That is the heart.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Indeed, there is a lump of flesh in the body, if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Listen! That is the heart.” (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim).

This hadith deals with the deepest level of human existence—a lump of flesh, which controls the entire body with invisible forces, shaping the mind, thoughts, character and course of action of a person. This heart is not just a physical organ, but is the center of morality, justice, faith and thought. In this hadith, the heart is depicted as the ‘spine’ of the body—just as a person cannot stand upright without a spine, similarly, a person cannot walk on the right path without a pure heart.

We see many kinds of behavior in our daily lives—some are honest, some are corrupt; some are compassionate, some are cruel; some are kind, some are jealous. At the root of this diversity is the condition of the human heart. When a heart is filled with fear of Allah, piety and love, then its behavior reflects peace, justice, generosity and honesty. On the other hand, when a heart is filled with jealousy, pride, desire and suspicion, then from that heart are born deceit, sin, cruelty and selfishness.

At the time when the Prophet said this, medical science did not have such a modern explanation, but in this short message he pointed to an inner world that is still the center of psychology and moral education. Modern science also understands that a person’s decision-making, feelings, empathy and self-realization are all influenced by the state of his heart.

This heart is sometimes soft at the smile of a child, sometimes it trembles at the cry of a poor person, and sometimes it becomes hard in the fire of jealousy or revenge. This heart must be connected to Allah, because if this heart contains the fear and love of Allah, then every part of the body will naturally be directed to good deeds.

In our society, we judge by outward appearance and actions—who earns how much money, who holds what position, how many people listen to whom. But Islam has taught us—Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your heart and deeds. That is, the main judgment is the intention, intention, and amount of faith within the heart. That is why when a companion asked, “How does a person know if his heart is pure?” it was said, “When he sees that his heart is not attracted to sin, but rather finds joy in good deeds.”

To form a pure heart, training of the heart is necessary. Just as exercise and diet control are necessary for the health of the body, similarly, the purity of the heart requires dhikr, contemplation, sincerity, remembrance of Allah, recitation of the Quran, and abstinence from sin. The heart that has pride in it is far from the mercy of Allah. The heart that has jealousy never finds peace. On the other hand, the heart that has love, forgiveness, patience, and gratitude is the light of the society.

This hadith invites us to a kind of self-examination—where does my heart stand? Am I satisfied with only external prayers, fasting, Hajj, or charity, or have I also been able to purify my heart? Is there forgiveness or revenge in my heart? Is there gratitude or the poison of complaining?

Without a pure heart, deeds are not accepted. A beautiful word, a kind face, a helping hand—the basis of everything is the purity of this heart. And so the Messenger of Allah said, “If the heart is sound, the whole body is sound.” Because the heart that fears Allah prevents the eyes from seeing what is forbidden, prevents the ears from hearing what is forbidden, protects the tongue from slander, backbiting, and cursing, and does not allow the feet and hands to be used in the path of injustice. The whole body then becomes a well-organized army engaged in the servitude of Allah.

This hadith is even more relevant in today's society. It seems that we have become so immersed in externalities that we do not notice the purity of the heart. We judge people by their actions, but we have no idea about the intention, sincerity, and purpose behind those actions. But Islam calls us to look at our own hearts and take care of them, because on the Day of Judgment, Allah will only look at these hearts.

This heart paves the way to Paradise, and this heart can also lead to Hell. Therefore, our first responsibility is to turn this heart towards Allah, to suppress its inner evil tendencies, and to make it a bearer of truth, virtue, and good deeds.