Inner Voice

Change of Heart

“O people, there has come to you a direction from your Lord, and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts”. (Qur’an: 10:57)

People have started changing their hearts – literally. Still it is not easy for them to change their hearts – idiomatically.

Transplantation of an organ of a human body reflects the progress of science within the past few decades. But it also reminds us of the vast gap between our material progress and spiritual poverty. Nothing shows this more vividly than the fact that the first successful transplantation of heart was accomplished in the ‘Republic’ of South Africa – the standard-bearer of racialism.

Now is the time to reflect upon the healing power of a heavenly book like the Holy Qur’an. The above-quoted verse describes it as a “healing for the diseases in your hearts”. Nobody can guess how much change of heart has this book affected in how many people in all these long centuries.

I think the best explanation was given by one of my non-Muslim friends when he glanced through a few pages of a translation of the Holy Qur’an and said: “The key-word in this book is ‘Allah’.”

He was right. This book creates a confidence in Allah which subdues every other feeling. A Muslim should not long for anything but the love of Allah; he should not fear anything but the displeasure of Allah.

Once an enemy of the Holy Prophet (S.A.) found him asleep under a tree. He drew his sword; then thought it un-manly to kill a sleeping man. He awakened the Prophet, (S.A.) advanced towards him with sword in hand and asked contemptuously: “Tell me, who can save you now from me?” Calmly, the Holy Prophet (S.A.) replied: “My Allah.”

This calm confidence in Allah unnerved the pagan, and the sword fell from his hand. Deliberately, the Prophet (S.A.) picked the sword up, and now it was his turn to ask: “And who can save you from me now?” The pagan said: “Nobody”.

The Prophet (S.A.) threw the sword away and said: “No, you are wrong. The same Allah who is my protector is also your protector: He would save you too”.

The enemy of a few minutes ago was now a faithful follower of the Holy Prophet (S.A.). This is the change of heart which really matters.