Source/Credit: The Fiji Times
ByTahir Hussain Munshi | September 26, 2010
Man is described in Islam as being the 'Ashraful-Makhluka'at' that is, the pinnacle or at the apex of God's Creation. Man is also said to have been created 'in the image of God'. That means man can, with appropriate steadfastness, training and efforts emulate some of the divine traits which God has already implanted in man.
The Holy Quran illustrates that man ascends from a low physical stage known as nafse-ammara through to moral stage known as nafse-lawwama before achieving the lofty spiritual stage of nafse-muttmaeena.
While at the physical stage man is guided by his instinct and impulsive actions such as that of animals; the spiritual stage is when man reaches that stage of development where the ego no longer dominates over his decisions and actions. In the spiritual stage man begins to be guided by altruism, humility, un-selfishness and his infinite inclination to his Creator. At this stage man is divinely guided.
At the nafse-ammara or the physical stage, man remains a-social or anti-social because he is self-centred and is either unaware of the social etiquettes of the society or even if he is aware, he decides not to follow them and acts in defiance of those socially accepted behavioural norms. Like animals, at the physical stage, man eats, drinks, flares up his emotions and has difficulty in adjusting to accepted social behavour.
His self is constantly inciting him to evil. He lives for the self with little to no consideration for others.
He has failed to advance into the next higher moral stage. Either his intellectual capacity remains undeveloped or he is a victim of his adverse upbringings and the socio-economic environment in which he lives. He needs constant guidance, care and assistance to prepare him for the nafse- lawwama or the moral stage.
At the nafse-lawwama or the moral stage, man is aware of the other people in the society and the code of conduct that prevails in the society.
He is conscious that if he breaks those norms and rules of behavior, then some form of punishment, reprimand or penalty will be at stake.
The dictates of religious values; and secular rules and regulations, become the beacon from which he gets guidance for his behaviour. But, even at the moral stage, man is prone to err, as he has not yet entered the nafse- muttmaeena or the spiritual stage.
Man's constant inclination to spirituality helps him to attain the next stage where he remains 'good' not only because of some external fear for punishment or hope for reward but he internalizes altruism and is always guided by his deep sense of conscientiousness. Religion is the vehicle, when divinely guided, which helps man achieve that lofty spiritual stage. At the spiritual stage, man's accountability is no longer at the societal level but his answerability is to his Creator, God.
This article is designed neither to imply that those not religiously inclined cannot attain nafse- muttmaeena stage nor to suggest that all those who appear to be religiously inclined will certainly achieve the spiritual stage. That is far from it. For those who are chosen by God to the elevated position to the spiritual stage, He continuously bestows upon them such favours, bounties, support and help that it is proved to those possessing clear sight that such people indeed are divine favourates, who are under the grand shadow and bounty and are constantly recipients of great grace.
Observers can see that such people are honoured with extraordinary favours and are perfumed with the fragrance of divine love and enjoy pride in being accepted by God Almighty.
The light of the all-powerful so fills their companionship, that their attention; their resolve; their moral and spiritual qualities, their way of living; their joy and their anger; their desire and their dislike; their movement and their rest; their speech and their silence; and their outer and inner selves emerge as a clear and transparent glass receptacle filled with excellent perfume.
In conclusion, May God assist us in a manner such that our tendency of the ego towards shriek and sinfulness begins to be restrained and contentment and sweetness are generated.
May sane reasoning immediately discover that the chains and shackles, in which other people are bound, get removed from our feet, and that the narrowness and constriction whereby the bosoms of other people are tightened, squeezed and fatigued get eradicated from our bosoms, Ameen!
* Although the writer is the National vice-president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Fiji, the views expressed are his own.
Love for All Hatred for None
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