Types of Hearts

Hadith-I

Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Sa`id saying that the Messenger of Allah said

(The hearts are four (types):-

a)polished as shiny as the radiating lamp:-As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and the lamp is the light of faith.The example of faith in this heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. 

b)a sealed heart with a knot tied around its seal:-The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever.

c)a heart that is turned upside down:-The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he had knowledge but denied it. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand on that heart). This Hadith has a Jayid Hasan (good) chain of narration.

d)and a wrapped heart:-As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy.

Allah said,

(And if Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Certainly, Allah has power over all things).

Hadith-II

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

(And if Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight), "Because they abandoned the truth after they had knowledge in it.''

(Certainly, Allah has power over all things).

Hadith-III

Ibn `Abbas said,

"Allah is able to punish or pardon His servants as He wills.'' Ibn Jarir commented, "Allah only described Himself with the ability to do everything in this Ayah as a warning to the hypocrites of His control over everything, and to inform them that His ability completely encompasses them and that He is able to take away their hearing and sight.''

Ibn Jarir and several other scholars of Tafsir stated that these two parables are about the same kind of hypocrite. So the `or' mentioned in,

(Or like a rainstorm from the sky) means `and', just as the Ayah,

(And obey neither a sinner or a disbeliever among them). Therefore, `or' in the Ayah includes a choice of using either example for the hypocrites. Also, Al-Qurtubi said that `or' means, "To show compatibility of the two choices, just as when one says, `Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin.' According to the view of Az-Zamakhshari, `so it means each of these persons is the same as the other, so you may sit with either one of them.' The meaning of `or' thus becomes `either.' Allah gave these two examples of the hypocrites, because they both perfectly describe them.''

I (Ibn Kathir) say, these descriptions are related to the type of hypocrite, because there is a difference between them as we stated. For instance, Allah mentioned these types in Surat Bara'ah (chapter 9) when He repeated the statement, "And among them'' three times, describing their types, characteristics, statements and deeds. So the two examples mentioned here describe two types of hypocrites whose characteristics are similar. For instance, Allah gave two examples in Surat An-Nur, one for the advocates of disbelief and one for the followers of disbelief, He said,

 (As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert) (24:39), until,

The first example is of the advocates of disbelief who have complex ignorance, while the second is about the followers who have simple ignorance. Allah knows best.