Today’s Quranic Word is Al Qalb = القلب

The word qalb means heart in both a physical and spiritual sense. 

As we have seen in the video, qalb is the Arabic word that means “heart” in English. The literal meaning of qalb is ‘to turn’. The heart is the home for all of our emotions, rationale, and obedience or disobedience to Allah SWT. Since the heart is always turning and changing, we need to protect it and keep it safe from arrogance and spiritual diseases of the heart.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had said:

‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ‏.‏

[Sahih Muslim]

Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds.

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A Good Heart Leads to a Good Body

The heart is the controller of the entire body. If this heart is good, everything is good. But if it is not, everything will be bad; as mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ in the hadith:

وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ،

وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

[Sahih Bukhari]

There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.

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The Quran Mentions 3 Types of Hearts

Qalbun saleem

قلب سليم

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This is a heart that is sound and dedicated to the worship of Allaah. It is the heart that knows and believes in its Lord and prevents itself from vain desires.

The heart that is characterised as being saleem (sound) is a heart that constantly and consistently adheres to good. This is the guided heart and the one found in the believer.

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Everyone should always ask Allah for this type of heart. Allah says regarding them:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

[Quran 3:8]

[Who say], “Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions would ask Allah for hearts that do not deviate. Our Messenger ﷺ would often make the dua:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

Sahih Al-Albani

O Turner of the Hearts, Keep my heart firm on Your Religion

Qalbun saqeem

قلب سقيم

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This is the heart that is spiritually sick or diseased. It has been affected by doubts and desires, leading its owner to hesitate to worship Allah SWT.

This person loves Allah and His commands but he also loves the things of this world and its desires. He is constantly wavering between the two.

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وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ

[Quran 9:45]

And whose hearts have doubted, and they, in their doubt, are hesitating.

Among the spiritual diseases that the qalbun saqeem is affected by are miserliness, envy, jealousy, arrogance, and others. If this heart is cleansed and returns back to Allah, it becomes saleem (sound), but if it remains upon the path in search of its desires, it becomes the heart of a hypocrite that draws further away from Allah.

Allah SWT says:

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ

[Quran 2:10]

In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.

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Qalbun mayyit

قلب ميت

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This heart contains no life. It is caught in its base desires. It does not know its Lord, nor does it worship Him. The owner of this heart is always arrogant to the truth.

A qalbun mayyit has been covered, sealed and screened from the truth. It can’t see the truth as the truth, much less follow the truth. And it cannot see falsehood as falsehood, much less avoid it.

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فَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ

[Quran 16:22]

But those who do not believe in the Hereafter – their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.

خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

[Quran 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.

A heart in the state of mayyit still has a chance to hear the truth. But it won’t follow the truth or guidance set in front of it. Instead, the person with a heart in this state turns the truth into a mockery; a joke to laugh at or a playful matter. They fool themselves and in turn, have the influence to fool others like them. However, they can never fool Allah or the believers.

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May Allah protect us, guide us, and soften our hearts so that we may stand before Him with a sound heart. Ameen.

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Conjugations of Al Qalb (القلب)
found in the Quran

Synonyms of Al Qalb (القلب)

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Discover More Quranic Arabic Words

Did you enjoy learning about the different types of القلب mentioned in the Quran?

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