Matters of the Heart

I have always been fascinated by the subject human heart. Not the physical heart but rather the spiritual heart. It has been used to define a character of a person or even a nation as mentioned in the Quran. In many cultures the heart has been used metaphorically to describe the state of being e.g. hard hearted, warm-hearted etc. However I am more interested on the spiritual aspects of the heart. I resort to the Quran and there are numerous scripts mentioning the severity or the gravity for a pure, clean heart. To obtain a pure, clean heart should be the ultimate goal for everyone who believes in the Hereafter.

Surely in the human breast is a lump of flesh. If sound then the whole body is sound. If corrupt then the whole body is corrupt. Is not the heart? (Muhammad s.a.w)

Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God. (Jesus a.s)

No wealth could substitute for a pure heart during the Judgement Day.


The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children. But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." (As-Shua’ra : 88-89).

It is so significant that before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was taken on the Night Journey, his heart was cleansed by Jibrail signifying the importance of a clean heart before meeting his Creator.

Sh Hamza Yusuf in his book Purification of the Heart mentioned that “If we examine the trials and tribulations all over earth, we’ll find that they are rooted in human hearts”.

In His wrath (for those who turn against Allah), Allah will turn their hearts and liken them to worse than animals for they have hearts but do not make use of it to understand the religion.


In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. (Al-Baqarah:10)


And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless. (Al-A’raf:179)

And He guided whom He wishes to guide. It is incumbent upon us to always ask from Him to guide us in the right path.


So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe. (Al-An’am:125)


And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (Al-Baqarah:186)

Indeed in the remembrance of Allah does the heart find peace.


Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah . Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Al-Ra’d:28)

According to Wabisah bin Ma'bad, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:
I came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and he said: "You have come to ask about righteousness ?" " Yes," I answered. He said: "Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast, even though people give you their opinion (in your favour) and continue to do so."

[A good hadith transmitted from the Musnads of the two Imams, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Al-Darimi]