Spirituality in Islam

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Spirituality in Islam

Man is an intellectual being. He is endowed with a mind, which is his greatest faculty. It is only the possession of this mind and his independent thinking, which distinguish him from the animals. Real spirituality is that which has the power to address our minds. Any kind of spirituality attained at a level lesser than that of our minds is not true spirituality. All forms of ecstasy are just reduced forms of spirituality.

Spirituality is generally taken as something that is opposed to worldliness. People usually assume that the farther they move from material and worldly things, the more spiritual they become. This is the sole reason why human beings run away from cities and towns to jungles and mountains, leaving behind their homes and their material lives.

Man has two facets to his personality - body and soul. Both need sustenance for their health and progress. Material things such as food and water sustain the body. If anyone is deprived of food and water for several days, his or her physical health will suffer. If such deprivation continues over a long period of time, he or she will be starved to death. The same is true of the soul. I believe that Spirituality is man’s spiritual food for the soul. It boosts man’s inner personality to reengineer one’s minds towards positive thinking that is a guarantee of man’s spiritual life.

It was Thursday morning, 17th June 1999. I was in Manchester, England, staying in the house of an Arab Brother Alaref Ahmad. While I was sitting in my room on the upper floor, I heard a gentle knock on the door. When I opened it, I found a child of about five years of age. It was Qanita, the first-born daughter of Brother Alaref. She asked in all innocence and gentleness, “Do you need anything?” (turidu haja).