This reflection connects beautifully with the role of dhikr, especially Lā ilāha illā Allāh, in the purification of the heart. Here is a refined tazkirah-style version:
Cleaning the Heart: The Vehicle of the Journey to Allah
We all understand something very simple: this world is full of dirt. A car that travels every day will eventually become dirty. Dust gathers on the body, mud sticks to the tyres, stains appear on the seats, and even the engine accumulates residue over time. No one is surprised by this. It is expected.
And because each part becomes dirty in a different way, each part requires a different method of cleaning. The tyres are not cleaned the same way as the seats. The engine requires special treatment. The windows need another method. Different tools, different chemicals, different processes.
No one says: “I washed one part, so the whole car is clean.”
Likewise, our hearts travel through the roads of this dunya every day.
Every day we encounter things that leave traces upon the soul: envy, greed, anger, backbiting, heedlessness, arrogance, lies, disrespect, love of status, attachment to praise, endless distractions, and the whispers of the nafs and shayṭān. Even if we do not actively seek them, we pass through them daily just as a car passes through dust and rain.
And slowly, without realizing it, dirt gathers upon the heart.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a servant commits a sin, a black mark appears upon his heart…”
Narrated in Jami at-Tirmidhi
If left unattended, the stains increase. Just as neglecting a vehicle eventually affects its performance, neglecting the heart eventually affects the soul. A person may still pray, still speak, still work and live—but something feels heavy. The sweetness of worship decreases. Tears become difficult. Presence in prayer weakens.
The engine is running, but it is struggling.
So if every machine requires maintenance, what about the heart—the very thing by which we know Allah?
This is why Allah gave us means of purification.
There is tawbah to wash away sins. There is istighfar to remove stains. There is Qur’an to illuminate. There is suhbah with righteous people to protect the soul. There is charity to soften hardness. There is fasting to discipline desire.
And among the greatest cleansers is the dhikr:
Lā ilāha illā Allāh
Because the heart does not only become dirty from sins. It also becomes filled with attachments.
Sometimes envy enters. Sometimes ego enters. Sometimes love of praise enters. Sometimes fear of people becomes greater than fear of Allah.
The scholars of purification explain that Lā ilāha illā Allāh itself is a cleansing process:
Lā ilāha — remove the false things occupying the heart.
illā Allāh — place Allah back in the center.
It is like removing dirt from the engine before fresh oil can flow.
The nafs also has many layers; therefore it may require many forms of treatment. Arrogance may require humility. Greed may require generosity. Anger may require patience. Heedlessness may require dhikr. Excessive love of dunya may require remembrance of death.
Different dirt, different cleaning.
The goal is not merely that the car shines on the outside. The goal is that the engine runs properly for the journey.
And our journey is not toward a destination in this world.
Our journey is toward Allah.
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