The Heart Has a Mind of its Own

I have always believed that the heart has a mind of its own.

Know the feeling? When your heart lawan taukeh and refuses to follow the brain? We often think that the brain is the ultimate command centre. It isn't. Why does Allah continuously refer to the heart instead of the brain in the Quran?

Excerpts from online sources:

"Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth). (The Noble Quran, 50:37)"

"That is because they believed, then they rejected Faith: So a seal was set on their hearts: therefore they understand not. (The Noble Quran, 63:3)"

"Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that God will not bring to light all their rancour? (The Noble Quran, 47:29)"

"Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee; but We have thrown veils on their hearts, So they understand it not, and deafness in their ears; if they saw every one of the signs, not they will believe in them; in so much that when they come to thee, they (but) dispute with thee; the Unbelievers say: "These are nothing but tales of the ancients." (The Noble Quran, 6:25)"

"... God might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts. For God knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.(The Noble Quran, 3:154)"

"And that which is (locked up) in (human) breasts is made manifest- (The Noble Quran, 100:10)"

The word qalb in Arabic means heart as well as intelligence
In the Arabic language the word ‘heart’ is also used to connote one’s centre of understanding.

In the English language heart means an organ in the body which pumps blood. The same word heart is also used for the centre of thought, love and emotion. Today we know that brain is the centre of thought, love and emotion. Yet while expressing emotions a person is likely to say "I love you from the bottom of my heart". Imagine a scientist telling his wife, "I love you from the bottom of my heart" and the wife replies, "Don’t you even know the basics of science, that the brain is responsible for the emotions and not the heart? In fact you should say I love you from the bottom of my brain."

When brain cells are put in a petri dish, they die. But a heart cell continues to beat, until it goes into fibrillation ie: beats too wildly and dies. But put two heart cells together, beating separately and they soon start to beat in tandem, sending out a message to each other. Kinda explains the intricacies of human emotion, doesn't it?

I found this great piece on the heart/head connection. A bit technical, but worth a slow read to understand ourselves.

The Heart/Head Connection