Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Opening

My friend whose heart is showered with Allah’s mercy… Have we ever felt our heart is barren? Laughing on the outside, but feeling empty inside. Why? Because within our chests, Allah SWT has actually planted a very beautiful spiritual garden. The scholars explain that in the soil of faith within every believer’s heart, there are Four Trees of the Heart that must keep growing. Yet, these trees cannot be watered with ordinary water. They need a special irrigation system to bear pure fruit.

Let us dissect them one by one, scientifically and spiritually: First, the Tree of Wisdom [Hikmah]. This tree is our ability to see the truth. It must be watered with the water of hunger. Meaning: a moderate attitude, not excessive in enjoying permissible worldly pleasures. Why? Biologically and spiritually, an overly full stomach and indulged desires make the mind dull and the heart hard. Second, the Tree of Sincerity [Ikhlas]. This tree must be watered with the water of asceticism or _zuhd_—the state where your hands hold the world, but your heart is completely unattached to material things. Third, the Tree of Repentance [Taubat]. This tree of soul-cleansing must be watered with the water of honest regret over all sins and shortcomings. Fourth, the Tree of Love [Mahabbah]. The highest tree in the heart must be watered with the water of generosity and sacrifice. Then, above these four trees stand the Two Main Pillars of Religion that strengthen them all: Patience [Sabr] and Gratitude [Syukr].

Let us contemplate the secret of these two pillars through Allah SWT’s words:

اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُوْرٍ

“Indeed, in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.” [QS. Luqman: 31] Our noble Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also emphasized how beautiful the life of a believer is when supported by these two pillars:

عَجَبًا لأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لأَحَدٍ إِلاَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ

“How amazing is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good for him. And that is for no one except the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. And if something bad befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.” [HR. Muslim]

2. Lessons and Message

Friends, let us bring our hearts to a true story from the time of the tabi‘in. The story of a great scholar named ‘Urwah ibn Az-Zubair. One day, his leg was struck by gangrene that rotted, and the doctor decided the leg must be amputated so the poison would not spread to his heart. In that era, there was no anesthesia. Do you know what he said? “Amputate my leg while I am standing in prayer. Because when I face my Lord, my soul ascends, and I will not feel the pain of this world. The leg was cut while he was in prostration. Blood flowed, yet his lips kept remembering Allah. Before the blood on his leg had dried, a second sorrowful news came: his beloved son, Muhammad, died from a horse’s kick in the caliph’s palace. Two crushing calamities, one after another in a single day! Did he scream? Did he protest destiny?

With tears streaming gently, he looked at his severed leg, then gazed at the sky and said: “O Allah, You gave me four children, and You took one, so all praise is Yours. You gave me four limbs [two hands, two legs], and You took one, so all praise is Yours. By Allah, if You take something, You have left me with much more.” This is the pinnacle of the Tree of Love watered by sacrifice, supported by the Pillars of Patience and Gratitude. His soul was so firm, unshaken by the storms of the world.

Let’s make a simple analogy. Imagine our heart is like a sophisticated smartphone you just bought. Allah has installed four great apps in it: Hikmah-App, Ikhlas-Cloud, Taubat-Cleaner, and Mahabbah-Messenger.Now, the problem is, many of us complain: “Why is my faith smartphone so slow? Why is the screen dark? Why does it crash so often?”

When checked, it turns out we’re lazy to charge it [low battery]. The irrigation system is clogged! Hikmah-App never runs because we’re too busy pampering our stomachs with excessive food [hunting culinary delights until we forget the time]. Ikhlas-Cloud is full of “wanting to be praised by people” memory. Taubat-Cleaner is never opened because we feel we have no sins. And Mahabbah-Messenger freezes because we’re stingy and reluctant to sacrifice for others .Even worse, its casing is cracked because it doesn’t use the protector called Patience, and its battery is swollen because it’s never maintained with Gratitude. If our spiritual smartphone is in such a pitiful condition, don’t be surprised if our lives are full of “anxiety signals” and we easily lose connection with Allah SWT!

3. Conclusion and Closing

My dear friends… The conclusion of our brief gathering today is: nurture again the garden within our chests.Water the Tree of Wisdom with simplicity. Water the Tree of Sincerity with detachment from the praise of creation. Water the Tree of Repentance with the tears of regret in the last third of the night. And water the Tree of Love with sincere sharing, especially with those around us being tested by life’s hardships. Strengthen them all with the two main pillars of religion: When trials come, unfurl the screen of Patience. When blessings come, spread the wings of Gratitude. If these four trees bear fruit and these two pillars stand firm, then by Allah, there will be no room left for soul-destroying sorrow in our hearts.

May Allah SWT always invigorate our hearts with His guidance, making us His servants who are adept at being patient and expert at being grateful.

. والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie