In our Western view of human nature, someone with "heart" is one who feels deeply. The Sufi concept of heart is far richer and more complex. The heart is a divine temple found within the breast of everyone, made by God to house the spark of God within us. One of the foundations of Sufism is to cleanse and open the heart, to make the heart a fit temple for God's presence.

If we remember that our hearts are divine temples, our sense of self and our whole psychology is transformed. From this perspective, we are not worldly creatures seeking the spiritual; we are spiritual beings seeking to discover our own true nature. What we truly are is to be found in our heart of hearts.

If we remember that everyone's heart is a divine temple, then we will see everyone differently and behave with greater love and caring. After all, the holy temples of this world have been built by prophets and saints, but the temple of the heart was created by God. This image of others is the foundation of the Sufi practice of service. To remember to honor the heart in each person is a great discipline. We so often forget. But if we could remember, our lives and all our relationships would be transformed. A working Sufi community is, in part, designed to foster this remembering.

Robert Frager, Heart, Self, and Soul