By Abdullahi Jamaa
When a solitary fly gets trapped inside a glass of water it struggles to release itself from the ensuing subjugation. At first, it rotates to every corner, dithering and flapping to keep itself alive but once its fragile wings gets wet it keeps on floating until it succumbs to death.
Such is the condition of an unconscious human soul, an absent minded persona and one that is confined inside hollow yet illusive tunnel of life. Just like the fly this soul floats and swaps until it succumbs to death.
On the contrary, the conscious soul is well aware of its own, it may be trapped in an unceasing bane of life, sometimes immersed in the deepest suctions of worldly abyss but it constantly revolts against its own, remaining true to the path of self-realization and natural disposition.
Imam Al-Ghazali, one of the most prominent and influential Muslim philosophers of Islamic golden age is reported to have. “Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my own soul, which sometimes helps me and sometimes opposes me.”
The jigsaw puzzle of life is the rejection of unending caprices from the soul. The struggle to contain it and keeping it on routine checks and balances is without doubt an uphill battle. And for many, enticing the soul into a successful way of life has been a hard nut to crack.
Fulfilling the purpose of life brings peace and contentment to an individual. It is undeniably the only known road to a positive body and mental health. In finding amity and satisfaction, the soul therefore plays a critical role.
The soul Islamically known as ‘Naf or Rooh’ subjugates and directs the body to act in a way that satisfies its own insatiable desires. When on the wrong side of life, that side of endless evil, the body with its heart and reasoning follows the soul to every alleyway of self-destruction.
The Naf is a creation of Allah and it is the seat of human existence as well as all other living creatures. It is completely different from the body, driving people’s feelings, behaviour and volition. It calls the shot defining both an individual’s success and failures.
As humans we know and have little knowledge about the soul. We may know things life, death and resurrection, however, we may never know the complexities surrounding the creation of the unseen soul and Allah says in the Quran:
“And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little.” (Quran 17:85)
We can however learn how to deal with our souls because as humans we are capable of doing both good and evil deeds as long as we keep our borders clearly marked. Despite this fact, we are so close to doing good deeds than bad acts because of our state of natural disposition (Fitrah).
The dungeon, the dirt and the destruction that comes with an evil personality is always tied to a long and lethal rope of inordinate desires with layers and layers of tangled mess of desperation that is usually presented tantalizingly as achievements.
We commit sins every day, some may be grave and others may be light, but they are all sins anyway. The greatest architecture of evil is the soul, it designs the road to sinful life and it shows the direction in a bid to reward itself.
The heart (In this case the Qalb) also plays its part, but always plays an honest and sincere part unless it is overruled. It acts as road sings that show and clear the way for us. But the option to take the right or the wrong turn depends on the soul-the master of our feelings.
For instance when a corrupt public servant is planning to steal, his sincere heart will feel repugnant of the planned actions, the heart revolts internally and bleeds with seething frustrations and worries. It sends an array of warning signs to the soul that the acts are evil in nature.
The heart is well aware of the implications of stealing from the public, it knows that the actions are wrong and that they come with disastrous ramifications. Like the amber traffic lights, it flashes intelligence and reasoning into the soul.
Sadly, in evil deeds, the soul overwhelms the heart. It rewards itself in giving false hopes and empty promises. In the case of the corrupt public servant, the soul will whisper to an individual that after stealing you will buy an expansive mansion, that you will wear the latest Brioni suite, a matching Rolex Oyster wrist watch, a vogue sleek shoes and that you will step on the rails to drive the latest model of Porsche Cayenne.
That is what happens in our lives on daily basis when we come face to face with evil deeds. It doesn’t matter the scale and scope of sins. The story is the same for the murderer, adulterer, fornicator, robber and the poor leader.
The path to melancholy is the same for all sinners, although sometimes this can be hidden in respite of happiness. For evil doers, their game of life ends in tatters, reprehension and defeat. The world collapses right in front of their eyes ahead of humiliation on the day of judgement.
While the soul unleashes its majestic power in the background, in reality, the tangible body will pay the ultimate price of the actions of its soul. The body in its entirety, including its organs will always be a prisoner for untamed soul.
For failing to control actions of the soul, the human body will face toughest troubles and vexation of life. Unabated evil therefore becomes the next door neighbour of an individual who suffers from weakness of the soul.
The soul’s weakness is presented in an individual’s negative desires for lust, greed, wealth and power. A purposeful life requires a positive connection between the soul and the heart for proper reasoning and understanding of actions.
To avoid falling off the grid of life, a total emancipation is required. The value of being human is not found on material pursuits but rather in the envelope of positive spiritual reality which is the real definition a spiritual human being.
It all goes back to purification of our souls which is done through acts of worship, avoiding sins, being conscious of Allah, obeying Allah and a total submission to Allah.
