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| Qalb, Joumana Medlej (credit) |
For surely eyes do not become blind, but it is the heart in the breasts that grow blind. - Surah Hajj, 22:46
Similarly the Prophet, may our love for him be made perfect, has said:
Indeed Allah does not look at your appearance or form, but rather Allah looks at your Heart. And while saying this with his blessed finger he pointed to his chest to indicate this is where the Heart is. (from Muslim collection of hadith)
Thus it is clear that the inner Heart or the Spiritual Heart (Metaphysical Heart) is of utmost importance. To further transmit the significance of the Heart the Prophet said, salutation of peace and blessings to him:
Let this be known, inside the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is spoiled, the whole body is spoiled. Beaware! Know that that piece of flesh is Qalb (heart). (from Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizi, Abu Dawd and Nasayi)
In Meshkat Sharif it is said, “Qalb is the King of all organs.” Qalb is the Arabic word for the Heart.
Thus when the quality of the Qalb is sound, like a just ruler, its subjects also remain sound.
In the exegesis of the 35th verse of Surah Mu’minun of the Quran from the famous Book Tafsir Mareful Quran it is said:
The root of all moral action is the Heart. All good and evil are born out of the Heart.
In the exegesis of the 100th verse of Surah Aaraf of the Quran from the famous Book 'Tafsir Mareful Quran' it is said:
Heart of Man is the prime center for all his organs and all his senses. When the function of Heart is distrurbed, all his organ’s functions are also distrubed. When any subject is registered to be good by the Heart, the eyes also see that, the hear also hear that in that light of goodness and vice versa.
This is why when the Heart become corrupt, neither man can understand properly despite listening to truth, nor can he see truth depite seeing what is true.
This is why Allah speaks:
And their hearts are sealed so that they do not understand.
- Surah at-Tawbah, 9:87
Allah has sealed their hearts so that they do not know.
- Surah at-Tawhab, 9:93
We seal their hearts so they cannot hear (the Truth).
- Surah al-A’raf, 7:100
From all these above verses it is clear that if the Heart is corrupt, man can not understand or realize the truth properly. The degree of goodness or badness of Heart determines the character and action of a person. This is Heart and this is the tale of the Heart.
QURANIC ILLUMINATION ON INNER HEART AND ITS REALITIESThe Final Revelation by the Lord, the Quran which is a guidance and criteria to know truth from error provides invaluable illumination on the subject of inner heart of man and its various realities. There are more than hundred and twenty verses mentioning Heart directly by using variants of it’s name indicating multi-dimensionality of the inner Heart. Below are partial selection of verses from the Qur'an where the realities of the Inner Heart is unveiled through various Signs in the Qur'an. This is part of work in progress and Insha'Allah a complete collection with complementary sacred traditions (hadith) is hoped to be published via Technology of the Heart in near future.
1) Center of Guidance is Heart
And who faithfully believes in Allah, He guides his Heart.
- The Quran, Surah Taghabun 64, verse 11
2) Appointed place of faith is Heart
For them He has written secure faith in their Hearts, and has strengthened them with the Spirit from Himself.
- Surah Muzdalah 58, verse 22
3) To be a faithful, imaan (faith) must penetrate Heart
The deep desert dwellers say, “We believe!” Say (to them) “You have not (yet) believed; but (rather) say, ‘ We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered into your Hearts
- Surah Hujurat 49, verse 14
4) The place of fashioning faith is Heart
But Allah has endeared the faith to you and beautified it in your Hearts, thus making disbelief, defiance, and disobedience hateful to you.
- Surah Hujurat 49, verse 7
5) It is the Heart that attain to faith
Oh Messenger! Do not be grieved by those who vie with one another to cover over (the Truth), such as those who say with their mouths, “ We believe,” and do not believe in their Hearts.
- Surah Mayedah 05, verse 41
6) Heart must be stabilized on Imaan
.. (those) who cover up ( the truth) about Allah after having believed- excepth the one who is forced to ( do so ) and whose heart is still content with the belief – and who willingly open their hearts to disbelief, upon them is the Anger of Allah and for them great punishment (awaits)
- Surah Nahal 16, verse 106
7) Heart quivering at the deep remembrance of Allah is a sign of faith
They only are believers whose Hearts tremble with awe whenever Allah is mentioned
Surah Anfal 08, verse 2
8) Glad tidings for those who’s Heart quiver at the mentioning of Allah’s glory
And give good news th the humble- those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble
- Surah Hajj 22, verse 34-35
9-10) Center for Taqwa (God Consciousness) is Heart
Those who lower their voices before the Messenger of Allah- they are ones whose Hearts Allah has tested for consciousness and vigilance against evil.
- Surah Hujurat 49, verse 3
That (is the order of Allah); whoever honors the symbolic (rites) of Allah does so because (in their) hearts are conscious of Allah and ward off the evil (from inside and outside themselves).
- Surah Hajj 22, verse 32
11) It is the Heart that receives tranquility in Divine Remembrance
Those who attain faith, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
- Surah Ra’ad, verse 28
12) The Quran descended in the Heart of the Holy Prophet
.. Indeed Gabriel has brought this revelation upon your heart O Muhammad by the will of Allah, confirming what came before (Torah and Gospel) and good news for the faithful.
