A Heart Assessment If God is close then why do we feel disconnected? Why do we experience a perceived distance from God? The Quran has a straightforward answer to this: No, verily their hearts are encrusted with what they have done. [83:14] Sins and ambivalence create a physical crust on our heart, and this is why we feel detached. The encased heart becomes hard and numb, and does not easily respond to reminders and invitations to do good. The effort it takes to break through the crust and revive the heart is different for every person. For some, there is a living, beating heart just under a thin layer of crust. Others will find their true, living heart through some effort, ch

I was thinking that perhaps our character, emotions, and actions all have a silent role to play with regards to how well we are able to understand and reflect on the meanings of the Quran.

The reason that I say that is, we know that the heart plays a vital role in reflection (tadabbur) because over here Allah says:

'Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?' (47:24)

Therefore, if the heart becomes stained with sins, greed, jealousy, arrogance, or other negative attributes, then this may all have a proportionately negative impact on how well we are able to reflect and benefit from the Quran.

But, if we are able to keep the heart more clean and soun

Not all that burns is a punishment. Not all that feels acidic is destruction.

Allah’s mercy and light are always around us...

But my heart wasn’t ready to receive it. It was layered with rust—sins, distractions, desires, evil thoughts, heedlessness.

Then, by divine decree, Allah placed me in an acidic medium.

It burned—but not to destroy me. It burned to dissolve the rust I had allowed to build over my heart.

When I went through that deep pain,when I felt alone, broken, and suffocated by uncertainty— my heart finally cracked open.

And through that crack, Allah’s light entered.

In that vulnerable moment, Allah allowed me to utter:

'La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, innee kuntu minaz-zali