A Sound Heart Knows

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القَلْبُ عارِفٌ والقَواطِعُ كَثِيرةٌ

The heart is knowledgeable, and the obstacles are many.

القَلْبُ السَّلِيمُ يَعْرِفُ الحَقَّ ويَمِيلُ إِلَيْهِ

A sound heart recognizes the truth and inclines towards it.

وَلَكِنَّ تَصُدُّهُ عَنِ الحَقِّ شَهَوَاتُ النَّفْسِ وَ وَسَاوِسُ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمُجَالَسَةُ الأَشْرَارِ وَطُولُ الأَمَلِ وَحُبُّ الدُّنْيَا

But desires of the self, whispers of Satan, keeping company with the wicked, long hopes, and love of the world divert it from the truth.

فَ هَذِهِ قَواطِعُ تَحُولُ بَيْنَ القَلْبِ وَ بَيْنَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ

These obstacles stand between the heart and its understanding.

فَ إِذَا أَرَادَ العَبْدُ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ قَلْبَهُ فَلْيَقْطَعْ هَذِهِ القَواطِعَ

If the servant wants to repair his heart, let him cut these obstacles,

وَلْيَجْتَهِدْ فِي تَخْلِيصِ قَلْبِهِ مِنْ عَلَائِقِ الدُّنْيَا

and strive to free his heart from worldly attachments.

وَلْيُكْثِرْ مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ وَمِنْ تِلَاوَةِ القُرْآنِ وَمِنْ مُجَالَسَةِ الصَّالِحِينَ

Let him frequently remember God, recite the Qur'an, and seek the company of the righteous.

فَ إِنَّ القَلْبَ كَ المِرْآةِ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ كَ الصَّدَإِ وَذِكْرُ اللهِ كَ المَاءِ الَّذِي يَجْلُوهُ

For the heart is like a mirror, and desires are like rust; remembrance of God is like water that purifies it.

فَ كُلَّمَا أَكْثَرَ العَبْدُ مِنَ الذِّكْرِ صَفَا قَلْبُهُ وَاتَّضَحَ لَهُ الحَقُّ

The more a servant remembers, the purer his heart becomes and the clearer the truth appears to him.

وَكُلَّمَا اشْتَغَلَ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ كَدِرَ قَلْبُهُ وَاشْتَبَهَ عَلَيْهِ الأَمْرُ

But the more he engages in desires, the murkier his heart becomes, and things become confused for him.