Different types of Spiritual Hearts

Respected Chair of conference, members of the organizing committee, participants, ladies and gentlemen! I am extremely grateful and honored by your invitation to give a talk on the occasion of your annual conference on Islamic Psychology. There is growing interest in this emerging field as is evident from increasing literature, research, academic programs, conferences, etc. There are many topics within Islamic psychology to deliberate about and today I would like to talk about the concept of the heart in Islam and its relevance for Islamic Psychology. The concept of the heart is very important for Muslims as this word appears in the Quran in at least 137 places and in various Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH). Both sacred sources mention the word heart or " qalb " in different contexts. The Arabic word qalb is derived from the root word " qalaba " , which means to transform. Thus, the heart refers to something that can transform or change quickly. The Quran refers to the heart in three different contexts, i.e. sadr (chest), fuad (emotions) and lubb (innermost part). The repetitive use of the concept illustrates the centrality of the heart in Islam.

Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Leiden-Boston: Brill, pp. 76-79, 2018

AKADEMIKA: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam

Western theories tend to view the essence of humans in a way of a blank state (tabula rasa), wherein their development will be affected by environmental factors as the determinant variable. However, there are a few differences in the portrayal of humans if scrutinized from al-Qur’an. With conducting a library study, the present study sought to scrutinize the essence of humans along with the affiliated dimensions according to the Qur’anic perspective. The current study drew a conclusion that humans are composed of physical (with the overall physical power therein), psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Humans were born with their inborn good trait alongside the naturally inherent elements such as soul and the active as well as responsive supports from environments so that the two elements as such will construct humans’ behavior. Even though environments will not entirely construct humans’ behavior as commonly targeted by education, the inborn potencies cannot develop automatically...

Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam, 2022

Within Islam, the topic of the heart (qalb) occupies an important place. In order to understand the breadth and depth of this topic, it is necessary to understand its intricacies. The Qur'ān, the H{ adīth, and scholarly interpretations detail the potentialities that, to varying degrees, lie dormant within each and every individual. The heart is described as being able to be pure and to find peace while equally being able to be darkened and rust. The qalb is mentioned frequently throughout the sacred texts of Islam. This article examines the notion of qalb salīm, mentioned twice within the Qur'ān, both times with regard to the Prophet Ibrahim. Firstly, the importance of qalb will be elaborated. Secondly, an examination of the qalb salīm within the major Qur'ānic commentaries (tafsīr), particularly Sufi exegesis, is examined. Thirdly, related h} adīth literature is analyzed. An attempt is made to understand the soundness of a sound heart. The analysis in this article will highlight the qualities associated with the qalb salīm. While a comprehensive analysis of the notion of qalb salīm is beyond the scope of this article, an attempt is made to open further discussion on this important concept and address the dearth of currently available academic literature.

The heart (al-qalb) and the mind (al-Aql) of mankind are not identical. Sheikh Abdessalam Yassein attempted to challenge this common understood concept in his well know literature Mihnah al-Aql al-Muslim. The heart is not an organ that refers to fleshy pineal gland, the function of which to pump the blood throughout the human body. Sheikh Abdessalam Yassein describes this sentient organ as having the capacity of being a center of reasoning, intentions and decision – making. Consequently, human hearts can either be healthy or diseased. Healthy (or soft hearts) can have their humane attitude and balanced rational, while diseased (or hard, stony) hearts can loose both their humane touch and their capacity to see and understand. It is as sentient as the human brain, if not much more, as it has its own form of intelligence. It also does influence the brain's thinking capacity, and hence its physical capability of accepting, comprehending and storing knowledge. This paper is an attempt to analyze concept and function of heart in the books of Sheikh Yassein with special reference to his MIHNAH AL-AQL AL-MUSLIM. The human heart is mentioned (132) times in the Glorious Qur'an, besides several other notions under 50 th the metaphoric expressions "human chest Fou'ad" or the inner in both the singular and the plural forms. Of these Qur'anic statements, some describe this sentient organ as having the capacity of being a center of reasoning, intentions and decision – making. Consequently, human hearts can either be healthy or diseased. Healthy (or soft hearts) can have their humane attitude and balanced rational, while diseased (or hard, stony) hearts can loose both their humane touch and their capacity to see and understand. Such Qur'anic emphasis on the role of the human hearts in the mental, emotional and spiritual decisions of man came down more than 14 centuries ago, while physicians have –for centuries – been restricting the function of the human heart to the mere process of pumping the blood throughout the human body .

Prajna Vihara, Vol. 24 no. 1, 2023

There is a broad discussion concerning the importance of the self (nafas) in Islamic ethics. This discussion is based upon the primary sources of Islam, the scripture, and Sunnah. However, the idea of the human heart (kalab) is not so widely discussed, which is considered integral to the self. This idea needs further exploration concerning its relationship to ethics. Ethics is an essential part of the Islamic worldview, and the measure of authentic, ethical behavior is intentionality which is an attribute of the heart. The Islamic sources assert that the ethical agent must 􀁓􀁒􀁖􀁖􀁈􀁖􀁖􀀃􀁄􀀃􀂵􀁖􀁒􀁘􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁋􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁗􀂶􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁄􀁗􀀃􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁉􀁕􀁈􀁈􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁙􀁌􀁆􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁌􀁆􀁋􀀏 by belief, 􀀬􀁐􀁄􀁑, provides strength and motivation for good actions. Therefore, proper ethical behavior emanates from the heart. The critical point is that intentionality as the property of the heart matters in Islamic ethics because ethical accountability is ultimately before God in Islam. Therefore, a Muslim is responsible for safeguarding his heart from temptations and vices. The hearts can experience sickness and hardness through repeatedly sinning. Therefore, a Muslim should keep his heart clean from vices. In ethical decision-making, the heart’s purity will lead to good actions and better understanding. The heart has intellectual and cognitive powers that can help make ethical decisions.

