Six Diseases of the Heart and their Antidotes:

Inspired by Al-Fawz Al-Kabīr fī Usūl at-Tafsīr by Shah Walīullah al-Dehlawī.

by Sr. Rabiya Abro, Faith Circle Treasures of the Tradition Student

Our Islamic tradition places a considerable significance on the spiritual state and health of the heart, particularly regarding its purification and its role as a central part of our faith and action. The Qur’an often redirects the believers attention to reflect inwards and introspect at the internal state as this is what dictates one's actions. Simultaneously, the Prophetic tradition demonstrates that there is an interlinked relationship between the state of one’s heart and their actions. So, a spiritual corruption, or a disease of the heart does not necessarily have to be an outright rejection of faith, but it can also be through a slight dissonance between one’s belief and practice. 

Shah Walīullah al-Dehlawī - the great revivalist and scholar - warns in his foundational Al-Fawz Al-Kabīr fī Usūl at-Tafsīr of harmful internal states that can manifest into one’s behaviour. His work extrapolates these internal states to contemporary circumstances that we still see today and how each of these can cause the heart to drift and become distant from Allah. The contemporary examples discussed will be social conformity, materialism, resentment, excessive preoccupation with the world, intellectual uncertainty and misguided loyalty. 

All six stem from a primary condition; when there is a dissonance in an individual’s actions. This describes individuals who enter Islam but are weak in their practice of it, and can be diagnosed when it is seen that one’s actions do not align with their belief (in Allah). This is a disease that in its totality has one cure and one cure only, and that is ikhlāṣ (sincerity of faith).

Using the framework from the text, we will analyse and extrapolate from the text to understand what each disease is, its manifestations, and what it is rooted in. For each, we will also provide an antidote so that one’s actions and beliefs become unanimous, and they are and thereby cured of the disease. 

1. The Conformist Heart 

The first condition can be described as the conformist heart. This is an individual that follows the customs of their community. Their conformism can fall into either direction. If the community becomes firmly established in īmān (faith), so do they, and if their community becomes firmly established in disbelief, so do they. So either way, it is an indication that the individual does not have their own religious grounding. This individual is thus at the mercy of the whims, trends and beliefs of those around them. They are not grounded and firm in matters of the religion that require him to be so. 

In the modern context, this disease poses great danger, as we are now in an age of exponentially higher rates of convoluted ideologies, media influence, friendships and online communities. The growth of digital communication and the effect of frequent media exposure has increased our exposure to competing influences. The danger is not necessarily in being influenced by others because we are all at some level influenced by our environments. Rather, the concern is when that influence is such that it convolutes haqq (truth) and baṭil (falsehood).

The antidote for conformism is its opposite - istiqāma (steadfastness). This requires an individual remain firm on tawhīd (The Oneness of Allah) and the risāla (prophethood) of Muḥammad ﷺ regardless of societal pressure. Istiqāma is the test of remaining upon haqq even when it may lead to isolation. The distinction to be made here is that there is a difference between belonging to a community and letting that community dictate one’s religiosity. An individual that is spiritually grounded can then participate in society (both online and offline) whilst maintaining their own independent istiqāma upon Divine Guidance.

2. The Consumerist Heart

The second is the consumerist consumerist heart. The consumerist is the one whose heart inclines towards the pursuit of material desires and worldly acquisition to such an extent that no capacity for the love of Allah SWT and of His Messenger ﷺ remains in them. 

The concern is not in the possessions themselves but rather, that the love and drive for material leaves no room in the heart for devotion and seeking muraqabah (closeness) to Allah. The Islamic paradigm does not prohibit worldly blessings in a lawful manner. Rather, there is a spiritual condition that arises when seeking worldly acquisition becomes the driving principle of one’s life, to the extent that it becomes a source of identity and fulfilment for the individual. Common sources of fulfilment include; wealth, status, possession, achievement or recognition. And Allah has granted us what we are allowed to enjoy from what is halal. But once we do receive what we sought, the desire is not satiated. Instead, it grows. The consumerist heart cannot ever be satisfied because it has been conditioned to seek fulfilment in the wrong places. 

