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He says that God is known through the heart and not through the mind. To me this means that knowledge (just knowing) is not enough, acceptance is important and acceptance is truly there when it is done through the heart.

You need to be able to accept in your heart, once you’ve accepted what is in your heart, you will submit to it and this will be seen through your words and actions. Iman (belief) is a great example. All theologians agree that Iman lies in the heart: it settles in your heart and shows in your words and actions. Iman is also submission: “I am ready to recognise this and act accordingly. Whatever the cost, whatever it implies, I am ready for that”. God is known through the heart because the seed needs to be planted their first to flourish.

Qalbe in Arabic also means changing or in transformation because the heart is always in this state. For example, for the momin, when God is mentioned their hearts become very soft:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ - 8:2

We also need to be aware of the evils of the heart and thoughts also. As a more negative example: All Mexicans are thieves. When a Mexican stands beside me, I grip my bag and step a little further away. I’ve submitted to this idea which I’ve accepted in my heart and it can be seen through my actions. A hatred and intense dislike for them can also be found in my heart which is part of my invisible entity. The thought in the mind can just stay in the mind, but the acceptance through the heart is what causes the destruction. Likewise, iman (belief) can remain as a thought or even a fact in the mind, but the acceptance of that in the heart is what elevates a human being.

So, the relationship between the heart and negative suffering is that I have accepted in my heart this false sense of identity which is causing negative suffering. To tie in sin with all this my response is like Mahjabeen’s:

a)      Sin stains the heart.

b)      Sin causes negative suffering.

(Farah E)

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