1.         Another reason for hard-heartedness is useless conversations, as speaking too much or speaking without thinking causes hard-heartedness besides other evils of the tongue. The tongue is an organ that expresses the feelings of the heart and thus it represents the heart. Whenever the tongue is used, the heart and mind pay attention to it. Due to being busy with unnecessary and useless conversations, the heart and mind pay less attention to betterment of the Hereafter, contemplation of death and the conditions after death, and thus the heart starts to become hard itself. One of the reasons for hard-heartedness stated in a blessed Hadees is useless conversations.

The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: O people! Do not engage in abundant conversations, except the Zikr of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Because to have abundant conversations, causes hard-heartedness and undoubtedly amongst people that person is the furthest from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ whose heart is hard. (Tirmizi, vol. 4, pp. 184, Hadees 2419)

2.         Laughing excessively is another reason for hard-heartedness. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: Do not laugh excessively because excessive laughter kills (i.e. hardens) the heart. (Ibn Majah, vol. 4, pp. 465, Hadees 4193) Talking about the loss of excessive laughter, the Prophet of Rahmah, the Intercessor of the Ummah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: Continue avoiding excessive laughter because laughter ends the Noor of the face.

(Attargheeb Wattarheeb, vol. 3, pp. 340, Raqm 27)

3.         The fourth reason for hard-heartedness is heedlessness of the Zikr of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ because a heart has four conditions: (1) loftiness (2) expansion (3) lowness (4) hardness. The loftiness of the heart lies in the Zikr of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ; its expansion lies in attaining the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ; its lowness lies in being occupied with people; and its hardness lies in the heedlessness of the remembrance of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. (Sharh Awliya, pp. 10)

Another reason for hard-heartedness is to eat a stomach full. Of course! To eat to one’s fill not only creates laziness in worship and harms the health, but it also hardens the heart. Sayyiduna Bashar Bin Haaris رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has