Three signs that one's heart has opened for Islam

Submitted by Mohammed Desai on

​عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ: تَلَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: {فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ} [الأنعام: 125]، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّ النُّورَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الصَّدْرَ انْفَسَحَ فَقِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، هَلْ لِذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ يُعْرَفُ؟ قَالَ: " نَعَمْ، التَّجَافِي عَنْ دَارِ الْغُرُورِ ، وَالْإِنَابَةِ إِلَى دَارِ الْخُلُودِ، وَالِاسْتِعْدَادُ لِلْمَوْتِ قَبْلَ نُزُولِهِ)  رواه البيهقي (

Hadrat Ibn Masood R.A. narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam recited this verse of the Quraan Sharif,

فمن يرد الله ان يهديه يشرح صدره للاسلام

Whoever Allah Ta’ala intends to guide, He opens his bosom for Islam

Then he said, “When this Noor enters the heart the bosom of a person expands.” He was asked, “Ya Rasulallah, is there any sign by which one could recognise that the bosom has been opened?” Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, “Yes, that a person distances himself from the house of deception (Dunya), he focuses towards the Aakhirat, and prepares for death before the time of death arrives.”

 

In this Hadith Sharif three signs have been explained which indicate that the light of Hidaayat has entered the heart of a person. By these three signs one should gauge whether he is on guidance or not. Maulana Rumi R.A. says, “Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam stated that the sign of Noor entering the bosom is that a person turns away from this world which is a home of deception, and he inclines towards the hereafter which is a home of happiness. One narration states that when Noor enters the heart then the bosom is expanded.

Maulana Rumi R.A. states that due to the friends of Allah Ta'ala having a special relationship with Allah Ta’ala, they enjoy such expansion (in their bosoms) that the vastness of seven heavens seems to be nothing before them. The heart in reality is the throne of Allah Ta’ala as stated in a Hadith-e-Qudsi,

لا يسعني ارضي ولا سماءي ولكن يسعني قلب عبدي المؤمن

My earth and my heavens didn’t suffice me but the heart of my believing servant sufficed me

From this we come to know that the place of Noor is the heart but we are unable to see the heart of anyone.  This leaves us with just two scenarios, either the possessor of Noor states that he possesses Noor or there are specific signs that indicate that a person is a possessor of Noor.  In the first case, it is difficult to differentiate between the claim of the people of truth and the people of falsehood, therefore this scenario is not beneficial, as there isn’t any proof that indicates whether the claim of a person is true or false. We are therefore only left with the second case which has been explained in the Hadith Sharif.

The Ulema have written that the sign of any person being an Allah Wala is this, by looking at him one remembers Allah Ta’ala, by remaining in his company the heart disinclines from the world and one focuses towards the Aakhirat and concern of the Aakhirat is created, and the lives of most of the people that remain in his company is in accordance to Shariah. Nowadays, the general masses are being confused of who are the people of truth and who are the people of falsehood. Therefore, to ascertain whether one is truly a friend of Allah Ta’ala or not, judge him by the above mentioned indications or points.