Quran and Medicine

Quran and Medicine

The Heart in the Qur'an and Modern Neuroscience

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zeinab Hosseini 1
Mohammad Sadegh Shojaei 2
1 M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Al-Mustafa International Research Institute, Qom, Iran
Abstract
The heart in religious texts is a fundamental concept. A proper understanding of it can deepen our insight into the relationship between intellect, emotion, health, and illness. In the Qur’an, functions such as reasoning and emotion are attributed to the heart—functions that are today mostly assigned to the brain. Despite the heart’s importance in Islamic sources, there is significant disagreement about its nature and essence.This study aims to prove the hypothesis that the “heart” mentioned in the Qur’an refers to the pineal heart, which possesses cognitive and emotional capacities. Using an analytical-descriptive approach, this research examines the concept of the heart based on Qur’anic verses, prophetic narrations, and recent findings in neuroscience.The results show that in both the Islamic epistemological framework and modern neuroscience, the heart’s role goes beyond mere blood pumping. Verses, especially Qur’an 22:46, and narrations indicate that the pineal heart has cognitive and emotional functions. Modern scientific findings, highlighting an independent neural network in the heart, hormone secretion, and its complex interaction with the brain, confirm these cognitive and emotional roles.Based on religious and scientific evidence, the pineal heart can be regarded as the basis for cognitive and emotional experiences. This research opens the way for re-examining religious concepts related to the heart and offers new perspectives in Islamic psychology and psychopathology grounded in revealed teachings.
Keywords
Pineal heart
cognition
emotion
neuron
hormone
The Holy Qur’an
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