The Person’s Character How To Deal With it?

                                 “Consider the human self, and how

                                 it is formed in accordance with what

                                 it is meant to be; and how it is

                                 imbued with moral failings as well

                                 as with consciousness of God!

                                 Successful indeed will be the one

                                 who purifies it. And truly lost is

                                 he who eclipses it”

                                                            (Qur’an, 91:7-10).

Human being is a very complex entity. His body contains tremendous delicate powers. According to the information given by Prophet Muhammad (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) when the fetus reaches 120 days of age, in the mother’s womb, the angel comes and blows “ar-Rouh” (= the Soul) into it.

This soul is a special created being for this future person, and will be attached to him/her until his/her death, when this soul will be taken away out of the body. On the Day of Resurrection, however, it will return back to the person’s recreated body in a recreated universe, for the whole universe will change its nature (Qur’an, 14:48). This soul causes the emergence of many spiritual faculties, as the capability to understand, to know, to perceive, to feel, to initiate, to desire, to like, to dislike, etc. All these faculties will be gradually developed when the baby is born. Thus, it is a particular soul, not like the soul of animals.

All these spiritual faculties are called “an-Nafs” (= the Self). This “Self” is the person’s character, which can choose the right path or the evil one. The responsible element (the mind and the heart), within the Nafs is originally inclined to the right path, but can be deceived by the temptation of the worldly fascinations so that it may choose the wrong path. And that is why the Qur’an is always inciting man’s mind and heart to do all necessary purifying exercises, such as constantly performing obligatory prayers, fasting in the month of Ramadan, paying the due purifying alms, and carrying out pilgrimage to the Holy Sanctuary in Makkah - if one has the means to do it - and to behave correctly towards people and all other creations around. Performing all these is the only way to enable the Nafs to keep its genuineness.

The Qur’an indicates that if man’s mind/heart preferred   infringing all bounds and gave itself up to the vanities of this lower life, then his end will be the Hellfire, while if it was humbly fearing God and restrained the lower desires, his end will be Paradise (79:37-41). This may explain the verses of the Qur’an above this article. And there is another verse in the Qur’an, which states that the hearing, the sight and the inner-heart – all of them – will be called to account for decisions they have taken during this worldly life (see 17:36).

The Qur’an even describes the Final Judgment proceedings, in the Day of Judgment in such a fascinating way, when it narrates that all the sensory organs, all people’s intellectual and emotional counterparts will bear witness against those who followed their evil desires and transgressed all bounds (see 36:65; 41:19-21; and 79:37-39).

“And (remind them of) the Day when God’s enemies are gathered to the Fire, for they will be driven (thereto), until when they come close to it, their hearing and their sight and their (very) skins will bear witness against them, speaking of what they were doing (on earth). And they will ask their skins: Why did you bear witness against us? – (and) these will reply: God who gives speech to all things has given speech to us (as well): for He (it is who) has created you in the first instance – and unto Him you are (now) brought back” (41:19-21).

This fascinating scene of the Final Judgment in the Hereafter is among the unseen events, which will happen and will be witnessed in reality.

Back to how one should deal with his person’s character (an-Nafs) in this worldly life, the Qur’an emphasizes on the necessity of one’s purifying himself (his mind/heart, his intentions, his devotion to God) from evil. It also indicates that even the earlier messengers of God, like Abraham and Moses, have taught their people that only activities of purifying oneself and the consciousness of God and prayers are the conducive means to meet the successful end in the Hereafter (87:14-19).

As in the reality of everyday life a person often feels in his/her mind/heart that s/he has the right to revenge harshly against other’s “injury”, Satan incites human being to get angry quickly, whereas God invites believers to be tolerant and keep forbearance:

“Be tolerant, enjoin kindness and pay no attention to foolish people. And if any insinuation from Satan should provoke you, seek refuge in God, He is Hearing, Seeing. Truly the God-conscious, when a visitation from Satan touches them, they remember, and at once they discern (the reality)” (7:199-201).  

The Unseen: How It Should Shape Our Actions

 « And God alone comprehends the unseen

 (= the hidden reality) of the heavens and the earth, 

and to Him all matters are returning. So worship 

Him and place your trust in Him alone: for your 

Lord is not unaware of what you do” (11:123).

There are two kinds of existence:

The tangible world: this is the world and the things that we can see, touch, hear, smell or feel. For example, we can see our bodies, the bodies of people, the earth on which we stand, the trees around us, the grass, the flowers, the birds, the bees, and many kinds of animals. We can see rivers and seas, water and fire, mountains and plains, the sky with its sun, the moon and many stars. All of these are beings, all are parts of the existence: we can see them all and we can touch many of them.

The intangible world: on the other hand, there is another kind of existence regarding which we can neither see its components nor can we touch them. We believe in God, and we are sure of the existence of the soul, spirit, psyche, mind, intelligence, knowledge, awareness, etcetera, yet we cannot see or touch them. We call this kind of existence the unseen, which can be said to be the world which is beyond the reach of human perception.

