Qalb (Heart)

Literally qalb means the heart and the intellect or the central core of a large body. In the various phases (mansions) of the moon (waxing and waning), one stage has been called qalb. In Sufi terminology the qalb is a birhgt essence separate from matter, between the human soul and the human self. Human-ness depends on the heart (qalb. Philosophers call it the rational self, (nafs-e-natiqa). The human soul is its interior and the animal soul is its exterior. The animal soul divides the qalb and body of man. In the Quranic verse:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and of the earth. (Al-Noor, 24:35)

The human body has been likened to a niche, the human heart to the glass, the human spirit to the lamp and the human self to the blessed olive tree.

The heart (qalb) of man is the Throne of God wherein He manifests His Essence. The Divine Name, Rahman (Compassionate) holds sway over it. The human qalb is the center of Divine secrets, it encompasses all the realities and created orders in the different circles of existence. The heart (qalb) of everything is its summary. The human heart represents the Divine Light of God, its one flash is the essence of all created things and all beings in the Cosmos. One of the characteristics of the human heart is its ability to immediately accept change. This is because, the heart is the pivot around which all Divine Names and Attributes revolve. Whenever the heart is attentive towards a particular Divine Name or Attribute, it conforms to it. In quick succession, different Divine Names imprint themselves on the heart. The Divine Names and Divine Attributes are like moulds for the human heart.

One reason for its being called qalb is that it keeps turning towards its origin, from this world to the Hereafter. Its point of vision changes from creation to Reality.

Another reason is that the qalb abides by the nature bestowed on it by Allah Almighty by which all its affairs are quided. The Divine Names and Attributes ingrained in its nature cast their influence within the body at will.

Another significance of the qalb is that it is a mirror for the realities of all creation, the changes in the Cosmos are reflected and imprinted on the human heart. Some consider the Cosmos to be the mirror of the human heart, because the qalb (heart) is the Allah, the Most Exalted, says:

My earth and My skies have failed to contain Me;

but the heart of My faithful slave can contain Me

Allah Almighty expands the qalb through the Power of His Divine Essence. This expansion is of three kinds:

1. Expanse of knowledge

This is gnosis or knowledge of the Divine Essence. There is nothing in creation more capable of understanding Allah, the Most Exalted in all His Dimensions like the human heart.

2. Expanse of vision

This is a spiritual unveiling by which the human heart becomes aware of the Graces of Divine Beauty. No creation except the human heart is capable of savoring the intimacy of the Divine Names and Divine Attributes.

3. Expanse of vicegerency

In Allah’s realm, man has vicegerency of Allah, the Most Exalted, therefore has attained vast influence over objects of creation. This capacity belongs to the spiritual elite (mohaqiqeen). It is gained when their selves are lost in the Divine Self, their attributes are lost in the Divine Attributes, when their entities are lost in the Divine Entity and their essence is lost in the Divine Essence- to the point that the domination of duality disappears completely.

Israfeel (one of the archangels) was born from the radiance of the qalb of the Holy Prophet and, as such, is strongest and nearest of all angels to Allah, the Most Exalted, and has been granted the power to altemate the Cosmos from life to death and from death back to life again.

The human heart is revered more than the Divine Throne. There is comprehensiveness (jami’iyyat) in the Divine Name ‘Rahmaan’ (Merciful). This Name is the fountainhead of Divine Effulgence. In the phenomenal world the Divine Throne is the manifestation of Rahmaan. As such, the plane of Rahmaan in the Cosmos is the Divine Throne and its plane in the world of souls is the human heart. But the manifestations of the Name, Rahmaan are greater on the human heart than on the Throne (Arsh), because the heart is a buffer between the seen and the unseen, and has the strength to contain both. The Arsh is capable of containing commands connected with the phenomenal world alone. The qalb has the same relationship to the Arsh, as the center has to the circumference. The movement of the Divine Throne (Arsh) is along the circumference whereas the movement of the qalb is on the pivot (circle’s center). The Divine Throne continuously circumambulates the heart of the Gnostic. The orbits of the firmament (aflaak) indicate in reality the gnostics: people of vision and people of perception.

Know for certain that the human heart in its Reality is the cup of Jamshed (which revealed the entire Cosmos).

In the heart, everything large and small is visible

The human heart is a mirror for the Glorious Lord;

God displays His Beauties in the purified heart.

The Reality (of God) cannot be contained in the expanse of the heavens and earth;

Of course in the human heart of a true believer it is thoroughly contained.

The human heart (when purified) is a manifestation of the glories of God;

The best venue for the manifestation of Divine glories is the human heart.

