The First Recorded Open-Heart Procedure

1. In Islam, negative emotions like anger, toxic thoughts, and bad behavior are often seen as influences from Satan. These emotions, which lead to harmful actions and suffering, are viewed as negative forces that disrupt the purity of the heart. Satan’s role is seen as promoting feelings of hatred, envy, anger, and arrogance, all of which damage a person’s spiritual and emotional well-being, For example, the Prophet Muhammad’s heart was purified by God through a divine act, ensuring that he did not feel or act upon these negative emotions. This was a divine intervention to protect him from the harmful influences of Satan and ensure that his heart remained pure and focused on righteousness, However, it is important to clarify that this does not mean an actual devil was physically inside his heart. The Hadith itself clarifies that when Satan is mentioned in such contexts, it refers to negative inclinations, whispers, and influences that push humans toward wrong actions. In Islam, Satan is known to mislead and tempt people, but this does not mean he physically resides within them. Instead, he affects the mind and heart through external influences and inner whispers, From a modern psychological perspective, we know that negative emotions have a direct impact on physical health, especially the heart. Anger, stress, and other negative emotions contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other physical ailments. The process of emotional healing, often described in psychology as cleansing negative emotions, is similar to the spiritual purification of the heart in Islam. Practices like meditation and mindfulness have been shown to help individuals clear their minds of negative emotions and achieve inner peace. Similarly, in Islam, prayer (Salah), remembrance of God, and seeking forgiveness are seen as ways to cleanse the heart from negative influences and keep it pure.

2. In the hadith, when Angel Gabriel used Zamzam water to cleanse the Prophet Muhammad’s heart, it was a divine act directly ordered by God. This event was not just a simple act of cleansing; it was part of a miraculous process that took place at a time when God’s will was manifested directly. Zamzam water was used in this case to purify the Prophet’s heart, symbolizing a spiritual and physical cleansing that only happened by God’s divine command, While Zamzam water is undoubtedly pure and revered as the most blessed water on earth, it’s important to understand that this act cannot be replicated by humans in the same way today. The water itself is special, but the event was a unique divine intervention. If someone today drinks Zamzam water or has it used in any form, it doesn’t guarantee that their heart will be cleansed in the same miraculous manner, simply because Angel Gabriel is not physically present, and the direct divine order of God is not happening now as it did at the time of the Prophet.

3. The event of Shaqq al-Sadr (Splitting of the Chest) was a divine miracle. The purification of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) heart was not an ordinary medical procedure but a supernatural act performed by Angel Jibreel under God’s command, The Zamzam water or any other divine substance used in this process was not just physical—it had a spiritual and healing power beyond human comprehension. In Islam, God is Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful), meaning He can create anything with unique properties that go beyond what science can explain.

This is why no modern doctor or medical technology can replicate this event. It was a divine purification, preparing the Prophet (PBUH) for his great mission. Just as miracles like the parting of the Red Sea for Prophet Musa (Moses) or the virgin birth of Jesus.

 

The Event of Shaqq al-Sadr Happened Four Times: A Divine Message to Humanity

The Splitting of the Chest (Shaqq al-Sadr) of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not a permanent modification but a divine act shown to humanity at different stages of his life. It occurred four times, each carrying a distinct purpose and significance. If this was merely a symbolic event, why did it happen multiple times? Each occurrence happened at a key stage of the Prophet’s (PBUH) life, demonstrating that it was not a one-time miracle but a continuous divine intervention that prepared him for greater responsibilities.

Why Did It Happen Three Times?

Some later sources and weaker narrations mention a possible fourth occurrence before his passing, but there is no strong or widely accepted hadith that confirms this. If you want to focus on what is authentically recorded, it is best to stick to the three well-established events.

1️⃣ During Childhood (Purification from Satan’s Influence)
📖 Hadith Reference: Anas ibn Malik reported that Angel Jibreel took the Prophet (PBUH) while he was playing, split open his chest, removed a small black clot, and said, “This was Satan’s portion in you.” (Sahih Muslim 162)

Purpose: This purification ensured that even as a child, the Prophet (PBUH) was protected from Satan’s influence. It symbolized the removal of all traces of negativity, making his heart the purest among humankind. It also safeguarded him from idolatry and corrupt beliefs, ensuring he remained firm in pure monotheism from the very beginning.

2️⃣ Before Receiving Prophethood (Preparation for Revelation)
📖 Hadith Reference: It is reported that before the first revelation, Angel Jibreel again opened his chest, purified his heart, and filled it with wisdom and faith.

Purpose: This act prepared the Prophet (PBUH) to receive divine revelation. Just as knowledge requires a receptive mind, divine knowledge required a pure heart. By strengthening his spiritual purity, he was made ready to carry the heavy responsibility of prophethood and remain steadfast in spreading God’s message.

3️⃣ During Isra and Mi’raj (Strengthening for Divine Encounter)
📖 Hadith Reference: Before the Night Journey (Isra) and Ascension (Mi’raj), Angel Jibreel again split his chest, washed his heart with Zamzam, and filled it with faith and wisdom before taking him through the heavens.

Purpose: This was done to strengthen his heart for witnessing divine realities that no human had ever experienced. It was a preparation for his meeting with God and seeing Paradise, Hell, and the unseen realms. This ensured he could withstand the spiritual intensity of these events without fear or doubt.

If people today believe that complex heart surgeries are possible through human knowledge and technology, then denying an event that happened by God’s will, who is the Creator of all things, is contradictory.