- Surah Baqara, verse 97
13) Heart of the faithful melts at Divine Remembrance
Has the time not come for those who have faith that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are transgressors.
- Surah Hadid, verse 16
14) It is the Heart that become sinful
.. let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allah , his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allah is Knowing of what you do.
- Surah Baqara, verse 283
15) Heart become rusted with transgressing acts
When Our Verses (of the Quran) are recited to him he says: "Tales of the ancients!"
Nay! rather, what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts.
- Surah Mutaffin, verse 13,14
The Holy Prophet, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him has said, “Then the discriminating ability between good and not good is lost.” (Muslim, Mishkat collection)
Never, rather whatever they have accumulated (of sins) it causes rust to cover over their Heart. (Timizi, Ibn Majah, Masnad e Ahmad and Mishkat)
16) Heart is sealed
Allah has sealed upon their Heart.
- Surah Muhammad, verse 16
17) The transgressors have their Hearts sealed
Thus the Divine has sealed the hearts of the transgressors (those who disbelieve in the Oneness of the Divine and deny Him).
- Surah Yunus, verse 74
18) Arrogant and oppressors have their Hearts closed
Those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without an authority having granted to them - [this attitude] is most hateful in the sight of Allah and of those who have faith. In such a manner Allah seals the hearts of all self-aggrandizing arrogant tyrants.
- Surah Mu’min, verse 35
19-20) Those who cover up truth have their Hearts closed
.. (due to their denial of the messengers and clear proof) Allah seas the hearts of those who cover up (the Truth).
- Surah A’raf, verse 101
So (the Divine punished them) for their breaking the covenant and their covering up of the Signs of Allah and their killing of the Prophets without right, and their saying, "Our hearts are hardened." Rather it is that Allah has sealed them for their covering up (of the Truth) so that they believe not, except for a few.
- Surah Nisa, verse 155
21) Ignorant have their Heart closed and sealed
And cretainly We have set forth for humanity in this Qur'an every (kind of) example. But if you bring those who cover up (the Truth) a Sign, they will say, "You are nothing but tricksters." In this way Allah sets the hearts of those who do not (want) to know.
- Surah Rum, verse 58, 59
22) Faculty of Realization become corrupt when Heart is closed
.. and their hearts are sealed, so they do not comprehend.
- Surah Tawbah, verse 87
23) Faculty of Knowledge become inept when Heart is closed
.. and Allah has sealed over their hearts, so they do not know.
- Surah Tawbah, verse 93
24) Faculty of Inner Hearing is disabled when Heart is closed
.. We seal their hearts so they cannot hear (the Truth).
- Surah A’raf, verse 100
25) Heart can become blind
Have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts that grow blind.
- Surah Hajj, verse 46
Heart is also the faculty of inner vision. On the authority of Abu Zar, may Allah be pleased with him it is transmitted, “The Holy Prophet in the event of Ascension to Divine Presence have seen Allah with his Heart, not with the physical eyes.” (Ibn Khojaimah)
Ibn Abbas, May Allah be please with him has also described that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him have seen Allah by his own Heart. (Muslim Hadith)
26) Hearts can become closed
Do they not contemplate deeply on the Quran, or are their Hearts closed?
- Surah Muhammad, verse 24
27) Heart is the place of anger
And He will remove anger from their Heart.
- Surah Tawbah, verse 15
Regarding anger, which is one of the blame worthy traits, the Holy Prophet, may Allah perfect our love for him, has said: “You should distance yourselves from anger because the anger of the children of Adam is like a burning coal in the Heart.” (Tirmizi, Mishkat)
The Prophet has also prayed as: “O Allah! Please remove anger from my Qalb.” (Masnad e Ahmad, Abu Yala).
28) Heart is where Sakina descends
It is He Who has sent down deep inner peace into the hearts of the believers so that they may add faith to their faith ..
- Surah Fatah, verse 4
29) Within man there is a one Heart
Allah has not placed two Hearts within man.
- Surah Ahzab, verse 4
30) To benefit from truth, a Heart capable of realization is necessary
Truly in that there is a reminder for one who has a heart or he who listens attentively and is a witness.
- Surah Qaf, verse 37
31) It is the Heart which disobey and deny
Those who do not have faith on hereafter, their Heart disobey and deny.
- Surah Nahal, verse 22
32) Heart that pay attention is a pre-requisite to enter the Garden
And the Garden shall be brought near – not far – to those who guarded themselves for Allah. (It shall be announced) “This is what you were promised - for every repentant preserver (of covenant) who is in awe of the Merciful in the unseen and comes with a contrite heart; enter it in peace. This is the Unending Day.”
- Surah Qaf, verse 31-34
33) In the assembly of Allah in the hereafter, the only benefiting will be a purified Heart
The Awesome Day when neither wealth nor children will profit anyone except him who brings to Allah a pure heart.
- Surah Shu’ara, verse 88, 89
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