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Clearly, the heart (qalb) is higher and purer than the breast
(sadr); and the inner heart (fu’ad) is higher and purer than the
heart; and the heart’s core (lubb) is higher and purer than the inner
heart. Clearly also, the breast, heart, inner heart and heart’s core
are not the physical realities with the same names (though there is
a certain relation between them), but metaphysical realities that lie
between—and connect—the soul and the spirit. Thus the breast
and the soul share avarice in common; God says: But avarice has
been made present in the souls … (Al-Nisa’, 4:128)
And whoever is saved from the avarice of his own soul,
those—they are the successful. (Al-Hashr, 59:9; see also:
Al-Taghabun, 64:16)
Similarly, the heart’s core and the spirit share spiritual knowledge
and secrets; God says:
Exalter of ranks, Lord of the Throne, He casts the Spirit
of His command upon whomever He wishes of His
servants, that he may warn them of the Day of Encounter.
(Ghafir, 40:15)
“O my sons, go and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and
do not despair of God’s [gracious] Spirit. Indeed none despairs
of the [gracious] Spirit of God save the disbelieving folk”.
(Yusuf, 12:87)
Beyond this, however, little can be said about the spirit because
it is infinite and it comes from God. God says in the Holy Qur’an:
They will ask you about the spirit. Say: “The spirit is by
command of my Lord, and of knowledge you have been
vouchsafed but little”. (Al-Isra, 17:85)
However, the fact that there is in every human being both a soul
and a spirit—two ‘subjectivities’, as it were—explains why, in the
Holy Qur’an, God promises every single pious person two paradises.
God says in the Holy Qur’an:
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