Understanding the Heart
In Islamic teachings, the heart is the true foundation of a Muslim’s soul and central to body, flesh, limbs, desires, intent, and actions. Scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Hafidh ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, and Shaykhul-Islam emphasized that the physical heart may appear alive, but it is the spiritual heart, the inner heart, and qalbun saleem that guide the personality, human essence, and moral compass. The Qur’an, through chapters like Surah Tawbah, Surah Shu’ara, Surah Yunus, Surah Isra, Surah Fussilat, and Surah Nahl, teaches that neglecting purification, repentance, sincerity, faith, tawhid, worship, obedience, remembrance, superogatory prayers, and night prayer can allow jinn, satans, misguidance, sins, illness, and disease to infiltrate the heart, making it rock hard, frozen, or covered with black spots and rust.
Diseases and Corruption of the Heart
A defective, weak, or dead heart is prone to blindness of heart, qasawatul-qalb, despicable manners, false love, plotting, oppression, and arrogance. Such corruption leads to hatred, malice, jealousy, and hypocrisy, affecting human relations, society, and ethical behavior. The gradual demise and deterioration of the natural condition of the heart results from black spots accumulation, pollution, misguidance, worldly pursuits, Haraam actions, excessive laughing, overeating, stress, sleep, and disobedience. Islam teaches that ethical awareness, mindfulness, reflection, and moral lessons from the Holy Quran and Hadith strengthen the heart, purify it from sin, and help maintain spiritual health, spiritual growth, and wellbeing.
Purification and Healing of the Heart
The heart can be healed through guidance, knowledge, repentance, purification, sincerity, holding fast, remembrance, Zikr, dua, recitation, superogatory prayers, and ibadah. Following the Last Prophet, Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, companions رَضِیَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُم, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Amr Bin ‘Aas رَضِیَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُمَا, and Ahlul Bait demonstrates exemplary conduct and observance that protects the heart from misguidance, arrogance, and worldly distraction. Practices like Fajr Salah, tahajjud, ethical behavior, mindfulness, and love of Allah cleanse qalbun saleem and qalbun muneeb, enabling the human essence to remain truthful, sincere, jealousy-free, malice-free, sin-free, oppression-free, hatred-free, and mindful of ethical behavior and moral compass.
Spiritual Awareness and Ethical Growth
A pure heart fosters comprehension, understanding, intellect, insight, wisdom, and ethical awareness, helping Muslims resist satan, shaitan, and misguidance. The spiritual heart encourages reflection, emulation, self-discipline, holding fast, and adherence to divine laws and divine traditions. Through Our Courses, with a Free trail and Monthly fee, learners can strengthen their ethical behavior, spiritual existence, inner peace, wellbeing, safe life, and exemplary conduct, following the teachings of Almighty Allah, Allah (SWT), and the Beloved Rasool, ensuring the heart remains alive, soft, gentle, humble, strong, secure, and protected from corruption, misguidance, and worldly vices.
Practical Steps to Maintain a Healthy Heart
Maintaining a healthy heart requires knowledge, guidance, remembrance, recitation, tawhid, worship, obedience, and avoiding Haraam, oppression, despicable manners, and false love. Ethical behavior, mindfulness, self-improvement, repentance, and spiritual practices create human relations that are righteous, trustworthy, and respectful, increasing happiness, joy, safeness, and soundness. A pure heart ensures the human essence stays alive, secure, and successful, achieving eminent character, Eminence, protection, and Paradise, reflecting obedience, moral compass, wellbeing, and ethical awareness in all practical life.