Supplications for the Heart

https://www.khutbah.info/supplications-for-the-heart/ In steadfastness of the heart upon the command of Allāh Almighty, is happiness in this worldly life and triumph in the hereafter. The Prophet  ﷺ  said: Indeed Allāh does not look at your appearances or your wealth, rather He looks at your deeds and your hearts. [Muslim 2564b] And Hassan Al Basry, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:  Remedy your heart for indeed all that Allāh Almighty wants from His servants is the righteousness of their hearts.  And it is noteworthy that there are many supplications devoted to the heart. This obliges the believer to pay attention to these supplications, memorize them, and to supplicate with them a great deal, following the example of the Prophet  ﷺ . For the heart is the place of iman (faith), righteousness, allegiance, disavowal, love and hate. And the deeds of the hearts are foremost and more important than the movements of the bodies. And humility and focus in prayer is its soul and its core. And reflecting an hour is better than praying at night, as was narrated from a number of companions, may Allāh be pleased with them. 

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ  ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ  وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ ,  وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا  ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ  فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,  وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,  وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ   وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ    

Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

 يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102 

Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

Oh people:

In steadfastness of the heart upon the command of Allāh Almighty, is happiness in this worldly life and triumph in the hereafter. The Prophet  ﷺ  said: 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ-رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Indeed Allāh does not look at your appearances or your wealth, rather He looks at your deeds and your hearts. [Muslim 2564b]

And Hassan Al Basry, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: 

Remedy your heart for indeed all that Allāh Almighty wants from His servants is the righteousness of their hearts. 

And it is noteworthy that there are many supplications devoted to the heart. This obliges the believer to pay attention to these supplications, memorize them, and to supplicate with them a great deal, following the example of the Prophet  ﷺ . For the heart is the place of iman (faith), righteousness, allegiance, disavowal, love and hate. And the deeds of the hearts are foremost and more important than the movements of the bodies. And humility and focus in prayer is its soul and its core. And reflecting an hour is better than praying at night, as was narrated from a number of companions, may Allāh be pleased with them. 

And since the heart is the place of love and hate, supplicating for the heart to have love for faith and hatred for disbelief is from among the authentic supplications. And Allāh Almighty has blessed the companions, may Allāh be pleased with them, with that. Allāh Almighty said: 

وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ-الْحُجُرَاتِ  7

Al-Hujurat (49) 7: But Allāh has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience.  

And after the campaign of Uhud with the pain of defeat and bitterness of the calamity, the Prophet  ﷺ  gathered his companions and praised Allāh Almighty and supplicated Him the Almighty. And among his supplications was: 

اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيِّنْهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَكَرِّهْ إِلَيْنَا الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ-رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ

O Allāh, endear iman (faith) to us and adorn our hearts with it, and make disbelief, deviance and rebellion hateful to us. And make us among the rightly-guided. [Sahih Adab Al Mufred, Grade: Sahih]

And the heart deviates from the guidance into misguidance and from the truth to falsehood. Therefore, as Allāh Almighty stated in the Quran, among the supplications of those who are firmly grounded in knowledge:  

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ-آلِ عِمْرَانَ  7  

Al Imran (3) 7: Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower

And the most frequent supplication of the Prophet  ﷺ  was to make the heart steadfast upon the religion. As Anas, may Allāh be pleased with him, narrated:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ. قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، آمَنَّا بِكَ وَبِمَا جِئْتَ بِهِ، فَهَلْ تَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُقَلِّبُهَا

The Prophet    used to say often: O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion. He said: we said: O Messenger of Allāh, we believe in you and in what you brought, do you fear for us? So he said: yes, indeed the hearts are between Two Fingers of Allāh Almighty, He changes them.   [Ahmad 13696, Grade: Sahih upon the condition of Muslim]

And Um Salamah, may Allāh be pleased with her, was asked:

مَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُ دُعَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَكِ؟ قَالَتْ: كَانَ أَكْثَرُ دُعَائِهِ: يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ، قَالَتْ: فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا لِأَكْثَرِ دُعَائِكَ: يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ، قَالَ: يَا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ آدَمِيٌّ إِلَّا وَقَلْبُهُ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللَّهِ، فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَقَامَ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَزَاغَ-رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ

What was the most frequent supplication of the Messenger of Allāh when he was with you? She said: His most frequent supplication was: O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion. She said: So I said: O Messenger of Allāh, why do you supplicate so frequently: O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion. He said: O Umm Salamah, indeed there is no human being except that his heart is between Two Fingers of the Fingers of Allāh, so whomsoever He wills He makes steadfast, and whomever He wills He causes to deviate. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3522, Grade: Hasan]

And the heart is the leader of the body, so the body does not perform an act of obedience except by the heart’s command. That is why supplication was prescribed to direct the heart to obedience. And the Prophet  ﷺ  used to supplicate: 

اللَّهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ-رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

O Allāh! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.[Muslim 2655]

And a sound heart bears profit for its owner on the Day of Resurrection. Allāh Almighty said: 

يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ-الشُّعَرَاءِ: 88- 89

Ash-Shu’ara (26) 88-89: (88) The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (89) But only one who comes to Allāh with a sound heart.

