Allah has blessed the human being with countless favours. In truth, it is impossible to enumerate them. Allah Himself says:“And if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will never be able to number them.” (Qur’an 14:34).
Each discipline of knowledge unveils only a fraction of these blessings. A chemist may recognise the favours of Allah through the intricacies of chemical bonds and reactions; a physicist may see them in the laws of motion and energy; a botanist may see them in the marvels of plant life, but none can grasp the full spectrum of Allah’s generosity.
In our daily lives, some gifts of Allah are so essential that life would be unimaginably difficult without them: without eyes we cannot see; without ears we cannot hear; without legs we cannot walk. These are all indispensable.
Yet among all the favours of Allah, there is one without which life physically and even spiritually collapses: the heart.
Allah’s Regard for the Heart
The heart is a place of immense significance for Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearances nor your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”1(Sahih Muslim)
Despite this, our society places disproportionate focus on our appearances. We “enhance” our appearances through surgery, makeup, and filters; we chase the latest fashion trends, and we post edited pictures - all in an effort to look a certain way. We carefully curate how we appear to others, even if these appearances do not reflect our true reality. Likewise, many chase wealth obsessively, even to the point of resorting to immoral means. In the process, forgetting that sustenance is decreed - “and Allah provides for whoever He wills” (Qur’an 2:212). If sustenance is decreed, why put ourselves through endless anxiety and stress? Yet how rarely do we wake up thinking, “I must perform a good action”, or struggle to sleep because of the state of our hearts and souls.
The Heart’s Delicacy
The Prophet ﷺ described the sensitivity of the heart with a powerful metaphor:
“The example of the heart is like a feather being turned over by the winds of the desert.”2(Sunan Ibn Majah)
It fluctuates, shifts, and changes direction with the slightest breeze. External pressures, societal influences and the company we keep are often enough to divert it from its path.
As Bedam Shah said poetically:“Only the one who has given his heart knows its worth. To know its reality, ask the wounded heart about its wound”3
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ who knows the human nature better than we know ourselves, as per the Quran and Hadith (Qur’an 33:6), taught us to frequently recite the supplication:
“O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.”4
The Arabic word Qalb (قلب) itself comes from a root meaning to turn, to flip, to transform. Only Allah can stabilise it.
If you struggle with a sin, Allah can turn your heart away from it.If you cannot find consistency in prayer, Allah can guide your heart toward it.If you carry heartbreak or pain, Allah can mend your heart.
All He asks is that we turn back to Him.
Belief Resides in the Heart
The heart is so central that faith is only accepted by Allah when it springs sincerely from the heart. Allah says regarding the hypocrites (Munāfiqūn): “Indeed the hypocrites with be in the lowest depths of the fire” (Qur’an 4:145).
They recited the shahādah, prayed, and outwardly seemed like Muslims but the disbelief in their heart nullified their claims. Thus, belief in Allah, His Messengers, His angels, His books and His decree is valid only when it comes from a sincere, believing heart.
Actions Are Also Judged by the Heart
The Prophet ﷺ pointed to his blessed heart and said:
“Taqwā (God-consciousness) is here.”5(Sahih Muslim)
Just as belief depends on what is in the heart, the quality and value of actions also depend on what is present in the heart.
Take prayer as an example. It contains:
1. External obligations (dhāhir - ظاهر): Purity (tahārah), Covering the body (satr al-ʿawrah), Facing the Kaʿbah, Takbīr, Standing (qiyām), Bowing (rukūʿ), Recitation (qirā’ah), Prostration (sujūd) etc.
2. Internal obligations (bātin — باطن): Humility (khushūʿ ) and Submission (khudūʿ)
Whatever the internal state is that is the form in which the prayer reaches Allah.
If one’s heart is distracted, thinking about errands, worldly concerns, or the person next to them, then that is what is presented to the Lord of the Worlds.
But if one’s heart lowers itself alongside the head in humility, aware that they are standing before the Creator, the Sustainer, the Knower of secrets, the One who calls them again and again to seek his mercy, then such a prayer becomes a source of peace and accepted by Allah.
The Man Who Prayed Incorrectly
In the Sahih of Imam Bukhari, there is a narration where a man prayed hurriedly, then came to the Prophet ﷺ who told him: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” After repeating his prayer, the Prophet ﷺ repeated: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” The man said “By the One who sent you with the truth, I only know this way of praying, kindly teach me”. The Prophet ﷺ said when you stand, say Takbīr and recite from the Qur’an what you know (meaning it’s easy for you), then bow with calmness until you feel at ease, then rise until you stand straight, then prostrate calmly till you feel at ease, then raise your head and sit calmly till you feel at ease, then prostrate calmly till you feel at ease then do the same in the whole of the prayer.6
The lesson is clear: Prayer is not a burden but a relief. It is not a shackle but a liberation.
As a poet said:“At this stone threshold, my forehead bows in devotion. By Allah, what a prayer… this prayer of mine.”7
A Sound Heart Leads to a Sound Life
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Truly, in the body there is a piece of flesh.If it is sound, the whole body is sound.If it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt.Truly, it is the heart.”8(Sahih Bukhari)
When the heart becomes purified and yearns for the maʿrifah (gnosis) of Allah, the love of Allah fills it, and such a person becomes supported by Allah. Whenever he needs help, Allah helps him.
Conclusion
Every favour of Allah is precious. But the heart is the master of them all. In order to have true belief, sincerity, love and taqwa, emphasis must be placed on the heart. Allah has favoured the heart as opposed to appearances and wealth, and through the heart, the entire human being can be rectified.
“Bedam this is a strange search, a strange quest
I have set out to find someone who resides in my own home”9
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ
مَثَلُ الْقَلْبِ مَثَلُ الرِّيشَةِ تُقَلِّبُهَا الرِّيَاحُ بِفَلَاةٍ
دیا ہوتا کسی کو دل تو ہوتی قدر بھی دل کی
حقیقت پوچھیے جا کر کسی بسمل سے بسمل کی
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
التَّقْوَى هَاهُنَا
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَدَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمَ فَقَالَ ” ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ ” فَصَلَّى، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ” ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ ”. ثَلاَثًا. فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَمَا أُحْسِنُ غَيْرَهُ فَعَلِّمْنِي. قَالَ ” إِذَا قُمْتَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَكَبِّرْ، ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، ثُمَّ ارْكَعْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ رَاكِعًا، ثُمَّ ارْفَعْ حَتَّى تَعْتَدِلَ قَائِمًا، ثُمَّ اسْجُدْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ سَاجِدًا، ثُمَّ ارْفَعْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ جَالِسًا، ثُمَّ اسْجُدْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ سَاجِدًا، ثُمَّ افْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلاَتِكَ كُلِّهَا
اس سنگِ آستاں پہ جبینِ نیاز ہے، واللہ! کیا نماز، ہماری نماز ہے
أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ. أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ
بیدؔم یہ جستجو بھی عجب ہے عجب تلاشنکلے ہیں ڈھونڈنے کو اسے ہم جو گھر میں ہے