Introspection Introduces Self with the Ethics of God and Opens the Door to Spiritual Awakening, Say Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Other Faiths
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
12 July
2021
Quran
and Other Religious Books Value Introspection as A Way to Forgiveness
Main
Points:
1. Self-reflection
is the door to self-spiritual awakening.
2. Introspection
is a virtual teacher that guides human beings to life here and hereafter.
3. Allah has
blessed us with wisdom to introspect ourselves and reach the reality that
directs us to a successful life here and hereafter.
4. The
spiritual awakening of our soul is possible if we introspect our abilities,
positivities and negativities honestly.
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Self-reflection
(خود شناسی) is the door to self-spiritual awakening that
introduces self to self and opens the locked spiritual gateway to God. Introspection
is a virtual teacher that guides human beings to life here and hereafter,
exclusively and brings worldly success in general. Although it is said that a teacher is needed
to acquire knowledge as the following Kabir Doha says:
Without the Guru, no one obtains spiritual
knowledge or achieves salvation.
Without the Guru, no one can see Truth or have
his doubts removed. (Kabir)
(Photo courtesy: Quotes.pub
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But as far
as introspection is concerned, Allah has blessed us with wisdom to introspect
ourselves and reach the reality that directs us to a successful life here and
hereafter. Our creator has embedded our soul with all the positivities needed
for a righteous life. There are innumerable instances of people getting on top
of the success ladder without any guidance from a virtual teacher. Thus, the
spiritual awakening of our soul is possible if we introspect our abilities,
positivities and negativities honestly, and listen to our inner voice. Dishonesty
in introspection is not possible as the inner self does not lie to the inner
self.
Introspection
is not negative. It clears the self-made mist hovering over our thoughts
and we can see exactly where we belong to. Self-reflection reflects both the
good and the bad of the character that makes us realise our fault lines and
enables us to find out the needed medicines for its permanent cure. Like the
disease, introspection also needs to be re-examined after a certain period. It
guides our soul to reflect on where the symptoms of the disease are creeping
into. Self-reflection or introspection on every level is necessary to
understand the changes occurring in our thought process as we go for total
medical check-ups once in a while.
Religions
teach us not to be adamant about our thoughts. Religious ethics are all about
introspection to let the people know the root of the deviation from the
righteous path. Religions are all about human beings selfless service to
society and fulfilment of the duties towards the creations of Allah the Most
Gracious. As the world is an examination hall and Shaitan or the devil is to
try and deviate us from the righteous to the wrongs. Introspection now and then
is like an alarm bell that awakens us to our duties.
Those who
do not introspect are the ones who exercise self-goals and blame others for
their fault. Once it is a goal, it is a goal, it cannot be retracted. In the
same fashion once we made a mistake it cannot be retracted but religiously
speaking we have a way of forgiveness as Allah the Almighty always forgives the
people who ask for His forgiveness. And introspection provides us with an
opportunity to come back to our duties towards the human being and the Creator
with new zeal and enthusiasm.
Quranic
Verses and Prophetic Traditions Value Introspection as A Way to Forgiveness
“When any evil suggestion from Satan touches
those who fear God, they are instantly alerted and become watchful.” (7:201)
“That is the recompense for those who purify
themselves.”
(20:76)
“When any evil suggestion from Satan touches
those who fear God, they are instantly alerted and become watchful” (7: 201)
Hurt no one
so that no one may hurt you. (Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s, farewell sermon)
According
to the second rightly-guided Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA): “Assess and
adjudge yourselves before you are adjudged and assessed on the Day of Judgment,
and weigh out your deeds before they are weighed out for you”.
Umar, a man of his word, reportedly used to
whip his right foot at night and say to it “What have you done today?
