QUR'AAN CONCEPT - Heart
QUR'AAN CONCEPT - Heart
QUR'AAN CONCEPT - Heart
In the Qur’an it is stated that only the people who “have hearts” will take heed and have faith.
إِ َّن فِي َٰذلِكَ لَ ِذ ْك َر ٰى لِ َم ْن َكانَ لَهُ قَ ْلبٌ أَوْ أَ ْلقَى ال َّس ْم َع َوهُ َو َش ِهي ٌد
Inna fee zaalika la-Zikraa liman-kaana lahou qalbun aw alqas-sam’a wa huwa shaheed.
Truly, in this is a Message for anyone who has a heart and understanding, or who listens and
earnestly witnesses (the truth). (Qaf, 50:37)
Therefore, the wisdom referred to in the Qur’an is directly related to the heart and the soul.
One point deserves mention here: wisdom is not constant; it varies. Intelligence, a function of the brain, does
not, however, change except in case of an injury or mental disease. Everyone has a constant “IQ”. Wisdom, on
the other hand, can increase or decrease, a feature closely related to the strengthening of the soul and fear of
Allah (taqwa). In this way, the individual acquires a criterion by which to judge between right and wrong.
This feature, which is an entirely metaphysical one, is communicated to man in the following verse:
ۗ َوهَّللا ُ ُذو ْالفَضْ ِل يَا أَيُّهَا الَّ ِذينَ آ َمنُوا إِ ْن تَتَّقُوا هَّللا َ يَجْ َعلْ لَ ُك ْم فُرْ قَانًا َويُ َكفِّرْ َع ْن ُك ْم َسيِّئَاتِ ُك ْم َويَ ْغفِرْ لَ ُك ْم
ْال َع ِظ ِيم
Yaaa’ayyu-hallazeena aamanouu in-tattaquLLaaha yaj-al-lakum Fur-qaananw-wa yu-kaffir ankum sayyi-
aatikum wa yagfir lakum. WaLLaahu Zul-Fazlil-azeem.
O you who believe! If you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and
wrong), remove from you (all) evil (that may afflict) you, and forgive you: for Allah is the
Lord of grace unbounded. (Al-Anfal, 8:29)
One who does not fear Allah is entirely deprived of this criterion to judge between right and wrong. A
person may be very intelligent; he may be an outstanding physicist, sociologist or a “distinguished” person in
society. He may have remarkable achievements to his credit. However, if he has no conscience, he surely
lacks the true spirit and thus, the true wisdom. Being a renowned scientist, he may discover the mysteries of
the human body. Still he does not possess the spirit and the understanding to conceive of the Creator of that
body. Rather than expressing his astonishment at the marvels of creation and praising the Creator, he turns to
himself and praises himself for his discovery. This scientist is surely the one who has “taken as his god his
vain desire and Allah has knowingly left him astray.”
However, as stated in Surat’al-Rad, the believers are “Those who believe, and whose hearts find
satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah ....for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah hearts find
satisfaction.” (Al-Rad, 13:28)
The state of the hearts of unbelievers, on the other hand, is described in the following verse:
ۖ َولَهُ ْم َع َذابٌ َع ِظي ٌم ٌاوة
َ ار ِه ْم ِغ َش
ِ صَ ۖ َو َعلَ ٰى أَ ْب خَ تَ َم هَّللا ُ َعلَ ٰى قُلُوبِ ِه ْم َو َعلَ ٰى َس ْم ِع ِه ْم
KhatamaLLaahu’alaa quloubihim wa’alaa sam‘ihim, wa’alaaa absaarihim gishaawah; wa
lahum’azaabun’azeem.
Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the
penalty they (incur). (Al-Baqara, 2:7)
An intelligent person can be lacking in understanding and the faculty of distinguishing between right and
wrong. He may devise an ingenious invention, he may be a good businessman, or may excel in politics. In
doing these, however, he totally lacks the awareness of right and wrong. Though he is communicated with
repeatedly, he remains blind and deaf to the message of the Qur’an. This is a glaring manifestation of his lack
of understanding.
“..Their hearts are sealed and so they do not understand” is an important statement in the Qur’an,
indicating the significance of the heart for understanding.
In the Qur’an considerable space has been allocated to analyzing the relation between the heart and
human behaviour. This relation comes under several headings.
ۖ َوا ْعلَ ُموا أَ َّن هَّللا َ يَحُو ُل بَ ْينَ ْال َمرْ ِء َوقَ ْلبِ ِه يَا أَيُّهَا الَّ ِذينَ آ َمنُوا ا ْست َِجيبُوا هَّلِل ِ َولِل َّرسُو ِل إِ َذا َدعَا ُك ْم لِ َما يُحْ يِي ُك ْم
ََوأَنَّهُ إِلَ ْي ِه تُحْ َشرُون
Yaaa’ayyu-hallazeena aamanus-tajeebou liLLaahi wa lir-Rasouli izaa da-aakum lima yuh-yeekum;
wa’lamouu annaLLaaha yahoulu baynal-mar’i waqal-bihee wa anna-houu ilayhi tuh-sharoun.
