The Heart Plays a Central Role in Spiritual Attainment: Learnings from Quran and Upanishads
By S.
Arshad, New Age Islam
26 June
2021
Heart Is
the Dwelling Place of the Supreme Self
Main
Points:
1. Quran says God's remembrance gives solace to
the heart.
2. The holy prophet says Marfat is the act of
the heart.
3. Upanishads say the Supreme Self is seated in
man's heart.
-----
Heart, Body
and Mind are three constituents of a man's existence. A balanced co-ordination
between these three constituents leads man to intellectual and spiritual
knowledge and enlightenment. The Heart plays a central or pivotal role in the
attainment of enlightenment (Marfat). Man needs to contemplate on the
Supreme Self to attain spiritual union with Him. Zikr or remembrance of the
Supreme Self is the most important part of spiritual enlightenment. And Zikr or
remembrance takes place with the involvement of heart. Without the involvement
of heart, remembrance becomes a mechanical activity controlled by Mind and
leads man to nowhere. Therefore, the Heart is the centre of the process of
spiritual enlightenment of man.
According
to Upanishads, Purusha (Supreme Self) should be contemplated in the Heart in
order to attain His realisation. In her article titled "Revelation as the
Nature of Upanishadic Knowledge" Alena Adamkova sums up the sayings of
Katha Upanishad on the topic in the following words:
"On
the microcosmic level, Purusha is concentrated in the subtle sphere in the
heart but He is not an object of vision-comprehension and nobody is able to see
Him through his physical eye. He can be comprehended only with the help of the
intellect (ruler of the mind situated in the heart) by a process of deep
contemplation or concentrated thinking (manan)."
The Supreme
Self can be cognised in the heart through contemplation and deep meditation. He
cannot be cognised only through knowledge. A deep love of God and spiritual
attachment to God is necessary for attaining enlightenment. Katha Upanishad
says:
"Purush
(Supreme Creator), the indwelling Self, of the size of a thumb, is ever seated
in the hearts of man. One should unerringly separate Him from one's body like a
stalk from a Munja grass."
Strikingly
similar to Katha Upanishad's saying is the Quran's position on the centrality
of heart in spiritual attainment. It says:
"And know that God comes in between Man
and his heart. (Al
Anfal: 24)
God
separates man (his body) from his heart. In other words, God guards man's heart
from his physical desires and machinations because the heart of man is the
dwelling place of God.
Therefore,
since the Supreme Self dwells in man's heart, his realisation can only be
attained by man through contemplation on God in his heart. The holy Prophet of
Islam pbuh also said the same thing:
"Al
marfati feyl il qalb" (Enlightenment is the act of heart. Sahih Bukhari)
In other
words, spiritual enlightenment can be attained through the heart. Indian
philosopher and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore also wrote in his book Brahma
Mantra, 1901):
"Paramatama
ke je kebal jnaner dvara janiba taha nahe, taha ke hridayer dvara anubhab
kariba". (Paramatma is not to be realised only through knowledge, He
should be cognised in our heart.)
The Quran
emphasises on the role of heart in attaining marfat through deep meditation,
contemplation and remembrance which involves the heart.
"Ala
Bizikrillahi Tatmainnul Qulub."(Ar Ra'ad:28)
(Heart gets
solace in the remembrance of God)
Therefore,
man's heart is central in the attainment of spiritual enlightenment. Spiritual
enlightenment cannot be attained solely on the basis of knowledge because
heart, not mind is the dwelling place of the Supreme Soul.
------
Sohail
Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/quran-upnishad-spiritual-/d/125023
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