Book Name:Dil Ki Sakhti
path of Allah Almighty and makes them obedient to their carnal-self and the Devil. One method of curing yourself from this ailment is to understand the symptoms and what causes them, then try your utmost to refrain from them. Here are some causes of hard-heartedness.
1. When the heart is overcome with love for the world, it no longer finds worship and the dhikr of Allah Almighty to be appealing. The heart tries to find contentment in fruitless actions and the world’s temporary beauties. Futile actions and sin lead to destruction in this world, and they can also become a cause of disgrace in the Hereafter.
2. Useless talk and speaking without thinking lead to many sins and harden the heart. The tongue is accustomed to expressing the feelings of the heart, like an interpreter. Whenever the tongue is used, the heart and the mind pay attention to it. So, engaging in useless conversations causes the heart and mind to think less about the signs of Allah Almighty, the Hereafter, death and what occurs after it. Consequently, this hardens the heart. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “O people! Except for the remembrance of Allah Almighty, do not talk too much, because talking excessively hardens the heart. Indeed, the people with hardened hearts are the furthest from Allah Almighty.” [1]
3. Laughing excessively is another reason why the heart hardens. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Do not laugh a lot, for laughing excessively causes the heart to die (i.e. become hard).”[2] The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also said,