Reflecting on the universe and creations:

 Allah the Almighty said:

((And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see? ))

[Adh-dhariyat, 21]

 The heaven, the Barzakh (the one-way barrier between the mortal realm and the spirit world which the soul of the deceased crosses and waits for the Day of Judgment), the bees, the earth, the darkness of the outer space, the universe, the ants, the planets, the perfection in creating mankind, and reflecting on the creations and the universe, all of which are topics to be tackled by Dr. Muhammad Rateb Al Nabulsi, who is one of the notable scholars in Damascus, in interviews done by Abdul Haleem Kabbani.

The interviewer:

 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful, and praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon our master, Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
 Dear brother in faith and Islam, Assalam Alaikum Wa Rahmato Allah Wa Barakatoh.

Preface:

 Since the Noble Quran is the word of Allah the Almighty in His Divine loftiness and inspiring illumination, it should be different from the words of man. Namely, it should be different in such a miraculous way that man is unable to reach; furthermore, man is unable to bring something similar to the Quran in its perfection, inclusiveness, and comprehensiveness.
 As we all know, every prophet or messenger of Allah the Almighty was given miracles of tangible nature that match the things in which his people were superior at, and these miracles were Allah’s testimony to people that this prophet or messenger was sent by Him.
 Moses PBUH for example was sent to people where practicing magic had reached very advanced levels, thus Allah armed him with miracles of the same nature with which he refuted theirs.
Jesus PBUH also was sent to people where medicine had reached very advanced levels, thus Allah has armed him with miracles of the same nature with which he preceded the physicians of his era.
 Whereas the noble Quran was sent down upon the prophet PBUH (the seal of all prophets) to be his miracle in times when Arabs were the paramount in eloquence and in Arabic rhetoric.
In this episode let us welcome Dr. Mohammad Rateb Al Nabulsi, the lecturer in the faculty of education in Damascus University, and he is a preacher and a Khateeb in Damascus’ mosques. Welcome Dr. Nabulsi

Dr. Rateb:

 Likewise Sir.

The interviewer:

 The vital organ (the heart), subject of discussion, was mentioned in the noble Quran and in the prophetic Sunnah. The heart is sometimes described as the center of love, sincerity, and knowledge and in other times it is described as the organic system which pumps blood according to doctors and scientists in the fields of advanced medicine, so let us ask Dr. Muhammad Rateb Al Nabulsi about it.

The heart:

Dr. Rateb:

 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful.
 Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon our master, Prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest, and upon his family and companions.
 There are two hearts, the heart of the body and the one of the soul.
 One should be aware of the fact that all kinds and ways of acts of worship aim to purify the heart from all sorts of psychological illnesses and to sweeten it with the divine perfection in order to exalt it to the level that pleases its creator in order to acquire the bliss of closeness to Him, and in order to rejoice His paradise.
 The heart of the soul occupies the foremost position in the human being, and accordingly, all important matters are related to it.
 No wonder, for the heart is the leader and the rest of organs are warriors and slaves that carry out its orders and follow its commands, and it is enough for the heart that Allah the Almighty said about it:

((Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. ))

[Qaf, 37]

 Mr. Abdul Haleem, May Allah reward you, Allah the Almighty says:

(( The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)].))

[Ash-Shu’ara, 88-89]

 The pure heart is your most important means with which you meet Allah on the Day of Judgment.
 The best description I’ve ever read about the clean heart is that it is the heart which doesn’t long for a desire that doesn’t please Allah, it doesn’t believe any reported text that contradicts with Allah’s revelation (Quran), it doesn’t resort to any law but Allah’s law, and it doesn’t worship but Allah.
 Hence, the person who reaches the hereafter with a clean heart fulfills the purpose behind his/her existence and creation, not to mention that he/she reaches the paramount of happiness that can be reached by any human being, and this clean heart is the heart of the soul.
 As for the heart of the body, it is the reality of humans, and wonderfully, Allah the Almighty makes the heart of the body crucial for the life of any human being. Considering the heart of the soul is essential for its happiness, similarly, the heart of the body is important for the body’s well-being and it is the reason behind the harmony in which the rest of organs and systems of the body work.
 Furthermore, Allah the Almighty rendered the clean heart crucial in acquiring happiness in the worldly life and the hereafter; similarly, He rendered the healthy heart crucial to the healthy body from all kinds of illnesses.
 Illnesses of the body will end in death no matter how intractable they were, for death puts an end to any illness, moreover, death puts an end to the health of the healthy body, to the agony of the ill body, to the strength of the powerful person, to the weakness of the weak, to the wealth of the rich, to the poverty of the poor, to the beauty of the handsome, to the ugliness of the ugly, and to everything else.
 All kinds of illnesses related to the heart depend on how weak the heart is, on how weak its muscles are, on cardiac infarction, and on heart failure, but eventually, all diseases of the heart will end with death, however, the great problem lies in the diseases of the heart of soul, for they start right after death, and they will be the reason behind the everlasting torment of the heart’s owner, thus, it is rather better to have an afflicted body’s heart with physical diseases than to have an afflicted soul’s heart with all sorts of desires.

