A Righteous Heart: The Axis of One's Deeds

Examining the depths of our personality and character, this essay analyses the extremely important role played by the "heart" in guiding one's intellect, comprehension, emotions, wisdom, perception, thought, responsibility and deeds/actions towards righteousness.This is a translation into English of Khurram Murad's book "Dil ki Zindagi" which was written originally in Urdu. The translation by Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui has tried to bring out the true meanings and connotations through explanations and usage of the English idiom.The essay is centered on the Arabic word "qalb" or "dil" in Urdu. The closest literal translation of the word in English is "heart". Khurram Murad has very beautifully brought out the different meanings, connotations and implications of "qalb" as understood through the Qur'an and ¿adith.One of the key elements of our demise today is this move away from the center of our conscience which lies in the qalb. As we race solely towards worldly benefits, Muslims at large have forsaken the essential principles of ethics and human values that emanate from this inner self. The core of the Qur'anic values have been forgotten from our lives. While our tongues seem to ritualistically repeat the holy words liturgically, our actions are no longer dictated by the qalb. The fi¿ra (instincts and laws of nature endowed to us by God) with which we were born is lost in the maze of worldly glitter.The translator Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui has tried to give a clearer understanding to the reader on what to expect in the text. The heart or qalb is the epicenter of all of man's goodness or misdeeds. It is the fulcrum of the essence of man, regulating his inner conscience and the goodness of his personality - to bring out the best in him. Such a man is righteous, and so is his qalb.