The antidote for this condition is zuhd (asceticism) or detachment from excessive attachment to the dunyā (world) and all its luxuries. Zuhd does not necessarily mean one needs to abandon the world completely. But for the consumerist heart, it means a refusal of allowing the world to become the primary objective. We can have possessions, and we can pursue education and success, and we can enjoy the blessings of this world, but we must remember the One who granted them. 

3. The Cynical Heart

The third condition can be described as the cynical heart. Shah Walīullah describes this group as those whose hearts are governed by material greed, envy, hatred for each other, and suchlike repugnant qualities such that there remains in their hearts neither for the sweetness of devotion and intimate discourse (with Allah) nor for the blessings of the acts of worship. 

This condition is significant and lethal in that it affects one’s ability to engage in and one’s relationship with worship. When the heart has a preoccupation of resentment towards the creation, there is little room left to experience the sweetness of devotion and intimately worship Him. The individual can continue to perform the physical outward actions of worship, whilst the internal state remains corrupted. 

Envy is a uniquely destructive quality because it has the ability to transform the blessings that have been bestowed upon others into sources of dissatisfaction. In a similar manner, having consistent suspicious or negative perception of others can cause the individual to view the actions of others through a defocused lens and making judgements that may not be true at all.

The antidote to cynicism is ḥusn al-ḍhann (making good assumptions). This is a beautiful principle embedded into the Islamic paradigm rooted in optimism, and it is characterised by always thinking good thoughts, seeing the best in people and overlooking faults. This does not mean one completely suspends judgement when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing, not does it mean one becomes naive. Rather, this principle is a preventative measure for the believer, protecting oneself from allowing suspicions, envy and resentment from residing in the heart. 

The purification of the heart required for this disease state is not only that one engages in more acts of worship, but also that they examine their emotional responses when interacting with others. The spiritual health of a believer’s heart is recognised both in their sincerity of worship and how they perceive and behave with His creation. 

4. The Cluttered Heart 

The fourth condition can be described as the cluttered heart. This is characterised as individuals who are so engrossed in worldly affairs and in seeking a livelihood that they have no time to be concerned about the Hereafter, or to ponder upon or reflect on it.

A distinction from the consumerist heart should be made here. Consumerism is concerned with excessive attachment to worldly desire but clutter defines the individual who is so deeply engrossed with worldly matters - in both their heart and their mind - that they end up neglecting their spiritual health. It is important and necessary to be occupied with permissible activities, whether that be education, family responsibilities, final obligations or social commitments. However, these same activities can be sources of spiritual incongruence when there is meaningful space in the heart left for reflection and remembrance of Allah, His Names and Attributes, death or the afterlife. 

The contemporary concern with this particular disease is that our society and environments intensify this problem with the normalisation of overstimulation and constant connectivity. Mental occupation thresholds are at an all-time high with digital notifications, entertainment, social media and  academic or professional expectations. The cluttered heart may not make a conscious effort to reject remembrance or reflection, hence it is different to the consumerist heart that is completely engrained in seeking material. 

Naturally, the antidote then for this condition is ḍhikr (remembrance) of Allah, His Names and Attributes, death, the afterlife and reflecting upon Allah’s creation. Ḍhikr functions as a compass, that reorients the heart amidst all the noise, and keeps ones centred on the true north - remembering Allah. For the ḍhākir (one who is in a state of remembrance), the remembrance of Allah is integrated into one’s daily life without the abandonment of worldly responsibilities. Consequently, the objective of ḍhikr is to prevent worldly goals and ambitions from becoming the sole focus of human consciousness. 

5. The Conflicted Heart 

The fifth condition is the conflicted heart. This condition is seen in those whose minds have weak suspicious and feeble doubts about the message of our Prophet ﷺ, although they do not reach the extent of removing the yoke of Islam from their necks and shaking it off entirely. The reason for their doubt is the face that our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ exhibited ordinary human qualities, as well as the millah of Islam appearing in the form of the control of kings throughout the lands. 

There is a distinction between genuine inquiry and doubt that is spiritually destructive, and recognising this distinction is important. There is no prohibition made for questioning in Islam. Intellectual engagement, reflection and pursuing knowledge are all encouraged in Islam and can strengthen one’s faith. The danger emerges when one allows such doubts to remain unresolved that they then become increasingly engrained in the individual’s perception of the world. 

