Explaining the Causes of the Hardening of the Heart
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Q241: This questioner, Abu 'Abdullah from the Prophet's City, says: I am asking about the causes of the hardening of hearts. I have a hard heart, especially with my children. Some of them have turned away from me, and some have taken a path other than the correct one. Is this due to my poor treatment of them? And is this considered a sign of weak faith?
A241: This is a sign of weak faith. The hardening of the heart has causes, the most important of which are: distance from the Noble Qur'an and from reflecting upon it. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hadid 57:16] So, distance from the Book of Allah and turning away from it hardens the heart. Likewise, eating what is forbidden—may Allah protect us from it—hardens the heart and prevents the acceptance of supplication. Likewise:
not remembering the Hereafter and not remembering death; this hardens the heart. Likewise, being preoccupied with this world.
A241: This is a sign of weak faith. The hardening of the heart has causes, the most important of which are: distance from the Noble Qur'an and from reflecting upon it. Allah the Exalted said:
Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَnot remembering the Hereafter and not remembering death; this hardens the heart. Likewise, being preoccupied with this world.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.