The Softening of the Heart in Ramadhan | Shaykh Abdussalam al-Shuway’ir حفظه الله

The Softening of the Heart in Ramadhan | Shaykh Abdussalam al-Shuway’ir حفظه الله [Video | En subtitles] – https://youtu.be/AqHUQX3cJAc [3:43 min]

From the tremendous characteristics acquired during this month is what is related to the softening of the heart. Indeed, this month is a means for the softening of the heart. And the softness of the heart is from the characteristics of the believer. And from the effects of the softness of the heart is that it brings about tears.

Indeed, if the heart softens, the eyes flow with tears.

And it comes down out of the fear of Allah ﷻ. Due to this, our Lord said in Al-Ma’idah:83:

When they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger you see their eyes overflowing with tears…

If an individual reads the Speech of Allah abundantly, and contemplates over its meanings. Indeed, his heart will soften, and his eyes will relent. The greatest month wherein the Qur’an is read is the month of Ramadhan.

Due to this, Allah coupled the Qur’an with this month. He said in Al-Baqarah:185:

The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion.

In the Sahih from the Hadith of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه, who said that the Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of people. And the most generous he would be was during Ramadhan when Jibril would come to him and study the Qur’an with him. Jibril would study the Qur’an with the Prophet. He would read the Qur’an once every Ramadhan, except the year he passed away, wherein he studied it with Jibril twice.

Therefore, this month is the month of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is read and recited in this month. And in it, the greatest stories are mentioned. And in it, the greatest narrations are mentioned, in reading the beginning of the Book of Allah.

Muhammad Nasr al-Marwazi spoke extensively about the narrations of the Salaf in their recitation of the Qur’an in this month specifically. And the scholars recommend that the month of Ramadhan should not be devoid of a completion of the Qur’an. And that the Tarawih prayers should not be devoid of a completion of the Qur’an.

Whoever reads the Qur’an in the month of Ramadhan and his heart is not softened, and tears don’t come down from his eyes, then it is feared that he has a hard heart. Therefore, Hasan al-Basri رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ said:

The people continue to cry when they remember Allah and when they read the Qur’an.

What he meant by: ‘The people’ are the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Therefore, this is one of the tremendous objectives, which is refining the character and softening the heart.

And the more an individual’s eyes flows with tears, the more of an effect it will have upon his heart, since there is a connection between the eyes and the heart. Listen to the Statement of Allah, Al-Ghafir:19:

Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal

Some of the people of knowledge derive from this that there is a connection between the eyes and the heart. Verily, if the heart has fear, then the eyes will shed tears. And the affair of the heart is hidden and what the eyes see are hidden. And other than that which the people of knowledge derive from this tremendous verse.