How is it to say, “There should only be a veil of the heart”?

The following question was posed to the renowned spiritual guide and leader of Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlānā Ilyās ꜤAṭṭār al-Qādirī دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ:

What is the truth behind the phrase “There should only be a veil of the heart”? He دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ replied:

This is a great and extremely evil trap of Satan. Moreover, this phrase contains rejection of verses of the noble Quran that command one to cover the apparent body. For example, it is stated in part 22, Surah Al-Ahzaab, verse 33:

وَ قَرۡنَ فِیۡ بُیُوۡتِکُنَّ وَ لَا تَبَرَّجۡنَ تَبَرُّجَ الۡجَاھِلِیَّۃِ  الۡاُوۡلٰی

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: And stay in your homes and do not remain unveiled like the former unveiling in the times of ignorance.^[1]

In Tafseer Siraat-ul-Jinan, volume 8, page 21, the commentary of this verse is given as follows:

Meaning, you should not observe unveiling the way the women of the former era of ignorance used to remain unveiled. The Quranic commentators have different opinions in regard to the former and latter eras of ignorance. One of the opinions is that the era of former ignorance refers to the period before Islam. During that time, women would go out strutting and reveal their adornment and beauty so that (unrelated) men gaze at them. They would wear such clothing that would not cover their body parts properly. Furthermore, the era of latter ignorance refers to the last era, in which the affairs of people will become like those of the former people.^[2] 

Remember, the person who outright denies the concept of veiling and says, “Only the heart is to be veiled” leaves the fold of Islam. The Reviver of Islam, the Imām of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states, “This notion that the inner [i.e., heart] should be pure, regardless of the state of the apparent form, is baseless. It is stated in a blessed Hadith, ‘If his heart was pure, then his outer form would have been reformed by itself.’”^[3] 

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of the Awliya! Generally, a person passes through three stages in his life: (1) Childhood (2) Youth, and (3) Old age.

In childhood, a person is inclined towards play and amusement. In old age, the limbs become weak, and one becomes afflicted by numerous diseases; one is less inclined towards sins and more inclined towards performing worship. However, youth is that important phase of a person’s life where carnal desires dominate a person’s mind. That is because the body parts are healthy and sound during this phase of life. Therefore, our youth forget the true purpose of their life and waste the precious moments of life in immodest activities rather than spending them in activities that would earn the pleasure of Allah Almighty.

Therefore, in order to save themselves from the destructiveness of immodesty, our youth in particular should follow the footsteps of the righteous predecessors رَحْمَۃُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَیْہِمْ in terms of how they beautifully spent the precious moments of their youth. They observed immense modesty even at the peak of their youth. In return, they became deserving of rewards and