Principles of Self
Development in Islam
مبادئ تطوير الذات في الإسلام
Development carries the notion of enhancement of one’s
capabilities and potentials. It implies a forward movement from a given
position to a position of greater achievement, opportunity and benefit.
In order to develop, individually or collectively, it is necessary to define
the goals one wishes to achieve, factors that influence development, and the
process of achieving the desired goals for development. Each human being
is born with some basic faculties. How these faculties are molded depends
on inherent capacities, nurturing environment and other external influences.
Islam places a great deal of emphasis on
‘self-development’ where an individual takes the responsibility for
understanding the purpose of human life, and for shaping that life in the best
possible manner, for one’s own benefit and the benefit of the society at large;
Islam also provides comprehensive guidance to achieve this goal.
Human development consists of processes of growth and
change that takes place from birth to the end of life. The development
process is externally influenced from sensory inputs through the organs, and it
is internally self-propelled from things which happen within the human body and
mind. Our focus here is the development of the human mind, which takes
place through sensory inputs and internal mental processes. This
development includes learning through the senses and cognition that occurs when
learning is abstracted into knowledge for subsequent use.
Islam identifies two sources which play the roles of
nurturing or corrupting human development. Inspiration from divine
guidance nurtures human development. Not paying attention to divine
guidance and succumbing to conspiracies, arising from within or externally
environment, corrupts human development.
Human development may be looked at from different
perspectives, both as a basic human interest and as formalized disciplines of
studies such as psychology, science, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and
so on. Contemporary studies on human development often engage in analysis
and remedies when human development is impeded due to temperament, problems
with identification or one’s identity, parenting, society, chance, and other
factors. Here, we will focus primarily on basic principles of human
development-aiming at covering the factors that may impede proper
development. Keeping in mind that people have varying human capacities,
what should be done in order to ensure that they all develop into the best
possible capabilities for achieving the desired goals? While there are many
factors that are essential for human development, we will first highlight those
that may be more fundamental. The foremost factors playing a seminal role
are those of being aware of self, being ever mindful of doing the right thing,
and to avoid acting on mere impulses.
How does one bring these factors into play? It is
through a process called identification or ‘constructing an identity’
(i.e. finding principles that help develop the best possible human
potential, and role models that vivify those principles). It may be
viewed as an anchoring process which gives us a sense of belonging to something
distinct and valuable. Rather than simply and haphazardly adopting the
practices we notice around us, it may often be easier to look at a good role
model and then simply emulate that person. However, finding good role
models in our contemporary living environment may not be easy and at times
confusing, particularly if these so-called role models are going through life
changes themselves and the consequences of following their life style may only
become known much later. Furthermore, one role model, no matter how good,
may not be able to exemplify everything in life. Even if that were to be
true, the principles that the role model exemplifies may not be obvious.
Principles can only be derived through repeated observations and
experimentation. History helps us here. We can look at several role
models from history and we can look at lessons drawn from the history of
civilizations. Coming back now to identification, the single most important
factor in human development, we need to identify with some infallible source of
guidance, the unquestionable principles for human development, and carefully
select some role models. Most will accept God as the infallible source of
guidance, the knowledge that God sent down to us on the good and bad in human
civilization, and the Prophets who acted as role models for achieving
excellence in human potential. Being mindful of God, therefore, gives one
an identification of what is best for developing human potential. It
prevents alienation. One can always find solace in the presence of God;
literally converse with God in prosperity and adversity, keeping one’s
personality in harmonious balance, avoiding excesses on oneself or others in prosperity,
and avoiding harm from stress in adversity. Of course, one may find it
easier to identify with someone more physical than God in trying to achieve the
same goals. However, God’s presence can be felt by anyone who reaches out
to Him[1].
That is what God has assured us. The other important factors that may
emerge from this process of identification are being truthful and upright, and
seeking individual and collective well being in our affairs. In order to
achieve these goals, the quest for knowledge that exists and participation in
deriving new knowledge from what exists are essential pre-requisites.
