A SOFT HEART IS A STRONG HEART, AND A HARD HEART IS A WEAK HEART.

A SOFT HEART IS A STRONG HEART, AND A HARD HEART IS A WEAK HEART.
Suhaib Ashraf Bhat
Soft-hearted people are not fools, they know what people did to them but they forgive again and again because they have beautiful hearts.We live in a time when qualities like humility, sincerity and compassion are being  considered as weak and useless. They say the nice people finish last and that soft-hearted people are the ones who get knocked down and are often mistreated in the society. What will save us on the Day of Judgement? Are we favoured based on our race or colour? No. Then what is it? It is the place in our body which Allah swt made the location of the most valuable possession of a human being: (faith). It is your heart. What favours you in the sight of Allah swt is the state of your heart. What will save you on the Day of Judgement is a sound heart. 
When you say the word ‘Think!”, most of us point to our heads, right? How many of us point to our hearts when we say “Think?” The Messenger of Allah swt Muhammmad (Peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) said, “Taqwa is here,” and he pointed to his chest. [Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad]
Subhan Allah, one of the functions of the heart is understanding. Allah swt gave us a heart to comprehend, to reflect, and to reason. That brings us back to the central ayah: and have hearts by which to reason.
Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimullah) said that many doctors and philosophers have said that the mind is in the brain, so we think and understand with our brains and not with our hearts. He then said that the centre is actually the heart. Ibn Katheer said: The arrogant philosophers say that the mind is in the brain. [Tafsir ibn Kathir vol 4 p.508] To believe, to disbelieve, to understand, to comprehend, to have tranquillity, to feel confusion, to have tawakkul and to have khushoo’ are all functions of your heart.

The state of your heart will decide what you do with your knowledge. Will you benefit from it by practicing it or not?  For example, if you hear an ayah of the Quran or a hadith, does it make you feel you want to practice it straight away or does it not have much impact on you? Whatever the answer is, it will tell you about the state of your heart. Sins have an effect on your heart; they can cause your heart to be sealed so that the light of knowledge doesn’t reach it anymore and the ayaat of Allah swt don’t affect you anymore. May Allah swt protect us from this. There are many diseases we find in our hearts, like jealousy, envy, greed, lust, and showing off. Our aim should be to strive to purify our hearts and turn back to Allah swt with a sound heart. 
Ibn al-Qayyim, (may Allah swt have mercy on him), said, “In the heart are disorders that cannot be remedied except by responding to Allah swt. In it is a desolate feeling that cannot be removed except by intimacy with Him solitude. In it is sadness which will not leave except by happiness with knowing Him and truthfulness in his dealings. In it is anxiety that is not made tranquil except by gathering for His sake and fleeing to Him from His punishment. In it is a fire of regret which cannot be extinguished except by satisfaction with His commands, prohibitions, and decrees, and embracing patience with that until the time he meets Him. In it is a strong desire that will not cease until He is the only one who is sought. In it is a void that cannot be filled except by His love, turning to Him, always remembering Him, and being sincere to Him. Were a person to be given the entire world and everything in it, that would never fill the void.” Madārij al-Sālikīn 3/156

How beautiful are those hearts which are enlightened and are very soft:Pain and agony is what we see everywhere, on different media. And it can be exhausting. We start to wish that it wasn’t there. But instead of only wishing for better time, you can find a soft-hearted person trying to make your world seemingly distant from the pain. Their positive spirit overshadows the despair and offers light, belief and hope. With so many selfish people in the world, the soft-hearted ones are the ones still willing to offer support. Although some may run to a soft-hearted person not only for support but to take advantage of them, the soft-hearted person still offers a shield to anyone who needs assistance. When you run for support to a person with a soft heart, you will never be rejected. People who are still willing to help others are who hold this world together. It may seem weighty and appear to make them weary, but soft-hearted people are not overwhelmed by the task of carrying lots of responsibility. They appreciate the burden and the treasure that was given to them to carry. No matter how the world sees it, they find this task easier than everyone will think. Philanthropy is never a burden to them.
Conclusion: It would be better if soft-hearted people were in abundance. To have only a few soft-hearted people seems to be a problem on the surface. But on the other hand this offers every soft-hearted person out there an opportunity to showcase their wonderful gifts of love, compassion and kindness. The writer can be reached at  suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com