Page 12 - Quranic Wisdom - New.indd

Introduction

Man’s personality is like an onion. An onion has a central
core, but this core is covered by many layers. If you want to reach
the core, you have to remove all these covers or layers. The same
is true of the human being. A human personality is always subject
to the process of conditioning, which wraps it up in many layers.
The process of conditioning begins right from birth.
Initially, it is an unconscious process. The individual’s family,
his institutions, his society, and his community: all are sources
of this conditioning. From childhood up to adolescence, he is
affected by this conditioning. Only after reaching adulthood
does he become able to understand this problem consciously.

From here onwards begins what is called personality
development. It calls for an awakening of the mind and
a conscious discovery of this problem. At this stage, the
individual must develop the capacity for anti-self thinking. He
must engage in introspection. He must try to de-condition his
previous conditioning with complete objectivity. This is the most
important task for every man and woman.

What is de-conditioning? It is a process of sorting out the
items you have stored in your mind, all of which you must view
with complete objectivity if you are to overhaul your personality
in a dispassionate manner. You have to remove the negative items
in your mind if you are to turn your negativity into positivity.
A man once asked the Prophet of Islam a question—a very
comprehensive one. He said, “O Prophet, give me a master piece
of advice by which I may be able to manage all the affairs of my
life.” The Prophet replied: “Don’t be angry.” (Sahih al-Bukhari,
6116)
This means that you must try to purify yourself of anger.
Don’t allow anger to become a part of your personality. It is only
in this way that you can truly develop your personality.

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