Matters of the heart
2026-03-27 - 05:10
THE rich and diverse Islamic tradition of South Asia has been shaped by several eminent Sufis arriving from Iran and Central Asia. Although many Sufi shrines are frequented by Muslim and non-Muslim devotees alike, the underlying philosophy of Sufism or Tasawwuf is firmly rooted in the Quran. Like the Muslim jurists who established their distinct terminology to unify Islamic jurisprudence or fiqh, Sufism evolved its own specific parlance and introduced terms like ‘zikr’, ‘qalb’, ‘nafs’, ‘mushahida’, ‘tariqa’ etc. These terms had specific connotations and provided a mode of common understanding among individuals coming from multilingual backgrounds. However, among those who are unfamiliar with the Sufi tradition, these terms can be quite perplexing. Here, we focus on the concept of qalb or heart. The Quran indicates that it is the qalb that is the ultimate seat of moral perception. For instance, it states that due to their persistent refusal to accept the truth, the hearts of disbelievers become impervious (to reason) in accordance with the Divine law. In 2:88, the Quran mentions that the deniers responded to the Prophet’s (PBUH) call by saying that their hearts were “wrapped”, or in other words impenetrable to his teachings. The Quran further specifies in 22:46 that it is not the eyes that lose vision but the hearts within the chests that go blind, thus leaving no doubt that Allah is specifically talking about the heart and not the brain, which is generally believed to be the organ associated with our neurocognitive function. As for the thinking mind, the Quran has used another specific term ‘fu’aad’. It is noteworthy that the Quran has used this particular term, which signifies the mind rather than the anatomical brain. Humans reach this state of spiritual blindness as a result of the choices they willingly make in their life. Just as physical illnesses can become incurable if wilfully ignored, their spiritual illness also ultimately becomes inveterate, a condition described by the Quran as the sealing of the hearts. But if they were to reconsider their behaviour before reaching that irreversible state of mind, and change their priorities in life, their outcome would accordingly change. Furthermore, the Quran also mentions deviation of the heart, which essentially means corrupting of the human thought process and indicates that the state of moral hypocrisy or nifaaq is in fact caused by a diseased heart. The Quran stresses both inner and outer purity. That is why purification of the qalb or establishing a pure and clean thought process is a major emphasis in Tasawwuf. In fact, some Sufis take it to an extreme state and consider inner purification as the ultimate goal with little regard for their outward appearance. However, as stated by the great Sufi Shaikh, Syed Ali Hajveri (Data Ganj Baksh), a seeker of the Divine path must strive for both outward and inward purification. This is in accordance with the Quran which emphasises both inner and outer purity. The inner purity is achieved by tauba or turning to God whereas outer purity is achieved either by washing filth with water or by rubbing it away with clean soil. Most Sufi practices are designed to re-establish the focus of the qalb on the Divine and are hence called ‘tazkiya-i-qalb’ or cleansing of the heart. These practices must be understood in their correct context. Just as some clinical psychology techniques may be individualised based on patients’ needs, these Sufi practices may vary from one Sufi school to another and are prescribed based on the personality of the learner. That brings us to the question of why specifically the heart and not the brain, which is generally believed to be the centre of neurocognitive function. Unfortunately, there is a lot of pseudoscience and it is challenging to sift through the literature. There are, however, some clues that come from studies in individuals undergoing heart and organ transplant. While the evidence is still quite preliminary, it does suggest that some transplant recipients have reported a change in personality traits and experience memories of the donor. The underlying mechanism for this phenomenon remains unclear, but it is proposed that some memories are stored within the cells and are transmitted through organ transplant. Another putative explanation is the intracardiac nervous system, or ‘little brain’ as it is called, which comprises a complex system of neurons within the heart. These neurons are known to communicate within and outside the heart and recent studies have shown this system being far more complex than originally presumed. Whether this system is capable of independent neurocognitive functioning remains to be seen, but it seems that the subject has at least moved from the occult to more mainstream science. The writer is a professor of medicine. Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026