One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town 
Proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley ...

A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect ...
There was not a mark or a flaw in it ...

Yes, they all agreed 
It truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen ...

The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly 
About his beautiful heart ...

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said: 

Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine ...

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart ...
It was beating strongly ... 
But full of scars ... 

It had places where pieces had been removed 
And other pieces put in ...

But they didn't fit quite right 
And there were several jagged edges ...

In fact, in some places there were deep gouges 
Where whole pieces were missing ...

The people stared ... 
How could he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought ???

The young man looked at the old man's heart 
and saw its state and laughed ... 

You must be joking 

He said ... 

Compare your heart with mine ... 
Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears ...

Yes said the old man 

Yours is perfect looking ... 
But I would never trade with you ... 

You see 
Every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love .....
I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them ... 
And often they give me a piece of their heart 
Which fits into the empty place in my heart ... 
But because the pieces aren't exact 
I have some rough edges, which I cherish 
Because they remind me of the love we shared ...

Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away ... 
And the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me ...
These are the empty gouges ... 

Giving love is taking a chance ... 

Although these gouges are painful 
They stay open
Reminding me of the love I have for these people too ... 

And I hope someday they may return 
And fill the space I have waiting ... 

So now do you see what true beauty is ???

The young man stood silently 
With tears running down his cheeks. 

He walked up to the old man 
Reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart 
And ripped a piece out ...

He offered it to the old man with trembling hands ...

The old man took his offering
Placed it in his heart 
And then took a piece from his old scarred heart 
And placed it in the wound in the young man's heart ...

It fit .... 

But not perfectly 
As there were some jagged edges ...

The young man looked at his heart 
Not perfect anymore 
But more beautiful than ever ... 

Since love from the old man's heart
Flowed into his ...

They embraced 
And walked away 
Side by side ...


Heart Hardening:

The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) has said: 

Do not speak excessively without the remembrance of Allah 
Since verily excessive speaking without the remembrance of Allah 
Makes the heart hard ...

Allah revealed to Prophet Musa (PBUH): 

(O Musa) Do not have long desires or hopes for the world 
Since this will make your heart hard 
And the one whose heart is hard 
Is far away from Me ...

Imam Ali (PBUH) said: 

The eyes do not dry (tears are not stopped) 
Except due to the heart becoming hard
And the heart does not become hard except due to increase in sins ...

Imam Ali (PBUH) said: 

Looking at a stingy person makes the heart hard ...

Imam Ali (PBUH) said: 

An abundance of wealth corrupts the religion and hardens the heart ...