And the sound heart is one that submits to Allāh Almighty, and is free from shirk (associating others with Allāh), innovation in religion, doubts and lusts. And the heart gets sick according to the amount of these destructive things that enters it. Perhaps the heart dies of disbelief or hypocrisy, we seek refuge in Allāh Almighty from that. Therefore, from among the Prophet’s  ﷺ  supplications was: 

اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ قَلْبِي بِمَاءِ الثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّ قَلْبِيّ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ

O Allāh, cleanse my heart with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart of sin as a white garment is cleansed of filth. [Bukhari 6377, Muslim 589]

Rather, it was narrated that the Prophet  ﷺ  taught some of his companions to seek refuge in Allāh the Almighty from the evil of one’s heart. And the Prophet  ﷺ sought refuge from a heart that does not fear Allāh, because that is evidence of its hardness.

And every sin inevitably affects the heart, without exception, and repentance cleanses it, and acts of obedience revive the heart and remembrance of Allāh makes the heart firm. Allāh Almighty said: 

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ-الرَّعْدِ: 28

Ar-Ra’d (13) 28: Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allāh. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allāh hearts are assured.

And part of a prophetic supplication is the phrase:

وَأَسْأَلُكَ قَلْبًا سَلِيمًا

And I ask You for a sound heart. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 1304, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3407, Grade: Hasan]

And in some narrations from the Prophet  ﷺ  , it was related that this supplication is among the treasures that the believer must strive to accumulate more than gold and silver. 

And the heart is always in need of guidance from Allāh Almighty, because of the abundance of what comes to it of lusts and doubts and of whispers and insinuations; whether it is guidance of the heart with regards to the obligations of tawheed (Oneness of Allāh), Sunnah and obedience, and keeping away from shirk, innovation in religion and disobedience, or it is guidance for patience and contentment, and not having anxiety and resentment upon afflictions. As Allāh Almighty said: 

 مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ-التَّغَابُنِ  11

At Taghabun (64) 11: No disaster strikes except by permission of Allāh. And whoever believes in Allāh – He will guide his heart. And Allāh is Knowing of all things.

And from the authentic supplications in this regard is part of what the Prophet  ﷺ said in a lengthy supplication:

  رَبِّ تَقَبَّلْ تَوْبَتِي، وَاغْسِلْ حَوْبَتِي، وَأَجِبْ دَعْوَتِي، وَثَبِّتْ حُجَّتِي، وَسَدِّدْ لِسَانِي، وَاهْدِ قَلْبِي، وَاسْلُلْ سَخِيمَةَ صَدْرِي

My Lord, accept my repentance, wash my sin, answer my call, make firm my proof, make firm my tongue, guide my heart, and remove the rancor of my chest. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3551, Grade: Sahih]

So he asked Allāh Almighty to guide his heart and to remove the rancor of his chest. And the rancor of the chest is bitterness and darkness. And removing it purifies the chest from it. 

And how the heart needs to be illuminated with light. And from among the Prophet’s supplications in the night prayer was: 

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا- مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْ  

Oh Allāh, place light in my heart. [Bukhari 6316, Muslim 763]

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Khutbah

الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ,  وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ  , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

Oh Muslims:

The believers’ care for their hearts should be their utmost priority, because their righteousness depends on the righteousness of their hearts. And the Prophet  ﷺ used to seek forgiveness from Allāh Almighty for the inattentiveness of his heart. For seeking forgiveness is among the reasons of reviving of the heart. And it is a supplication for the heart and a revival for it. The Prophet  ﷺ  said: 

إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي، وَإِنِّي لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ-رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Indeed (at times inattentiveness) veils my heart, and I ask Allāh for forgiveness a hundred times a day. [Muslim 2702a]

It was said that what is meant is pauses and lapses from the remembrance that he would always do. So if he let off or forgot, he considered that a sin and asked forgiveness for it.

And themes found in the authentic collection of supplications for the hearts, are to endear iman (faith) to the hearts and to adorn them with it, and to make the hearts hate disbelief, evil doing and disobedience. And supplicating for the heart to be steadfast upon religion and directing it to obedience.  And to seek refuge from the heart deviating. And to guide and illuminate the heart and to cleanse it from the sins, and to have goodwill towards the believers and to endear the believers’ hearts towards one another.  And to seek refuge in Allāh from the evil of the heart and a heart that does not fear Allāh. 

So the believer should pay attention to these supplications that are specific to the heart, that seek steadfastness in religion and protection from deviation.  And the believer should memorize them and reflect upon their meanings. And one should repeatedly make these supplications particularly in the times and places of the answering of supplications. And one should ask Allāh Almighty over and over with these supplications. And congratulations to the one who meets Allāh the Almighty with a sound heart. And what misery for the one whose heart turned against them and sent them to the abode of hell!

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ-آلِ عِمْرَانَ 7

Al Imran (3) 7: Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the BestowerOh Controller of the hearts, make our hearts steadfast upon your religion. Indeed Allāh is All Hearing, Near, Answering. 

هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed.  For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good

 عِبَادَ اللّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ  يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. 

اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا   وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.  

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