The Essence of the Holy Qur’an

Do you understand yourself?
And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah 12. Yusuf, verse – 53)

The Quranic verse mentioned above is said by Prophet Yusuf (PBUH). He was one of the most wonderful people in this world because he understood himself very well and knew his own problem. If you want to be a wonderful person like Yusuf (PBUH), then you first have to know yourself well.

There are five steps to understand yourself.

1. Recognition of your spiritual heart. Knowing yourself starts with an understanding of the two distinct components of human beings: the body and the heart, or more specifically, the spiritual heart.

2. Knowledge of the true nature of the heart. The heart works to seek happiness through knowledge of God.

3. Knowledge of the Body. The body is a kingdom, and within it the limbs and organs are its workers. Appetite is the tax collector, anger is the policeman, intellect is the chief minister, and the heart is king. If the heart acts at the advice of the intellect and keeps anger and appetite under control, the path to happiness will be made accessible. But if the intellect becomes the prisoner of anger and appetite, the kingdom will become desolate and the heart will be destroyed.

4. The relationship within the kingdom. The appetite and anger were created to nourish and protect the body. The body was built to bear the senses. The senses were created for intelligence. The intellect was created as the lamp of the heart; through its light the heart may see the divine presence.

5. The character of Heart. The heart has a number of qualities which can be grouped into four types. Predatory attributes that find happiness in rage, destruction and killing. Bestial attributes seek happiness in eating, sleeping and copulating. Demonic attributes thrive on evil, treachery and deceit. And angelic attributes which seek happiness in the contemplation of the divine presence. To be a wonderful person, the angelic quality of intellect must master the predatory, bestial and demonic qualities.