The difference between the heart of the soul and that of the body:

The interviewer:

 Dr. Rateb, you differentiate between the heart of the soul and the one of the body, but isn’t it the same piece of flesh (vital organ) in both cases?

Dr. Rateb:

 It was reported that Al Num’an Ibn Bashir said: I’ve heard the prophet PBUH saying:

((Surely there is in the body a small piece of flesh; if it is good, the whole body is good, and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted, and that is surely the heart.))

[Agreed upon]

 I have the feeling that this Hadith is addressing the heart of the body, for looking after the heart is looking after life itself. We have to know that life continues after any damage that occurs to some organs, however, life will end if some vital organs (like the heart) are damaged, for the heart is the pump of the body, and looking after it means looking after man’s health, and health is the greatest grace after the grace of faith.
 Imam Ali, May Allah be pleased with him, considered the grace of health in second place after the grace of faith, whereas sufficiency in provision comes after the grace of health. Hence these three graces are in the following order: The grace of faith, the grace of health then the grace of sufficiency in sustenance.
 The prophet PBUH indicated that sense in the following Hadith: Amro Ibn Malek and Mahmood Ibn Khadash Al Baghdadi narrated, that Marwan Ibn Moawiyah reported that Abudl Rahman Ibn Abi Shumailah Al Ansaree said that Abdullah Ibn Muhsan Al Khatmi said: The prophet PBUH said:

((Whoever wakes up in the morning healthy in his body, safe within his neighborhood and in possession of his daily bread would be as if he has won the whole world))

[Tirmizi and Ibn Majah]

 In the western world they teach their students that life depends on three basics: Work, health and principles, and they teach them that any deficiency in any of them will reflect on the other two. Therefore, one should take into consideration the three lines by looking after his/her health, by being devoted in his/her work and by being keen on his/her relation with his/her Lord.
The perceptive part of the human being is the heart of the soul, and the evidence lies in the following Ayah:

((Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. ))

[Qaf, 37]

((And have they hearts wherewith to understand ))

[Al-Hajj, 46]

 The addressed heart here is definitely the heart of the soul, and it is the one that is the subject of orders, it is the subject of blaming and it is the place of knowledge, piousness, memorizing, love, hatred, doubts, notions, faith, Kufr (disbelief), repentance, determination, tranquility and confusion.
 The heart of the soul is the heart that is acquainted with Allah, the one that is close to Him and the one that is accepted in Allah’s sight.
Be aware that if any heart succeeded without Allah and went for other than Allah, then it would be the heart that is veiled from Him, for happiness comes from being close to Him and misery comes from being away from Him. It was narrated:

((O my servant, you looked after your appearance in front of my creations for years, will you look after your heart in front of Me?))

[Mentioned in the tradition]

 In order to impress sh3er, man is keen on keeping his house and guest room tidy, and in looking after his car, his clothes, his appearance and his elegance, it was reported in the divine Hadith that goes as follows:

((O my servant, you looked after your appearance in front of my creations for years, will you look after your heart in front of Me?))

[Mentioned in the tradition]

 That is because the heart is the thing that Allah looks at and considers. Abu Huraira narrated that the prophet PBUH said:

((Allah does not judge according to your bodies and appearances but He scans your hearts and looks into your deeds))

[Muslim by Abu Huraira]

  One’s heart might be full of bitter feelings, grudge, envy and ill thoughts towards sh3er despite his stylish appearance, and this is not to be considered in the sight of Allah. Verify you would rather fall from the sky down to earth than falling from the eyes of Allah.
 As I have mentioned earlier, the heart is what Allah looks at, and man will never succeed or enjoy his lifetime unless he purifies his heart, and he will be miserable if his heart was distant from Allah the Almighty.
 May Allah reward you Mr. Abdul Haleem, if you were to look for the most wonderful thing that is created by Allah in heavens and earth, you won’t find anything more amazing, more outstanding, more perfect or more beautiful than the heart of the human being.

Does the heart feel hatred like it feels love?

The interviewer:

 Dear Dr. nabuls,i you have mentioned that the heart is the perceptive system in the human being, the organ that is addressed in the Quran, and the part that should be submissive, but since it is the center of feelings and the organ that fills with love, does it also hold hatred?

