Dhunub al-Qulub
Definition
Dhunub al-qulub — literally 'the sins of hearts' — refers to the interior vices that al-Ghazali considers in many ways more dangerous than outward sins because they are invisible to others and often invisible to the sinner themselves. Pride, envy, rancor, hypocrisy, attachment to the world, heedlessness of God — these are sins of the heart. Al-Ghazali insists that the person who has mastered the outward religion but left the heart uncleaned has built a magnificent facade over a crumbling foundation. Repentance from sins of the heart requires an inward precision that is far more demanding than simply ceasing an outward act — it requires continuous self-examination and the willingness to see one's own interior clearly.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
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