The Heart · a Light
The Arabic word for heart means the thing that turns
Qalb comes from the root q l b, to turn something over, to invert it. The same root gives inqilab, which in modern Arabic is a coup, and taqallub, fluctuation. The organ is named in Arabic for instability rather than for steadiness, which is the reverse of what the English word heart suggests. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have prayed often with the words: O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion. Asked why he needed to say it, he answered that hearts are between two of the fingers of the Merciful, turned as He wills. The supplication is built on the same root as the noun.
Root q l b, to turn over
Source · Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2140
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