The human heart and its mystical reality

The heart is a city between the domain of Unity {Ruh-Spirit}, and the land of multiplicity {Nafs-Ego}. If the heart severs its connection with the nafs, it falls under the sway of the spirit, becoming "heart" in the true sense of the word, polished clean of all the corrosion of multiplicity. On the other hand if the heart is dominated by the nafs, it becomes darkened by the tarnish of multiplicity. Love, therefore, constitutes the army of the spirit, and the passion that of the nafs. Love emerges from God-Consciousness and passion from ego-consciousness. Love inspires the act of giving and passions the act of claiming. Happiness is the goal of the "heart" and "love", and pleasure the goal of the "nafs" and "passion".

The heart is also the site of all knowledge. The heart is conceived as a multi-layered spherical organ, each layer finer than the outer one that envelopes it. Each layer has a function that is meant to serve the heart as a whole. The well-being of any layer depends on the well-being of all layers. Ultimately all layers are seen as protective sheaths for what lies at the centre. And that which lies at the centre is the source of Light, Wisdom and Mystical Knowledge. As the eye cannot see without the light which resides at its centre, neither can the heart’s eye. But for the heart to see first as the eye, light is not enough, it must also be clear from infection and illness. All its parts should be kept clean and intact.

The Prophet s.w said, "There are four kinds of hearts; the pure illuminated kind in which a lamp has been lit, this being the heart of the believer; the black, unopened heart, being that of the infidel; the suspended one wavering between infidelity and faith, being the heart of the hypocrite; and the two-faced one, with one face towards the site of faith and another towards the site of hypocrisy. Help comes to the faith of the heart from the realm of sanctity and piety just like water purifies a plant, while its infidelity is increased by the realms of wickedness, just like an ulcer that deteriorates with festering pus. Ultimately whichever predominates, governs it."
Hatem Asamm said, "The heart is of five kinds: that which is dead; that which is sick; that which is heedless; that which is veiled; and that which is sound. The dead heart is that of the infidel, the sick that of the hypocrite, the heedless that of the unsuccessful in terms of reality, the veiled that of evil-doing."

The Quran refers to the hearts as hardened, being the ones that are not open to receiving guidance. The sound heart, on the other hand, is that which is aware in going about its affairs, steeped in devotion and fearful of God.

Sari Saqati said, "Your tongue is the interpreter of your heart, and your face the mirror thereof. On your face is found that which is in your heart."
As to what the heart is, what its purification means, and when the heart attains the perfection of heartness ---- know that the heart possesses an outer form as a piece of flesh, but not everyone possesses the reality, or soul of the heart, as indicated in the Quranic verse, "Indeed therein is a reminder for one who has a heart".

The esoteric aspect of the layer physiology of the heart is described thus.
The chest in relation to the heart is like the white of the eye in relation to the eye, or like the outer shell in relation to the almond. The chest {sadr} is the space into which desires and inclinations enter. This is the domain of the lower self or "nafs".

The heart {qalb} lies within the chest and is like the black of the eye within the white of the eye. This is the abode of the Light of faith, humility, piety, love, fear, hope and content.

The inner heart or the "Fuad" is the third station. It is like the pupil of the eye within the black of the eye or like the Kernel within the almond. The fuad is the place of Divine Knowledge and Vision. The inner heart is in the centre of the heart, just as the heart is in the centre of the chest like a pearl within the shell.

The kernel of the heart {Lubb} is like the light of seeing within the eye of the heart, like the oil hidden in the kernel of the almond.
The external parts protect and cover that which lies within them. Beyond these are ever-finer stations and loftier spaces and the root of them all is the Light of Unity. It is said, "Know that the higher the knowledge the more concealed, the more guarded, the more hidden it is. Laymen, however, use the name "heart" to refer to all its inner aspects."
The heart maybe sound or corrupt. The heart is sound when it is pure, corrupt when it is turbid. The heart is pure when its desires are healthy; turbid when its desires are sickly and deficient.

The heart is the king and the limbs are its servants: each limb functions according to the will and command of the heart, yet the will of the heart "Qalb" comes from the will of God. God nominates none over the heart but Himself; none can see what the heart contains. God Himself places in the heart and removes from the heart whatever He wills. The heart is the source of and the abode of God's Unity and the object of God's observation. God watches over the heart for it is the container of His most precious jewels and the treasure trove of His Knowledge.

It is also said that "Satan" flows within the human body through the blood-stream. When God wills a person to be His beloved, friend or prophet, He plucks out the arteries from the inner recesses of the heart, so that Satan will have no access there.

