The book “The Intelligent Heart, The Pure Heart” by Dr. Gohar Mushtaq is an absolute reading delight and will change your perspective of how we view the heart; Our Heart.
Generally, the brain is thought of as the sole command of the whole body, & the heart a pumping organ which ‘obeys’ the brain without having a say of its own. Dr. Gohar tells us that the heart too holds the faculty of intelligence & reasoning which affect our views & actions in life.
“Have you come to inquire about piety?” …. “Ask your heart regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.” [Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)]
The book begins by analyzing the different ways in which the heart is mentioned in the Quran and Ahadith. It also presents the views of Muslim Theologians & Modern Science.
It then discusses the emotional intelligence of the heart & its relationship with the brain, its role in acts of different forms of worships like salah, dhikr & tawaf, & in the development of the mother-child bond. It also explains the impact of the sense organs like eyes, ear and tongue on the heart.
Finally, the book discusses the types of spiritual heart, physical and spiritual diseases of the heart and their general cures. The end of the book mentions a very important historical event, that too, from a very interesting perspective. I will not elaborate further as I would like you to read it yourself to fully enjoy it. The only hint I can give you is ‘the first heart surgery’.
Few Gems from the Book:
- “The eyes & ears provide information from one’s environment that is then processed by the heart which in turn governs our actions. It follows therefore that our actions will be influenced by what we hear around us, and that we should exercise some control over what we feed these senses.”
- “The ultimate goal is to attune the heart such that if we commit a wrong action we feel bad about it within ourselves regardless of what anyone else may say.”
What I also liked about the book is that it is written in simple language, & the information presented is very easy to understand. It discusses all the topics in a very comprehensive manner & gives the reader a good overview of the book’s title. Hence, giving it a 5 star rating, I highly recommend it.
Do let me know in the comments whether you have read this book, or any other book discussing the heart with respect to self-development, spirituality or tazkiyah. Would love to know your thoughts.
*The copy I reviewed is a personal purchase.
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