Purification from Corruption
We regularly wash our hands before touching food
because our hands come in contact with so many objects that may collect harmful
germs from others touching the same objects. We wash our clothes when
they collect sweat and dirt from our own body and our surroundings. We
bathe and shower to keep our body clean. All these cleanliness chores are
intended to keep us in good physical health. What about some chores to
keep our minds clean and in good health? So many things that we come in contact
with can corrupt our minds. We may see a person drawing satisfaction from
hitting and humiliating another. It leaves an impression on our mind and
may later make us do the same impulsively. We see people achieve success
through lying and cheating, and our mind may perceive it as an acceptable
behavior particularly if these cheaters and liars are being bandied around as
role models. A child may go through abuse from parents considered
respectable in society and on growing up may engage in the same dysfunctional
behavior.
Both eyesight and hearing are indispensable for human
learning and development. They can propel us to unimagined heights of human
excellence. However, we must learn to use them properly. Otherwise
what we see and hear can also corrupt our mind and degenerate us into the
lowest abyss of human existence.
How do we purify ourselves from the corrupting
influences around us? We need to reflect on what we see and hear and to
separate them into experiences that are desirable form of behavior and those
that are undesirable in the light of some guiding principles. We may call
it the exercise of the mind, and similar to other forms of exercise, the
exercise of the mind requires regime and regularity.
The process of purification of the mind, variously
called purification of the heart and soul, is known in Islam as tazkiyyah.
A pre-requisite of engaging in tazkiyyah is to know that the human
mind is prone to becoming corrupted. The corruption may be attributed to
acquired elements within oneself, or to external influences, or both.
However, the responsibility for any undesirable behavior rests with the person
who commits it and not the person or the environment that caused it. We
all bear direct responsibility for our actions. The legal system will
make us answerable if we break a law, and God will make us answerable if we
defy divine guidance. One cannot use the excuse that the devil made me do
it, or my boss made me do it, and so on. If we are caught speeding on a
roadway, we cannot be absolved simply because others speeded and did not get
caught. God sees and hears everything. There is no question of not
getting caught. Just as the speeding regulations are meant to save us
from hurting ourselves as well as others, the divine guidance is simply for our
own benefit. The concept of answerability for one’s actions is
called mas’uliyyah. Success in purification of the mind,
soul, or psyche requires recognition that the world can pollute the mind, the
soul can corrupt itself via instigation, and desires can conspire to overwhelm
one’s mind, and drive us into capriciousness or eccentricity. Consider
the following statement from the Quran:
“Verily, the soul is inclined to evil.” (Quran 12:53)
Everyone is born with a soul that is pure, free of
corruption or impurity. The natural instinct or disposition of every
human soul is to do what is right. As one grows, the harmful messages
through the eyes, hearing, touch, smell and other senses affect the purity of
the human soul. Therefore, every human experience must be scrutinized for
its potential corrupting influences. Reforming these corrupting
influences, within the human mind, is called the process of purification
or tazkiyyah. The following statements in the Quran
illuminate this concept:
“And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it
[with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness. He has
succeeded who purifies it. And he has failed who instills it [with
corruption].” (Quran 91:7-10)
“But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained
himself from impure evil desires, and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his
abode.” (Quran 79:40-41)
Despite the best efforts that one may make at
purification of the mind, aberrations are still possible. We may make
mistakes or commit sins. What happens then? A properly trained
human mind possesses what is called a self-reproaching soul (nafs-e-lawwama).
It will react by an admission that something has gone wrong; it will accept the
failing with humility, and it will engage the mind to reform itself
accordingly. On the other hand, someone who has a headstrong soul (nafs-e-ammara)
such admissions may be seen as undignified, thus becoming prone to more and
bigger aberrations in future. A wrongful act if recognized with a
thoughtful commitment to avoid repetition is an act of self-purification and
proper human development. On the contrary, a reckless disregard of such
actions leads to further corruption of the soul and self-degeneration.
Self Development Regime
Understanding the principles is generally within the
reach of most people. Putting those principles into practice requires
courage, rigor and regularity.
Consider the following excerpt from a Tradition
(hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, about one of the
things that happened to him during his appearance before God. Prophet
said: “… Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this
order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, ‘What has Allah enjoined on
your followers?’ I replied, ‘He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.’ Moses
said, ‘Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will
not be able to bear it.’ (So I went back to Allah and requested for
reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and
informed him about it, he said, ‘Go back to your Lord as your followers will
not be able to bear it.’ So I returned to Allah and requested for further
reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said
to me: ‘Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear
it. So I returned to Allah and He said, ‘These are five prayers and they
are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change’.”