The most important of all existence is the One Who is the cause of all beings: God, the Creator, the Supreme Sovereign- “the Most Gracious, has imparted the Qur’an (unto man), He has created human being, He has imparted unto him articulate thought and speech” (55:1-4). “Vision cannot attain Him, but He attains (all) vision. And He is the Subtle, the Aware” (6:103). Here we have to emphasize that this quality of God is unique and absolute. Because even when it comes to angels, for example, who are beyond the reach of human vision and perception in general, God has made it possible for the great Prophet Muhammad (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) to see the Archangel Gabriel twice, according to the Qur’an (53:13-14).

There is another kind of the unseen, that is the Jinn, from whom comes Satan, who is called Iblis (the chief devil), who tempted and deceived our parents Adam and Eve, and caused them to be driven out from the Garden (7:27). He and his tribe (= the Jinn) can watch humans, while humans cannot see them (7:27). Satan is always trying to deceive human beings, and will try always to lead them astray, but God told Satan that he shall have no control over God’s devoted persons (15:41-42). God forbids the believers from following the steps of Satan, for Satan enjoins indecency and what is reprehensible (24:21).

The biological part of human being is so complicated and indispensably important for a person, yet the unseen part of that being seems absolutely engulfing the biological part. The spiritual part of a human (= the soul, the self, the mind, the inner insight, the capacity of thought and the subtle feeling) comes into being when a special soul is breathed into the fetus by an angel (this is told by the Prophet Muhammad in one of his explanations to his companions, narrated by Ibn Massoud and reported by Bukhari and Muslim). In the Qur’an we read (the English translation): “And indeed We have created man out of the essence of clay, and then We cause him to remain as a drop of sperm in (the womb’s) firm keeping, and then We create out of the drop of sperm a germ-cell, and then We create out of the germ-cell an embryonic lump, and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh – and then We bring (all) this into being as a new creation: hollowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans!” (23:12-14).

All this “spiritual part “of a human starts its existence when the soul is breathed by the angel (when the fetus is three months old), and develops gradually when the baby is born.

When we follow this developing creation of the human being thoroughly, how could we then deny the existence and the sovereignty of God, the Creator and the Sustainer? Or how we dare to ignore His ordinances? And how could we deny or even doubt the coming of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment! Among the most important unseen reality, that Day is awaiting all humans.

There is no other solution in response to the exisitence of this unseen reality better than to surrender absolutely to God, to follow His guidance and to be always active in devoting oneself to Him. Actions of this devotion are not limited to doing prayers, but include all kinds of good deeds such as, for example, seeking more knowledge, helping one’s own family or helpless people and the needy, and in general performing all kinds of activities for the development of the surrounding society, as God says in the Qur’an:: “Anyone – be it man or woman – who does righteous deeds, and is a believer, him verily We shall revive with a goodly life. And We shall surely pay them their reward according to the best of what they used to do” (16:97).

In this verse of the Holy Qur’an, all believers who are seriously following God’s guidance in their everyday life, are promised goodly life in this world, and in the hereafter. In this worldly life, they are content with whatever lot they are destined to have in life, either in the form of abundant wealth, or limited means of livelihood. And in the life to come, which is unseen in this world, they are promised with an excellent life.

World’s Beauty & Man’s Responsibility

                        “Behold, We have willed that all
                       beauty on earth be a means by which

                       We put human beings to a test,

                       (showing) which of them are best in

                       conduct” (Qur’an, 18:7).

The Qur’an describes God, the Creator, as the Divinity, the only One Who deserves to be worshiped and obeyed, as He is the Supreme Sovereign over the whole universe. He grants life and death, and He has the power to will anything (57:2).

God has the Most Beautiful Names (or the Attributes of Perfection), because He is the Maker of all things in the universe and the Shaper of all forms and appearances (59:24). He has formed human being in a beautiful form (40:64), and has made in the most excellent condition everything that He created (32:7. He creates and adds and expands His creation unceasingly whatever and whenever He wills (35:1).

The perfectness and the beauty of all God’s creation are tremendously clear: Look at how the grain and the fruit-kernel they cleave apart; and look at how all that which is dead comes to life again, and that which is alive dies (6:95).

In fact there is a cycle of creating life out of death and death out of life. You can see, for example, the contrast between the winter of death and the spring of rebirth; and between the summer of growth, and the autumn of decay leading back to the death of winter: 

“Have you not seen that God sends down water from the skies whereby bring forth fruits of many hues – just as in the mountains there are  streaks of white and red of various shades as well as (others) raven-black, and (as) there are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues? Indeed only those God’s servants who have knowledge stand in awe of God; verily God is Almighty, Much-Forgiving” (35:27-28).

The Qur’an also notes how the verdure brings out close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree dates come out in thick clusters. And it draws attention to the gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: “all so alike, and yet so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who will believe (in God)!” (6:99).

