INTROSPECTION

INTROSPECTION Personality Development I SLAM places the highest emphasis on being a purified personality. It is necessary for every believer to purify himself. Without purification, a God-oriented personality cannot be developed. Purification leads to growth, an example of which can be seen in the tree. A tree is a result of the growth and development of a seed. When a seed finds a favourable environment, it starts growing until it becomes a green, verdant tree. The same is true of the purification of a human being. Purifying oneself involves struggle on the part of the individual. It is not at all related to any mysterious inspiration from some supposedly saintly person. Rather, it means abandoning a life of unawareness and leading a life ruled by the conscience. The believer has to save himself from anything which comes in the path of truth, and when he faces any hurdles, he must not resort to expediency. When desires arise within him, he must crush them, and when he is overtaken by arrogance, he should be able to overcome his overweening pride. In the process of purification, introspection is crucial. It awakens the mind, jolts the personality and gives the individual an incentive to reform himself after making a mistake. One who is desirous of purifying oneself should be careful about his speech and actions at every moment. With total objectivity, he must repeatedly engage in self-reappraisal. This is the process of introspection. The most powerful feeling in a person is that of egoism. This feeling is so intense that every person lives with the notion that he is all in all. This is a form of self-glorification. This kind of attitude should be anathema to a person aiming at purifying himself. What one should do is to develop anti-self thinking, so that he may be able to stand up to criticism. This feeling was so intense in one of the Companions of the Prophet that he said, “May God bless the man who sends me the gift of my shortcomings.” An introspective mentality is born out of a discovery—that of one’s own helplessness. The seeker must discover that his sense of ‘I’ exists only In the process of purification, introspection is very crucial. It awakens the human mind, jolts the human personality and gives the individual an incentive to reform himself after making a mistake.