciting the Ayaat of punishment and blame, then know that your heart is hard – and Allaah’s protection is sought.

Its like stones that are placed in water, they do not decay however sand particles dissolve because they are soft. So the heard heart is never effected by anything.

[Sharh Iqtidaa’ as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (Pg. 153-154)]