Muslim also narrated in his Sahih, from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Do not make your homes into graveyards, for Satan flees from a house in which Sūrat al-Baqarah is recited.”1

In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd and other works, it is narrated through a fair chain of transmission from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Do not make your homes into graves, and do not make my grave a place of recurring celebration. Send blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be.”2

Shaykh al-Islām Abū al-Abbās Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—said, when explaining the words, “Do not make your homes into graves”: “That is, do not leave them devoid of prayer, supplication, and recitation, lest they become like graves. He thus commanded that worship be deliberately performed in homes and forbade deliberately performing it at graves—the opposite of what the polytheists among the Christians and those who imitate them do.”3 Thus end his words—may Allah have mercy on him.

Since the heart may thus be described as either alive or dead, hearts are accordingly divided into three categories:4

The first is the sound heart. It is the heart that is free from every form of associating anything with Allah. Its servitude is devoted exclusively to Allah Most High—in intention, love, reliance, penitent return, humble submission, reverential fear, and hope—and its deeds are sincerely for Allah alone. If it loves, it loves for Allah’s sake; if it hates, it hates for Allah’s sake; if it gives, it gives for Allah’s sake; and if it withholds, it withholds