Discover the meaning of the term Al-qlb (قلب) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readA subtle divine reality (latifa rabbaniyya) that has its attachment in this bodily heart of pinecone shape lodged in the left side of the chest; that subtle reality is the reality of man; the Sage calls it the rational soul; the spirit is its inward and the animal soul its composite; it is the perceiving, knowing part of man: the addressed, the petitioned, the reproached.
Making the effect a cause and the cause an effect; in the Law: an expression for the absence of ruling for lack of proof, and what is meant by it is the subsistence of the ruling without its cause.
In Persian (dil and its derivatives). The sayyid Sanad al-Sharif (sanctified be his secret) said: the heart is a subtle divine reality that has its attachment in this bodily heart of pinecone shape lodged in the left side of the chest; that subtle reality is the reality of man; the Sage calls it the rational soul, the spirit its inward and the animal soul its composite. End of quotation.
It is applied to two things. The first: the heart is a hollow organ in the chest that receives blood from the veins and drives it through the arteries to all parts of the body. "Heart" may also express the thinking intellect; the Quran often uses it for the intellect, because it nourishes the intellect and all the body's organs, and without it life does not exist. Allah said: "They have hearts by which they do not understand".
To fasten the contradiction upon the arguer's statement regarding its cause by annexing it to its root; to employ another's meaning in undoing what he intended.
A subtle divine reality that has its attachment in this bodily heart of pinecone shape lodged in the left side of the chest; that subtle reality is the reality of man; the Sage (that is, Aristotle) calls it the rational soul, the spirit its inward and the animal soul its composite; it is, in man, the perceiving, knowing part: the addressed, the petitioned, the reproached and the punished (al-Ta'rifat, p. 186-187). Al-Raghib said (al-Mufradat, p. 411):
The fu'ad; it has been said: more specific than it; an organ of pinecone shape lodged in the left side of the chest, whose interior is a cavity holding black blood.
﴿قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّۭا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُۥ نَزَّلَهُۥ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًۭى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
« Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - it is [none but] he who has brought the Qur'an down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers." »
Surah البقرة : 97
﴿وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُۥ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِى قَلْبِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ ٱلْخِصَامِ﴾
« And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. »
Surah البقرة : 204
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيْفَ تُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن ۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِى ۖ قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ ٱجْعَلْ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٍۢ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًۭا ثُمَّ ٱدْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًۭا ۚ وَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ﴾
« And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [Allah] said, "Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." »
Surah البقرة : 260
﴿۞ وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبًۭا فَرِهَـٰنٌۭ مَّقْبُوضَةٌۭ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًۭا فَلْيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِى ٱؤْتُمِنَ أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ وَلْيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌۭ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken. And if one of you entrusts another, then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allah is Knowing of what you do. »
Surah البقرة : 283
﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾
« So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. »
Surah آل عمران : 159
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ﴾
« O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered. »
Surah الأنفال : 24
This term appears in 21 verses of the Quran.