Summary of Preliminary Notes of the Book ‘The Teachings of Islam’ [by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian]
by Bushra Ahmed
The Light (UK), April 2009 Issue (pp. 4–5)
At the very beginning of the book Hazrat Sahib [Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian] states that his only source and reference for this book was the Quran. He has quoted in many places from the Quran. His book completely and strictly adheres to it.
His book is divided into 5 sections. It was due to Mr. Chandra Sawami who set up the mammoth task of the holding of a conference of all religions and invited representatives from each major religion to tackle these 5 topics, viz:
- The three conditions of Man
- Life after death
- Object of man’s existence
- Results of actions
- Sources of Divine Knowledge
In the introductory notes Mirza Sahib discusses the three conditions of man:
- Physical
- Moral
- Spiritual
The first stage is where man is prone to evil and gives in to lower desires and consequent sinful acts. The second is where one rises above these wrongful actions and the person becomes good. The third stage is when he reaches a high level of righteousness and is almost at one with his Creator.
All these are different stages which some people achieve. Some may never reach the final stage. However, we must all endeavor to achieve this important level. This is the purpose of our existence.
The Quran refers to the three stages as:
- Nafs-al-ammara (spirit prone to evil)
- Nafs-al-lawwamma (self-accusing spirit or your conscience)
- Nafs-al-mutmainna (soul at rest)
All these three are also interlinked. For example, before we go to pray to reach out to God, we perform ablution which links physical to moral and spiritual. That is why Allah has stressed upon external purity because it is not only a health and hygiene issue, it polishes our soul as well.
Even physical and spiritual aspects are also linked. In the physical aspect as we become tearful, we become sympathetic and thus spiritual. When we laugh we feel happy and therefore become grateful to Allah, which becomes a form of ibadaat [worship] and hence spiritual. Similarly prostration, a physical act, makes us humble, a moral act, locking together all three stages.
Modern day scientific research links what we eat, thus physical, with our spiritual side. We see in nature, how herbivorous animals are more meek, mild and gentle. Carnivorous animals are bold, courageous and daring.
What is the soul then? And how is it linked to us spiritually? The soul is concealed within the body. It is not separate to our body.
That is why we can see links between three stages because physical emotion and soul are all connected, which is the constitution of a human being.
The soul is breathed into our bodies while in the womb and it is susceptible to growth as well. The soul shines when the third stage is attained. The soul should develop with this aim in mind, to shine, in unison with the bigger and more glorious light of Allah.
Similarly, collectively or in a society man develops. As in our Prophet’s [Muhammad (pbuh)] life, initially, society was at a barbaric stage. Then culture was transformed, until complete spiritual stage was reached as the climax. In order to attain the last stage, we need Allah’s help and guidance.
Also, another important point is that within each stage we should try to develop harmony and balance without indulging into excess. A medium streamline approach should be adopted all round.
Having thus lived life in a balanced way we must try to evolve towards the next stage by means of completely surrendering our will to Allah.
Finally, what are the moral qualities we should aim for? Some of them are:
- Sympathy
- Patience
- Charity
- Kindness
- Courage
- Fidelity
Ultimately, choosing the right religion, good company, and virtuous deeds will help make the leap from physical, moral, up to the spiritual stage.