Purification of the Self

The secret behind the foolishness of those who turn away from Abraham’s religion is that whatever a person does, if it is good, it is inherently for their own benefit, and if it is bad, it is fundamentally to their own detriment. It is impossible for someone to inherently do harm or injustice to another; rather, harm and injustice to others are always incidental. The core of that injustice is to the unjust person themselves, and only its shadow or periphery reaches others. This truth also applies to goodness and benevolence; for example, if someone creates a garden within their own home, they primarily benefit from it themselves, and only a small portion of its benefit reaches passersby in the neighboring streets. Similarly, if they create filth inside their house, they themselves primarily suffer from its stench, and only a faint odor reaches pedestrians and neighbors.

God Almighty speaks about this general principle, which is the necessary connection between action and doer, attribute and the described, and belief and believer, saying: “Goodness” and “evil” are specific to the self: “If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, it is to yourselves”(219). This meaning is expressed in another verse in a specific way; from God Almighty come insights, that is, the causes and factors of the heart’s vision and illumination. If someone looks at them with the eye of insight, it is for their own benefit, and whoever does not look at them with insight, it is to their own detriment: “Clear proofs have indeed come to you from your Lord. So whoever sees, it is for his own soul, and whoever remains blind, it is to its own harm. And I am not a keeper over you”(220).

The point is that it is impossible for an action of the heart or limbs to inherently transgress beyond the doer and primarily reach another, because the spirit of action is intention, and good or bad intention will not separate from a person’s soul. Every doer will be resurrected with that same intention: “For every person is what they intended”(221), “Indeed, God, the Mighty and Majestic, will resurrect people on the Day of Resurrection according to their intentions”(222). Thus, the action, whether spiritual or physical, does not leave its doer, and only the external form of the action, which is separate from the doer’s soul, sometimes benefits or harms others. On the Day of Resurrection, which is the day of truth: “That is the True Day”(223), and falsehood has no place in it, and all truth will be manifest on that day, what a person had hidden within themselves, such as the aforementioned sight and blindness, will become apparent.

Based on the points mentioned and the previous evidence, the one who observes justice strengthens their identity, while the oppressor weakens their identity. Therefore, the Qur’an describes those who lack the four pillars of “faith,” “righteous deeds,” “enjoining truth,” and “enjoining patience” as being in loss: “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”(224). Of course, the loss of those lacking these four elements is not equal; rather, the loss of some is greater and the loss of others is less.

Experiencing loss means losing one’s capital. A person’s capital, which is inseparable from them, is the person themselves; not their possessions and wealth. One who loses their identity and falls under the dominion of Satan is never in control of themselves, but rather destroys themselves and nothing remains of them; like ice placed in the scorching midday sun, its essence disappears. Therefore, God Almighty said: Such individuals have lost themselves: “Those who have lost themselves, so they do not believe”(225). One who has lost money and is economically bankrupt may be able to compensate for their financial loss through subsequent efforts; but one who has lost themselves has no way to repair and compensate for their lost life. A person who has lost and misplaced themselves is like someone who has lost their way and also lost their lamp. Lost objects can be found in the light of a lamp; but if the lamp itself is lost, one can never find anything lost in the darkness.

If a person’s nature (fiṭra) becomes oppressed and their desires become the oppressor, and the oppressed nature succumbs to the tyranny of desire, there will no longer be any light by which one can see the straight path. Thus, one who does not believe at all or does not observe divine limits wrongs themselves: “… and whoever does that has certainly wronged himself”(226).

Considering what has been stated, the secret of why one who turns away from the religion of Abraham (a.s.) makes themselves foolish becomes clear.