Speaking on Al-Kawthar program “Problems and Solutions”, Sami Khadra said hearts are like bodies where bodies get sick and hearts also get sick, stressing that he is not referring to the hearts which is a muscle that lies in the chest but referring to the self and soul.

The cleric added that most of the feelings are attributed to the heart, saying Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in scores of his sayings had attributed love, hatred, fear and happiness to the heart.

Khadra also referred to the Quranic verse “Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned.”

The emotions and perceptions, including love, fear, envy, hatred and kindness, are attributed to the heart, the cleric said, adding that some of those feelings could lead to the corruption of soul.

Envy – for example- could lead to the corruption of the soul, he added.

As there are instructions to avoid diseases, there are instructions to deter the corruption of the soul, the cleric said.

Khadra recommended “Jihad al-Nafs or Striving against the Soul” to avoid the feelings that lead to hardness of the heart.

He quoted a verse in al-Hijr Surah of the Holy Quran in which Allah addressed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), saying “And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say”, adding that even the heart of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) could be “constrained” due to some sayings or pressures.

Khadra added that there are many causes of the hardness of the heart, noting that the most prominent one is committing sins.

He added that ignoring the obligations will also lead to the corruption of the soul.

“No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning,” the cleric quoted a Quranic verse as saying.

He added that the bad companionship also leads to the corruption of the soul, quoting the words of Allah “And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, ‘Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter.’”

Khadra noted that some issues which are permissible could lead to hardness of the heart if the person overdoes them such as: food, sleep, chatter and excess of laughter.

Referring to the best way to avoid hardness of the heart, the cleric cited reading Quran on daily basis, kindness to relatives, alms-giving helps and praying to reform hearts.

He also added that visiting the patients and the cemeteries helps people avoid the corruption of the soul.

He cited the Quran as saying “Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.”