Dr. Rateb:

 The heart that hates is the heart of the soul, it is the center of it and the platform from which the soul takes off.
 Speaking of love let me say the following: the person who doesn’t have the urge to love and to be loved is not human, for loving and being loved are properties related to mankind and it is the very thing that distinguishes them from other creatures.
 You may love Allah, and when you do, everything will love you back, Allah will throw your love in the hearts of His creations, Allah will grant you everything and everything will like you, and this is the sacred love.
 You may love the truth, you may love your family, your children and your wife, and all of which are permissible kinds of love, however the great problem doesn’t lie in loving someone for the sake of Allah rather it lies in loving someone besides Allah, for it is the gist of polytheism, whereas loving for the sake of Allah is the gist of monotheism.
 Love manifests the tendencies of the soul, and as it has been said: tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are, for love identifies the person.
 Let me tell you this: the prudent person, the reasonable, the prospered and the successful is the one who loves what is immortal and everlasting, whereas the deviated, the foolish and the idiot is the one who loves what is mortal.
 A pious man saw a man crying on a grave, so he said to him: you would better love He who is immortal (Allah) instead of loving one who is mortal, for death is the end of every creature and only the One who is Ever-Magnificent and who is The Superb Potentate (Allah) is the only everlasting.
 The heart is the most wonderful, outstanding, delicate and beautiful thing among all Allah’s creations in heavens and earth, and when it is pure, it overflows with mercy, affection, love, tender, nice meanings and soft feelings till it exalts above close angels. On the other hand, when it is corrupted it exudes ruthlessness, meanness, and badness till it hits rock bottom of despicability.
 As little as it might seem, the heart is able to embrace the hatred of the whole world. How small and how great it could be, how little and how lofty it could be, it can be very big beyond our ability to comprehend and in front of which every great person is belittled, and it can be so small beyond our ability to notice and in front of which every despicable person becomes great. It is the heart which has the same shape in every human being but holds different senses.
 The heart of prophets is full of mercy, justice, gentleness and tenderness, whereas the heart of tyrants is full of ruthlessness, meanness and grudge, thus it takes the same shape in both parties but it holds different senses.
 The heart could be like a transparent sparkling jewel, it could be like a rock in its strength and benefits though it might not sparkle, it could be lighter than air, it might die, it might live and die again, it could exalt to the highest levels, it could hit rock bottom, it could touch the stars in its loftiness, and it could touch the mud in its despicability, do not the greatest life makers own great hearts, sincere feelings and strong wills?
 Verify whoever owns everything but loses his/her heart owns nothing. Also the heart of the body is one of Allah’s wonders in His creations.

The heart of the body:

 After talking about the heart of the soul, let us move to the heart of the body. 
 The heart of the body is the most wonderful creation of Allah, for it is a two-way pump. The heart pumps the blood that carries nutrition and fuel (energy) to every cell, tissue, organ and system in the body through a net of veins that extends to a length of 150 Kilometers if we were to add up the lengths of every vein in the body. But the question to be asked is: when is the exact time that this heart starts working?

Dr. Rateb:

 On day ten of the forth month of pregnancy, the heart starts beating, and till the decreed time of its end (death), the heart never forgets, never neglects, never naps, never stops, never gets tired and never complains, on the contrary, it works without any break, without a checkup, maintenance or instruction.

 Man tends to hurt his heart with his might, burn it with his grudge and wear it out with his sorrows. Being the source of life for the human being, the sun to man’s life, the base on which man relies in all his actions and conditions, the fountain from which man takes his powers and moves, the heart is considered as the wonder machine which never gets tired, for it is able to increase its power exponentially in order to face any emergency overexertion.
 The heart is one of the most complicated muscles in the human body in terms of structure, function and performance, for it is the strongest muscle and the most powerful one.


 The heart contracts (between systoles and diastoles) eighty times per minute, and in emergency exertion its beats increase to 180 times. It also pumps 8000 liters of blood per day, which equals 8 meters cube of blood, whereas it pumps blood in man’s lifetime what is enough to fill the tallest skyscraper in the world.
 The heart receives orders of pumping from the inner center within the heart itself which works independently from the entire nervous system in the body, not to mention that the heart is nourished in a very unique way. The most bewildering thing about the heart is its tight valves which allow the blood to pass in one direction and this process is a durable standard in pumps.
When this heart rests in its cage (the thoracic cavity), it leaves a dead body behind which looks like a lifeless hollow trunk of date-palm. The prophet PBUH talked about the heart when he said:

((Surely there is in the body a small piece of flesh; if it is good, the whole body is good, and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted, and that is surely the heart.))

[Agreed upon]

 And Allah may have mercy on the soul of the poet who said:

One's heartbeats say to him:
Life is but minutes and seconds.
Hence build for yourself a legacy after its death
For man's legacy is a another lifetime

The interviewer:

 The heart is a wonderful machine as you have mentioned earlier, and it is a system within the body that doesn’t sleep, forget, or nap, furthermore, it starts at a specific timing and rests when the human being dies.
 Also Dr. Mohammad Rateb Al Nabulsi differentiated between the heart of the soul and the one of the body, for the former needs to be passionate and knowledgeable, whereas the latter is the vital organ which pumps blood to the other organs of the body.
 We thank you Dear Dr. Nabulsi at the end of this episode, and hope to meet you again by Allah’s decree