Quran and the sins of the heart

The Almighty has warned against sinful thoughts in a number of places in the Quran. For example, in Surah Baqarah Allah says:

يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

But He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

(Surah Baqarah 2:225)

In the same chapter a person who hides testimony is referred to as a sinner of the heart. The Quran says:

وَلاَ تَكْتُمُواْ الشَّهَادَةَ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ

And do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful.

(Surah Baqarah 2:283)

Also:

وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللّهُ

And whether you manifest what is in your minds or hide it, Allah will call you to account according to it.

(Surah Baqarah 2:284)

Similarly, in Surah Bani Israel, the divine words say,

إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً

Surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that.

(Surah Bani Israel 17:36)

It means that the eyes will be questioned for what they have beheld, the ears for whatever they hard and the heart for all the thoughts it harboured. Furthermore, in Surah Nur, Allah states:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Surely (as for) those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter; and Allah knows, while you do not know.

(Surah Nur 24:19)

This Ayat has refrain us from desiring that evil may befall the people of belief (Muslims). It is a sin of the heart and earns a terrible chastisement. In the same way Allah says in Surah Anaam:

وَذَرُواْ ظَاهِرَ الإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُ

And abandon open and secret sin.

(Surah Anaam 6:120)

Some commentators of the Holy Quran have mentioned that apparent sins are those that are related to the physical being and hidden evils are perpetrated in ones heart.

Thus, whenever evils and sins are discussed in Quranic verses and traditions, the sins of the heart are also included.

Sin of the Heart or inner disease

The evils of the heart are compared to disease of the heart in a number of places in the Quran:

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّهُ مَرَضاً

There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease.

(Surah Baqarah 2:10)

The above verse is speaking about the hypocrites.

Paradise is the abode of only those who possess a perfect heart

When a heart is clean and purified from all sorts of sins and evils, it is known as the “perfect heart” or in other words the correct or whole heart; a healthy heart. It is supposed to be the basis of righteousness. The verse of Surah Shu’ra says:

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُون إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍَ

The day on which property will not avail, nor sons. Except him who comes to Allah with a heart free (from evil).

(Surah Shu’ra 26:88-89)

Like wealth, all the worldly things are not beneficial in each and every circumstance. They are beneficial in each and every circumstance. They are useful only in some few situations. For example, wealth profits us only during our lifetime. But after death what we require is a perfect and sinless heart. Without such a heart we cannot gain anything. One of the names of Paradise is “The abode of peace”

(Darus Salaam).

لَهُمْ دَارُ السَّلاَمِ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

They shall have the abode of peace with their Lord.

(Surah Anaam 6:127)

However, the exegesis of Quran mentions that Darus Salaam means the abode of those who shall be safe from every kind of disease and affliction. Consequently, those who are afflicted with the maladies of sins will have to remain in the infirmary of hell till they are cured of every affliction and regain spiritual health. Only after undergoing this process can they qualify to enter Paradise. But there are some diseases that are incurable. Like disbelief, hypocrisy, enmity with Allah and holy personalities. People afflicted with such diseases have to remain in hell forever.

What is the disease of the heart?

Just as the physical body is healthy and diseased in the same way heart is also healthy or sick. Physical health implies that all the organs work perfectly for the purpose they have been created for. The contrary to this implies physical disease. That is, when the organs do not perform their duty properly and when their speciality and capability is no more it is said that the body is sick. This results in discomfort and life becomes difficult. In the same way a healthy heart is the one that possesses all the human qualities and emotions. It should have absolute and correct recognition (Ma’arif) and it must be restful as far as the divine truths and beliefs are concerned. And it must be pure from all evil and animal feelings.

Refusal, doubt, jealousy, malice, miserliness, unsuitable friendship or enmity and in the same way, needless fear or hope etc are different types of heart sicknesses. These diseases shall be discussed in detail in this book. All these ailments are against the nature on which man is created. This nature is known as Fitrat-e-Awaliya (The First Nature).

Hazrat Ameerul Mo-mineen Ali (a.s.) says,

“The Human body has six conditions: Health or sickness, death or life, sleep or wakefulness. In the same way the human soul also has these conditions. The life of the soul is its knowledge and ignorance is its death. The sickness of soul is it being involved in doubts and its health is firm belief. The stupor of the soul is that it is heedless while wakefulness is its awareness.

(Beharul Anwaar Vol. 14 Pg.398)

Ali (a.s.) also says in Nahjul Balagha,

“Beware! One of the calamities is hunger. And worst than that is physical sickness. More terrible than physical malady is the sickness of heart. And beware! One of the bounties is wealth. And between than wealth is physical health. More preferable than physical health is the piety of the heart.” This implies that the heart must be purified from all kinds of dirt and sins.

Harmful effects of the diseases of the Heart

When a particular par of the body is sick the whole body is under terrible pain and life becomes difficult. Similarly when one is afflicted with a heart malady one feels remorse in his worldly life also. He continues in the affliction even after his death, about whom the Shariah has informed in advance. Life becomes so difficult due to spiritual maladies that life becomes difficult and sometimes he is even mentally prepared to commit suicide.

The above discussion shows that the incidence of suicide especially among the youth that is on the increase day by day is a consequence of these spiritual diseases. The best prevention is to keep the heart pure from defects. How this can be achieved shall be explained in this book.

For example when we have a toothache we do not feel happy with anything. All the pleasures are tasteless in such a condition and life becomes unbearable. In the same way ignorance, malice, pride, jealousy, arrogance, vanity and all other spiritual maladies have similar effect. Like the jealous person who is always fill with remorse. Anger tortures the person himself. So much so that he even loses sleep. He is ever burning within by seeing that another person has obtained a particular status. He is ever waiting for the time when that person is again deprived of the bounty. This happens quite often that a jealous person fails to recognize his wishes and dies in the fire of jealousy.

Science and research has established that psychological disorders affect the physical body and result in physical maladies. Heartache and diseases also affect the organs. The human body is affected by it and the organs fail to perform their designated functions. Rather, the effect of every disease is the same.