There are three ailments of the qalb, which must be avoided:

1. Hadees-e-nafs: Talk to one’s qalb intentionally.

2. Khatrah: Aimless thoughts passing through the heart.

3. Nazar-ba-ghair: Eyeing forbidden things. This habit is due to excessive worldly knowledge.

Literally qalb means the heart and the intellect or the central core of a large body. In the various phases (mansions) of the moon (waxing and waning), one stage has been called qalb. In Sufi terminology the qalb is a birhgt essence separate from matter, between the human soul and the human self. Human-ness depends on the heart (qalb. Philosophers call it the rational self, (nafs-e-natiqa). The human soul is its interior and the animal soul is its exterior. The animal soul divides the qalb and body of man. In the Quranic verse:

Allah is the Light of the heavens and of the earth. (Al-Noor, 24:35)

The human body has been likened to a niche, the human heart to the glass, the human spirit to the lamp and the human self to the blessed olive tree.

The heart (qalb) of man is the Throne of God wherein He manifests His Essence. The Divine Name, Rahman (Compassionate) holds sway over it. The human qalb is the center of Divine secrets, it encompasses all the realities and created orders in the different circles of existence. The heart (qalb) of everything is its summary. The human heart represents the Divine Light of God, its one flash is the essence of all created things and all beings in the Cosmos. One of the characteristics of the human heart is its ability to immediately accept change. This is because, the heart is the pivot around which all Divine Names and Attributes revolve. Whenever the heart is attentive towards a particular Divine Name or Attribute, it conforms to it. In quick succession, different Divine Names imprint themselves on the heart. The Divine Names and Divine Attributes are like moulds for the human heart.

One reason for its being called qalb is that it keeps turning towards its origin, from this world to the Hereafter. Its point of vision changes from creation to Reality.

Another reason is that the qalb abides by the nature bestowed on it by Allah Almighty by which all its affairs are quided. The Divine Names and Attributes ingrained in its nature cast their influence within the body at will.

Another significance of the qalb is that it is a mirror for the realities of all creation, the changes in the Cosmos are reflected and imprinted on the human heart. Some consider the Cosmos to be the mirror of the human heart, because the qalb (heart) is the Allah, the Most Exalted, says:

My earth and My skies have failed to contain Me;

but the heart of My faithful slave can contain Me

Allah Almighty expands the qalb through the Power of His Divine Essence. This expansion is of three kinds:

1. Expanse of knowledge

This is gnosis or knowledge of the Divine Essence. There is nothing in creation more capable of understanding Allah, the Most Exalted in all His Dimensions like the human heart.

2. Expanse of vision

This is a spiritual unveiling by which the human heart becomes aware of the Graces of Divine Beauty. No creation except the human heart is capable of savoring the intimacy of the Divine Names and Divine Attributes.

3. Expanse of vicegerency

In Allah’s realm, man has vicegerency of Allah, the Most Exalted, therefore has attained vast influence over objects of creation. This capacity belongs to the spiritual elite (mohaqiqeen). It is gained when their selves are lost in the Divine Self, their attributes are lost in the Divine Attributes, when their entities are lost in the Divine Entity and their essence is lost in the Divine Essence- to the point that the domination of duality disappears completely.

Israfeel (one of the archangels) was born from the radiance of the qalb of the Holy Prophet and, as such, is strongest and nearest of all angels to Allah, the Most Exalted, and has been granted the power to altemate the Cosmos from life to death and from death back to life again.

The human heart is revered more than the Divine Throne. There is comprehensiveness (jami’iyyat) in the Divine Name ‘Rahmaan’ (Merciful). This Name is the fountainhead of Divine Effulgence. In the phenomenal world the Divine Throne is the manifestation of Rahmaan. As such, the plane of Rahmaan in the Cosmos is the Divine Throne and its plane in the world of souls is the human heart. But the manifestations of the Name, Rahmaan are greater on the human heart than on the Throne (Arsh), because the heart is a buffer between the seen and the unseen, and has the strength to contain both. The Arsh is capable of containing commands connected with the phenomenal world alone. The qalb has the same relationship to the Arsh, as the center has to the circumference. The movement of the Divine Throne (Arsh) is along the circumference whereas the movement of the qalb is on the pivot (circle’s center). The Divine Throne continuously circumambulates the heart of the Gnostic. The orbits of the firmament (aflaak) indicate in reality the gnostics: people of vision and people of perception.

Know for certain that the human heart in its Reality is the cup of Jamshed (which revealed the entire Cosmos).

In the heart, everything large and small is visible

The human heart is a mirror for the Glorious Lord;

God displays His Beauties in the purified heart.

The Reality (of God) cannot be contained in the expanse of the heavens and earth;

Of course in the human heart of a true believer it is thoroughly contained.

The human heart (when purified) is a manifestation of the glories of God;

The best venue for the manifestation of Divine glories is the human heart.

There are three ailments of the qalb, which must be avoided:

1. Hadees-e-nafs: Talk to one’s qalb intentionally.

2. Khatrah: Aimless thoughts passing through the heart.

3. Nazar-ba-ghair: Eyeing forbidden things. This habit is due to excessive worldly knowledge.