Confusion of the Heart

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَيَكُونُ السَّاعَةَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ مَا فِيهِ كُفْرٌ وَ لَا إِيمَانٌ كَالثَّوْبِ الْخَلَقِ‌[3] قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي أَ مَا تَجِدُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ تَكُونُ النُّكْتَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي الْقَلْبِ بِمَا شَاءَ مِنْ كُفْرٍ وَ إِيمَانٍ. - عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي ع

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘The heart in certain hours of the night and day has no disbelief or belief in it and it is like an old mg.’ The narrator has said that the Imam then asked, ‘Do you not find that in yourself? Then there is a dot from Allah in the heart of the kind that He wills in the form of disbelief

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ يَكُونُ الْقَلْبُ مَا فِيهِ إِيمَانٌ وَ لَا كُفْرٌ شِبْهَ الْمُضْغَةِ[4] أَ مَا يَجِدُ أَحَدُكُمْ ذَلِكَ.

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘There is the heart in which there is no belief or disbelief, like a chunk of flesh. Does any one of you feel it is as such sometimes?’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَطْوِيَّةً مُبْهَمَةً عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ‌[1] فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اسْتِنَارَةَ مَا فِيهَا[2] نَضَحَهَا بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ زَرَعَهَا بِالْعِلْمِ وَ زَارِعُهَا وَ الْقَيِّمُ عَلَيْهَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

“Allah has created the hearts of the believers, in which belief is wrapped up and is unknown. When He wills to light up what is in it He sprinkles it with wisdom and plants knowledge therein. The fanner and guardian thereof is the Lord, the Cherisher of the worlds.”

إِنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَيَتَرَجَّجُ‌[3]- فِيمَا بَيْنَ الصَّدْرِ وَ الْحَنْجَرَةِ حَتَّى يُعْقَدَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ فَإِذَا عُقِدَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ قَرَّ وَ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ مَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ‌[4].

“The heart vibrates between the chest and the throat until it forms belief, when it does so it rests as is in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Whoever believes in Allah his heart calms down.’” (64:11)

إِنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَيَتَجَلْجَلُ‌[5] فِي الْجَوْفِ يَطْلُبُ الْحَقَّ فَإِذَا أَصَابَهُ اطْمَأَنَّ وَ قَرَّ ثُمَّ تَلَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ‌ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلامِ‌ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ‌ كَأَنَّما يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّماءِ[6].

“The heart beats noisily inside in search of the truth. If it finds the truth it calms down and rests.’ The Imam then recited this verse: ‘Allah will open the hearts of whomever He wants to guide to Islam, but He will tighten the chest of one whom He has led astray, as though he were climbing high up into the sky. Thus

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْقَلْبَ يَكُونُ فِي السَّاعَةِ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ- لَيْسَ فِيهِ إِيمَانٌ وَ لَا كُفْرٌ أَ مَا تَجِدُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ تَكُونُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ نُكْتَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي قَلْبِ عَبْدِهِ بِمَا شَاءَ إِنْ شَاءَ بِإِيمَانٍ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ بِكُفْرٍ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The heart in (certain) hours of the night and day has no belief or disbelief in it. Do you not find that in yourself? Thereafter, a dot from Allah comes in the heart of His servant in the form that He wills. If He wills, it is with belief and if He wills, it is in disbelief.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مُبْهَمَةً عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اسْتِنَارَةَ مَا فِيهَا فَتَحَهَا بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ زَرَعَهَا بِالْعِلْمِ وَ زَارِعُهَا وَ الْقَيِّمُ عَلَيْهَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ‌[1].

“Allah has created the hearts of the believers wrapped up over belief. When He wills to light it up He opens it with wisdom and plants it with knowledge. The farmer and guardian thereof is the Lord of the worlds.”