A089
Surah: 026 - Ayah: 089
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26:89
Salman (Salmanu’l-khayr)
(a) Salman was an exemplary mu'min of the time of Prophethood. (b) Salman is a proof of the verse of the sound heart (26:89). (c) He became one of the doors of paradise. (d) The sacred light of the holy ahl-i bayt had risen in the personal world of Salman. (e) In the time of every Imam, some pure mu'mins (men and women) become like Salman-i Farsi.
Salman (The heart which is free from inner diseases)
It is said in verse (26:89): "Save to him who comes to Allah with a faultless heart." To go to the presence of God in such a way (i.e. with a faultless heart) is not an ordinary thing, it is the excellent character of Hazrat Ibrahim and his spiritual companions (60:4) and that of the holy Prophet (33:21).
Qalb salim (Sound heart)
In verse (26:89) is mentioned qalb-i salim, the sound heart, by which is meant a heart which has been illumined with the light of Imamat. In the case of such a mu'min, the Imam himself becomes his heart.
In Islam, which is the religion of nature, there is no worship which does not have an aspect of spiritual medicine. It is well known to everyone that the supreme purpose of every worship is the pleasure of God and in order to attain which it is necessary to follow the excellent example of the holy Prophet, in which there is necessarily the perfect health of intellect, soul, heart and mind. Contrary to this, if there is illness within oneself, then this amounts to unconsciousness or semi-consciousness, in which the correct worship is not possible. Therefore, there is paramount importance of the sound heart (qalb-i salim) in the wise Qur’an (26:89; 37:84). In other words, we can also say that every Islamic worship is a worship as well as a spiritual treatment. For instance, fasting on the one hand is a worship of Almighty Allah, and on the other, a treatment. Similarly, prayer (salat) and other kinds of worship too, are a treatment.
By the qalb-i salim (sound heart) is meant an intellect which is free from all intellectual diseases (26:89; 37:84). Thus, Hazrat Ibrahim, by the grace of God, had come to the special proximity of God through such a safe, sound and healthy intellect, and this is the best example of practical guidance for all people. Thus, it is extremely important for every mu’min to feel his intellectual disease and effect the cure of it.
The heart in which there is no such disease and which is enriched with the wealth of every kind of health and soundness, is called a “sound heart (qalb-i salim)” (26:89; 37:84) by the holy Qur’an.
It is a proof of the health and success of the intellect, if the animal soul due to the heavenly medicines, dissolves into human soul and the human soul into intellect. Such an intellect will be called the sound heart (qalb-i salim) (26:89), which will be able to attain the special proximity of God, the Benevolent, following Hazrat Ibrahim (37:84; 60:4) and the holy Prophet (21:107; 33:21), not only in the Hereafter, but also in this world.
As has already been explained, according to the wise Qur’an, the worst and the most fatal spiritual disease is unbelief and hypocrisy, which is in the hearts of the unbelievers and hypocrites. And in contrast to this, the best and most salutary health which has pure life, is in the form of submission, faith, light of knowledge and recognition, which in the holy Qur’an is mentioned as the sound heart (26:89; 37:84). Such a pure and illumined heart, which is perfectly healthy according to the standard fixed by God, the Exalted, is the blessed heart of the Prophets and awliya', which the people of faith can also attain through complete obedience. That is, such a sound heart, with its paragon of beauty and grace, can be attained only in the last station of the spiritual journey, or after climbing the ladder of ascent.
What is the difference between a worldly and a truly religious man? The difference between them is not external, it is internal. That is, the religious person has the soul of faith (ruhu'l-iman), while the worldly man does not have it. Thus, the fortunate one who has been revived in the soul of faith, feels or realises his inner diseases and always searches for real health. Although the real health is in Paradise, it is from this world that one has to go with a healthy intellect and soul (qalb-i salim) (26:89) to the presence of God, otherwise there will be great disappointment and regret.
Who is most loved and chosen by God, the Exalted? A: The one who serves His household most, namely, His creatures. Q: Will a person who is loved most by God not be cured from all internal, spiritual and intellectual diseases? A: Why not? Definitely, such a person will attain the sound heart (qalb-i salim, 26:89). For, since God is the Holy, He first purifies from spiritual diseases and sins, the one whom He wants to befriend and love and then He loves him.
The real heart of man is the exalted Imam, whom the Wise Qur’an has called qalb-i salim (26:89; 37:84) and qalb-i munib (50:33) which is in reality the higher "I". That is, the heart which has submitted to God and returned to Him. If a trial has become an obstacle between man and his heart, then in order to overcome this and reach the heart, he needs knowledge and good deeds.
This verse has been referred 14 times.