God has made the hollow piece of flesh into His treasure-trove. He has given it eyes to see the invisible, ears to hear His words, and He has fixed in it a window to its chest, for the heart is a lamp whose rays of light shine in the chest. Thus God has made a hollow piece of flesh into a source of knowledge which is supreme wisdom and mystical understanding. God placed within the Heart the knowledge of Him and the Heart became lit by God’s Light. Then God spoke in a parable in the Quran and said, "Compared to a niche wherein is a lamp." 24:35. The lamp of the Divine Light is in the hearts of those who believe in the Oneness of God. The nose of the heart scents breezes from the Unseen, and the palate of the heart tastes the savour of loving kindness, the sweetness of faith and the flavour of gnosis. The heart’s faculty of touch is the intellect by which it derives benefit from all intelligible things. Hence the purification of the heart lies in the health of its senses and faculties.

Apart from the remembrance of God, anything that takes place in the chest creates a shadow, which falls in front of the heart’s eye. When things take place in the chest, namely being distracted by and occupied with thoughts and desires, the shadows which they produce create a smoke screen in front of the heart’s eye. The Light then becomes concealed in the depth of the heart, and the chest becomes a house whose lamp is covered; a dark house. Such a man is veiled from God.

On the other hand when the heart is exposed to the Divine Lights, the heart becomes polished so that it shines like a polished mirror and one can see in it the reflection of all existents as they really are. So the polished heart beholds the realm of Divine Glory.

Najmuddin Kubra, a 13th century mystic from Central Asia, said that there is a mutual attraction between the celestial divine lights and the lights which reside in the human heart. "There are lights which ascend and lights which descend. The ascending lights are the lights of the heart; the descending lights are those of the Throne. Creatural being is the veil between the Throne and the Heart. When this veil is rent and a door to the Throne opens up within the Heart, like springs to like. Light rises toward Light and Light comes down upon Light. "And it is Light upon Light". 24:35.

"Each time a light rises up from you, a light comes down towards you, and each time a flame rises from you, a corresponding flame comes down towards you. If their energies are equal, they meet half-way. But when the substance of light has grown in you, then this becomes a Whole in relation to what is of the same nature in Heaven. Then it is the substance of light in heaven which yearns for you and is attracted by your light and descends towards you. This is the secret of the mystical approach."

The Sufi approach for the treatment of the heart is to strive to purify it through detachment from the world "tajrid", detachment from self "tafrid" and attention to God.

When the disciple, according to his capacity, has succeeded in becoming detached from outer form and attained inward detachment, in the process of purifying the heart he engages in solitude and persistent remembrance (zikr) so that through his efforts the plagues of sensory things, turbidity and veiling of the heart are removed. (The engagement of the senses.)

Once the plague of physical senses is cut off, the plague of satanic temptations and urging of the nafs which agitate the heart remain. These can be dealt with only through constant remembrance.

Through the light of remembrance and rejection of random thoughts (concentration), the heart becomes free of the agitation of the nafs. When turbidity and veiling have been reduced, the light of remembrance shines on the essence of the heart in which fear now arises "Khauf-e-Khuda". "Indeed the believers are those whose hearts feel fear when God is mentioned." 8:2.

Once the heart has imbibed remembrance, its hardness is removed, and tenderness and pliancy appears therein, as indicated in the Quranic verse "Then their flesh and hearts become softened to God's reminder."

When remembrance becomes continuous in the heart, it takes control of the heart’s domain, rejecting all that is not conscious of God and God's Love and opens the inner consciousness (sirr) to meditation (moraqaba).

Once remembrance becomes fixed in the heart, the heart gains peace and intimacy, as the Quran says, "Those who believe and whose hearts are made peaceful with remembrance of God; it is only through remembrance of God that hearts are peaceful." As long as the remembrance of and love for any created thing remains, the sickness of heart remains.

One must apply the polishing instrument Of "La ilaha illallah" and reject everything other than God to cure the heart. Then the heart will become ready to receive the imprint of Allah's name and become characterized by His Attributes.

In a nutshell, correction of the heart involves 3 things: fear of complacency which might bring destruction; development of the blessing of hope rather than pondering over despair; and development of freedom of heart rather than dwelling on the hardship of distraction.

When you place "Pain" in the oyster of the "Heart" and throw it into the ocean Of "Remembrance", sooner or later it turns into a precious pearl --- the pearl of "Sincerity".




By Amat-un-Nur

December 2007