O you who believe! Give your response to Allah and His Messenger, when He calls you to that
which will give you life; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and that
it is He to Whom you shall (all) be gathered. (Al-Anfal, 8:24)
ِ ۚ إِنَّهُ ع ض َج ِميعًا َما أَلَّ ْفتَ بَ ْينَ قُلُوبِ ِه ْم َولَ ٰـ ِك َّن هَّللا َ أَلَّفَ بَ ْينَهُ ْم
َزي ٌز ِ ْۚ لَوْ أَ ْنفَ ْقتَ َما فِي اأْل َر َوأَلَّفَ بَ ْينَ قُلُوبِ ِه ْم
َح ِكي ٌم
Wa’allafa bayna quloubihim. Law anfaqta maa fil’ardi jamee’am-maa’allafta bayna qulou-bihim wa laa-
kinnaLLaaha ’allafa baynahum; innahou Azeezun Hakeem.
And (moreover) He has put affection between their hearts: not if you had spent all that is on
the earth, could you have produced that affection, but Allah has done it: for He is Exalted in
might, and Wise. (Al-Anfal, 8:63)
ۚ َو ْاذ ُكرُوا نِ ْع َمتَ هَّللا ِ َعلَ ْي ُك ْم إِ ْذ ُك ْنتُ ْم أَ ْعدَا ًء فَأَلَّفَ بَ ْينَ قُلُوبِ ُك ْم ص ُموا بِ َح ْب ِل هَّللا ِ َج ِميعًا َواَل تَفَ َّرقُوا ِ ََوا ْعت
َك َٰذلِكَ يُبَي ُِّن هَّللا ُ لَ ُك ْم آيَاتِ ِه لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم ۗ ار فَأ َ ْنقَ َذ ُك ْم ِم ْنهَا
ِ َّفَأَصْ بَحْ تُ ْم بِنِ ْع َمتِ ِه إِ ْخ َوانًا َو ُك ْنتُ ْم َعلَ ٰى َشفَا ُح ْف َر ٍة ِمنَ الن
َتَ ْهتَ ُدون
Wa’tasimou bi-HabliLLaahi jamee’anw-wa laa tafar-raqou. Waz-kurou ni’mataLLaahi alaykum iz kuntum
a’daaa’an-fa-allafa bayna quloubikum fa’asbahtum-bi-ni’matiheee ikhwaanaa; wa kuntum alaa shafaa
hufratim-minnaari fa-anqazakum-minhaa. Kazaalika yubayyinuLLaahu lakum Aayaatihee la’al-lakum
tahtadoun.
CONCEPT FROM QUR’AAN | Heart, Wisdom and Intelligence 3
Prepared by HAJI MOHAMAD HANIM MOHAMAD ISA
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and do not be
divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour to you; for you were
enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His grace, you became brethren; and
you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs
clear to you, so that you may be guided. (Al-Imran, 3:103)
HEARTS TO BE RECONCILED
ِ ب َو ْالغ
۞ َار ِمينَ َوفِي ِ ات لِ ْلفُقَ َرا ِء َو ْال َم َسا ِكي ِن َو ْال َعا ِملِينَ َعلَ ْيهَا َو ْال ُمؤَ لَّفَ ِة قُلُوبُهُ ْم َوفِي ال ِّرقَا َّ إِنَّ َما ال
ُ َص َدق
ۗ َوهَّللا ُ َعلِي ٌم َح ِكي ٌم ِ يضةً ِمنَ هَّللا
َ ۖ فَ ِر يل ِ َِسبِي ِل هَّللا ِ َواب ِْن ال َّسب
Innamas-Sadaqaatu lil-fu-qaraaa-i wal-masaa-keeni wal-aamileena alay-haa wal-mu’allafati qulou-
buhum wa fir-riqaabi wal-gaarimeena wa fee Sabee-liLLaahi wabnis-sabeel; faree-zatam-minaLLaah,
waLLaahu Aleemun Hakeem.
Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those
whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; for
the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of
knowledge and wisdom. (Al-Tawba, 9:60)
The foregoing verses reveal an important reality: Faith is something related to the sensitivity of the heart.
