Pretension and Conceit

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the most MercifitlPraise to Allah Who knows the inner thoughts, Who tests the conscience, Who encompasses everything; ilk is the power and dominance over everything; blessings and salutations to the one who brought the glad tidings, the warner, the shining light, Muhammad, the master of messengers, and upon his pro-geny, the good ones, the pure.The human heart, whereby man is granted distinction over all creation, is like a mirror: It is...
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the most MercifitlPraise to Allah Who knows the inner thoughts, Who tests the conscience, Who encompasses everything; ilk is the power and dominance over everything; blessings and salutations to the one who brought the glad tidings, the warner, the shining light, Muhammad, the master of messengers, and upon his pro-geny, the good ones, the pure.The human heart, whereby man is granted distinction over all creation, is like a mirror: It is affected by what it receives of contemptible effects of ugly norms of conduct and wrongdo-ings. If the effects arc praiseworthy, the heart's mirror be-comes clearer, shinier, more illuminating, so much so that in it the reality of the truth becomes glittering, the truth about what is hidden from the beings becomes revealed, and the truth of the matter sought in the creed becomes obvious. It is to such an intellect that the Master of the Faithful, peace be with him, refers when he says the following: "0 servants of Allah! The one who is the most loved by Allah from among His servants is one who is assisted by Allah against his own self (nab), so he is somber, outfitted with fear, the light of guidance shining in his heart," till he says, "So he, with regard to conviction (iman), is like sun rays." This is the heart that, upon the mention of Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, becomes fearful, and when His verses are recited, they increase its conviction and in it re-membrance settles, Allah Almighty has said, ... Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (Qur'an, 13:28).If the effects are contemptible, they are like a dark smoke that rises to the heart's mirror, and it keeps piling up time and over again till the entire page of the heart is blackened. So it is totally dark. It becomes stamped with predomination, veiled From Allah Almighty. The most Praised One has said, "But the stain of the (ill) that they do is on their hearts! Truly they will he veiled from (the light of) their Lord that Day" (Qur'an, 83:14-15). The Almighty has also said, "Is it not a guiding (les-son) to those who inherit the earth alter its (previous) resid-ents, that, if We so willed. We could punish them (too) for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear'?" (Qur'an, 7:100), Thus, lle makes a connection between hearing and stamping on the hearts, stamping with the sins.Al-Kulaini, may Allah be pleased with him, cites on p. 273, Vol. 2, No. 20, of his work al-Kafi Zurarah citing Abu Ja'far peace be with him, saying, "Every servant of Allah has a white spot in his heart. When he commits a sin, blackness will enter into the white spot. If he repents, the blackness disappears, but if he keeps committing sins, the blackness keeps spreading till it covers the entire whiteness. Once it covers the whiteness, this individual will never go hack to righteousness." It is the meaning of this verse: "But the [black] stain of the (ill) that they do is on their hearts" (Qur'an, 83:14), and perhaps the meaning of this narrative may bring to 'memory this verse: "Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant and ob-stinate transgressor" (Qur'an, 40:35). So, think about it and ponder.He, peace be with him, is also quoted as saying said, "Hearts are of three types: a heart that is turned upside down, knowing no good: It is the heart of an apostate (kafir), a heart that has a black spot, goodness and evil in it wrestle with each other: whichever wins overtakes him, and an open heart; in it there is a lamp that shines; its light never goes out till the Day of Judg-ment: It is the heart of a believer." I is says "till the Day of Judgment" because this heart does not disintegrate when the body disintegrates; obedience to Allah polishes the heart, whHe disobeying Him blackens it."