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Hadiths on the polish for the heart

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by HadithAnswers.com

Could you provide the exact translation and reference for the Hadith in which Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) explained that hearts rust like iron rusts. When asked: “How can they be polished?” He (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied, “Reciting Allah’s book and remembering Him much.”

Answer

There are several Hadiths that discuss the polish for the heart.

1. Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu’anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:

Indeed the hearts rust just as iron does. The Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) asked: “What is its polish?”

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied: “Abundant remembrance of death and recitation of the Quran”

(Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 1859 & Musnad Shihab, Hadith: 1179)

The dhikr (remembrance) of Allah being a polish for the heart has been mentioned in another hadith:

2. Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:

Everything has a cleaner, and the cleaner of the hearts is the remembrance of Allah…

(Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 519, also see Targhib, vol.2 pg.396 and Al-Mudawi, vol.2 pg.527)

This has also been recorded as the statement of Sayyiduna Abu Darda (radiyallahu’anhu) (Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 520)

3. Another hadith mentions Istighfar (seeking repentance) has the polish of the heart.

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3334 & Al-Mu’jamus Saghir, see Sharhul Ihya, vol.4 pg.465)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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