✦⋆· said, "O Lord, who are those whom You will shade under the Shade of Your Throne on the Day of Judgment when no shade will avail other than Your Shade?" He said, "Allah Almighty revealed, "Those with pure hearts."

✦⋆· said, "As long as the hearts are not punctured with desires and polluted with greed and hardened by bounties, they will be vessels of wisdom."

● "When an animal is not mounted, trained or used it will become hard to use and its character will change. The same goes for the hearts - if they are not made soft with the remembrance of death, followed by diligent worship, they will harden and become harsh."

✦⋆· Allah, most High, has receptacles on the earth, and verily they are the hearts.

The most beloved of hearts to Allah are the softest ones, the purest ones, and the firmest ones: those that are the softest to their brothers, those that are the most pure from sins, and those that are the firmest [at containing] the essence of Allah."

● The Prophet (saw) said, "Verily these hearts rust like metal rusts when exposed to water." He was asked, "And what can polish them?" He said, "Remembering death much, and reciting the Qur'an."

● "Allah Almighty says, "The discussion of knowledge among My servants revives the dead hearts if by it they seek to fulfil My command."

● "Allah Almighty does not look at your appearances, nor at your possessions, rather he looks at your hearts and actions."

● "If it was not for the devils hovering around the hearts of human beings, they would be able to see the Divine Kingdom (malakut)."

● "If it were not for the dispersion of your hearts and your excess in speaking, you would hear what I hear."

● "Three things harden the heart: listening to distracting words of amusement (lahw), hunting, and associating with rulers."

● "Accustom your hearts to being soft, and increase your contemplation and cry much due to fear of Allah."

✦⋆· "Your heart will not be sound unless you love for the believers what you love for yourself."

● Imam Ali (as), in his intimate supplication said, "O Allah, grant me the perfection of devotion to You, and illuminate the sight of our hearts with the radiance of being able to behold You until the sight of our hearts pierces through the veils of light, reaching the source of Exaltedness, and our souls become attached to the glory of Your Sacredness."

● "Purify yourselves from the impurity of carnal desires and you will perceive elevated stations."

● "Hearts of people are like wild beasts. They attach themselves to those who love and train them."

● "Tears only dry up [i.e. fail to flow] as a result of hardness of the heart, and the hearts only harden as a result of frequent sinning."

● "Too much money corrupts religion and hardens the heart."

● "Beware of disputing and quarrelling, for they sicken the heart against one's brethren and give rise to hypocrisy against them."

● "Nothing hurts the heart more than sins."

● "One whose piety decreases, his heart dies, and whoever's heart dies will enter Hell."

● "Meeting righteous people preserves the heart."

● "Hearts have the tendency of likes and dislikes and are liable to be energetic and lethargic.

Therefore, make them work when they are energetic because if hearts are forced (to do a thing) they will be blinded."

✦⋆· "The soundest of hearts is the heart that is pure of obscure matters."

✦⋆· "Embark upon softening the heart through constant remembrance [of Allah] in places of seclusion."

✦⋆· "The status of the heart to the body is the same as that of a leader among people."

● Imam Sadiq (as), with respect to Allah's verse in the Qur'an: "except him who comes to Allah with a sound heart" said, "A sound heart that meets its Lord having nothing other than Him in it. Every heart that has polytheism or doubt is a failed heart."

● "Our followers [shi'aa] are people who have four eyes: two eyes in the head and two eyes in the heart. Verily, all creation have so, but Allah Almighty has opened your sight and blinded their sight."

● "You have a heart and ears to hear, and verily if Allah wants to guide a servant, He will open the ears of his hearts, and if He wills the opposite, He will seal the ears of his heart so it will never again be sound. This is the purport of Allah's verse: "or are there locks on the hearts?"[ Quran 47:24]

● "Hearts have rust like the rust of copper so polish them with repentance."

✦⋆· "Allah Almighty revealed unto Dawud (as), "O Dawud, warn and caution your companions against the love of desires, for those whose hearts are attached to worldly desires, their hearts are veiled from Me."

✦⋆· "Hearts draw near and turn away, and become active and frigid. So when they draw forward they see and understand, and when they fall back they become dim and weary. Therefore, make use of them when they draw near and are active, and leave them when they are feeble and weary."

✦⋆· "Seeking Allah with the heart is more effective than tiring the limbs with actions."