The heart in the Islamic Tradition

In the Islamic tradition, the heart is the center of the human being on all the different levels of our existence, at once the center of the physical body, emotions, and the soul, and also the meeting place between the human and the Divine: ​

Neither My heavens nor My earth contains Me, but the heart of My faithful servant does contain Me.

- Hadith Qudsi (a saying of Allah through the words of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

The heart of a person of faith is the throne of the All-Compassionate

Qalb al-muʾmin ʿarsh al-Rahman (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Thus, the heart is where we connect with ourselves, and it is where we meet Allah. It is the seat of our intuition and spiritual awareness, and the locus of Divine presence. The awakened and cleansed heart is where we receive and perceive Divine Truth and knowledge, and it is where Divine Qualities, such as mercy, compassion, wisdom, and beauty, are reflected within us. 

Within the heart is both our nafs– the soul that the Qur'an tells us has various stages of development– and the ruh, the Spirit that Allah breathed into each of us (Qur'an, 15:29. While we were all born in a state of fitrah, the natural state of the heart turned towards Allah, through the turbulence of life in the dunya (world), we can get pulled further away from our center, from our hearts, from Allah. As we become aware of our moments of disconnection, we can gently lean in with presence. As we become more present in our bodies and hearts, we can begin to heal. And as we notice our natural human forgetfulness, we can remember Allah in dhikr and salah. Insha'Allah in this presence, healing, and remembrance, the heart can be further awakened and polished, and our soul can grow and develop. Insha'Allah over the course of our lives we can seek to remove the rust upon the mirror of the heart so that we can be more and more present with Allah, in a deeper state of love, trust, surrender, remembrance, and contentment. Insha'Allah our hearts can become mirrors that reflect Allah's beautiful Names and Qualities.​

Cultivating this contented soul at peace, this heart that reflects Allah's beautiful Names and is the throne of al-Rahman, is something we journey towards for the entirety of our lives, through gentle turning and walking to Allah. The word qalb (heart) itself comes from the root Q-L-B, which means to change, transform, to turn upside down, and Allah is Muqallib al-Qulub, the Transformer of Hearts. Thus, through the mercy of Allah, Muqallib al-Qulub, our hearts by their very nature can be cleansed, transformed, and illumined with Divine Light and Presence. Insha'Allah through sincere intentions, small steps, cultivated presence, and remembrance, our soul can journey towards contentment, peace, and gentle, loving surrender. ​​Allah tells us in a hadith qudsi, when we go towards Allah walking, Allah comes to us running:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him/her when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself, and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a cubit, and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.  (Sahīh al-Bukhari, Hadith 7405; Hadith Qudsi)

Thus, each step we take in life is significant– even in the moments we don't feel this–, and I hope our time together can be a step in your journey towards a content soul.  

And just a reminder on this journey that a content soul is not one that denies pain or forces positivity, but one that is present and true to what is. Contentment (ridāʾ) is not spiritual bypassing; it is a gentle, lifelong unfolding that honors our emotions and experiences as a part of our journey of self discovery and healing. Through awareness and presence, the heart can begin to soften, resistance can ease, and our souls can begin to welcome loving trust in and gentle, peaceful surrender to and contentment in Allah, bi-ithni-hi.