vitamins for the soul
surely, it is God Who best knows the nature of man, which He has Himself created. this being the case, He is the One Who best knows people's needs and the ways to meet them. from how to maintain one's physical well-being, how to remain spiritually strong, or how to attain a satisfying social life, are all known to God. for example, a human being, by nature, is attracted to all forms of mercy, love and virtuous conduct. he expects to be treated with mercy and compassion. he detests and avoids injustice, immorality, and all forms of wickedness. he feels so by God's Will. because, God has instiled these values as part of a human's nature, he likes the good and avoids the wicked. moreover, what is demanded by the religion of Islam, which God has revealed to mankind, and what man is naturally inclined to, are like the lock and the key that unlocks it, in perfect harmony with one another. God informs us of this fact in the Qur'an as follows:
So set your face firmly towards the religion, as a pure natural believer, God's natural pattern on which He made mankind. There is no changing in God's creation. That is the true religion-but most people do not know it. [QS ar-Rum 30]
unless people observe the limits set by God in the Qur'an, they wrong their own souls. because, by failing to adopt the values that are in accordance with their creation, they appropriate attitudes against their very nature; this causes anxiety not only in themselves, but also makes them troublesome to society. as here stated:
...God does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves. [QS Yunus 44]
the main force binding man, greater than any law of society, is the corruption of his own soul. immoderate desires are a source of continual anxiety to him. they foster in him feelings of insecurity and fear of the future. because of these negative tendencies within himself, he becomes ensnared in a difficult struggle with his various passions and desires. his soul relentlessly commands him to accumulate more assets, to make more money, or to win the admiration of others. yet, these are all insatiable desires. the desire for wealth is a deep-seated passion, common to many. however, the fulfillment of this desire only arouses further false desires. essentially, worldly desires always tend to become part of a vicious cycle.
man can only save himself from such ignorance through faith in God and surrender to Him. he attains freedom only when he ceases to be a slave to his passions. from then on, satisfying the endless desires mentioned above finally ceases to be his purpose in life. he begins a life in which earning God's good pleasure becomes his only purpose, the purpose for which God created him. this is true freedom: being a servant to God, and thus liberating oneself from everything other than God. as the Qur'an puts it: ...It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. [QS al-Hashr 9]
to conclude, Islam is a religion that is entirely in conformity with the nature of man. because, it is God Who is pleased with Islam as a religion for man, and it is He Who has created him. God desires not difficulty but ease for His servants, and determined as their religion those values that best conform to their needs, wishes and manner of living. in a verse of the Qur'an, our Lord commands as follows:
...Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you... [QS al-Ma'ida 3]
