The eyes, the heart and its courtyard

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Exalted, says:

يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى ٱلصُّدُورُ

Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. [Ghafir. 19]

[يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلْأَعْيُنِ – Allah knows the fraud of the eyes]: This pertains to the gaze that an individual conceals from their sitting partner and companions. It is discreetly stealing a glance. [وَمَا تُخْفِى ٱلصُّدُورُ – and all that the breasts conceal]: This pertains to the undisclosed actions of an individual. Allah is aware of these concealed deeds. (1)

Allah, The Exalted, says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَالِمُ غَيْبِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. Verily! He is the All-Knower of that is in the breasts. [Fatir. 38]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: It is obligated to a person to be mindful that Allah (knows, hears, and sees everything about them). This awareness should prompt them to focus their attention on Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, directing all their intentions, hopes, and aspirations toward Allah, and their primary concern should always be to seek what pleases Allah. (2)

Allah, The Exalted, says:

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ
إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ
مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ
ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ
مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ

Say: “I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the (only) Deity (in truth) of mankind, from the evil of the whisperer (the devil) who whispers evil and withdraws (from his whispering after one remembers Allah), who whispers in the breasts of mankind, of jinns and men.

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Why (the mention of the word) “Breast” and not “Hearts”? Contemplate the underlying reason behind Allah’s statement: [ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ – who whispers in the breasts of mankind]; but Allah did not say, “in their hearts”. As-Sadr (breast) serves as the courtyard and residence of the heart, where all matters pass through before reaching the heart. They gather in the breast before making their way into the heart, functioning as a corridor for it. Those who grasp this will comprehend Allah’s statement:

وَلِيَبْتَلَى اللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ

[It was] so that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purify what is in your hearts]. [Aal-Imran. 154]

Satan infiltrates the heart’s courtyard and dwelling place, casting whatever he desires to cast into the heart; whispers in breast, and his insinuations reach the heart. This is why Allah [The Exalted] says: [فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ – Then Satan whispered to him] and did not say, “In him” because the meaning is that he cast that to him and conveyed it to him, so it entered his heart. The heart may be initially untainted; then influenced by whispers (temptations). Sin crosses the mind, causing the heart to imagine and desire it. Gradually, this desire takes on a deceptive allure, captivating the self and leading it astray. Despite the heart’s awareness of the harm and evil consequences, sin continues to be portrayed as desirable, hindering the person from truly understanding its true nature. As a result, the focus shifts solely to the image of sin and indulgence, causing one to forget what lies beyond. This willfully chosen path transforms into an unwavering determination, intensifying the heart’s eagerness to indulge in wrongdoing. (3)

[1] An Excerpt from “Tafsir As-Sadi”

[2] An Excerpt from “Tafsir Surah Luqman page 142” by Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen.

[3] An Excerpt from “Badaa’i at-Tafsir Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim 3/449-454