A question circles in the minds of many Muslims: how do we protect our hearts from fitna (trials and temptation)? For it is now extremely hard to keep fitna from reaching us entirely.
Just as it is the destiny of a ship to face turbulent waves and fierce storms, its captain, if he wishes to reach his destination safely, must always stay alert and watchful.
In the same way, the more fitna increases all around, the more essential vigilance, self-criticism and reform of the heart become for a believer. Just as a prudent sailor takes every safety measure before a storm arrives, a believer too should adopt every means of protecting the heart from fitna and be ready to safeguard his faith and his afterlife. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before fitna comes like pieces of a dark night, when a man will be a believer in the morning and a disbeliever by evening, or a believer in the evening and a disbeliever by morning.” (Tirmidhi, hadith: 2195)
Undoubtedly, when fitna easily reaches people’s hearts, it becomes essential for a believer to take even greater care, self-protection and all kinds of preventive measures.
Fitna enters the heart gradually
The most dangerous aspect of fitna is that it does not enter the heart all at once, but gradually. A small desire, a slight doubt, a forbidden glance or a seemingly trivial word — in this way small things accumulate until they cover the whole heart, without a person even realising it.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) described this scene very beautifully: “Trials are presented to the heart one after another, like the weaving of a mat.” (Sahih al-Jami, hadith: 2960)
That is, fitna does not come all at once but repeatedly. As a result, the self (nafs) gradually learns to accept it, and the heart becomes accustomed to it. Even if unaffected the first time, one may be affected the second or third time. When the heart is sound, all of a person’s deeds are sound; and when the heart is corrupted, the whole life is corrupted.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Truly, in the body there is a piece of flesh; when it is sound the whole body is sound, and when it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.” (Bukhari, hadith: 52) It is through the heart that a person knows their Lord, loves Him, fears Him and places hope in Him.
Allah the Exalted says: “The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit; only he who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” (Surah Ash-Shu‘ara, verses: 88-89)
The heart is ruined along the path of sin, so there is no alternative to abandoning sin. Allah says: “No indeed! Rather, their deeds have cast rust upon their hearts.” (Surah Al-Mutaffifin, verse: 14)
So caring for the heart is essential, and the heart is best cared for through the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah and the recitation of the Qur’an. The words of the Holy Qur’an: “Has the time not come for the believers that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and the truth revealed, and that they should not be like those given the Scripture before, whose hearts hardened as the time grew long, and many of whom were rebellious? Know that Allah gives life to the dead earth. We have made clear to you the signs, that you may understand.” (Surah Al-Hadid, verses: 16-17)
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