Tens of thousands of Muslims around the world dream of the day when they will be granted the honor of Hijrah (migrating) to a Muslim land purely for the sake of Allah. But how many of us hope and dream of making the ultimate Hijrah – that of our heart? Umm Thameenah reminds us of the importance of the forgotten Hijrah – the Hijrah to attain an Islamic character. THE migration of the heart to Allah is a strong requirement, if not an obligation, upon every believing servant. Correcting the heart is a fundamental aspect of our migration to Allah, for it is a beautiful struggle performed on a daily basis. The heart is the spiritual container – the inner port – with the ability to harbor all that is good as well as all that is evil. It can either positively affect or severely corrupt a servant's actions. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us: “There is a lump of flesh in the body – if it is set right and made good, the entire body becomes good and healthy; but if it becomes diseased, the entire body becomes diseased. Remember well – it is the heart.” (Al-Bukhari) The goodness evident in a person's actions is as a result of what emanates from the heart. Thus, a sound heart will in turn produce sound beliefs and actions, whereas a corrupt heart will only serve to be a means of destruction. Following one's evil desires leads Believing a servant to insincerity, a major disease of the heart. Being in control of one's self paves the way for beautiful relationships to blossom. It is not from the character of a believer to violate the rights of others, neither is it to be concerned with the vices of others. Thus, one should not go out of his way to look for, or to ‘discover' faults in others, especially when one's own character bears witness to internal faults and weaknesses. The ‘ibadur-Rahman' – servants of The Most Merciful – are those who are constantly concerned with purifying their souls and occupying themselves in performing numerous good deeds, due to fear of their own weaknesses and shortcomings. “For those who act with excellence is the greatest good, and even more. Neither darkness nor humiliation shall afflict their faces. They are the people of Paradise, dwelling there forever.” (Qur'an, 10:26) As humans, we cannot harbor ‘perfection', however, striving to perfect our character is what is really required. This means reflecting upon ourselves and working to nurture, refine, and polish the content of our character in order to emulate the beauty of this blessed deen. “In the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who hopes in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.” (Qur'an, 33:21) The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the epitome of Islamic character. He lived for Allah; accepted His decree and acted upon His command. The Prophet (peace be upon him) harbored the best of the best of qualities, and as he loved for us what he loved for himself, he advised us to uphold the same. Such qualities as Sabr (patience), Istaqamah (steadfastness), Yaqeen (certainty), Tawakkul (trust) and Taqwa (God consciousness) are all from among the most praiseworthy qualities in the sight of Allah. Thus, if our claim is love of our Creator, then our behavior toward and with other servants of Allah should always be of an exemplary nature, imitating the Prophet (peace be upon him) in every given situation, in order to ensure a life that shines with the reflection of what it is we claim to love. This does not mean that we should appear as angels, perfectly faultless, rather, it means that we should sincerely strive to nurture and beautify our traits purely for the sake of pleasing Allah – as a means of serving Him. The nourishment and cultivation of the heart requires a number of tasks and particular applications that will enable realistic spiritual and physical changes. We should reflect and re-evaluate ourselves, our hearts and our own selves and implement the appropriate steps specific to each of our situations. Living as a servant of the Most Gracious means to live a life of humble servitude, which in turn inculcates sincerity in our hearts, justice to other people, and most importantly, the fulfilment of our ultimate purpose: to worship Allah. Knowing our Creator is means to find true inner peace. As Allah says: “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur'an, 13:28) So dear readers, migrate – migrate with every atom's weight of your heart and discover your Magnificent Lord. Through the refinement of your character, your heart will find inner peace and true love, thus enabling it to migrate to The Only One it truly yearns to be with – Allah – its rightful Owner and true Beloved.