A person with a heart not hardened, or “sealed” has already a tendency to know Allah and obey Him. When
the message of the Qur’an is communicated to him, the comprehension of his heart makes him see the truth
and he believes immediately. However, unbelievers are of a different nature. Their hearts are dead and
“sealed”. Nor can they acquire wisdom since their hearts do not have any kind of sensitivity. In such a state
there is also no possibility of belief. In different verses of the Qur’an, those who are inclined towards faith are
told to believe as soon as they hear the message. Unbelievers, on the other hand, never show a propensity for
faith:
َق ْالقَوْ ُل َعلَ ٰى أَ ْكثَ ِر ِه ْم فَهُ ْم اَل ي ُْؤ ِمنُون َّ لَقَ ْد َح
َإِنَّا َج َع ْلنَا فِي أَ ْعنَاقِ ِه ْم أَ ْغاَل اًل فَ ِه َي إِلَى اأْل َ ْذقَا ِن فَهُ ْم ُم ْق َمحُون
َصرُون ِ خَلفِ ِه ْم َس ًّدا فَأ َ ْغ َش ْينَاهُ ْم فَهُ ْم اَل يُ ْب
ْ َو َج َع ْلنَا ِم ْن بَ ْي ِن أَ ْي ِدي ِه ْم َس ًّدا َو ِم ْن
ََو َس َوا ٌء َعلَ ْي ِه ْم أَأَ ْن َذرْ تَهُ ْم أَ ْم لَ ْم تُ ْن ِذرْ هُ ْم اَل ي ُْؤ ِمنُون
ۖ فَبَ ِّشرْ هُ بِ َم ْغفِ َر ٍة َوأَجْ ٍر َك ِر ٍيم ب
ِ إِنَّ َما تُ ْن ِذ ُر َم ِن اتَّبَ َع ال ِّذ ْك َر َو َخ ِش َي الرَّحْ َمـٰنَ بِ ْال َغ ْي
Laqad haqqal-Qawlu alaaa aksarihim fahum laa yu’minoun.
Besides unbelievers whose hearts are hardened and who have lost their wisdom, there are some people,
whose hearts are sensitive, yet they are ignorant of religion. When religion is communicated to them, these
people instantly recognize the truth and believe in Allah and His religion. These two groups of people are
distinguished from each other by their respective arrogance and modesty. Jews and their arrogance are
mentioned in the Qur’an as an example. On the other hand there are Christians who are modest. On this the
Qur’an says:
۞ ۖ َولَتَ ِجد ََّن أَ ْق َربَهُ ْم َم َو َّدةً لِلَّ ِذينَ آ َمنُوا َاوةً لِلَّ ِذينَ آ َمنُوا ْاليَهُو َد َوالَّ ِذينَ أَ ْش َر ُكوا
َ اس َعد ِ َّلَت َِجد ََّن أَ َش َّد الن
َۚ َٰذلِكَ بِأ َ َّن ِم ْنهُ ْم قِسِّي ِسينَ َو ُر ْهبَانًا َوأَنَّهُ ْم اَل يَ ْستَ ْكبِرُون ار ٰى َ َص َ الَّ ِذينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا ن
ِّ َوإِ َذا َس ِمعُوا َما أُ ْن ِز َل إِلَى ال َّرسُو ِل ت ََر ٰى أَ ْعيُنَهُ ْم تَفِيضُ ِمنَ ال َّد ْم ِع ِم َّما ع ََرفُوا ِمنَ ْال َح
يَقُولُونَ َربَّنَا ۖ ق
َآ َمنَّا فَا ْكتُ ْبنَا َم َع ال َّشا ِه ِدين
Lataji-danna’ashaddan-naasi adaa-watal-lil-lazeena’aamanul-Yahouda wallazeena ash-rakou; wa
latajidanna’ aqrabahum-ma-wad-datal-lillazeena’aamanul-lazeena qaalouu innaa Nasaaraa; zaalika
bi’anna minhum Qissee-seena wa Ruhbaananw-wa annahum laa yas-takbiroun.
Wa’izaa sami’ou maaa’unzila ilar-Rasouli taraaa a’yunahum tafeezu mi-naddam’i mimmaa’arafou minal-
haqq. Yaqou-louna Rabbanaaa’aamannaa fak-tubnaa ma’ash-shaahideen.
Strongest among men in enmity to the believers you will find the Jews and Pagans; and
nearest among them in love to the believers you will find those who say, “We are Christians”:
CONCEPT FROM QUR’AAN | Heart, Wisdom and Intelligence 11
Prepared by HAJI MOHAMAD HANIM MOHAMAD ISA
that is because amongst them are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the
world, and they are not arrogant. And when they listen to the revelation received by the
Messenger, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they
pray: “Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses”.( Al-Maeda, 5:82-83)
When the message of the Qur’an is communicated to people with a natural inclination towards religion,
they merely say, “Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith: ‘Believe in the Lord,’ and
we have believed...” (Al-Imran, 3:193) Unbelievers, on the other hand, oppose believers and even feel enmity
towards them.