What is the meaning of this hadith in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "Verily, in the body there is a morsel; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt"
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The questioner : I ask for an explanation of this hadith, the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The questioner :Sahih al-Bukhari 52 .
The Shaykh : By this, he (peace and blessings be upon him) means that the heart is the pivot upon which soundness and corruption depend. It is a *mudhghah*, meaning a piece of flesh the size of what a person chews; it is small, but it animates the entire body. If it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. This obligates us to be diligent in purifying our hearts and removing doubt and suspicion from them, and to check them more often than we check our limbs. Many people are found to be diligent in perfecting their outward actions, but they forget their hearts, and this is a mistake. The most important thing is to always be inspecting the heart: what is its sincerity? What is its direction? What is its reliance? What is its seeking of help? And so on. If the heart is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. He says, O esteemed Shaykh, this questioner...
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The questioner :
Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلبThe Shaykh : By this, he (peace and blessings be upon him) means that the heart is the pivot upon which soundness and corruption depend. It is a *mudhghah*, meaning a piece of flesh the size of what a person chews; it is small, but it animates the entire body. If it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. This obligates us to be diligent in purifying our hearts and removing doubt and suspicion from them, and to check them more often than we check our limbs. Many people are found to be diligent in perfecting their outward actions, but they forget their hearts, and this is a mistake. The most important thing is to always be inspecting the heart: what is its sincerity? What is its direction? What is its reliance? What is its seeking of help? And so on. If the heart is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. He says, O esteemed Shaykh, this questioner...