--- On Sat, 4/24/10, Bashir Abid <bashiraa...@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Bashir Abid <bashiraa...@yahoo.com>
Subject:
To: "Salim Abdulhaq" <abdulhuqsa...@yahoo.com>, "Ghazali AbdusSatar"
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Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010, 5:54 PM
Human Personality: A Reflection!
Ubedur Rahman Arain
Lao Tzu, the venerable Chinese philosopher stated, “Knowing others is wisdom,
knowing yourself is enlightenment.” As Muslims, we are acutely aware of the
importance of self reflection in the path to spiritual enlightenment, as Allah
has not only mentioned the benefits of thought before action (34:46, 6:50), but
also set aside the Holy Month of Ramadan entirely for that purpose. As we think
on the fate of the millions of unfortunates in the world, we also have to turn
that searchlight into ourselves and see how true we are staying to the
principles set by Allah in the Holy Quran. Ramadan gives us a chance once in a
year to pause and maybe for many busy people register the many changes a year
has brought them. Be they trivial or earth shattering, every experience we’ve
had in the year directly impacts the way we behave and think in this world.
Deliberate changes we make of our own free will, even if they seem
insignificant at the time, can have very radical and long term effect on you
and the society around you. The way your personality and conscious interactions
affect the people around you is at the core of Islamic society. And the way
that your personality develops is at the heart of the values Allah lays down in
the Holy Quran. Everyone is born with the beginnings of a unique personality
given to us by Allah. God tells us in the Holy Quran that He gives every human
being a form of divine energy (32:9). This divine energy is the basis of ones
personality, commonly identified as the “human self” (or ‘Nafs’ in Arabic).
This personality is in nascent form at birth and develops over the years.
Firstly, by the values taught at home and, thereafter, with education and
training as the child grows and becomes an adult.
However, the personality does not stop growing once a person reaches adulthood.
It really goes on changing as a person interacts with the society at large.
Whatever we do, affects our ‘Nafs’ (6:164). But just as you can create positive
changes, strengthening your personality, you can easily create negative
changes, damaging the personality severely. The Holy Quran suggests that the
‘Nafs’ has potential for maturity and integration or destruction and
disintegration (92:7-10). It also tells us that the self develops when we give
others from what we have (93:18) and that it is damaged if we go against the
divine values (4:111).
This process is continuous throughout our lives. As long as we live within and
follow these permanent values, the personality keeps on growing (91:9). That is
why the establishment of the correct values in society is extremely important.
The right values set the parameters within which personalities can grow and
flourish into responsible, useful human beings. The primary purpose of religion
was to give us these values; and that is the reason for preservation of the
Holy Quran, being the primary source of these values, I am sure all of us have
come across a person with such a well balanced personality. A person like that
is not easily forgotten as they touch everyone with their humility, fairness,
and sense of personal responsibility. One such person was my dear friend Hamad
Alghanim (Abu Talal), who passed away earlier this year. His life is a
testament to living by God’s divine values and what the truly developed Nafs
can achieve.
I would like to share one event of his life. Due to the 1990 invasion of
Kuwait , all Kuwaiti businesses were shut down and he was out of Kuwait at that
time. When Abu Talal came back, he was adamant that his first priority should
be to pay all the dues of those employees who could not come back to Kuwait due
to their personal reasons or government restrictions. He really didn’t have
the time and the money to be locating those employees and paying their dues.
He could have easily turned the other way, focused on getting his business
reopened and forgotten about the old employees. But his Nafs was so strong, his
sense of obligation so refined, that he felt he had no other course of action.
He told me at that time that their needs were more than his and it was his
responsibility to meet them! Such developed personalities not only beautify
this world they are also guaranteed Heaven by God (89:27).
Contemplating on our own personality using the principles set in the Holy Quran
as a guide can only lead to a better, stronger personality. There is no limit
to what such a highly developed personality can achieve. A person used to self
reflection and focused on staying on the right path is truly mature, balanced
and has the right attitude to create positive effects in the society. This way
we become masters of our own destiny and a society made up of such developed
personalities creates heaven on earth. We all need to strive for such a
society.
(For any comments, please feel free to contact the writer on his email address
: uar...@gmail.com)
Ubedur Rahman Arain is the CEO and Managing Director of a leading Consulting
Engineering firm and a resident of Kuwait since 1975.
My Notes
1- Allama Iqbal, a great contemporary scholar has used the Urdu word
“Khuddi” for Personality.
2- According to The Quran the highest Form of a Developed Personality is
“AL TAQWA” and those who have achieved this Form are known as “MUTTAQEEN”.
3- It is a God’s Blessing alone.
4- The author of this article is highly endowed with The Quranic wisdom
and insight. He is studying The Quran over past 50-years. He often writes
during Ramadhan in a local English Daily - Arab Times and his thoughts are held
in high esteem.
Bashir Abid
With Compliments from
TOLUISLAM KARACHI PAKISTAN
A Movement for Nizam-e-Rahmah
RSVP
Bashir Abid
NB: Nizam-e-Rahmah in Arabic is for – The System of God’s Blessings.
God does not shower His Blessings arbitrarily. These come through a definite
system.
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