UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

aspect of the human being is treated as his essential nature, and all other aspects are given a place within him only through this supposed essence. In reality, however, the essential nature of the human being lies in his being a spiritual being, and all other aspects are manifestations of that spirit, or arise as its demands and consequences. 2. Once the frame of reference changes, the ultimate goal of human life also changes. Things that are desirable from the standpoint of civilization come to be regarded as the primary objectives, whereas in reality the primary objective should be what is desirable in relation to the human being’s spiritual existence. 3. Moreover, from a practical perspective, this interpretation misses all truly important aspects. The soul is the source of all human actions and expressions. Therefore, any meaningful result in human life can only come from its roots in the soul. A conception that takes an external aspect of the human being as his true reality and plants its seed in that understanding cannot be expected to produce any real or lasting results. These same flaws appear in the interpretation of Islam mentioned above, where the concept of “system” is considered the overarching interpretive