A source of doubt often seen in this context is the discussion around the humanity of the Prophet ﷺ and his stature as Allah’s Messenger and Prophet. Another is the historical manifestation of Islam though different political and social modes and institutions. Such doubts have a requirement of intellectual clarification rather than dismissal. 

The antidote for this condition is yaqīn (certainty). Yaqīn cannot be achieved through dismissing or suppressing questions or doubts. Rather it is achieved through acquiring knowledge, reflection upon Divine revelation, the consideration of Prophet evidence, and sincerely engaging with the intellectual barriers one is facing. 

A healthy process of faith thus allows an individual to ascend from uncertainty to conviction. The objective here is to ensure one does not possess inherited religious identity, but rather, it is to develop faith that is intellectually and spiritually sound and grounded. 

6. The Cowardly Heart 

The sixth condition, defined as the cowardly heart, refers to those who had such love for their tribes and close families that it made them exert themselves strenuously to assist, strengthen and help that, even if that means showing enmity towards the Muslims. Thus, they weakened Islam and caused it harm in the event of any dispute. 

Human beings naturally seek attachment through family and community and Islam does not mitigate these bonds. Islam instead regulates these bonds and places them within the wider Islamic framework of primary obedience to Allah. Hence, there is a problem that arises when loyalty becomes unconditional. Individuals may see themself defend a clear wrongdoing being done by a family member, close friend, political group or a community. And thus, this disease state causes one’s own affiliations to be more influential than the clear objective moral truth, as defined by Allah and His Prophet ﷺ. 

The antidote for this condition is jihād (striving for the cause of Allah). At the individual level, this is seen through a form of tazkiyah (spiritual refinement), where one has to fight - do jihād - against their own ego and its attachments, and instil courage into oneself to remain headstrong in adhering to the truth regardless of personal expense. This form of strife thus requires that the individual has to overcome their own natural desire for social approval when such conflicts arise with Divine guidance. Therefore, spiritual strife ultimately places obedience to Allah above any and all personal or communal interests. 

Conclusion 

What becomes clear across all six diseases of the heart, is that they are not matters of open disbelief in Allah or His Messenger ﷺ. Each condition - conformist, consumerism, cynicism, clutter, conflict and cowardliness - is an indication of a subtle shift within the heart, where the heart still recognises its imān but has secretly given priority to something other than Allah. This dissonance is what Shah Walīullah defines as the primary causational condition for all six: that there is a distance between what one believes and their thoughts, actions and goals. 

It is important to note here that the six conditions may not necessarily exist alone. A single heart can have multiple disease states simultaneously - an individual may conform to their peers whilst chasing a degree to be deemed of a certain stature and harbour resentment, all whilst maintaining their outward practice of Islam. This recognition is what makes the categorisation by Shah Walīullah so timeless: that these are not conditions of an individual’s actions alone - that can be easily seen and labelled - but that these are conditions of one’s orientation, which can be shielded by the correct external ritual practices. 

In the same way, all six antidotes have a common principle. All six - istiqāma, zuhd, ḥusn al-ḍhann, ḍhikr, yaqīn and ihād - are rooted in ikhlāṣ. Ikhlāṣ ensures that one’s beliefs are completely sincere, and each antidote thus requires that an individual recognises there is a sustained, deliberate return back to Allah that is expected. None of the antidotes expect a single action of correction, and nor do they expect that one completely disassociates from the world completely. Each antidote expects that the individual evaluates their relationship with the world and people around them and their sincerity, such that external engagement with the world does not corrupt inward sincerity. 

We are living in an era that has caused the inflammation of each condition simultaneously through systems and structures around us - social pressures, algorithms, overconsumption being marketed as identity, distraction, doubt amplification without resolution, and tribal loyalty being rewarded over moral principle. Shah Walīullah’s categorisation allows us to identify and diagnose the spiritual states that all of us can fall into. The task now is for the believer - you and me - to introspect and align the heart’s hidden inclination to that which our tongues profess, until belief and action become one once again. 

I end with a beautiful dua from our Prophet ﷺ, for sincerity and steadfastness of the heart: 

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

"O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion."

References:

Al-Fawz Al-Kabīr fī Usūl at-Tafsīr by Shah Walīullah al-Dehlawī

Characteristics of the Hypocrites by Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawzī

https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2140