H-E-A-L to heal: to make sound or whole (heal a wound); to restore to health; to cause an undesirable condition to be overcome; to mend; to patch up (a breach or division); to restore to original purity or integrity.

H is for Hearts In the aftermath of the tragic events in Boston, we should understand that meaningful and lasting healing will not start until we begin to strengthen and cleanse our hearts. This is the place where real religion dwells. In terrestrial terms, the revelation began in the heart of our Prophet, peace and blessings of Almighty God upon him. We read in the Qur’an, “Say, whosoever is an enemy to Gabriel, and surely he brings it [the revelation] down to your heart, by the leave of God; as a confirmation of the scriptures preceding it, and a source of guidance and glad tidings for the believers (2:97).”

Once the revelation entered into this worldly realm, the ability to successfully follow it is intricately associated with the state of our hearts. Almighty God rhetorically asks concerning those who find no guidance in the scripture, “Do they not ponder the Qur’an, or are their hearts impenetrably sealed (47:24).” Conversely, those who are guided benefit from the ability of their hearts to internalize the message. This ability is rooted in those hearts possessing God consciousness (Taqwa). Again, we read, “This is the scripture. There is no doubt concerning it. It is guidance for those possessing God-consciousness (2:2).”

Most importantly, salvation itself hinges on the state of our hearts. Almighty God reminds us in the Qur’an, “On a day no amount of wealth or children will be of any benefit; unless one comes before Almighty God with an upright heart (26:88-89).” This is where we really get into the crux of the matter before us - healing.

An upright heart is one that has been freed from all of the diseases and imperfections that might afflict it. It has been rid of jealousy, envy, avarice, greed, covetousness, sloth, selfishness, rancor, hatred, fear, despair, impatience and all of the other characteristics that are displeasing to God and loathed by people of character and discernment. When these characteristics permeate a heart, the person is not well. In this state, the ability to extend a helping hand to others is severely restricted. The ability to empathize, to perceive the suffering of others, to understand the pain that may ensue from reckless, sinister or ill-conceived actions is sadly lacking.

Such hearts can be healed, but the process it involves is slow and unglamorous. They are healed by a sincere belief that once rectified their possessors will be moved into realms of God-consciousness and self-realization that will bring an unfathomable sweetness to life. That belief pushes the aspirant forward to undertake the hard work of litanies, prayer, invocations, supplications, fasting and quietly reflecting on the words of the wise, begin with the words of the All-Wise – Almighty God.

Over time, if one is patient enough, a transformation occurs. Where there was jealousy and envy, magnanimity will reside. Where there was selfishness, greed and covetousness, charity will reside. Where there was rancor and hatred, love will reside. Where there was fear, courage will reside. Where there was despair, hope will now reside. And finally, fittingly, where there was impatience, patience will reside.

These are the fruits of an upright heart. Their benefits help us to negotiate the many frustrations, disappointments and oftentimes daunting challenges life presents us. When we ourselves are able to make our way safely down the road of life, we find ourselves in a position to assist others. These are days when there are many people needing such assistance and by rectifying, buttressing and then opening our hearts we will be able to assist others. By so doing, we will be further healing ourselves and helping others to heal.

E is for Everybody Unfortunately, far too many people see the earth as their exclusive domain. In their eyes, only their interests are worthy of advancing. Only their people are worthy of protecting. Only their kind are fitting beneficiaries of their mercy. There are many Muslims who are afflicted by this truncated way of viewing the world and their place in it.

As Muslims, we should never forget that our Prophet, peace and blessings of Almighty God upon him, was sent as a mercy to all of humanity, and he urged us to be the same. In a Hadith that is not frequently cited, but is tremendously relevant in this context, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Almighty God upon him, once mentioned to a group of his companions, “You will not truly believe until you are merciful.” Upon hearing this they replied, “All of us are merciful O Messenger of God!” He responded, “It is not the mercy one of you shows to his companion. Rather, it is mercy to the generality of people.”

In other words, the Prophet was reminding them, and us, indirectly, that it is easy to be merciful to the members of your in-group. Real mercy, however, is the mercy shown to the stranger, the wayfarer, the person that one has no immediate emotional connection to. Real mercy is mercy to everyone. This is the mercy that is a source of healing to others, but it also heals us because it challenges us to be bigger than what our circumstances have made us. As we become bigger our mercy expands and it is in the vastness of our mercy that we can begin the process of healing the world, for our mercy can become more expansive than the world itself – allowing it to contain, consume and then eradicate the ills that may vex us.

Weapons of mass destruction, mass media manipulation and many of the other more pernicious features of our world make it imperative that we perceive our common destiny and the degree to which our lives have become intertwined. We are literally all in this together. A religion such as Islam, which has the most cosmopolitan history of all of the world’s faiths, should be the religion that is leading the call for our mutual respect and coexistence. We should be the voice crying the loudest for mutual mercy and love.

This is the foundation of our community, for the Noble Prophet has instructed us, “The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, their mutual mercy and their mutual affection is like a single body…” It must also be the foundation upon which we engage the world. When we raise our voices to proclaim that mercy, when we marshal our resources to actualize that mercy, we will find that it has a cathartic effect. It will be healing - again, both for ourselves and for the world.

