Allah says in Surah Ale-Imran 3:167, “They say with their mouths that which is not in their hearts.”
The Pious Predecessors used to say, “Words that come from the mouth, stop at the ears. But words that come from the heart, reach the heart.”
How many fiery sermons and eloquent speeches are delivered yet they fail to move even a hair on the bodies of the listeners? How many books and articles are written, awash with Quranic verses, sayings, quotes and evidences, yet they fail to inspire their readers to think or act? How many eloquent lines of poetry are scribed yet they fail to penetrate the hearts of people, as if they were cold drops of water dripping onto blocks of ice? And how many prayers are led, complete with beautifully recited Quranic verses, yet they fail to moisten the eyes of the congregation with tears and melt their hearts with the flames of Iman?
Why would Umar bin Al-Khattab recite the Quran in salah and both he and the congregation would weep excessively until those in the back rows would hear his sobs? Was the Quran in his possession any different to the one in our possession? Why would Fatima Az-Zahraa, the daughter of the Prophet (SAWS), bring female audiences to tears every time she spoke about Allah? Was the Allah that she would talk about, any different to the Allah that we have today? Why did the oft-repeated lines of poetry, “O Worshipper of the Two Holy Sanctuaries!’, written by Imam Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, pierce the heart of the scholar Fudail bin Ayyad and moisten his eyes, whilst thousands of, perhaps more eloquent verses fail to deserve even a mention today? And why do the books of the likes of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ibn An-Nuhaas, Syed Qutb, Abdullah Azzam, etc. continue to inspire and motivate millions around the world, whilst there are countless other books, perhaps written by more knowledgeable scholars that hardly ever leave the shelves of the booksellers?
The answer to all of the above is the pain that each of these individuals experiences in their hearts whilst speaking, writing, or reciting. The one who feels pain in his heart, in his nerves and in his blood is able to infuse the same passionate emotions, via his words, into the hearts of others. The authors and orators who have experienced no pain, no hardship, no trials and no tribulations in their lives will produce heaps upon heaps of cheap, empty and lifeless words. That is because their words were born in a dead heart accustomed to a life of luxury and comfort. That is because words pour forth from their pens or their tongues, but not from their feelings and emotions. Though they may use the most eloquent of words, the reality is that their hearts and bodies have not lived the experience. Therefore the words of such authors and orators are cold, like blocks of ice, and they fail to penetrate even the softest of hearts.
On the other hand there are the likes of true believers, such as the Companions of the Prophet (SAWS), may Allah be pleased with them all, and all those who followed and follow them in righteousness until the Day of Resurrection. They felt the pains of hunger, of thirst, of poverty, of rejection, of banishment from home and country, of estrangement from loved ones, of abandonment of all material pleasures, of imprisonment, of torture, of physical and emotional wounds and death, both their own and that of others close to them. That is why they are shining beacons on the path to Paradise: “All those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example.” (Quran 6:90)
The ultimate feeling of pain, feeling and emotion is imparted by the words of an individual who has given his life in pursuit of his words, as per the famous quote of Syed Qutb:
“Indeed our words will remain lifeless, barren, devoid of any passion, until we die as a result of these words, whereupon our words will suddenly spring to life and live on amongst the hearts that are dead, bringing them back to life as well…”
"O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee."
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