The prayer we offer to God is an act of His
remembrance and the guidance that he has revealed for shaping our lives.
We engage in this formal exercise five times a day. What about the rest
of the time? This requires us to reflect on the moral of the above saying of
the Prophet. Perhaps an ideal number to stand formally before God would
have been fifty times a day as the Prophet was informed first. But this
would have been too much of a burden to carry for most human beings, as the
Prophet Moses interjected, may peace be upon. While the formal number of
times we pray is five, the rest of the period must be filled, to our best
ability, in continuous remembrance of God and reflections on our actions in the
light of that guidance. We need to be mindful of Allah at all times,
regardless of the time and place, and to take heed of His guidance in all our
affairs. We need to be thoughtful, rather than impulsive, before we
speak, and before we act. We need to reflect on what we may have uttered
and acted. The process of purification of the mind in Islam is called the
utmost form of human struggle. It must be pursued with vigor, patience
and perseverance, with belief in what God has revealed, and actions that
manifest that belief at all times, in adversity as well as prosperity.
Many of us were told during our childhood to maintain
a diary and to record in it the various things that happened during the
day. The wisdom of that advice lies less in creating a legacy and more in
reflecting, as we normally would do when we record things, and to sort out
things that may be desirable from those that may be undesirable. There is
a need to regularly recall imprints made on our mind by what we may see, hear,
feel, and do, and re-establish the linkages for recall, that we know to be
desirable. This way we can avoid impulsive behavior based on what we may
encounter in our environment. It is impossible to sort out things as we
encounter them, particularly when they occur in rapid succession, or in
theatrics that spellbound us momentarily. We must take the time to
re-examine those things in slow motion and without the momentary influences and
background noises. We all need moments of quiet reflection and solitude,
trying to make sense out of our affairs in the light of divine guidance.
One may ask as whether there are some special words
that one can utter for engaging in remembrance of God and reflecting on our
thoughts and actions. The Prophets asked the same question. While
there are no bounds on what one can say and utter, what we are reminded to say
by God is very simple, easy to remember and utter, and direct in meaning.
Here are some examples:
...There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah).
This simple expression provides the pinnacle for human
development. Reminding ourselves that there is no true deity but God
provides the best possible framework for human development since what God
(Allah) tells us to do is for our own good, and there is no need for us to
succumb to any power contrary to what God tells us. Ultimately God has
power over all things and God arranges our affairs rightly if we reach out to
him. We should say La ilaha illa Allah (there is no true
deity but God) as often as we can utter. Without repetition we may forget
and not recall this wisdom and thus do the wrong thing despite not meaning to
do it. Also:
...All praise be to Allah (Al-hamdu-lillah)
La ilaha illa Allah guides us to do the right things. Whatever good comes to us is
from Allah. La ilaha illa Allah is the anchor for doing the
right thing, and Al-hamdu-lillah (all praise be to God) is a
recognition, with all humility, that we get only what is made possible by
God. These before and after expressions of La ilaha illa Allah and Al-hamdu-lillah
should be the all pervasive reminders in managing our affairs and they are
the fundamental cleansing elements in purifying our mind and soul, psyching us
to remain on a path that is in our best interest.
Examples of expanded expressions for remembrance of
God for self-development are:
‘How Perfect is God, and praise be to God, there is no
true deity except God, and God is the Greatest’. Also there is ‘there is
no true deity but God, alone, without partner. To Him belongs all
sovereignty and praise and He is over all things omnipotent’.
Conclusions
There are infinite words and ways of expressing
ourselves in remembering God, and seeking closeness to Him for personal
development. However, simple words can reach boundless depths in meaning
when expressed with devotion and sincerity. It is this power of amazing
simplicity that is within easy reach for all of us.
Finally, here is an assurance of the rewards promised
to us by God in this world and Hereafter:
“He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself. And mentions
the name of his Lord and prays.” (Quran 87:14-15)
[1] IslamReligion.com: Muslims believe that God
is not present everywhere (incarnate), rather He is separate from His creation
and is above the seven heavens. He Sees and Hears everything and is the
All-Powerful.
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