1. Science Proves Possibility, But God is Above Science

Modern heart surgery proves that opening the chest, operating on the heart, and closing it without harm is possible.
If humans can achieve this with limited knowledge, then why is it difficult to believe that God, the Creator of humans, could allow Angel Gabriel to perform a divine procedure on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? Medical advancements only confirm what was already possible by God’s power. In fact, Shaqq al-Sadr serves as the first recorded example of an open-heart procedure, given by God through the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). What we are doing today with technology and knowledge was, in essence, already demonstrated by God’s will centuries ago.

2. Miracles Are Beyond Science

Just because something is not repeatable in a lab doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Science is limited to human discovery, but miracles happen by the will of God, beyond human understanding, If we believe in the miracles of other prophets (e.g., Moses splitting the sea, Jesus healing the sick), then why doubt Shaqq al-Sadr? The first open-heart procedure was not the result of human ingenuity, it was a divine act that shows the true power of God.

3. Historical and Witnessed Event

The splitting of the chest is not just a legend, it has been narrated in authentic Hadiths by multiple witnesses, including Anas ibn Malik. It happened more than once, further proving its significance. The fact that it was witnessed by others establishes its credibility, showing that God’s will was clearly manifested in a way that was undeniable at the time.

4. Science Confirms Religious Concepts

Many things that seemed impossible in the past (e.g., organ transplants, heart surgery, space travel) are now realities.
Similarly, Shaqq al-Sadr happened before medical science discovered heart surgery, proving that religious texts sometimes reveal things before human discovery, What we now view as a scientific breakthrough was already demonstrated by God’s will to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), showing that miracles often precede human knowledge and understanding, If a person believes in human surgical advancements, then logically, they should not deny a miracle performed by God’s will, which is far greater than any human achievement. Denying it means rejecting the possibility that the Creator has more power than His creation, The first recorded open-heart procedure wasn’t performed by humans, it was an act of God’s will, demonstrated through Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This event showed us that what we now accomplish with technology was already made possible through divine intervention.

The Contradiction of Human Thought

Humans pride themselves on scientific and technological advancements, yet they often find themselves rejecting events that occur through divine will, despite being surrounded by evidence of these powers in nature. How is it that humans believe in the limitations of science but refuse to accept the limitless power of God?

1. Science Cannot Explain Everything
   Humans have made tremendous strides in understanding the natural world, but we must acknowledge that science itself is limited by human understanding. There are countless phenomena, from the laws of physics to the mysteries of the mind, that science still cannot fully explain. Just as science once could not explain why the sky was blue or why the sun rose every morning, it continues to be unable to explain why miracles, like the splitting of the chest of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), happened.

   But why, then, do we believe in science so readily and deny anything outside of it? Just because something cannot be explained by science today doesn’t mean it cannot be explained in the future, or that it is beyond the realm of possibility altogether. Science is limited to what humans can observe, test, and replicate. If something falls outside of these constraints, it does not automatically mean it is false or impossible.

   If we are to reject everything that is beyond human comprehension, we would have to reject the vast majority of the mysteries of nature itself, from the workings of the universe to the complexities of the human brain. But instead, we choose to accept what we can understand and dismiss the rest as fantasy. This approach is logically flawed and denies the vastness of divine power.

The Arrogance of Denial

Denying divine intervention while accepting human progress is a contradiction rooted in arrogance, Humans trust fallible doctors but refuse to trust the infallible Creator. They accept things only when humans achieve them, as if knowledge is only valid when discovered by themselves, But is human discovery the measure of all truth? A person who boasts about science but denies God is like a man who enjoys the warmth of the sun yet refuses to acknowledge its existence. If humans can do surgery, then God, who designed the human body, can purify a heart without any tools. If you marvel at what doctors can do with scalpels and machines, then why deny what the One who created life itself can do without them? They believe in books written by humans but question a book revealed by God. They accept theories that change with time but reject divine wisdom that has remained unchanged. They praise medical advancements but deny the One who gave humans the ability to think and learn.

Rejecting the Creator While Using His Creation

The same people who deny miracles still rely on the laws of nature, laws they did not create. They use oxygen, water, and healing mechanisms that exist within their bodies but do not question who put them there, They reject miracles while living inside a world full of divine precision, If you trust in human knowledge, then at least acknowledge the One who gave knowledge its foundation. If you believe that heart surgery is possible today, then you should not deny that God made it possible first, A person who rejects divine power while benefiting from it is like a man who drinks water yet denies the existence of its source. You accept that the heart can be healed by human hands, but you refuse to believe it was first purified by the hands of an angel. You celebrate human intelligence but reject divine wisdom. You put your faith in limited men yet turn your back on the limitless Creator, You believe in invisible forces like gravity, electricity, and emotions, things you cannot see but accept because you experience their effects. Yet when it comes to the unseen power of God, you demand proof as if His existence is less real than the air you breathe, They say, “Show me a miracle, then I will believe.” But even if they saw one, they would deny it, just as those before them denied the miracles of Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The reality is not that they need proof, the reality is that they refuse to accept anything greater than themselves. Their arrogance blinds them to the truth, and their pride keeps them from bowing to the One who created them.

The First Open-Heart Procedure: A Lesson for Humanity

The purification of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) heart was not just a miracle, it was a lesson for all of humanity. It showed that true purity comes from God, not from human effort alone. It demonstrated that what is impossible for man is effortless for God, If humans today marvel at their ability to open a chest, operate on a heart, and save a life, then they should remember, God did it first, And He did it in a way no doctor ever can.