Heart and spiritual well-being

An important type of well-being, which is more valuable and critical than other ones, is spiritual well-being. Other types of well-being are in fact the prerequisite of achieving spiritual well-being and utilizing spiritual virtues that are accepted by any human being. Indeed, spiritual well-being is directly associated with the bliss in the world and the hereafter. Thus, it is more precious than other types of well-being. In this regard, heart is considered the container of spiritual well-being (1). The notion of heart mentioned in the Quran is different from the pectoral heart shaped inside humans’ chest. It has therefore been described as a container which is capacious and limited at the same time and can be the cause of guidance or misleading (2). In the Quran, the concept of heart refers to humans’ soul (3-5), which is not physical and constitutes a major portion of human being. It encompasses humans’ personality, beliefs, ethics, and spiritual well-being (6). As a result, the Quran has referred to heart disease, which is totally different from physical diseases that humans may suffer from. A sick heart is the one that is not a mirror of the truths of existence and does not reflect divine manifestations; a healthy heart, on the contrary, does have these capabilities (7). Furthermore, a sick heart is inclined toward debauchery and goes beyond divine limits under the influence of evil temptations (1). Many of the social, ethical, and cultural anomalies that are witnessed nowadays have their roots in the sick heart. As a matter of fact, heart is the main focus of human spirit and can cause human happiness or hardship. Therefore, paying attention to heart cleanliness and its role in achieving spiritual well-being, the way this type of well-being can be achieved, and strategies that should be followed to improve it can impact other types of well-being, hence leading to well-being for the whole society.