Heart and Mind

In the Classical Arabic of the Quran the terms for heart and mind are often used interchangeably. This may seem strange for people who are only familiar with these terms in their modern use. The three words are قلب (qalb), صدر (sadr), and فاد (fawd).

In modern Arabic the Arabic word قلب (qalb) has typically the meaning of heart, but in the Classical Arabic of the Quran this word can mean both heart and/or mind. Here is a simple example to show this.

7:179 We have committed to Hell multitudes of jinns and humans. They have minds with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like animals; no, they are far worse—they are totally unaware.

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

Consider that we use our ears for hearing. We use our eyes for seeing. So what do we use for understanding? One can say hearts, but a more accurate translation in this context is minds.