Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!zahle.wpi.edu!shari From: gt8145a@prism.gatech.edu (FADEL,AYMAN HOSSAM) Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam Subject: al-ghazali on training the soul (part 5 of 6) Message-ID: <1991May20.165301.24515@wpi.WPI.EDU> Date: 20 May 91 16:53:01 GMT Sender: news@wpi.WPI.EDU (News) Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 99 Approved: shari@zahle.wpi.edu Originator: shari@zahle.wpi.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: zahle.wpi.edu CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMANS WHICH HELP OR HINDER REFORM The first characteristic is the length of time during which a bad characteristic was allowed to flourish unhindered. Since every human is born with desire, restraing desire is in general harder than restraining anger, which usually emerges in the child at approximately seven years of age. The second characteristic affecting treatment is the nature of a person's error. The easiest type of person to reform is he who doesn't know how to differentiate between right and wrong. All he needs is a teacher and some motivation. The next category of people is those who know what right and wrong are, but for one reason or another has continued to do sinful acts. Reform in this case is harder, for the person's soul has become accustomed to ill acts. It takes a great amount of seriousness and determination to reform successfully. The third category is those who believe wrong is right and right is wrong. There is little hope of reform in this category, primarily due to the overlapping and mutually reinforcing causes of error. The last category is he who sees virtue in evil and destruction, and this person is the hardest to reform. THE MEANS BY WHICH A PERSON COMES TO HAVE GOOD MORALS The first of the two means is God's beneficence and mercy in creating in some people good morals from birth. The second means, the one with which we are concerned, is the winning of good morals through struggle and training. The only way to do this is to do the actions which good morals dictate. For example, if someone wishes to acquire the virtue of liberality with his property (juud), he must spend of his money until it becomes a burden for him (takalluf.) With the passing of time, spending money will become easier and more natural. Soon, it will become a pleasure to spend money. This is the meaning we should draw from the 45th aya of surat al-baqara (wa innahaa la kabiiratun illaa `alaa al-khaashi`iin) (Indeed, it is a great burden except for those who tremble at the thought of God.) Similarly, Anas reported that the messenger salla allahu alayhi wa sallam said: I have made my greatest happiness in ritual prayer. (ja`altu qurrata `aynii fi al-Salaa) With the passing of time, the obedient servant finds true happiness in his obedience. Abu bikra reported that God's messenger alayhi ssalaam was asked, "Which people are the best?" He replied, "Those whose life was long and their works good." We see that any repetitive action produces in the human being happiness in performing that action. For example, the gambler finds his happiness in gambling even though he might have lost all of his property. The trainer of pigeons comes to find happiness at the mere sight and smell and touch of his birds. All of this is part of the strange relationship between the heart and the extremities of the human being. Every characteristic found in the heart shows itself in the limbs, without exception. In addition, every action the limbs perform leaves its trace on the heart. It is a cyclical relationship. An example of this is he who wishes to become an expert in penmanship. He first burdens himself with the actions of penmanship experts, i.e. he practices penmanship, but of course it is difficult for him. With the passing of time, the habits of good penmanship become ingrained in his heart and he comes to write well naturally. Just as we swallow bitter medicine to heal our bodies, we should accept the bitterness of perseverence and struggle (al-Sabr wa al-mujaahada) in the treatment of our souls. THE SPECIFIC TREATMENT OF THE SOUL IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL Just as a doctor cannot prescribe the same treatment for every sick person, the murshid or shaykh cannot prescribe the same treatment for every seeker of reform (muriid.) The shaykh should look at the muriid's age, personality traits, physical strenght and level of knowledge. If for example the muriid is ignorant of basic rules of law, the shaykh should teach him the rules of purification, prayer and other acts of worship. RESISTANCE TO REFORM CAN BE BROKEN IN STAGES If the muriid is unable to free himself of a bad characteristic all at once, it is advisable that the shaykh try to replace that characteristic with one less distasteful. For example, if the muriid is concerned with his worldly position (jaah), the shaykh should first direct him to a lower position, in order to facilitate the eventual jettisoning of the evil of attaching importance to worldly position. Some of the muriidiin used to sense in themselves cowardice, so they would swim in the ocean in winter during the season of high waves so that they could prepare themselves for tests requiring greater courage. -- FADEL,AYMAN HOSSAM Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt8145a Internet: gt8145a@prism.gatech.edu