No indeed! Rather what they have earned has rusted up their
hearts. (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 14) The term ‘rusted’ used to
describe hearts in verse of Surat al-Mutaffifin may be a
reference to biochemical reaction that takes place in the heart.
(Allah knows the truth.) Rust is the result of iron reacting
with oxygen – oxidation. The oxygen we absorb from the air is
carried through the body thanks to the iron in the hemoglobin in
the blood. During this process, the oxygen reacts with the iron
in the blood. This means there is a constant process resembling
rusting in the blood in the human body, and therefore in the
heart, the center of the circulation system. An excess of iron
in the blood can even lead to premature aging in all the body’s
cells by causing rust-like oxidation. i In the disease known as
‘hemochromatosis,’ caused by excess iron accumulating in the
body, iron produces a toxic effect and causes organs such as the
liver to collapse. Since this is the result of iron oxidation,
this phenomenon is often