A Palace On the Outside Aruin Within

No matter how the era, society, or prevailing thought might steer us, there remains an undeniable truth. Allah the Exalted, in His eternal and infinite wisdom, defines the most revered and esteemed human in His sight as "the most righteous."

We must traverse from the material to the spiritual, from the shell to the kernel. Particularly in this time we inhabit, the dominant culture entices us to abandon our 'inner realm' in favor of an overbearing emphasis on 'external appearance.' We assign worth to the individuals we encounter in our daily lives based on their outward appearance.

For instance, it's challenging to claim that we view an individual driving a luxury vehicle the same way as one in an older car purchased merely to get from point A to point B, or to say that we perceive someone dressed in expensive, fashionable attire the same way as another in modest clothing. The reception we receive when arriving somewhere in grand attire and a flashy vehicle differs dramatically from the response we get when we arrive under conditions that are best described as “humble.”

Difference Doesn't Imply Superiority

No matter how the era, society, or prevailing thought might steer us, there remains an undeniable truth. Allah the Exalted, in His eternal and infinite wisdom, defines the most revered and esteemed human in His sight as "the most righteous." This notion is reverberated in ayah 13 of surah Al-Hujurat:

"O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into races and tribes, so that you may identify one another. Surely, the noblest of you, in Allah’s sight, is the one who is most righteous of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

This profound ayah sheds light on the fact that, although humans are created from common parents, they diverged into tribes, nations, and cultures—a product of divine will. The ayah validates the function and wisdom of gaining an identity and being recognized according to the differences it vests in a person. However, it refutes the notion of superiority due to membership in different social and ethnic groups. It serves as a reminder that no human, by virtue of creation, is superior to another and that races and groups, having sprung from common parents, form a grand and universal human family. 

On the other hand, the ayah emphasizes that the real distinguishing factor is righteousness, and the most honorable among the human family are those who most refrain from disobedience to the Almighty and demonstrate utmost diligence in observing His commandments.

What Does The Almighty Look At?

Among the awliya of Baghdad, Abu Bakr Shibli (quddisa sirruhu) was a man who made no compromise in his struggle against his nafs, living entirely disconnected from the vices of worldly pleasures, almost as if he were dead.

One day, he donned a new outfit and went out. After a short stroll, he observed people. He noticed that those dressed in valuable clothes were respected by everyone, while those in plain, old attire were barely acknowledged. Deeply saddened by this state of affairs, he returned home, changed into his old clothes, and as he was about to leave, his wife asked him:

“Why did you take off your new clothes?”

“I observed people's behavior and was deeply saddened. Everyone judges others by appearance and assigns them worth accordingly. Yet, our Lord does not judge by outward appearances, he replied. “

To this, his wife asked:

“So, what does He look at?”

“The heart is what matters. Allah the Almighty gazes into the heart. He passes judgement based on a servant's sincerity and intent. A person with a corrupt heart, no matter how valuable their attire, does not gain worth in the sight of the Divine. However, a servant with a clean heart, even in old clothes, is valued in the eyes of the Almighty because He gazes at hearts. Therefore, the real skill lies not in adorning the exterior but in beautifying the heart with sincerity," he affirmed. 

The Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once gestured towards his chest three times and said, "Righteousness is here." Claiming superiority based on ethnic or socio-cultural group membership is a common practice in our era. The 10th ayah of surah Al-Hujurat should be frequently recalled in these times. According to this ayah, belonging to nationalities like Turkish, American, French, or Arab is not a basis for superiority. To boast about one's family, lineage, or race, which one is a member of not by personal choice but as a manifestation of divine decree, is prohibited and rejected by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

As the Prophet sent as a "mercy to all the worlds," he had the most right to boast. Yet, he never exhibited such an attitude. Moreover, Allah the Most High addressed him as follows: "Say, 'I am only a man like you'” (Al-Kahf, 110). This divine statement contains a grand lesson for all humanity.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informs us that Allah the Almighty primarily looks at and values the heart and deeds, saying, "Allah does not look at your appearances."

What Kind of Heart?

Allah the Exalted wants sincerity in a servant's heart and purity in their deeds. Prayers shadowed by hypocrisy and arrogance are not accepted in His sight.

Hypocrisy, also known as riya, deserves special attention. Derived from the word “ru'yat,” meaning “to see,” it signifies performing an act for others to view and appreciate. It involves doing things to be praised, gain respect, recognition, and validation, or prompt others to say, "Such and such person did this." This attitude, when present in prayers and acts of worship, might bring respect in this world but garners no gain in the sight of Allah the Almighty. The prayer performed could amount to nothing more than a set of movements; the fasting observed could be no more than starvation. Performing acts of worship only because they were commanded by Allah the Almighty is what signifies sincerity. It has been said: "Pretense, envy, pride, and arrogance - these diseases consume deeds, turning them to ash."

The beauty of a heart embellished with good intentions and sincerity is perpetual. Unless the servant shuns it, such beauty never leaves them. Outer beauty, however, is not so; it fades over time, changing as one’s age advances. Whether we want it or not, it leaves us. We should focus on our hearts without relying on outer beauty so that we can find peace both in this fleeting worldly life and the eternal hereafter.

Each person is the teacher of their heart. What they teach it, what they accustom it to, shapes it. Accordingly, they harvest either peace or sorrow at the end of their journey in this life. Since Allah the Exalted has made it clear that “hearts find peace only by His remembrance,” the path, in essence, is evident. Seeing a heart in remembrance is one of the deeds that please our Supreme Lord the most.

Presenting a heart darkened and stained by sins to the Lord of the Worlds is unworthy of the honor bestowed upon a human being. It necessitates modesty to accordingly cleanse and purify the vessel within one’s chest that is meant to receive the divine gaze. The cleanliness of the heart is achieved only through the purification and discipline of the nafs.

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