What is the effect of the heart in changing evil, given that it is a hidden matter?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding changing evil with the heart, how can one change evil with the heart?
The Shaykh : How? What do you mean?
The questioner : How does denying evil with the heart contribute to changing evil?
The Shaykh : How does it contribute?
The questioner : Yes... it is considered one of the levels of changing evil.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the last level.
The questioner : Yes, how can it have an effect in changing evil when it is in the heart?
The Shaykh : It changes it, as I said earlier, that a person sometimes reaches a state where his feeling dies because this is evil. If this feeling dies, he has not denied the evil with his heart. And if he denies it with his heart, his heart remains alive, meaning it stays alive. I am reminding you of a real situation: these people who pass by certain streets and see very ugly images, and these images may be in front of one of the houses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Do you not feel with me that many of the people who pass by and see these things do not feel any denial of them in their hearts at all? Or do they? Well, on the contrary, there are other people who, when they see these ugly images, especially in front of one of the houses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)... with their inner state, they say, "O Allah, we do not accept this evil." Do you not find that this is different from that?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Like that.
Abu Malik: ... What does he see? Heh.
The Shaykh : Heh. So this passerby has changed the evil with his heart, whereas the first one has not changed it. He is in danger of exiting the religion. This is the one who does not deny the evil, even with his heart. And perhaps something comes to my mind now that is a more precise answer to what you asked about: changing evil is only for you.
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Changing evil is for you: when you saw this evil and denied it with your heart, this denial is valid in the Shari'ah. As for the one who did not feel it immediately and did not sense it, he is... denying the evil. Perhaps this is clearer to you than what I mentioned earlier. And although the previous example or examples were not actually intended to illustrate denying the evil... he passes by the evil and passes by what is right, not distinguishing between evil and what is right. This is the denial intended in the hadith, unless you have something else, in which case we will listen to it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How can that not be? This is evil. The matter is as decided by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) that there is... work, meaning the settled notion in the minds of many people is that work is only the work of the limbs, i.e., the visible limbs. But the truth is that the heart also has work. Therefore, faith resides in the heart. This faith in the heart increases and decreases. If there is movement in the heart, it is exactly like physical movement. If the heart falls silent, its owner dies. That is exactly the case from the spiritual, faith-based perspective. This heart has work and continuous movement, either good or bad. So whenever the Muslim does a righteous deed, this faith grows in his heart. Thus, the heart also has work, and among its works is denying with this heart and with his speech. But he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:, "O my heart, some evil is milder than some."
Abu Malik: Perhaps our Shaykh, what might be among the signs of the Hour in the end times might add clarity or explanation to this issue. A man passes by a man who is committing zina on the side of the road.
The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest.
Abu Malik: And he says to him, "Hide yourself and conceal yourself." Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right. This is the application of "The best of them is the one who says..." Yes.
The Shaykh : How? What do you mean?
The questioner : How does denying evil with the heart contribute to changing evil?
The Shaykh : How does it contribute?
The questioner : Yes... it is considered one of the levels of changing evil.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the last level.
The questioner : Yes, how can it have an effect in changing evil when it is in the heart?
The Shaykh : It changes it, as I said earlier, that a person sometimes reaches a state where his feeling dies because this is evil. If this feeling dies, he has not denied the evil with his heart. And if he denies it with his heart, his heart remains alive, meaning it stays alive. I am reminding you of a real situation: these people who pass by certain streets and see very ugly images, and these images may be in front of one of the houses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Do you not feel with me that many of the people who pass by and see these things do not feel any denial of them in their hearts at all? Or do they? Well, on the contrary, there are other people who, when they see these ugly images, especially in front of one of the houses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)... with their inner state, they say, "O Allah, we do not accept this evil." Do you not find that this is different from that?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Like that.
Abu Malik: ... What does he see? Heh.
The Shaykh : Heh. So this passerby has changed the evil with his heart, whereas the first one has not changed it. He is in danger of exiting the religion. This is the one who does not deny the evil, even with his heart. And perhaps something comes to my mind now that is a more precise answer to what you asked about: changing evil is only for you.
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Changing evil is for you: when you saw this evil and denied it with your heart, this denial is valid in the Shari'ah. As for the one who did not feel it immediately and did not sense it, he is... denying the evil. Perhaps this is clearer to you than what I mentioned earlier. And although the previous example or examples were not actually intended to illustrate denying the evil... he passes by the evil and passes by what is right, not distinguishing between evil and what is right. This is the denial intended in the hadith, unless you have something else, in which case we will listen to it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How can that not be? This is evil. The matter is as decided by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) that there is... work, meaning the settled notion in the minds of many people is that work is only the work of the limbs, i.e., the visible limbs. But the truth is that the heart also has work. Therefore, faith resides in the heart. This faith in the heart increases and decreases. If there is movement in the heart, it is exactly like physical movement. If the heart falls silent, its owner dies. That is exactly the case from the spiritual, faith-based perspective. This heart has work and continuous movement, either good or bad. So whenever the Muslim does a righteous deed, this faith grows in his heart. Thus, the heart also has work, and among its works is denying with this heart and with his speech. But he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The weakest of faith
أضعف الإيمانAbu Malik: Perhaps our Shaykh, what might be among the signs of the Hour in the end times might add clarity or explanation to this issue. A man passes by a man who is committing zina on the side of the road.
The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest.
Abu Malik: And he says to him, "Hide yourself and conceal yourself." Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right. This is the application of "The best of them is the one who says..." Yes.