In Islam, the heart is considered the seat of the soul, the king of all human faculties, and the “true you.” For example, in the Prophetic narration, The Prophet (pbuh) stated:
“Indeed in the body there is a lump of flesh, if it is healthy, then the whole body will be healthy, and if it is unhealthy, then the whole body will be unhealthy, indeed that lump of flesh is the heart.” (Sahih Bukhari).
In the Qur’an and prophetic narratives, Al-Qalb literally means the heart, but it is not just the physical organ—it is a deep spiritual and intellectual center of the human being. The Qur’anic concept of qalb combines thought, emotion, moral discernment, and spiritual perception into one core faculty.
1. Arabic Linguistic Root of the Heart
- Arabic word: قلب (qalb)
- Root letters: ق-ل-ب (Q-L-B)
- Basic lexical meaning: “to turn, revolve, or change.”
Implications:
The heart is not just a static organ—it turns, changes, and is the seat of moral, spiritual, and emotional transformation. Unlike the English heart, which comes from a biological organ root (ḱérd), Arabic qalb emphasizes dynamism and inner moral/spiritual activity.
Based on this linguistic meaning as well as the very nature of the qalb, The Prophet (pbuh) recommended this supplication:
“O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion!”
(Ya Muqallibal-qulub, thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenik)
2. Why the Islamic Concept of the Heart Matters
Why is the Islamic concept important in understanding the human being, especially as it relates to human psychology and the field of therapeutic interventions?
It contextualizes the human being from a holistic perspective, rather than a reductionist approach that views the person primarily through the mind, brain, and physical responses.
Traditional Western psychology generally avoids the concept of the soul because of how the field developed, especially during the late 19th and 20th centuries.
- Ancient philosophy: Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle discussed the psyche (which literally means “soul” in Greek).
- Medieval thought: Christian and Islamic scholars both saw the soul as central to understanding the human being.
- The Enlightenment and scientific revolution: Western science focused on what could be measured and tested. The soul was seen as a metaphysical concept—important in religion but not observable in experiments.
- 19th–20th century psychology: Early psychologists like Wilhelm Wundt and William James wanted psychology to be taken seriously as a science. This led to focusing on observable behavior (behaviorism) and measurable mental processes, rather than invisible spiritual realities.
By contrast, Islamic psychological concepts, derived from the Qur’an and the Prophetic methodology, place great emphasis on the qalb.
3. The Qalb in the Qur’an
The qalb (heart) in the Qur’an is one of the most profound concepts in the Islamic tradition. The Qur’an not only speaks about the heart as the center of understanding, morality, and spirituality, but also describes different types of hearts—healthy, sick, hardened, sealed, etc.
General Function of the Qalb
The qalb is not just the physical organ but the seat of:
- Faith or disbelief
- Guidance or misguidance
- Understanding or blindness
- Spiritual life or death
Qur’an 22:46
“So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.”
The Qur’an emphasizes that the heart is the seat of reasoning and insight, not just the mind.
4. Types of Hearts in the Qur’an
(a) The Sound Heart (قلب سليم, Qalb Saleem)
Qur’an 26:88–89
“On the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit anyone, except the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.”
(b) The Diseased Heart (قلب مريض, Qalb Marid)
Qur’an 2:10
“In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because of their lies.”
(c) The Hard Heart (قلب قاسي, Qalb Qasi)
Qur’an 2:74
“Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.“
(d) The Sealed/Locked Heart (قلب مختوم, Qalb Makhtoom / مقفل, Muqfal)
Qur’an 2:7
“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.“
Qur’an 47:24
“Do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon their hearts?”
(e) The Tranquil Heart (قلب مطمئن, Qalb Mutma’in)
Qur’an 13:28
“Those who believe and whose hearts find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah—surely, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility.”
References (APA 7th Edition)
Adamson, P. (2016). Philosophy in the Islamic world. Oxford University Press.
Al-Ghazali, A. H. (n.d.). Ihya’ ulum al-din [The revival of the religious sciences]. (Book 21: The Marvels of the Heart).
Aristotle. (2016). De anima (C. Shields, Trans.). Oxford University Press. (Original work published ca. 350 BCE)
Aquinas, T. (1947). Summa theologiae (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). Benziger Bros. (Original work published ca. 1274)
Cottingham, J. (1992). Cartesian reflections: Essays on Descartes’s philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Ibn Sina. (2005). Avicenna’s psychology: An English translation of Kitab al-Nafs from Kitab al-Shifa’ (F. Rahman, Trans.). Oxford University Press. (Original work published ca. 1027)
Izutsu, T. (1964). Ethico-religious concepts in the Qur’an. McGill University Press.
James, W. (1890). The principles of psychology. Henry Holt.
Kenny, A. (2005). Medieval philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Plato. (1997). Plato: Complete works (J. M. Cooper & D. S. Hutchinson, Eds.). Hackett Publishing. (Original works published ca. 4th century BCE)
Porter, R. (2001). The Enlightenment. Palgrave Macmillan.
Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2015). A history of modern psychology (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Shields, C. (2016). Aristotle: De anima. Oxford University Press.
Smith, J. (1991). The concept of the heart in the Qur’an. Journal of Qur’anic Studies, 3(2), 25–40.
Wehr, H. (1976). A dictionary of modern written Arabic (J. M. Cowan, Ed., 3rd ed.). Spoken Language Services.
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