The wonder that is the heart
The organ the Qurʾan treats as the real seat of the self.
About 30 minutes of listening
Book 21: The Book of the Wonders of the Heart
Imam al-Ghazali · Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din
The twenty-first book of the Ihya opens the Quarter on Destructive Vices by mapping the inner landscape of the heart — its soldiers, its enemies, and the constant battle between angelic inspiration and satanic whispering.
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From The Book of the Wonders of the Heart.
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"it never entirely escapes dullness. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, Hearts are four, a pure heart with a radiant lamp within it, and this is the heart of a believer, a black, overturned heart, which is the heart of a disbeliever, a sealed heart bound upon its seal, which is the heart of a hypocrite, and a heart layered with faith and hypocrisy."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 21: The Book of the Wonders of the Heart
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"Peace be upon him. If Allah intends good for a servant, he places within his heart a preacher. This implies that the heart becomes enriched with divine remembrance, as Allah stated. Indeed, it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest. The blameworthy effects of sin are like dark smoke that rises to cover the heart's mirror, layer by layer, until the heart becomes completely obscured from Allah. This results in the heart being sealed or rusted, as described in the Quran. No, rather, what they earn has covered their hearts. In another verse, Allah says, If we willed, we would afflict them for their sins and seal their hearts so they will not hear."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 21: The Book of the Wonders of the Heart
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"They despair of the Hereafter, much like disbelievers despair of those in the graves. This describes the heart's blackening through sin, as articulated in both the Quran and Sunnah. Maimun ibn Mihran explained that when a person commits a sin, a black spot appears on the heart. If they repent and seek forgiveness, it is polished. But if they return to sin, the spot increases until it overwhelms the heart, becoming rust. The Prophet, peace be upon him, described it as, The believer's heart is like a polished lamp, while the unbeliever's heart is black and overturned. Faith is likened to a plant nourished by pure water,"
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 21: The Book of the Wonders of the Heart