“All of the children of Adam make mistakes,
and the best of those who make mistakes are the ones who repent.” (Tirmidhi)
Christianity
Believes Introspection is Key to True Religion
Let us test
and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! - Lamentations 3:40
Let a
person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. – 1
Corinthians 11:28
Search me,
God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24
Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable
and perfect. - Romans 12:2
For which
of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost,
whether he has enough to complete it? - Luke 14:28
Examine
yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not
realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you
fail to meet the test! - 2 Corinthians 13:5
“Ask, and
it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the
one who knocks it will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8
If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
Hinduism
and the Importance of Self-Realisation
...Realize
that which pervades the universe is indestructible; no power can affect this
unchanging, imperishable reality. The body is mortal, but he who dwells in the
body is immortal and immeasurable. Therefore, Arjuna, fight in this
battle. - (C2, v16-18)
Considering
your dharma, you should not vacillate. For a warrior, nothing is higher than a
war against evil. ... - (C2, v31-33)
Arjuna, now
listen to the principles of yoga. .... - (C2, v39-40)
.... Established
in meditation, they are truly wise. ... - (C2, v56-57)
One must
deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is
the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. - (Bhagavad Gita: 6
- 5)
“For man,
the mind is the cause of bondage and the mind is the cause of liberation. Mind
absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and mind detached from the
sense objects is the cause of liberation.” (Amrta-Bindu Upanishad 2) Therefore,
the mind which is always engaged in Krishna consciousness is the cause of
supreme liberation. - Bhagavad Gita: 6 -4)
Sikhism
and Importance of Introspection
Those are
pure, Who know what they are. - (Guru III, Vadhans Rag)
O slave,
devoid of any virtue! Realize your intrinsic value. - (Guru I, Gauri Rag)
God is ever near, Do not think He is far away:
Through the Word of the Guru, Recognize Him in yourself. - (Guru III, Majh Rag)
Just as
there is fragrance in the flower, And reflection in the mirror, Similarly, God
lives within; Search Him in thy heart, O brother. - (Guru IX, Dhansri Rag)
Introspection
Needed to Bring Peace and Tranquility in the World
Whatever be
the reason but the whole world is riddled in a war of supremacy forgetting that
‘war is no solution’ and resultantly harming the people they are supposed to
provide peace and tranquillity. The only way out of this mayhem is ‘introspection’.
The
nations, the communities and the individuals need to introspect to understand
what their actual duty towards humanity is. It is not one religion or one
community that advocate the necessity of introspection every once in a while.
All the religions, religious communities and religious leaders believe that
introspection introduces to God in such a spiritual way that accepting the past
mistakes and promising self to do away with all the misdeeds, becomes
easy. It is neither difficult nor too
late for any individual or a community or a nation to perform introspection and
to regain their real self.
The only
lesson that true introspection teaches is to confess, ‘I was wrong.’ The most
difficult for an unspiritual human being is to accept his wrongdoings. Being
adamant on the belief that ‘I am not wrong’ is the root of the evils that
destroy our life here and the eternal life hereafter. Introspection cleans
one’s heart of all the dirt that engulfs the real spiritual soul of the self
and thus the darkness of adamant behaviour gives way to bright sunshine.
All the
religions, all the religious beliefs and all the religious and spiritual
leaders prescribe ‘introspection’
as the only medicine for the cleanliness of heart and mind and cure of all the
evil habits ravaging one’s spiritual character.
How
Scholars Explain Introspection
Knowing
yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. - Aristotle
The
unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates
“You can't
lie to your soul.” ― Irvine Welsh, Porno
Your vision
will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks
outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. - Carl Jung
Wisdom can
only come through honest introspection. - Nirmala Srivastava
There are
times when those eyes inside your brain stare back at you. - Charles
Bukowski
“The deeper
I go into myself the more I realize that I am my own enemy.” ― Floriano
Martins
Introspection
is a confession of guilt with a faith that God will forgive and show the
righteous path that is a success here and hereafter.
And
Allah Knows the Best.
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Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/introspection-ethics-awakening-spiritual/d/125078
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