The Supreme Status Of Amalan Hati In Islam

The heart is likened to the king, while bodyguard is a soldier. If the king is good, then it will be good also the affairs of his soldiers. If it is bad, then so is the affairs of the soldiers. Therefore, in Islam the practice of heart has a great position. It can be said, the reward of the practice of heart is greater than the practice of the body. Just as the sin of the heart is greater than the sin of the body. Therefore we find; sin kufr and hypocrisy is greater than the sin of adultery, usury, drinking khamr, gambling and so on.

The heart is the standard of good deeds of the body. It is like a leader for the body. Good heart will affect the good deeds of the body. And bad heart will affect the bad deeds of the body. Rasulullah shallahu'alaihi wasallam said:

أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

"There is a plume of flesh in the human body. If he is good, the whole body is good. If it is damaged, the entire body is also damaged. Know it (a lump of meat) it is the heart .. "(HR Muslim).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya affirmed:

الأعمال الظاهرة لاتكون صالحة مقبولة إلا بواسط أعمال القلب، فإن القلب ملك واﻷعضاء جنوده، فإذا خبث الملك خبثت جنوده

"The practice of the body will not be accepted without the intercession of the heart. Because the heart is the king, while the limbs are like soldiers. If the King is bad, it will be bad for all his soldiers. "(Majmu 'Al Fatawa, 11/208).

Likewise we recognize that this religion has three levels: Islam, then above it there is Faith, then on it again ihsan. As explained in the following hadith Gabriel:

From Umar bin Khotob radhiyallahu'anhu. He said,

بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوْسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيْدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيْدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، لاَ يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلاَ يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ، حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّد أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اْلإِسْلاَمِ، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : اْلإِسِلاَمُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ وَتُقِيْمَ الصَّلاَةَ وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكاَةَ وَتَصُوْمَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلاً قَالَ : صَدَقْتَ، فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ، قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اْلإِيْمَانِ قَالَ : أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ. قَالَ صَدَقْتَ، قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اْلإِحْسَانِ، قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ…

"One day when we sat near the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, suddenly came a man who wore a very white dress and very black hair (clean). There were no traces of the long journey (strangers, pent), and none of us knew him. Then he sat before the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Then put his knees to his knees and put his palms on his thighs, saying, "O Muhammad, tell me about Islam?"

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam replied, "Islam is you testify that there is no god with the right to be worshiped besides Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, you establish prayer, perform zakat, fast Ramadan and go Hajj if you can," , "You're right."

We were all surprised, he who asked him also justify. Then he asked again, "Tell me about Faith?"

He said, "You believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His apostles and the Last Day, and you believe in good and bad qadar."

He said, "You're right."

Then he said again, "Tell me about ihsan."

He replied, "Ihsan is you worship Allah as if you saw Him. If you do not feel so, (know) that He sees you ... "(Muslim)

Shaykh Abdul Muhsin Al-Abbad -hafizhohullah- (hadith experts from the city of Medina) explained when discussing the above hadith,

فالدرجات ثلاث: أولها: درجة الإسلام، ثم تليها درجة الإيمان، ثم تليها درجة الإحسان.وكل درجة أكمل من الدرجة التي قبلها، وكل درجة داخلة في التي قبلها، فكل مؤمن مسلم، وكل محسن مؤمن ومسلم؛ لأن درجة الإحسان هي درجة كمال، وأقل منها درجة الإيمان، وأقل منهما درجة الإسلام

"The level of this religion there are three: the first of Islam, then the two faiths, then ihsan. Each level is more perfect than the previous level. And each level entered in the scope of the previous level. So every believer is a Muslim. Every muhsin is a believer and also a Muslim. Because the level of ihsan is the most perfect level. Then under there is faith, underneath it is Islam. "

Two levels of them; ie faith and ihsan, is related to the practice of the heart. Which two of these things are above the level of Islam whose understanding is the practice of the body. Because Islam when mentioned in conjunction with the Faith, then each has a different understanding. That is Islam is a body practice, while Faith is the practice of the heart.

Then further evidence that the practice of heart is greater value than the practice of the body is, the basic or foundation of this religion is on the heart of the heart. Like love to Allah and His Apostle, tawakkal, rojaa '(hope), khosyah (fear accompanied knowledge), sincere, patient, gratitude. (See: Majmu 'Al Fatawa: 5/10)

In the hadith Qudsi mentioned, where the Prophet sallallaahu'alaihi wasallam narrated from his Robb, Allah ta'ala said,

أنا أغني الشركاء عن الشرك, فمن عمل عملا أشرك فيه معي غيري تركته و شركه

"I need at least the allies. Whoever does a deed in partnership with Me and I abandon him with allies. "(Bukhari and Muslim)

The above Hadith as the proposition that the practice of heart is greater than the preference of the body. Because the practice of the body will not be useful if one applies shirk, as much as any deeds. Good little shirk let alone great shirk.

Like a charity because of riya '(and this riya lies in the heart), it will be a waste of merit. Any amount of nominal alms he issued. Or read the Qur'an to be praised by the people (sum'ah). It will also be worth the reward. Although as good as any spell his voice.

The scholars also explain, that the size of the reward, is closely related to the state of intention in one's heart. This is also evidence that the practice of heart has a high position. It could be a small practice to be great value reward caused by intention. Could be also a great practice menjdi small reward caused by intentions. As Abdullah bin Mubaarak explains:

رب عمل صغير تعظمه النية، ورب عمل كبير تصغره النية

"It may be a small practice, but the reward is great because of the intention factor (sincerity). And it could be a great practice to be a small reward value caused by intent. "

Similarly sin. Small sin will be great, if done with a sense of trivial. And the great sin will disappear if the perpetrator feels guilty, sorry, beristighfar and repent to God. All this has to do with the heart. Therefore the scholars say:

لاصغيرة مع الاستمرار ولا كبيرة مع الاستغفار

"There is no small sin if done continuously. And there is no great sin when covered with istighfar. "