Spirituality means different things to different people. Although spirituality is often associated with religious life, many believe it can be developed outside of religion where it focuses on: humanistic ideas, qualities such as love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, harmony, and a concern for others, without necessarily accepting belief in a supernatural reality or divine being.
Some people believe resorting to religion for spirituality would mean that we are regressing; this is because religion is regarded as outdated. However, I disagree. I remember when I was completing my Islamic Theology MA; core reading was the works of Dr Muhammad Iqbal (an eminent poet and highly acclaimed Muslim thinker of modern times). He articulated the relevance of Prophet Muhammad's message in his lecture 'The Spirit of Muslim Culture:' 'In so far as the source of his revelation is concerned he belongs to the ancient world; in so far as the spirit of his revelation is concerned he belongs to the modern world.' His powerful words still resonate in my mind.
My idiosyncratic quest for spirituality began when I was quite young. I wanted God present in my life and not just a remote shadow. As I was growing up I grappled with the concept of spirituality. I linked it to the rituals of Islam - but was often perplexed with people who were involved in these rituals yet did not necessarily demonstrate those characteristics which I held as the epitome of a Muslim's character such as: integrity, justice and a sense of responsibility towards others. Upon entering my teenage years, every time a group of pilgrims would return from Makkah, having performed the annual pilgrimage, I would watch their every move like a hawk expecting them to be suddenly transfigured into beacons of righteousness. My quest for knowledge led me to explore what it means to be close to God; I found that it was about an awareness of the purpose and meaning of life, having concern for others and the development of personal values.
As I thrived and voyaged along my spiritual path I appreciated there was a huge chasm between my understanding of spirituality and the actual teachings of Islam; which is about training and taming the soul and purifying it from diseases and bad characteristics and increasing the soul with praiseworthy and good characteristics. Spirituality is referred to as tazkiya tun nufoos (purification of the soul) - an integral part of Islam and part of obligatory knowledge for all Muslims to attain.
Muslims believe God created human beings in three components: the body; the intellect; and the soul; similarly, the religion of Islam is categorised into three components: Islam, Iman and Ihsan. Each one correlates to one of the components of a human being. Islam is connected to the outer actions of the body such as praying, fasting, charity etc; Iman is the inner belief system, this is for the benefit of the intellect and finally, Ihsan, this is linked to the soul, it is the purification and perfection of actions.
Islam is comprehensive in dealing with the human being; therefore all components of a human being must be balanced. Our mind, body and soul have to be in harmony with each other. Similarly, the ancient Greeks believed that the mind, body, heart and spirit should work in harmony and not exclusively of one another. Plato is credited with saying, 'the part can never be well unless the whole is well'. The Romans had a similar expression: 'Mens sana in corpore sano', which means, "a healthy mind in a healthy body".
Great emphasis on the soul, (sometimes referred to as the heart) because it governs the actions of the body. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said that if the heart is sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. I recollect a scholar once saying: 'The heart is the king of the limbs and the rest of the limbs are its soldiers. If the king is righteous the soldiers will also be righteous. Similarly, if the king is corrupt, his soldiers will also be corrupt.'
In the world today there seems to be a downfall in graciousness which is plaguing religious and non religious people alike. The important characteristics that build a society based on uprightness, selflessness and justice are missing from nearly all societies. They do exist, but in few people. I believe that perhaps the rampaging materialism that takes over our lives in capitalist societies compels us to succumb to the desires of our soul, plunging us into a state of spiritual deprivation.
Spirituality is important in our lives - it gives purpose to our existence, it makes us just and compassionate with a sense of responsibility towards society. Prophet Muhammad was a living example of justice and compassion. To me, as a Muslim, spirituality is about being connected to God; having a sense of responsibility towards others, wanting to eradicate injustice and having integrity. The Qur'an says: 'Indeed Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good.'