KISSAH AND DAWAT: The Heart of the Matter

ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 07 April) — After writing about “Social Heart”, also called “Social Conscience” the other day, I had time to read it published online via MindaNews. It got me thinking about my own Islamic heritage on the matter. It turns out the social heart concept in part is an illumination of the individual human heart. It is also timely to talk about the matter of the heart because we are in a solemn period as Muslims continue with their month-long fasting in the month of Ramadhan, the Christians observe their Holy Week and the Jews with their Passover.

In the Holy Qur’an, the word “heart” is repeated more than two hundred times, highlighting its significance in both individual and societal contexts. The word is mentioned in both negative and positive terms, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a pure and compassionate heart for personal well-being and for the greater good of society.

In negative terms – The Quran contains several verses that describe negative heart conditions resulting from various attitudes and behaviors. For example, in Chapter 2: Al- Baqarah, verse 7, it mentions “hearts” due to a choice to deny the spoken truth, and verse 10 talks about “diseased hearts” resulting from hypocrisy. In verse 74, “hardened hearts” are mentioned for refusing to refrain from evil deeds.

Verse 88 refutes the claim that the heart is a storehouse of knowledge and requires no further teaching, and adds that by this action, people have deprived themselves of God’s mercy. In verse 93, “disobedient hearts” are discussed because of continuing disbelief after guidance has come to them, while verse 118 talks about “argumentative hearts” as being devoid of wisdom. Finally, verse 204 mentions a “contentious heart” that is pleased with the present life at the expense of the hereafter.

In positive terms – Verse 74 (In Chapter 2: Al-Baqarah) talks about “humble hearts” that submit and defer themselves in awe to God. Verse 97 talks about revelations brought by the Archangel Jibril AS (Gabriel) directed to human hearts. In Chapter 3: Ali Imran, Verse 103 relates how God unites the hearts of those who were enemies before, and by Divine Grace, they became brethren. In Verse 126, calls on easing of the hearts because real help and victory only came from God alone.

Chapter 8: Al-Anfal, Verse 63, explains God’s help by strengthening the hearts of believers in mutual affection. These Quranic verses all emphasize the crucial role of the heart in spiritual devotion and divine guidance, as well as its potential for transformation and unity. By submitting to God with humility and awe, seeking divine revelation, overcoming enmity and division, and relying on God’s help, believers can experience a profound transformation of their hearts and a deepening of their faith.

In the Sunnah (tradition) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he once pointed out the importance of the matter of the heart in both individual and societal undertakings, saying, “verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.” Thus, describing the importance of the purification of the heart as foundation to individual formation, and by extension, the coalition of these well-formed spiritual hearts strengthen any society with a social conscience that is moral and ethical.

In another hadith, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reminds us, a person’s faith will not be upright until their heart is upright and strong. The heart will not be upright and strong until the tongue is upright and strong. By extension, the society’s heart or conscience will not be upright until the individual members strive to be morally upright and ethically strong.

Finally, this is the heart of the matter of social conscience – It begins with each one and all of us. We are the pillars of our society and our society will be as strong or weak as each one of us. The future is not just with improving governance, having a vibrant economy or an active society, but in citizens with conscientious hearts and in society with a conscience.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Noor Saada is a Tausug of mixed ancestry—born in Jolo, Sulu, grew up in Tawi-Tawi, studied in Zamboanga and worked in Davao, Makati and Cotabato. He is a development worker and peace advocate, former Assistant Regional Secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, currently working as an independent consultant and is a member of an insider-mediation group that aims to promote intra-Moro dialogue.)