At the beginning of the Qur’an, in Surah Baqra, Allah describes three kinds of people. According to the Quran, mankind is divided into three major divisions:
Muslims (believers) who believe in Allah.
Hypocrites are two-faced people whose verbal and inner states are different
Disbelievers and polytheists who deny Allah.
Similarly, Allah has defined the spiritual state of the heart. In the most general sense, hearts can be classified under three types:
● Sound Heart : A healthy heart maintains its purpose and dignity. The healthy hearts defined in the Holy Quran as Qalbun Saleem, Qalbun Muneeb, Qalby Mutmaina (Satisfied Heart). The word Saleem is an Arabic word which has several meanings. It means at peace, or peaceful; It means whole; It means consistently healthy; It also means flawless, free of defects or disease. A Sound heart possess some extraordinary features i.e a heart always turns to Allah just like the compass needle turns to the right direction, fear and hope in Allah, trying to please Allah in every situation.
Every man on earth tend to error but believers should strive to have a sound heart.
مَنۡ خَشِىَ الرَّحۡمٰنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلۡبٍ مُّنِيۡبِۙ ۞
“This is what you were promised, (it is) for everyone who turns frequently (to Allah), keeps (His limits); who fears the Beneficent Allah in secret and comes with a devoted heart” (Qaf, 32-33)
The Holy Quran introduces Abraham pbuh as the owner of Sound heart.
وَإِنَّ مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ لَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ
إِذْ جَآءَ رَبَّهُۥ بِقَلْبٍۢ سَلِيمٍ
“And indeed, among his kind was Abraham, When he came to his Lord with a sound heart” (Verses 83-84 Sura Safat)
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Qur’an 13:28)
● Diseased and Unmindful hearts : The word 《“maradh”, مرض》 is used for sickness or disease, and has been repeated 12 times in the Holy Quran in reference to the heart. The root cause of the disease is Hypocrisy.
Not only is the word《 “maradh” مرض 》used to describe diseases of the heart. There are some other words like 《“zagh” زِغ : deviate 》《“akin” أَكِنَّةً : veil 》《“rana” رَانَ : rusted》《”قسوة القلب” qasawatul-qalb : hardened hearts》
▪︎ 《”zagh” زِغ : deviate》when guidance is not followed, get lost in darkness, darkness of ignorance, disobedience and following vain desires.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا
“Our Lord! Make not our hearts to deviate.” (3: 8)
▪︎《“akin” أَكِنَّةً》which means veil, sort of disease of the heart which pollutes the heart.
وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً
“and We have cast veils over their hearts…” (6: 25)
▪︎《“rana” رَانَ 》is another word for diseased heart. Rusted heart.
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.” (83: 14)
▪︎《qasawatul-qalb قسوة القلب : hardened hearts》 are other name of diseased heart. “Qasawatul-qalb” hardened heart start with a sin, keep on doing sin affects the health of heart. At one point, a person unable to distinguish between good and bad that’s the stage of hardened heart. When physical heart deteriorates. No medicine cure the heart. Similarly when heart becomes rock hard, to the point where advice does not help.
فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلْقَـٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍ
Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error. (39:22)
Doubt is a sign of diseased hearts. When we fall sick, our immunity level gets weak. Similarly, doubts lead to confusion of belief, seeking worldly benefit, neglecting soul demands, and eventually, the heart becomes sick. Ignorance, lust and desires, immortality۔
This doubt is not merely the intellectual doubt which occurs in exercising reason for rational consouisons, but is the doubt that is superimposed due to commitment to desires. When commitment or moreover obsession to desires becomes the reason for superimposing doubtfulness over belief (which was evidently realised with reason) then it is a deliberation. This doubt stems from defiance and is not the doubt commonly understood within the intellectual framework i.e the scope for further validation/verification. It is the deliberated doubt emerging from one’s attachment to seeking of desires, which gradually turns into a disease of increased skepticism until the point of renouncing held beliefs, and eventually leaves a heart devoid from the intimacy with belief.
فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًۭا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ
“In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they incur, because they are false to themselves”. (al-Baqara, 10)
● Sealed and Dead hearts: this a heart that is locked like like a dead hear ks unable of anything. Advice and guidance can also not help this heart. Blinded to the truth by pleasing themselves. This is a heart that has completely and deliberately grounded itself within perosnal whims and self-centricity. The locks are placed on the heart. This all reached to the final stage, which signs their death certificate.
وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ ۚ بَلْ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And they say: Our hearts are covered. Nay, Allah has cursed them on account of their unbelief; so little it is that they believe.”
خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them” (al-Baqara, 7)
Let’s check out every one which is mine heart and try to rectify it. The Qur’an is sent as a healing for our hearts, that offers hopes and treatments as well.
“O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.” (Qur’an, 10:57)
We can do dhikr and recite the Qur’an, ponder upon the creation of Allah. Follow Allah and His Messenger’s command. Try to keep distance from sin and engage ourselves in good deeds that will illuminate our soul and heart ultimately make us obedient slave of Allah. Let’s purify our heart to get close to Allah
Types of Hearts in the Qur’an!
“Verily! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart”. (Bukhari)
May Allah give us Hidaya and Taufiq to clean our heart from every flaws ! Ameen
Islamic Gems 