Answer
Short Answer:
- With regard to the issue of having a soft heart, let me commend you for asking this question at this early age. Masha’Allah, your chance to have a soft heart is very big. You are still young and you just reached the age of puberty and your heart is empty. You can fill it with so many good things that will get you closer to Allah and increase your spirituality.
- The heart is the most important organ in the human body both physically and spiritually. If your heart is sound, all other parts of the body will be fine.
- As for preparing yourself for the Day of Judgment, let’s commend you for this question which reflects your love for meeting Allah. Rest assured you that Allah loves meeting you too. Read on to know the 7 tips on how to prepare for the day of judgement.
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Salam dear questioner,
Thank you very much for your questions. We are always ready to answer your queries.
With regard to the virtues of Surat Al-Takathur, the narration you referred to in your question is a weak narration which cannot be accepted and therefore acted upon.
7 Tips for a Soft Heart
With regard to the issue of having a soft heart, let me commend you for asking this question at this early age. Masha’Allah, your chance to have a soft heart is very big. You are still young and you just reached the age of puberty and your heart is empty. You can fill it with so many good things that will get you closer to Allah and increase your spirituality.
The heart is the most important organ in the human body both physically and spiritually. If your heart is sound, all other parts of the body will be fine. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“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.” (Al-Bukhari)
Having a sound and soft heart is what will benefit you on the Day of Judgement, not your appearance.
We read in the Quran what means:
*{The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children. But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.}* (Quran 26:88-89)
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,
“Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts and accomplishments.” (Muslim)
I am going to suggest some useful tips towards having a soft heart.
1- Fill your heart with the Quran. Try to join any educational circle (halaqah) in your community. In this halaqah, try to learn as much of the Quran by heart. Also, you can join any tafsir halaqah to have a better understanding of what you have learned by heart.
In case you cannot join any halaqah for a reason or another, you can read the Quran or listen to it frequently at home with the help of your parents.
2- Make a lot of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) all the day around. The Prophet said:
“Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” (Muslim)
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet said,
“Do not indulge in excessive talk except when remembering Allah. Excessive talking without the Remembrance of Allah hardens the heart, and those who are the farthest from Allah are those whose hearts are hard.” (At-Tirmidhi)
We read in the Quran:
*{Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.}* (Quran 13:28)
3- Make a lot of duaa (supplication) to Allah to help you remain steadfast in your relation with Him. An-Nawwas ibn Saman Al-Kilabi said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘There is no heart that is not between two of the Fingers of the Most Merciful. If He wills, He guides it and if He wills, He sends it astray.’ The Messenger of Allah used to say: ‘O You Who makes hearts steadfast make our hearts steadfast in adhering to Your religion.’ And he said: ‘The Scale is in the Hand of the Most Merciful; He will cause some peoples to rise and others to fall until the day of Resurrection.'” (Ibn Majah)
The Prophet supplicated: (O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.” (Muslim)
4- Think always of the moment of death, visit the grave and visit sick people. These things break hard hearts.
5- Avoid committing sins. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said:
“Verily, when the slave (of Allah) commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. When he refrains from it, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished clean. But if he returns, it increases until it covers his entire heart. And that is the ‘Ran’ which Allah mentioned: ‘Nay, but on their hearts is the Ran which they used to earn.’” (At-Tirmidhi)
6- Offer the five daily prayers on time and offer more sunnah actions like fasting, charity, helping the poor and the needy. All these acts will soften your heart.
7- Have a good company that will be a source of guidance for you when you deviate from the right direction.
7 Tips on Preparing for the Day of Judgment
As for preparing yourself for the Day of Judgment, let’s commend you for this question which reflects your love for meeting Allah. Rest assured you that Allah loves meeting you too.
At the same time, we advise you to enjoy the pleasures of this life in a lawful way especially that you are still young and we are sure that you will grow up with a strong faith.
The Prophet said,
“Whoever loves the meeting with Allah, Allah too, loves the meeting with him; and whoever hates the meeting with Allah, Allah too, hates the meeting with him.” (Al-Bukhari)
Death is a reality. This life will come to an end one day. So we have to prepare ourselves for the moment when we will leave this world and go to our final abode.
We read in the Quran what means:
*{Say, “Indeed, the death from which you flee – indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do.”}* (Quran 62:8)
The suggestions we offered above will help you have a sound heart which will benefit you in the Hereafter. In addition to these useful tips, we can provide you with some more ways of preparing for the day when you meet Allah.
1- Fearing Allah is the best provision for the Day of Judgement. We read in the Quran what means:
“And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding.” (Quran 2:197)
2- Whatever good you do in this life will benefit you in the Hereafter.
3- Your love for Allah and your love for the Prophet will also benefit you in the Hereafter.
Anas ibn Malik reported that a man asked the Prophet about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying,
“When will the Hour be?” The Prophet said, “What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet said, “You will be with those whom you love.” We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., “You will be with those whom you love.”) Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. (Al-Bukhari)
4- Keep on offering late-night prayer (tahajjud).
5- Have the best manners and deal gently and kindly with people.
6- Try to have a continuous charity whose reward will benefit you after your death.
7- When you get married insha’Allah and have kids, raise them according to the teachings of Islam so that they will remember you in their duaa before and after your death. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said,
“When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, a pious child who prays for him.” (Muslim)
The Prophet also said:
“Everybody will be shaded by his charity (on the Day of Judgment) until it has been judged between the people.” (Ibn Hibban)
To sum up, the Day of Judgement is inevitable and we have to believe in rising after death and that we will stand before Allah and that we will be held accountable for our deeds. We also have to prepare ourselves for that Day as of now.
Hope this answers your three queries.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archive)
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