Purifying Our Hearts in Becoming Our Best Selves
There is no one else that deserves our unconditional obedience but Allah SWT and on the day of judgement, when we meet our Creator, our wealth, children, and things of this world will not be with us. Therefore, we should not forget the real purpose of being in this life and in this world is to worship Allah and focus on our hearts for the sake of reaching our best selves.
On the day of judgement, we want to come before Allah SWT with a heart that is pure and peaceful. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him expressed that if you are able to in the morning and evening make the state of your heart where there is no ill will towards anyone then do so and this is considered his way or sunnah. Those who practice this sunnah truly love the prophet ﷺ and purifying our hearts brings us closer to the prophet. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also explained that whoever defends the reputation of his brother, Allah SWT will defend his face from the fire on the day of judgement.
Principal Wadud Hassan presents the idea of psychological safety and how, for instance, Google found that this made their teams work effectively. Psychological safety ensures safety for risk-taking in the face of being seen as incompetent, negative, and disruptive. In the face of adversity, the team can safely take risks and work together on a problem without incurring backlash. Psychological safety is the environment that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ created for his sahaba. His companions were able to come to him and ask permission or guidance on anything and it was a safe space for them with no judgement or repercussions. He would ask Allah SWT to purify their hearts and provide them with guidance. This shows how the prophet ﷺ believed in everyone’s potential.
Principal Wadud shares a story about Sheikh Ali, also known as Hakeem al Ummah or the Grand Mufti of Hind and his encounter with another sheikh during a gathering of sheikhs. That sheikh told Sheikh Ali that he feels he is the worst among these scholars and that everyone around him was better than him. Sheikh Ali points to a Hindu man passing by and says what if Allah gives that man guidance tomorrow and he dies with faith in his heart, questioning if he would have such purity of faith as well. This is the level of clarity and cleanliness that was in the heart of these scholars which provides us guidance.
May Allah grant us Tawfik to build this quality of keeping our hearts pure to have the best for our brothers and sisters and ourselves.