Inspect the quality of the soil of your heart

The Prophet’s hadith and a saying of Jesus Christ

Abu Musa narrated the messenger said the knowledge and guidance that Allah sent me with is like the rain.  The rain falls on good soil that soaks it up, here plenty of plants and flowers grow. Or the rain falls on rocky ground and gathers in a pool, people drink from it and water their crops. Or the rain falls on poor soil, here the water neither pools nor anything grows here. The first kind of soil represents people who understand the religion and benefit from what Allah sent me with they learn and teach it. The second kind of soil represents people who have knowledge but don’t use it, but others benefit from them. The third type of soil is people who neither benefit themselves nor others they are deprived. (Bukhari)

The Messenger is telling us to inspect the soil of our heart, make it fertile, enrich it so it allows growth. He is also teaching us that we can change our hearts and minds, we have the capability to do so! Are we willing? So, if you feel empty and disappointed that Allah’s promises haven’t come true ask yourself, ‘What kind of soil am I?’ Are you a poor soil person – thin-skinned, impatient, laid back and watching others? Are you like a rock? You’ve learnt a lot, but nothing went to the heart, so it remains dry and infertile. Or are you a fertile soil? You learn quickly, and you spread it quickly. 

Jesus peace be upon him told a similar parable about a sower. He said, “the seeds landed on four types of soil, producing four different results. ‘The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”  (Luke 8: 4)

In another hadith, Jabir narrated that the beloved Mustafa said: “my relationship with you people is like a person who lights a fire, moths and flies hover over it, many burn. He zaps them with flyswatter to save them. Similarly, I tightly hold your waist so that you don’t drop into the fire, but you wriggle to escape.” (Muslim)