The progression of the human being has always been a topic of interest to me. The very nature of mankind is a complexed creation. The physical aspects and its congruency to the soul is both aligned to our actions, thoughts and living. It is for this reason, that there is a constant progression towards mindful living and living consciously.
This topic has been on my mind even more so, upon finding numerous verses whereby Allāh mentions the creation of night and day, the alternation of the sun and moon and not only does He mention the creation thereof, but He speaks of the goodness and evil it holds:
“Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak; from the evil of that which He created and from the evil of darkness when it settles…” (Sūrah al-Falaq; verses 1-3)
These verses re-iterate His creation, but in addition to this a deeper lesson can be derived from it, by looking at it from the perspective of the slow transition from dawn to sunset, during which time our day is filled with various temptations, which is also indicative of changes we go through or how we can either move from the darkness to light or vice versa based on the decisions that we make or path that we follow.
Reading this, I found myself thinking of two paths, a path of light and another in darkness. What’s interesting about these two concepts, is that our natural intuition directs our thoughts to equating light to good and darkness to evil. So, when we speak of darkness, is it not only the absence of light? Then what is light? When we think of light, we think of a candle burning bright or even better yet, we think of the day whereby the sun is shining down on the earth. Just think for moment of the sun, if it did not rise, no flower would open, no pollination, and it will not bear fruits. It is this understanding that teaches us the importance of this light for our very survival. We can see this natural process with our naked eye and the goodness it brings and what it yields.
Now, let me direct this to human behavior and essentially our souls. If our souls were these very plants that provides our sustenance, then essentially, we need light to grow. This means that we need goodness to sustain our beings. It is probably one of the many reasons, the Prophet Muḥammad (may and blessings be upon him) said:
“When a slave (a person) commits a sin (an evil deed) a black dot is dotted on his heart. Then if that person gives up that evil deed, begs Allāh to forgive him, and repents, then his heart is cleared but if he repeats the evil deed, then the covering is increased till his heart is completely covered with it” (tirmidhi)
Our souls and physical bodies are an embodiment of Allāh ’s entire creation. Then on the basis of this understanding, we need light to thrive.
If this is the case, then ultimately our souls are at its peak in growth when doing good or is engaged in goodness. It is in this state that we find peace and upliftment. And it is these actions of good that leads to an enlightened soul. The absence of this light or goodness leads to darkness and inability to excel and therefore we remain lost. Allāh says in the Qur’ān:
“By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience”
Sūrah al-Asr
Given this new understanding, let’s embark on our new journey. Our first task is to find the light (goodness) by adding small acts of goodness. Start small: even it is a smile, giving charity, greeting, listening or saying kind words. Make this a regular habit. Think of various ways you can make a difference…because essentially, Allāh is An-Nūr (The Light), therefore every act of goodness brings us closer to His light.
I pray that this post is beneficial to you…
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