In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Art for the Soul
[91:7] The soul and Him who created it.
[91:8] Then showed it what is evil and what is good.
[91:9] Successful is one who redeems it.
[91:10] Failing is one who neglects it.
Throughout the journey of life, submitters know they must work constantly on their souls to be redeemed and to achieve higher ranks. The Most Gracious has provided us with the tools for maintaining, beautifying, and growing our souls to earn the eternal bliss and the closeness to God.
[90:4] We created the human being to work hard (to redeem himself).
[56:88] If he is one of those close to Me -
[56:89] then joy, flowers, and gardens of bliss.
[56:90] And if he is one of the right -
[56:91] peace is the lot of those on the right.
[56:10] Then there is the elite of the elite.
[56:11] They are those who will be closest (to God).
[56:12] In the gardens of bliss.
The effective means to do that (maintain, beautify, and grow our souls) are stated in the Quran which is the manual that lists everything needed for our redemption.
[6:51] And preach with this (Quran) to those who reverence the summoning before their Lord - they have none beside Him as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor - that they may attain salvation.
Quran: Our Means to Salvation [17:9] This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense.
[6:70] You shall disregard those who take their religion in vain, as if it is a social function, and are totally absorbed in this worldly life. Remind with this (Quran), lest a soul may suffer the consequences of its evil earnings. It has none beside GOD as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor. If it could offer any kind of ransom, it would not be accepted. They suffer the consequences of the evil works they earn; they have incurred hellish drinks, and a painful retribution because of their disbelief.
Believers who uphold Quran as the only infallible truth and ultimate reference know that God has made our religion easy, doesn't impose any hardship on us (3:108) and doesn't burden a soul beyond its means (2:255, 2:286). The art for healthy souls is fluently expressed through His proven words.
- Before, while, and after enjoying any of God's countless blessings that He has created and committed for us, we are to remember Him, give Him full credit as the only Provider, commemorate His name, and glorify Him to express our appreciation. This is so easy to do - a strengthening formula for our souls and joy for our hearts:
Remember God, Always
[30:17] Therefore, you shall glorify GOD when you retire at night, and when you rise in the morning.
[30:18] All praise is due to Him in the heavens and the earth, throughout the evening, as well as in the middle of your day.
[73:8] You shall commemorate the name of your Lord, to come ever closer and closer to Him.
[13:28] They are the ones whose hearts rejoice in remembering GOD. Absolutely, by remembering GOD, the hearts rejoice.
[20:130] Therefore, be patient in the face of their utterances, and praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise and before sunset. And during the night glorify Him, as well as at both ends of the day, that you may be happy.
- Observing God and His commands in the scripture leads, without a doubt, to guided and successful souls:
[3:102] O you who believe, you shall observe GOD as He should be observed, and do not die except as Submitters.
[3:200] O you who believe, you shall be steadfast, you shall persevere, you shall be united, you shall observe GOD, that you may succeed.
[5:35] O you who believe, you shall reverence GOD and seek the ways and means to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may succeed.
Our five daily contact prayers, our obligatory charity, and keeping all of God's laws and commands are the real means to observe Him. Observing God augments our guidance (19:76, 47:17), beautify our souls, and guard them against evil.
Having the command of recitation of the Quran side by side, and next to the command of observing our obligatory practices only affirms how crucial to our salvation it is to recite and meditate with the Quran. This is falling in place, logically, with how it is healing, mercy, beacon, and guidance, and how it provides us with the details of everything we need to progress on God's straight path. Reciting Quran, everyday, makes us achieve that balance to simultaneously grow in spirituality and deal with our earthly needs and/or our difficult path. It makes us in continuous touch with the basics as well as the details of our religion:
[2:189] They ask you about the phases of the moon! Say, "They provide a timing device for the people, and determine the time of Hajj." It is not righteous to beat around the bush;* righteousness is attained by upholding the commandments and by being straightforward. You shall observe GOD, that you may succeed.
[30:44] Whoever disbelieves, disbelieves to the detriment of his own soul, while those who lead a righteous life, do so to strengthen and develop their own souls.
The Contact Prayers (Salat) [29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.* GOD knows everything you do.
[35:29] Surely, those who recite the book of GOD, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them they spend - secretly and publicly - are engaged in an investment that never loses.
[17:78] You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran at dawn is witnessed.
The Winners [9:71] The believing men and women are allies of one another. They advocate righteousness and forbid evil, they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they obey GOD and His messenger. These will be showered by GOD's mercy. GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.
- All believers who strive and struggle everyday to maintain and lead a righteous life, are blessed by the Most Merciful by allowing them to continuously repent and implore Him for forgiveness. The acceptance of repentance and the complete forgiveness is a divine promise for believers and vital tools of a continuous soul purification and growth:
[50:31] Paradise will be offered to the righteous, readily.
[50:32] This is what was promised to every repenter, steadfast.
[25:70] Exempted are those who repent, believe, and lead a righteous life. GOD transforms their sins into credits. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
[25:71] Those who repent and lead a righteous life, GOD redeems them; a complete redemption.
[110:3] You shall glorify and praise your Lord, and implore Him for forgiveness. He is the Redeemer.
[42:25] He is the One who accepts the repentance from His servants, and remits the sins. He is fully aware of everything you do.
[20:82] I am surely Forgiving for those who repent, believe, lead a righteous life, and steadfastly remain guided.
The art for beautiful souls is taught by God, the source of all beauty, and it is fully detailed in the Quran. It's always our choice to develop our skills to learn this kind of art for the sake of our souls and before it's too late.
[6:158] Are they waiting for the angels to come to them, or your Lord, or some physical manifestations of your Lord? The day this happens, no soul will benefit from believing if it did not believe before that, and did not reap the benefits of belief by leading a righteous life.* Say, "Keep on waiting; we too are waiting."
Too Late [32:12] If only you could see the guilty when they bow down their heads before their Lord: "Our Lord, now we have seen and we have heard. Send us back and we will be righteous. Now we have attained certainty."*
[2:286] ...."Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes. Our Lord, and protect us from blaspheming against You, like those before us have done. Our Lord, protect us from sinning until it becomes too late for us to repent. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord and Master. Grant us victory over the disbelieving people."
Peaceful Friday, salaam, and God bless.