Death comes upon many things of this world, in different forms. Death comes over the leaves, the trees, the fish of the oceans, the animals in the jungles, insects, creatures and likewise human beings. When the heart stops beating, the physical body is ‘dead’.

The physical heart is different from the spiritual heart but death also comes over the spiritual heart. When the spiritual heart stops throbbing with the Love of Allah Ta’ala and our Beloved Nabi Muhammadﷺ, then it is ‘dead’.

When the spiritual heart is dead, then the filthy stench of malice, greed, jealousy, pride, vanity, etc. begins to emanate from that body, just as a filthy stench comes off a corpse.

When evil becomes prevalent in the heart, and when malice, greed, pride, evil desires and passions creep into the heart, these cause the heart to become spiritually diseased. These evils then lead to the death of the spiritual heart. The person with such a heart is not only a problem for himself, but for all those around him.

To bring life into that heart, one has to connect oneself to Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullahﷺ. The easiest way to do so is through the company of the pious and righteous, which will strengthen a person in Imaan and Amal, and which will strengthen his faith and connection with Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullahﷺ. This, in effect, keeps the spiritual heart ‘alive’.

Source: yunuspatel.co.za/books-Hedayatus-Saalikeen-3.php