Table Of Content£ ■
This book is an invitation to a jour
,,
ney, an interior journey of discovery
in quest of a lost treasure containing
the most precious jewels of the cre-
; ation. The map which shows the way
; is to be found in the message of God
‘ ,?Tor mankind, a way which is also indi-
^'Cated by the internal compass in
WJieart.
Phe journey begins with an inquiry
|he nature of the spirit and its virtues and vices, and
ire. led to an understanding that man has the potential
representative of God on earth. If we pay heed to
Origin and present conditions, and if we arrive at a
[pient understanding of our ultimate goal, the kinds of
ledge that are obtained on the journey will help us to
■'4|S3| yvise choices about the course our lives may take.
.1
^Self-knowledge was written in English and has been
ftTslated into Spanish, Indonesian and Kiswahili. While
^retains the style of a text of fourteen lessons, it is en
gaging and lively rather than pedantic.
Mohammad Ali Shomali is a graduate of the Islamic
Seminaries of Qum and has also both a BA and an MA in
; western philosophy from the University of Tehran. He has
x earned his doctorate in philosophy from the University of
Manchester. His publications include: Ethical Relativism
(2001) and Principles of Jurisprudence (2006).
imm Distributed by:
ISBN 964-7643-91-8 Jami‘at al-Zahra
Islamic University for Women
Bu Ali St., Qum, IRAN
9'7 89 64 7“64 3 9 1 7
- .(! I
■
I
In the Name of God,
the Compassionate the Merciful
r
Self-knowledge
JSil jjVj *J CJ^o)
Author: Mohammad Ali Shomali
First edition: 1996 - 1375
Second edition: 2006 - 1385
Quantity: 5000
Sepehr Press
ISBN: 964-7643-91-8
Mahdiyar Publishers
PO Box: 37155-6145
in association with:
Jami'at al-Zahra
Islamic University for Women
Bu Ali Street, Salariya sq.
Qum, IRAN
Email: [email protected]
Self-kn owledge
Mohammad Ali Shomali, PhD
r
i
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................ 7
1. The Importance of Self-knowledge................................ 17
2. The Benefits of Self-knowledge .......................................27
3. The Spirit .............................................................................47
4. The Status of Human Beings in the Glorious Qur’an .. 61
5. Good Attributes of Human Beings ..................................67
6. The Vices Attributed to Human Beings ........................85
7. The Representative of Allah on Earth..........................95
8. Free will ..............................................................................101
9. The Importance of Knowledge in Decision-making.... 113
10. Our Origin........................................................................119
11. Our Present .....................................................................125
12. Our Future .......................................................................135
13. The Ultimate Goal ........................................................145
14. How to Reach Our Goal................................................161
Appendix: A Glance at Islamic Punishment
and Its Philosophy 169
4
Introduction
Perhaps no school of thought has emphasized the nobility
and value of humanity to the extent that Islam has. In Islam,
man has the highest possibilities for perfection and closeness
to Allah. The divine spirit is breathed into him and he is the
representative of Allah on earth. Man will be satisfied with
nothing short of closeness to Allah and His pleasure.
Nothing can calm the spirit of man but the remembrance of
Allah. He can find no rest, but in meeting Allah.
The value of man is due to his voluntary relationship to
the absolute Truth and to the degree of his similarity with
that Truth. Both rebellious humanism and despairing
pessimism are distorted perspectives on this jewel of
creation. The “straightpath” of the Glorious Qur’an, which
passes between these two extremes, is servitude and worship
of Allah. According to Islam, all perfections and values may
be traced back to this, for it is only by servitude and worship
of Allah that man can realize his true status and move
without interruption toward the Source of the Light. The
creation and strengthening of the spirit of servitude to Allah
in man withers the roots of all moral vices and adorns him
