Volume 10 Surah 12 - 15 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Ĥijr | MAN AND HIS SWORN ENEMY
arrogance, which is not far removed in our perception from the nature of fire.
Then man’s creation took place, starting with the sticky mud that had dried, then
the adding of sublime spirit which brought about his distinction from all living
creatures. This gave him his unique human characteristics. Right from the beginning
of human life, man has followed his own separate line, while animals remained in
their own domain.
Man’s Dual Nature
It is this breath of God’s spirit that provides man’s link with the Supreme Society,
making him worthy of contact with God, receiving His messages, and going beyond
the material world of his physical constitution to the mental world of hearts and
minds. It is this breath of God’s spirit which allows man to go beyond time and
space, and beyond the reach of his senses and physical ability to formulate
perceptions and experience feelings that, at times, seem unlimited.
All this despite the heavy nature of clay which puts him in need of all that his clay
constitution requires, such as food, drink, clothing and the satisfaction of desires. He
also has his weaknesses, giving rise to faulty concepts and whims. Yet right from the
beginning, man is a compound of these two inseparable elements. He has the nature
of a compound, not that of a mixture. We need to keep this fact clear in our minds
whenever we speak about man’s constitution from clay and sublime spirit. The two
constituents are inseparable in his nature. In no situation does either element achieve
total domination, completely excluding the other. Man is not pure clay or pure spirit
even for a single moment. Every single action and every single deed involves his
whole make-up which is indivisible.
Achieving a proper balance between the clay and the sublime elements is the
highest level man is called on to achieve. That is the stage of human perfection. He is
not required to shed either element of his constitution so as to become either angel or
animal. To attempt a rise that disturbs the balance is a shortcoming that does not suit
man’s essential characteristics, or the purpose of his creation in this unique fashion.
A person who tries to suppress his basic physical instincts is the same as one who
tries to suppress his free spiritual powers. Both go beyond straight human nature,
imposing on themselves something that God does not sanction. Both destroy
themselves by distorting the basic compound of their very nature. They will have to
account to God for such destruction.
Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) reproached one of his Companions for
deciding to remain celibate, vowing not to marry, and another for having decided to
fast every day of his life and a third who decided to spend all night every night in
worship. His reproach is clear in a ĥadīth reported by his wife `Ā’ishah, and he said at
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