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).