Healing the Heart with the Qur’an
Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “Verily We sent down the Qur’an and in it is that which is a cure and a mercy for the believers.”
SubhanAllah, the Qur’an was sent as a cure for every disease - even physical diseases. But today, I want to focus on healing the heart from spiritual diseases.
1. Understanding Spiritual Disease
Despite the luxury and affluence in today’s world, many people experience spiritual unrest and lack inner peace. This is often due to spiritual ailments such as:
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Doubts about Allah and His deen
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Hardness of the heart (not feeling the sweetness of the Qur’an or khushu’ in prayer)
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Weakness of iman
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Love for Dunya over Allah
We cannot truly understand ourselves or our purpose without first knowing Allah, and the Qur’an is the ultimate way to know Him.
“The only way to truly know oneself and one’s purpose is to first know Allah. And the only way to know Allah is through the Qur’an.”
2. Treat the Qur’an as Daily Medicine
Just as we cannot skip food, we cannot go a day without reciting the Qur’an. Even if we’re not in the mood, we must take it like daily medicine for the heart.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin was asked about the Qur’an as medicine. He said:
“All of the Qur’an is a medicine.”
Without holding firmly onto the Qur’an, we cannot achieve inner peace, strength, or stability.
3. Practical Steps to Heal the Heart
Observe the Manners of Recitation
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Take wudu before reciting.
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Seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan.
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Approach the Qur’an with focus and presence of heart.
Read with Your Heart, Not Just Your Eyes
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Switch on the feeling of your heart as you read.
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Understand that Allah is speaking to you through every word.
Prepare Your Inner State
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Realize your need for the Qur’an and the mercy of Allah.
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Reflect on your sins, your weaknesses, and the diseases of your heart.
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Recite the Qur’an to increase knowledge, guidance, and protection from misguidance.
4. Sheikh Ibn Al-Qayyim’s Four-Step Approach
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Empty your heart of worldly concerns and focus on Allah and the Hereafter.
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Ponder the meanings of the words you read.
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Apply the meanings to the spiritual ailments in your heart.
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Self-awareness: Identify your own weaknesses and ask Allah to cure them.
If you feel hardness of heart, make istighfar - say Astaghfirullah - to soften your heart.
5. Understand the Qur’an as Personal Messages
Hassan al-Basri (rahimahullah) said:
“The righteous predecessors viewed the Qur’an as messages from Allah.”
Every verse teaches us something:
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About Allah and His greatness
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About guidance in our religion
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How to attain Jannah or avoid the fire
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How to improve our character and akhlaq
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Lessons from the prophets and past struggles
Reflect, visualize, and interact with the verses:
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For Jannah: Imagine the peace, beauty, and freedom from sadness.
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For the fire: Ask Allah for protection and reflect on the reality of accountability.
Ask Allah during recitation:
اللهم شفى صدري يا رب. اللهم شفى قلبي
“O Allah, heal my heart, heal what’s in my chest.”
6. Internal Effect Leads to External Change
Tears and emotions alone are not enough. The Qur’an should transform your actions, character, and relationships.
Aisha (RA) described the Prophet ﷺ:
“His character was the Qur’an.”
Every verse you read should be a hujjah (proof) for you, not against you, on the Day of Judgment.
7. Keep Struggling and Don’t Give Up
In the beginning, you may not feel anything. But each recitation cleanses and purifies your heart, breaking the shackles that block understanding and iman.
Even without Arabic comprehension, the Qur’an’s guidance can reach your heart through translation. Over time, study Arabic and tafsir to deepen your connection.
8. The Most Important Ingredient: Sincerity
You must want to change and open your heart to guidance. Allah says:
“Those who strive in Our way, We will surely guide them to Our paths.”
Even if understanding is difficult, keep reciting. Small, consistent daily recitation raises your level with Allah and purifies your heart.
9. A Beautiful Du’a
“O Allah, let the Qur’an be the delight of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sadness, and the comforter of my worries.”