A is for Allah First When we live for the Almighty, we can keep everything transpiring in the world in its proper perspective. First of all, we realize that Almighty God is in charge and not ourselves. If we are blessed with power, strength, influence and authority, we understand that these are weighty trusts from God and we must be judicious and merciful in how we use them. If we are afflicted with weakness, impotence and inefficacy, we recognize that these are tests from God, which are to be patiently endured with dignity and honor. We understand that both states (power or weakness) arise from the vicissitudes of time that God has decreed for the world. We patiently persevere in either case, ever seeking the pleasure of God.

When we live for God we do not despair of His mercy, for our intimate connection with Him shows us manifestations of His mercy in instances far too many to enumerate and in ways far too numerous to count. We also understand that when we despair of His mercy and then rely on our own desperate actions, believing those actions can effect change in His creation, independent of His Divine knowledge, will and power, we have entered into a dangerous realm that can cripple our faith. Almighty God mentions in the Qur’an, “Surely, it is only a disbelieving people who despair of God’s mercy (12:87).”

History, the world, and the Ummah are in good hands. We have to be patient and allow God’s plan to unfold. There is no need to despair, just as there is no need for sadness. When we live for God we rejoice based on the manifestations of His Grace and Mercy in our lives. We do not despair owing to the events He has decreed to unfold in the world. He addresses His Messenger, and, again, indirectly all of us, when He mentions in the Qur’an, “Say, in the Grace of God and in His Mercy, in this let them rejoice. It is better than anything they gather [from the world] (10:58).” Indeed, in this, we should rejoice. In rejoicing we will find healing, and when we are restored to health we can help to heal others.

L is for Love One of the best kept secrets of our time is that Islam is a religion that is predicated on love. This fact is oftentimes obscured by the headline grabbing acts of sinister violence that are attributed to or actually perpetrated by those who might claim affiliation with Islam. However, the foundation of a believer’s faith and actions has to be the love of God.

We read in the Qur’an, “Among people are those who take likenesses, which they love as they should love God. Those who believe are more intense in their love for God (2:165).” In other words, their love for God is greater than the love of anyone for anything other than God. That being the case, their highest motivation is seeking the pleasure and love of God. When our love for money, power, sex, fame or whatever the case may be, becomes greater than our love for God, we can be led to sin for the sake of those things and disregard the divine check God has placed on our actions.

For example, God mentions in the Qur’an, “It has been made alluring to people, the love of their craving for women, children, heaped up treasures of gold and silver, branded steeds, cattle and crops. This is the provision of the worldly life and with God is the best of all destinations (3:14).” When our love for women or the opposite gender in general becomes greater than our love for God we fornicate or commit adultery. When our love for wealth becomes greater than the love of God we enter into usurious transactions, gamble, steal, cheat and usurp the wealth of others. When our love for power or worldly status becomes greater than the love of God we can be led to undertake wanton murder, kidnapping and pillaging to satiate that lust. However, when our love for God is greater, we stop at the limits set by God, trusting in His wisdom, striving for His pleasure and seeking His love.

We are also enjoined to love the Messenger of God, our Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings of God upon him. He has mentioned, “No one of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, son and all of humanity.” Our love for him is shown in our following him. One of the ways we follow him, peace upon him, is by adorning ourselves with the lofty character traits he displayed in his interactions with others.

One of the greatest fruits of our love for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Almighty God upon him, is that we will be with him in Paradise owing to, among other things, our love for him. He was once asked by a desert Arab, “When is Doomsday?” He replied, “What have you done to prepare for it?” The man answered, “The love of Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet responded, “You will be with those you love.” What could be a better salve against all of the ills of the world than knowing that if we patiently endure the trials and tribulations we find in this lower abode, sustained by our love for God and His Messenger, peace upon him, we can look forward to being with the Messenger, peace upon him, and an indescribable, unimaginable nearness to God in Paradise.

We also have to love each other. We have previously mentioned the words of the Prophet, peace upon him, “The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, their mutual mercy and their mutual affection is like a single body…” Here, we could add that he has made the love for each other a condition for entering Paradise when he says, “You will not enter Paradise until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I direct you to something, which were you to do it you would love one another? Spread the peace amongst yourselves.”

This peace has a letter and a spirit. The letter is to heartily greet each other with the words, “As-Salaam Alaikum (Peace unto you)!” The spirit is to make a commitment not to do anything to harm another Muslim. This commitment, in fact, is one of the defining characteristics of a Muslim, as the Prophet, peace upon him, has said, “The Muslim is one who renders the other Muslim safe from his speech and his actions.”

Lest someone think that this advice contains nothing to encourage the safety and protection of the non-Muslim, we remind them of another saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God upon him: “The believer is one who renders all people safe from his evil.” In theological terms, the believer (Mu’min) occupies a higher station than a Muslim. Hence, it is fitting that his benefit is more expansive, for it includes everyone, regardless of their color or creed. If we can all work with honesty and sincerity to ensure that everyone will be safe from our evil, we will be well on the way to doing our part in helping to heal an ailing humanity. May God give us the strength to do what we must in this regard.

---