May 3, 2008...6:52 am
Psychological and Spiritual Peace
By Imam Hamid Slimi
First, submission, or Islam, is in fact a psychological and spiritual peace. It is peace of the soul within the person who submits to his, or her, Creator.
A few eastern religious ideas and practices were perceived by some Western psychoanalysts as very useful for studies in psychotherapy, such as the disciplines of Yoga and meditation in Buddhism or Hinduism. But very few of these modern scholars have dealt with Islam and tried to study objectively the efficacy of the Islamic psychotherapy, which stems from the principle of peace; peace of the soul and the self.
Sincere submission to God for a Muslim ends all the struggles he, or she, might have either within himself, or herself, or when dealing with others. Therefore, this submission makes a person very peaceful and tolerant. The more a person is sincere and faithful in his, or her, submission to God, the more the feeling of peacefulness is increased and reflected in the character. The genuine Muslim person becomes certain that Allah is watching over him, or her, and therefore, it is implausible that this person would cause any harm or injustice to anyone. The true Muslim establishes peace with His Lord, Allah, first and then builds on this base the determination to be peaceful with the creation of God.
Peace is a reality and not a dream or an illusion; it can happen anywhere and anytime. Islam believes in this reality and urges Muslims to strive at establishing peace. Peace in Islam is considered as one of the great blessings; Allah mentions that one of the blessings he grants the faithful servants is peace and security. He says that He has promised those who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety change their state, after the fear in which they lived, to one of security and peace as we read in the Qur’an (24:55).
Life itself is the embodiment of peace and this is why by nature human beings love to live and be surrounded by living beings and feel the manifestations of different elements of nature. In Islam, life is a great blessing in this world and an eternal reward in the Hereafter when it is directed towards pleasing the Creator and life Giver, God Almighty. Life is manifested on two levels: the physical and more importantly the spiritual. Allah says,
“O you who believe! Give your response to Allah and His Messenger, when He calls you to that which will give you life; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart,1 and that it is He to Whom you shall (all) be gathered.” (Q 8:24).
It is crystal clear that the life mentioned here is the life of the heart and the soul. If the heart is empty from the love of, and the dedication to, God it becomes dead even if there is a physical life. The soul, or heart, becomes dead because of the death caused by ignorance and rejection as the commentators of Qur’an said. Our Prophet (S) explained that by saying,
“The parable of a person who remembers his Lord and a person who does not; is like the one of the living and the dead” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim)2.
According to the language of the Qur’an, human beings need to balance between the life of the soul and the life of the body to avoid going to the extremes. Once one of these two lives is neglected on the account of the other, the actions of the person start leading him, or her, astray from what is known in Islam as the “Straight path”, the path of those who seek the pleasure of God, the path of righteousness. Allah says,
“But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, but do not forget your portion in this World. Be good to others, as Allah has been good to you, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief.” (Q 28:77)
A balanced life in Islam is a life where the individual lives a very normal life and remembers His, or Her, Lord constantly or as often as possible.
Remembering God means also remembering the covenants we have made with Him. One of those covenants is to make peace with God and His creation. This is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength and determination. We believe that this commitment to peace requires a great strength, power, courage, and tremendous effort. Working for peace through one’s commitment to the will of God proves how a person is capable to silence his, or her, own personal desires and to overcome any self-interest. That peace also empowers humans against Satan who tries to control them through lust, greed, desire, and other weaknesses. If a person is trapped in the vicious circle of self-seeking lust and pleasure, it is difficult for the truth to reach his, or her, heart. The false desires and the absence of contentment do indeed blind and seal the hearts and cover them from receiving the light of God. Lust and desire for pleasure and material things are never satisfied because of the endless greed of human beings. They never provide real, long lasting happiness or satisfaction, but ultimately result in suffering and dissatisfaction in their life and in the Hereafter. Self-centeredness and concern only about personal lusts, desires and interests can become the fire which cannot be extinguished by adding fuel to it, but rather by applying moderation and moral values; by using something cooling that gives life and peace; something like water.
( to be continue… )
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