Religion and the Arts, 2008

While "heartless" is a commonly used, legitimate word in the English language, it is literally an impossibility. No human being is really heartless, unless the word is used in a metaphorical way. Everyone has a heart. In fact, not just "a" heart but more than one heart. The heart we are most familiar with is the anatomical heart, a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Our second heart is the emotional heart, which is the seat of emotions and feelings. Yogis characterize this seat of emotions as the point where the two psychic channels, ida and pingala, cross to form "the knot of Vishnu." Beyond these two hearts is the third heart, the spiritual heart. This is the center

Jurnal Diskursus Islam

This paper discussed hadith related to the existence of the heart with main topics 1) the quality of the hadith and 2) content. The results of this study indicate that the existence of heart hadith based on the transmission consists of 16 lines (sanad) which are spread in the book of 9 imams (al-kutub al-tis'ah) and narrated in meaning. In addition, 1) the existence of heart hadith has good quality, both in terms of the sanad and matan, and 2) the hadith shows the existence of the heart as a treasury of abstract issues, such as; beliefs, feelings, disbelief, and others. In addition, the liver is an organ that plays a role in giving a command to all body organs to move. This paper is expected to understand the broader community that the heart has a vital role in the excellent condition of the body and human actions, especially to achieve the best level as human beings mentioned in QS al-Hujurat(49:13).

There is a compassion connection between human beings and the heart communicates with other hearts energetically or through interactions of electromagnetic fields. Sense of devotion and deep feelings originate in the heart due to external stimuli and translate into action. It is through this connection that humanity is above most of other organisms. Functionally, the heart serves as a control room for the action and behavior. The inner conscious of mankind is activated through heart. Functionally, the heart serves as a control room and communicates to the brain in four major ways: neurologically, biochemically, biophysically and energetically. Communication along all these conduits significantly affects the brain's activity, and one's behavior. The cause and effect condition of the heart is collectively called as the heart's condition. Quran gives pivotal role to the heart for understanding, feeling, storing secrets and communicating with the brain, influencing speech, and other's hearts. The present research discusses some of these facts extracted from the Glorious Quran and explained in the terminology of modern science for the guidance of scientific community in particular and humanity in general.

This article examines human nature and behavior through the lens of Al-Ghazzâlî's concept of the heart (AR: qalb). The root of the Arabic word for heart means " turn, change. " A great thinker of Islamic civilization, Ghazzâlî held the heart as the spiritual center of man and that whatever occurs inside it manifests itself in the outside world. Therefore, a human being attempting to know himself must first observe the emotions and minute details in the inclinations of their heart. Ghazzâlî's " heart " experiences continual change consequent to myriad forces from the physical (AR: jismânî) and the spiritual (AR: rûḥânî) worlds. Therefore, it is highly difficult to observe and understand this changeable spiritual organ. Ghazzâlî's heart is the center of sentience and is home to a range of base instincts and inclinations, which Ghazzâlî terms the attributes of the heart, dividing them into four fundamental categories: animalistic/lust, 2 predation/anger, 3 divine, 4 and satanic 5 attributes. Ghazzâlî states that since these powers affect and change human nature and direct behavior, they can lead to degeneration. 6 Likewise, they can potentially provide an opportunity for human development and safeguard one's progeny when they are used as directed by the faculty of reason (AR: ͑ aql). Keywords Ghazzâlî • Spiritual psychology • Concept of the heart • In clination • Impulse • Lust • Anger İnsan Doğasının Dört Temel Eğilimi: Gazzali'nin Kalp Kavramı Üzerinden Değerlendirilmesi Öz Bu makalede insan doğası ve davranışlarının altında yatan temel eğilimlerin analizi, İslam Medeniyetinin büyük düşünürlerinden biri olan Gazzali'nin kalp kavramı üzerinden ele alınmıştır. Gazzali'ye göre kalp, insan maneviyatının merkezi terimidir ve içerisinde her ne hâsıl olursa bunu dışarıya sızdırmaktadır. Bu sebeple kendini anlamaya ve tanımaya çalışan insan, önce kalbi hisleri ve yönelimlerindeki incelikleri dikkatlice gözlemlemelidir. Gazzali kalbin, cismani âlemden ve ruhani âlemden çeşitli güçler vasıtasıyla gelen etkiler nedeniyle sürekli olarak değişime uğradığını ifade etmiştir. Bu sebeple etimolojik kökeni " dönme, değişme " anlamına geldiği bilinen kalbin gözlemlenmesi ve anlaşılmasının oldukça güç bir iş olduğunu belirtmiştir. Gazzali'ye göre insan duyarlılığının merkezi kabul edilen kalp, birçok temel güdü ve eğilimi yapısında barındırmaktadır. Bu eğilimler Gazzali'de kalbin sıfatları olarak isimlendirilmiş; hayvaniyet/şehvet ve yırtıcılıktır/öfke , rabbaniyet , şeytaniyet olarak dört temel unsura ayrılmıştır. Gazzali, eserlerinde insan doğasını etkileyen ve davranışlarını yönlendiren bu güçlerin çeşitli tesirlerle değişime uğrayarak tefessühlere sebep olabileceğini bildirdiği gibi aklın yönetiminde kullanıldığında insanın gelişimine ve neslin korunmasına imkân sağlayacağını ifade etmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler Gazzali • Manevi psikoloji • Kalp kavramı • Eğilim • Dürtü • Şehvet • Öfke