The World Of Soul

The world of soul

Introduction

Modern civilisation “ties man to the earth and separates him from heaven". The human heart is overfilled with worldly troubles and desires that make him forget about what is important for eternity.

 At a certain moment in history a system appeared in the Muslim theology based on scientific research and life necessity. This system studied the issues, concerned with the non-material human soul, the inner world of man in the light of the Qur’an and the Sunna. Guided by the Holy Scripture and prophetic knowledge scholars tried to understand the essence of human nature (spirit, heart, soul) and to give practical recommendations how to achieve absolute harmony (on the level of heart and reason) with oneself, with the Creator, with the world around us and with the people, who live with us.

 In this study we shall try, may the Lord help us, to focus on this aspect of the Muslim theological heritage in a concise way and as applied to modern realia. In the dark of today’s fuss and in the haze of dull everyday life we shall try to outline the life stage, where man starts to live not only for his corporeal needs and cold intellectual formulae, but also for his soul, heart, escaping the quagmire of depression, tiredness, boredom and carelessness.

 How far we shall succeed in it only Allah, the Lord of the world, knows, for He is Great and Holy. But nevertheless we shall do our best, setting all our hopes on His blessing and infinite mercy.

The essence of the issue

Every man should first of all be able to work on self-improvement. Man should deserve the right to be reckoned among believers, among Muslims, who worship the Lord of the world, the Unique and the Mighty Creator. The soul, which is in our bodies, is the subject of our work.

 “...and said the Bedouins: “We came to believe". But tell them [oh, Muhammad]: You did not [Do not say that you came to believe in the Author, Allah, who is Great and Holy]. But say [you can say]: We became obedient [we accepted Mohammed’s directions and are ready to follow them]. And when faith will reach your hearts…[you can justly be numbered to believers when faith will not only be in words of mouth but also in your souls and hearts]."[1]

 One should improve oneself only within the scopes which are outlined by Allah in the Holy Scripture with due regard for the main principles of the Muslim culture and ethics. This process has several stages, but it is not bound by any limits. As soon as man stops working at oneself, sins, both major and minor, start gradually penetrating his life.

 The levels of the formation will be to a great extent conditioned by the success of man in self-restraint from bad actions and deeds, from sins and bad manners. These levels will take the shape of acquired high morals and manners. Their firmness will be defined by the attitude towards life, by the correspondence of inner feelings to outer manifestations and deeds.

 At the same time, the one who follows the way of the formation, of becoming Human, Perfect Human is well aware of his weakness, the same as the ploughman, whose harvest depends not so much on the ground ploughed and the seed sowed, as on the good weather, i.e. on God’s blessing and mercy.

***

Your medicine lies in yourself, but you do not feel it,

And your disease is because of yourself, but you do not see it.

You think, that you are a small body,

But you bear a whole world hidden in you.[2]