The other channel is that which we listen to. Whatever we listen to is programming us, whether we are listening to it deliberately or we just happen to be listening to it. Whatever we listen to also reflects upon our hearts and minds. This is where our thoughts and ideas take shape. It is taking this stimulus and input into our system and that input is shaping what is happening in our hearts and minds. Whatever happens in the mind and heart takes shape into actions. It does not stay hidden inside. While it is there, no one can see it, but eventually, it will come out in the form of action and deeds. It cannot be that a person is thinking pure thoughts all the time and they end up doing wrong things. Eventually, those pure thoughts will come out in the form of pure deeds. Similarly, it cannot be that a person thinks only impure thoughts all the time and the result is that they are always doing pure deeds. It is only a matter of time before those thoughts will come alive in the form of their actions. What we look at and listen to – if it is not in line with what Allah (SWT) wants us to do in life, it needs to be kept away. The third thing is what we talk about. Whatever we speak about has a direct impact on our hearts. You will notice this in any conversation where you exchange harsh words with someone. If you fight with someone and you are yelling at each other, you will walk away with a burdened feeling. You will not walk away feeling good. If you have a nice conversation, you will walk away feeling very good. If you listen to something that touched your heart, it will affect you heart, just like if you say something that touches someone else’s heart, it will touch your own heart.

There are different levels of speech; speech which is absolutely haram which we must stay away from in all circumstances, which includes lying, swearing and cursing, backbiting, making fun of other people and saying hurtful things to other people. All of these things are impermissible in Islam. A person who says things like this corrupts their own heart. The same thing happens to someone who talks about indecent things. Someone who talks like this, programs their mind and heart to act in that direction. The last thing, which is included in all of this, is what we think about. If a person is deliberately thinking of inappropriate things, this also soils their hearts. This pond or reservoir, which has four streams or channels taking water to it, only has the water stay clean if the water from all of the channels stay clean. If even one of the channels allows contaminated water to come in, the whole pool of water will be contaminated and rendered useless.

This is what happens to our hearts. To keep looking for proof that something is haram and only then abstaining from it is not the attitude of a believer – rather, the believer knows what is haram and what is not, but they also know what leads to haram. If they are unsure, they ask someone. The main thing is that whatever work we have done in Ramadan on ourselves should not go to waste. Many people’s graph of the year is like a line, spiking in the year of Ramadan and dropping after eid, then again turning into a straight line. For some people, it drops off gradually, taking a few days, weeks or months, but eventually it tapers off and becomes flat. This is not what we want our graph to look like. We want our graph of life to always look like it is increasing and going up consistently. We must add good things to our lives and remove that which is bad. This issue of maintaining all the good things that have happened in Ramadan is everyone’s responsibility. The question arises of how we do this, but the most important thing is the decision by everyone one of us that we will not do those bad things. Once we decide, Allah (SWT) will find ways in our circumstances where we can maintain and protect our hearts which is so precious to Allah (SWT). Our hearts will be the only thing that will avail us on the Day of Judgement. “That heart which has been protected from all its channels and remained uncontaminated will be the only thing of benefit for a person on the Day of Judgement.” May Allah (SWT) enable us to maintain the good deeds that we started in the month of Ramadan and abstain from whatever mistakes we may have made in the month of Ramadan and may Allah (SWT) enable us to increase in our piety and nearness to him as we go through our lives so that, when we meet Allah (SWT), we are even closer than before.

[Adapted from a talk delivered by Mufti Aasim Rashid titled: “How to Preserve the Effects of Ramadan “]