Soundness Of Heart

By  Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze

The First Sermon

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the Possessor of favour, who united hearts after division, and made faith a cause for love and harmony. He alone has no partner. He commanded reconciliation and forbade corruption, rancour and dispute.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger — the purest of people in heart, the greatest of them in forbearance, and the broadest of them in spirit. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow his path until the Day of Judgement.

As to what follows: I advise you, O servants of Allah, and myself, to have Taqwa of Allah, for it is the best provision for the Day of Return. Allah the Exalted says:

The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit, except for one who comes to Allah with a sound heart [Ash-Shu‘araa: 88-89]

O believers,

One of the greatest blessings of Allah upon a servant is soundness of heart. It is a blessing that cannot be bought with wealth, nor attained by status. It is a gift from Allah to those whose hearts are purified from envy, malice, hatred and revenge.

A sound heart is the heart that wishes for people what it wishes for itself, that pardons when wronged, forgives when able, and harbours no rancour towards a Muslim or any other human being.

For this reason Allah praised His believing servants, saying:

And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts any resentment towards those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful [Al-Hashr: 10]

O Muslims,

All the Prophets were examples of soundness of heart.

Our master Ibrahim, peace be upon him, came to his Lord with a sound heart.

And our master Yusuf, peace be upon him, did not take revenge after his brothers had wronged him. Rather, he said:

No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you [Yusuf: 92]

And our master Muhammad sallallaahu layhi wa sallam forgave the people of Makkah after they had harmed and fought him, saying to them:

“Go, for you are free.”

The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was asked: “Which people are best?”

He said: _“Every person of sound heart and truthful tongue.”_

They said: “And what is a sound heart?”

He said: “It is the pious, pure heart in which there is no sin, no transgression, no malice and no envy.”_ [Narrated by Ibn Majah]

So reflect, may Allah have mercy on you. The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam did not make the standard of virtue abundance of wealth or position. Rather he made purity of heart and soundness of intention among the greatest means of success with Allah.

O beloved ones,

In our dear nation, Nigeria, we are in great need of these manners.

It is through pardon and forgiveness that nations are built. It is through pure hearts that societies are preserved. And it is through love, not revenge, that homelands are built.

The Second Sermon

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May prayers and peace be upon him and upon all his family and companions.

As to what follows: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah.

O believers,

Soundness of heart does not mean weakness. Rather it means strength in controlling oneself, courage in pardoning, wisdom in reconciliation, and the ability to resolve differences.

Whoever wishes to serve his nation, let him begin by rectifying his heart.

Whoever wishes to rectify society, let him abandon envy, hatred, backbiting and tale-bearing.

And whoever wishes to see Nigeria safe, stable and prosperous, let him be a caller to love, a maker of peace, and a uniter of hearts, not a divider.

In these days we are in great need of mercy and cooperation among all the sons of our nation — Muslims and Christians, North and South, East and West. For the diversity of languages and colours is a sign from the signs of Allah, and not a cause for enmity and hatred.

We ask Allah to inspire the leaders of our country with wisdom and justice, and to aid them in fulfilling the trust, and to grant them success in that which is good for the servants and the land. And that He makes us all helpers in righteousness and piety, not in sin and transgression.

O Allah, rectify our hearts, unite us, reconcile between us, and guide us to the paths of peace.

O Allah, make this country and all Muslim lands safe, secure and prosperous, and all the lands of the world.

O Allah, protect Nigeria from tribulations, both apparent and hidden. Rectify its leaders and aid them in combating corruption, establishing security, spreading justice, and caring for the weak, the poor and the oppressed.

O Allah, relieve the distress of the kidnapped, heal the sick, have mercy on the deceased, support the oppressed, and unite the hearts of the people of our nation. Make us all keys to good and locks to evil.

Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, evil and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

This is what I say, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you for every sin, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

• Being a Khutbah for Friday 10th July 2026 / 25 Muharram 1448H, on the Soundness of Heart and Its Effect in Building Society and the Unity of the Nation, by Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, National Mosque, Abuja.