“Do they not look at the sky above them – how We have built it beautiful and free of all faults? And the earth – We have spread it wide, and set upon it mountains firm, and caused it to bring forth plants of all beauteous kinds, thus offering an insight and a reminder unto every human being who willingly turns unto God” (50:6-8).

The entire natural world is in a state of goodness with potential for good actions by the human being under the command of the Creator. Humankind is a part of the natural patterning of creation, but they are the only creature given certain free will, so they can choose to turn willingly unto God, or to act against His order, using the very gift of reasoning bestowed to them. As God has appointed them to be the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth, to undertake the trust, which imposes on them a moral responsibility (33:72), and this assumption of responsibility makes mankind accountable for their actions (99:7-8). Part of this responsibility for them is to be the guardians of the natural world. God is the only owner of all what is in the universe, and mankind could use the natural world on usufruct, meaning that they have the right to use and to get benefit out of other creatures as much as they like, within the limit of not abusing or damaging them.

Distribution Of God’s Graces

                                        “Whatever Grace God unfolds for 
                                        people, none can withhold it; and
                                       whatever He withholds, none can 
                                       release it after Him. And He is the
                                       Mighty, the Wise” (Qur’an, 35:2).

To God belongs all that is in the universe. He is Self-Sufficient, and He is the One who provides all kinds of rizq (= sustenance) to all His creatures according to His wisdom. He is the Lord of all might and wisdom.

The Qur’an incites people to consider God’s mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that He has created (7:185) and tells them that He is the Originator of all things, and that He causes the angels to be His messengers, endowed with wings, two, three or four. Unceasingly He adds to His creation whatever He wills (35:1). “Wings” symbolize the power and the capability of doing things however God wants them to be done. The Messenger of God (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed the Angels lower their wings over the seekers of knowledge, being pleased with what s/he does”  (Narrated by Abuddardaa, and reported by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi).  

Angels are spiritual creatures, inconceivable beings for mankind. God made some angels be His “instruments” to help devoted believers whenever they need, as long as they show constancy and discipline, and use all the human means at their disposal, not wait passively and have no faith (see: Qur’an, 3:124-126). God made some of the angels watch and protect people in certain circumstances. His grace includes comprehensively everyone who takes protection from harm and evil by using all available faculties given to him/her by God, for God does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves; and when God wills people to suffer evil (in consequence of their own evil deeds), there is none who could avert it (13:11). There are Recording Angels who record all men’s thoughts and deeds (82:10-12). We can say that there are angels that God made with different powers and different capacities to execute His orders.

We have to be aware that God’s sustenance for human beings does not only mean the physical nature of things, but more importantly is the spiritual sustenance which God bestowed upon them: this applies to all positive, beneficial means of sustenance, like reason, knowledge, faith, kindness etc.

Let us ponder upon the following verses: “O Mankind! There have now come to you an admonition from your Lord/Sustainer, and a cure for all (the ill) that may be in men’s hearts, and guidance and grace to all who believe (in Him). Say: In (this) bounty of God and in His grace – in this, then, let them rejoice: it is better than all (the worldly wealth) that they may amass” (10:57-58).
This admonition is a reminder that in fact human beings, individually and collectively cannot live peacefully with physical nature alone, they need the superior “sustenance”, which is the spiritual bounty. 

There are people who complain about the non-equal distribution of sustenance. They fail to grasp that if God gives His sustenance equally to all human beings, then the wheel of social life will not function, therefore He raised some people above others (in all domains), in degrees, so that each one will need the other and exchange services. At the same time, this may be considered as a competition to show who is the best in conduct, and this is carefully watched by God and will be accounted for in the Hereafter (6:165).
Human being is also obsessed by greed of more and more, which causes him to become “grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient” (96:6).
If everyone got all what he asked for, there would be chaos and confusion, and transgression beyond bounds through the earth, but God bestows His grace in due measure (42:27).

And. human being is often ungrateful. Whenever God tests him by giving him abundant sustenance, he is happy; while when God tests him by straitening his means of livelihood, he regards it as an evidence of divine “injustice” (89:15-16).  If we however profoundly consider the real reason of injustice, which happens in this world, we can see that it comes from people’s own failure to administer their social affairs among themselves: 
God says: “No indeed! Rather they do not honor the orphan, and they do not urge the feeding of the needy; and they devour inheritance greedily; and they love wealth with abounding love” (89:17-20). 
From this blame stricken by the Almighty, we understand that the fair social interaction is very important, and that is why the Zakah system (the purifying obligatory alms giving) is prescribed in Islam upon those who have more than what they really need, to become the right of the orphan and the needy.

To conclude this contemplation on that verse of the Qur’an, I would like to say that from the very beginning God has given mankind the guidance, the criterion and all necessary ordinances to hold up justice, but very few people tend to follow that guidance. In the chaos of their livelihood, most people are neglecting their duties and even ignore God’s admonition. They do not give any attention to their future destiny in the Hereafter. And if we pay attention to God’s guidance, God’s wisdom in the distribution of His Graces will become clear to us!