سورة المطففين

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the heart of every believing servant there is a white, luminous spot. If he commits a sin, a black point appears on that white spot; if he repents and turns back, it disappears, but if he persists in committing sins, blackness is added upon blackness until it covers that white spot. And when the whiteness vanishes beneath the rust of blackness, the owner of that heart never again sees the path of salvation. And this is the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, who says: کَلَّا بَلْ رانَ عَلی قُلُوبِهِمْ ما کانُوا یَکْسِبُونَ [Nay! rather, what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): When a servant commits a sin, a black point appears on his heart. If he repents, ceases the sin, and seeks Allah's forgiveness, his heart is cleansed of that black point. But if he does not repent and does not seek forgiveness, sin falls upon sin and blackness settles upon blackness until it covers his heart. So his heart dies through the abundance of sin, and the veil of sin engulfs it. And this is the meaning of the word of Allah the Exalted, who says: کَلَّا بَلْ رانَ عَلی قُلُوبِهِمْ ما کانُوا یَکْسِبُونَ [Nay! rather, what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Remember one another, meet one another, and speak with one another, for speech polishes the hearts. Indeed, hearts gather rust as swords gather rust, and the polish of hearts is [good] speech.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Hanifa was eating with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). When the Imam (peace be upon him) withdrew his hand from the food, he said: "الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِینَ [Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds] (Fatiha/2). O Allah, this blessing is from You and from Your Messenger." Abu Hanifa said: "O Aba Abdillah! Are you setting up a partner with Allah?" He said: "Woe to you! Allah says in the Quran: وَ ما نَقَمُوا إِلَّا أَنْ أَغْناهُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ [They took revenge only because Allah and His Messenger had enriched them out of His grace (and generosity)] (Tawba/74), and in another place He says: وَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا ما آتاهُمُ اللهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللهُ سَیُؤْتِینَا اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَ رَسُولُهُ [Had they been content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them, and said: 'Allah is sufficient for us! Soon Allah and His Messenger will grant us of His grace'] (Tawba/59)." Abu Hanifa said: "By Allah, it is as though I had never read these verses in the Quran nor heard them before." The Imam said: "I too have read and heard them, but Allah revealed concerning you and those like you: أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Or are there locks upon their hearts?] (Muhammad/24), and in this verse He says: کَلَّا بَلْ رانَ عَلی قُلُوبِهِمْ ما کانُوا یَکْسِبُونَ [Nay! rather, what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts]."

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) said to Habib ibn Maslama al-Fihri: "What paths you travel in which there is no obedience to Allah!" He said: "I will not travel the path your father travelled." He said: "Indeed, but you have obeyed Muawiya for the sake of a worthless world. If Muawiya has arisen to secure your worldly life, your Hereafter is lost. Had you been such that whenever you did an evil deed you spoke a word of good, you would be counted among those of whom Allah the All-Knowing said: خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صالِحاً وَ آخَرَ سَیِّئاً [They mixed a good deed with another that was evil] (Tawba/102). But rather He says: بَلْ رانَ عَلی قُلُوبِهِمْ ما کانُوا یَکْسِبُونَ [Nay! what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts]."