In our second session of our weekly class on Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali’s Exploring the Marvels of the Heart, our teacher Mustafa Ghani delves into “The Domains of the Heart”. Centering around answering the questions “What are the components of the heart?” and “What is the difference between the ‘physical’ and the ‘spiritual’?”, this session covered pages 5-12 of the text.
“What is the difference between the ‘physical’ and the ‘spiritual’?”
Our scholars speak of three ‘Alam or realms:
Mulk: The Physical realm - involves the physical things that we see/interact with
Malakut: The Spiritual Realm, often ignored in the materialist framework.
Jabarut: The Divine Realm
We can experience the deeper, subtle layers of reality (Malakut and Jabarut) through the Heart
“What are the components of the heart?”
Imam Ghazali discusses the following Components of the Heart:
Al Qalb - The heart: As the physical gives us physical life, the spiritual heart gives us spiritual life
Rooh - The Spirit : The subtle element of our reality that is the basis for the interaction with the Lordly, our angelic aspect. It allows us to ascertain meaning from the spiritual realms
The Nafs - The Spiritual Self. 2 aspects of the Nafs: i) What you mean when you say “I” and ii) The Lower self - associated with anger and passion
The ‘Aql - the Intellect. 2 meanings: i) Knowledge itself ii) The Faculty by which we know thingsOver the course of this class and our spiritual journeys, we hope to move from understanding things at an intellectual level to experiencing them as a vehicle to arrive at the Divine.
“Matters of the heart are what truly matters”
“Those deeply enriched see God before they see the creation”
“Allah does not address our brains, our stomachs, or limbs, but rather our hearts - the vehicle of our spiritual journey.”
“We can experience the deeper, subtle layers of reality (Malakut and Jabarut) through the Heart”
“As the physical gives us physical life, the spiritual heart gives us spiritual life”
Narrated al-Nu‘man b. Bashir: I heard God’s Messenger ﷺ saying, “Indeed, the lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear, but in between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know. Whoever is wary of the doubtful saves his religion and his honour. Whoever falls into the doubtful falls into the unlawful—like a shepherd who pastures animals near a sanctuary, ever prone to graze therein. Well, every king has a sanctuary, and God’s sanctuary is what He has made unlawful. Indeed, in the body is a piece of flesh: when it is sound, the whole body is sound, but when it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Maja)
“[He is] the One who created death and life to test you: which of you is best in deed? He is the August, the Forgiving.” (Q67:2)
“They ask you about the Spirit (ruh). Say: The Spirit is of my Lord’s affair, and of knowledge you have been given but little.” (Q17:85)
“Your worst enemy is your soul (nafs) that lies between your flanks.” (Bayhaqi, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas)
"The believer is the mirror of the believer." (Abu Dawud)
