A heart can be soft at one time and hard at another. In Islamic teaching, sin, excessive attachment to the world and forgetting death harden it, until a person is unmoved by others' suffering and does not change even after advice. Desh Rupantor's religion page sets out seven ways, drawn from the Quran and hadith, to keep the heart soft.
The first is remembering death. In a narration in Jami at-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told believers to remember often 'the destroyer of pleasures', meaning death. The second is visiting graves: in Sahih Muslim he says he had once forbidden it but now told people to visit graves, because they remind of death.
Third is visiting the sick and the dying, which reminds a person that strength, wealth and power do not last and deepens compassion. Fourth is prompt repentance: a narration in Jami at-Tirmidhi says a sin leaves a black spot on the heart, and if the servant stops, seeks forgiveness and repents, the heart is cleansed.
Fifth is reciting the Quran, understanding it and reflecting on its verses; Surah Al-Hashr, verse 21, says that had the Quran been sent down on a mountain, it would have humbled itself and split apart in awe of Allah. Sixth is reflecting on the sky, the earth, the mountains and living things; Surah Al-Ghashiyah, verses 17-20, asks people to look at how the camel, the sky, the mountains and the earth were made.
Seventh is attentiveness in prayer, dua and dhikr. Remembering Allah regularly brings peace to the heart, though after long neglect it may take time to return, so the piece advises returning sincerely without despair. Its central point is that a hard heart does not soften in a day; it takes steady self-examination, repentance, engagement with the Quran and worship.
Source: Desh Rupantor
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