The Sound Heart

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “And the sound heart is the one which is secure from shirk, hatred, jealousy, envy, covetousness, pride, love of the world and leadership. So it is safe from every harmful thing which distances it from Allah and it is safe from every doubt that contradicts His information (i.e., Revelation). It is safe from every desire that opposes His command and from every wish that competes (repels) what He intends (from His servants), and it is also safe from everything that cuts it off from Allah. So this sound and safe heart is in a paradise in this world and in a paradise in the barzakh and in a paradise on the Day of Resurrection. The heart's safety and soundness cannot be perfected, absolutely, until it is secure from five things:

(i) From shirk which nullifies tawheed

(ii) From innovation which opposes the Sunnah

(iii) From a desire/lust that opposes the command (of Allah)

(iv) From heedlessness that contradicts remembrance (of Him)

(v) From a desire that nullifies purity and sincerity (in intent and purpose)

These five are barriers to Allah and beneath each of them are many other categories that contain unique issues which cannot be enumerated. [Al-Jawaab al-Kaafee (1/176)].