company of the pious. Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khan NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه states:

Just as iron becomes soft and turns into tools, gold softens and becomes jewellery, soil softens and produces crops, and flour softens to become bread, likewise, when the heart becomes soft, a person becomes a Walī, a Sufi, and an ꜤĀrif (one who recognises Allah Almighty). Softness of the heart is a great blessing of Allah Almighty, and this is gained through the company of the saints and their pure words.^[1]

6. Show kindness to orphans and the poor!

One prescription for softening the heart is to show kindness to orphans and the needy. A man once complained to the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم about the hardness of his heart. The beloved Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  said, “Do you wish your heart to become soft?”

He replied, “Yes.”

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  declared, “When an orphan comes to you, place your hand upon his head and feed him from your food. Your heart will soften, and your needs will be fulfilled.”^[2]

7. Reflect upon the harms of a hardened heart!

The curse of a hard heart is that guidance has no effect upon it, it does not incline towards good deeds, and it leads to the displeasure and curse of Allah Almighty. The fourth Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: