The relationship between humanity and the environment, and man’s corresponding role in protecting it, can be explored through a precise set of axioms derived from clear Qur’anic verses. These axioms frame humanity as both a moral agent with significant responsibility and an integral part of a divinely ordered creation.

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The Axioms of Man’s Relationship with the Environment

The Qur’an establishes three primary axioms:

1. Axiom of Vicegerency and Accountability: Humanity has been elevated to a position of stewardship on Earth and will be tested on how it uses this power (6:165, 33:72).
   
2. Axiom of Ecological Interconnectedness: The natural world is a community of beings, created with purpose, that displays divine signs which humans are meant to observe and respect (6:38, 6:99, 16:65, 50:9).
   
3. Axiom of Moral Conduct and Consequences: Human actions, whether good or corrupting, have tangible impacts on the earth, for which humanity is ethically accountable (2:60, 28:77, 30:41, 89:17-18).

Expansion and Elaboration

Axiom 1: Vicegerency and Accountability

The Qur’an presents humans not as owners of the earth, but as stewards or “successors” who bear a unique moral burden. This status elevates human responsibility above other creatures.

• Ayah 6:165 highlights this role: “It is He Who has made you successors on the earth and raised some of you above others in rank, to test you through what He has bestowed upon you.” This “successorship” implies a trusteeship—a temporary management of Earth’s resources that will be evaluated.
  
• Ayah 33:72 emphasizes the gravity of this trusteeship. It speaks of the “Trust” (of responsibility and free will) that was offered to creation but only accepted by man: “Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and feared it. But man [undertook to] bear it.” This verse suggests that accepting this burden of moral choice makes man uniquely capable of environmental stewardship, but also uniquely capable of causing great harm.

Translation-Tension in 33:72: The concept of the “Trust” is vast, covering general moral responsibility. In an ecological context, some interpretations emphasize this as the free will to choose between preservation and corruption. The “trust” isn’t just a general religious duty; it specifically includes managing the planet responsibly, a task that even nature, by its innate submission to God’s laws, did not “choose” to undertake with free will.

Axiom 2: Ecological Interconnectedness

The relationship is not one of absolute dominion, but rather kinship within a shared divine design. Man is part of a larger community of life.

• Ayah 6:38 states a profound ecological truth: “There is no animal on the earth or bird that flies with its wings except as communities like you.” This verse challenges human exceptionalism by categorizing animals as “communities,” implying they have a structured existence and rights akin to human societies. They are not merely objects for human consumption or exploitation.
  
• Ayah 6:99, 16:65, and 50:9 repeatedly use natural phenomena (rain, vegetation, gardens) as “signs” (ayat) of God’s power. Man’s relationship with the environment, therefore, should be one of contemplation and reverence. To protect the environment is to respect the divine signs inherent within it.

Translation-Tension in 6:38: The latter part of the verse, “Nothing have We omitted from the Book,” has different interpretations. Some translators interpret “the Book” as the Qur’an itself, others as a “Book of Decrees” (a divine record of all things). Regardless of the specific interpretation, the consensus is that the natural world operates according to a precise, divinely ordained system that is fully accounted for. This reinforces the idea that human manipulation of this system should be undertaken with extreme care, as it is a precisely calibrated machine.

Axiom 3: Moral Conduct and Consequences

Human actions have direct and immediate consequences on the environment and society. Man’s role in protection is a moral imperative.

• Ayah 30:41 directly links human behavior to environmental decline: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of (the evil) which men’s hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return.” This verse provides the strongest environmental mandate, explicitly blaming human “mischief” or “corruption” for ecological damage (pollution, imbalance, climate change). The role of man is not just to avoid causing harm, but to actively “return” to a state of balance.
  
• Ayah 28:77 further refines this, urging a balance: “Seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief.” This verse ties personal success to environmental ethics, forbidding behavior that disrupts the natural or social order.
  
• Ayat 89:17-18 illustrate that the failure to protect the weak within the human community is linked to a broader moral failing. Disregard for social welfare is parallel to a disregard for the balance of the world: “But nay, nay, [O men…:] you are not generous towards the orphan, nor do you urge one another to feed the poor.”

Translation-Tension in 89:17: The translation here reveals a subtle emphasis difference: some focus on “honoring” the orphan, while others focus on being “generous” or supporting them financially. The implication for environmental ethics is that proper stewardship requires not just a lack of active harm, but positive, proactive action—generosity and honor extend to protecting the natural world as a vulnerable entity entrusted to human care.

Summary

The verses provide a comprehensive framework for man’s relationship with the environment. Humanity is required to be a responsible steward within an interconnected ecological community. Man’s role in protecting the environment is an essential moral duty rooted in divine command and accountability, where actions of corruption lead to consequences, and actions of balance and care are acts of faith.

Per Allah’s commands in His Qur’an, we should not follow sects.

• Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man’s] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God’s messages – behold, God is swift in reckoning!
  – al-Imran 3:19
  
• And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you—by His grace—became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be ˹rightly˺ guided.
  – al-Imran 3:103
  
• And be not like those who have drawn apart from one another and have taken to conflicting views after all evidence of the truth has come unto them: for these it is for whom tremendous suffering is in store
  – al-Imran 3:105
  
• VERILY, as for those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects – thou hast nothing to do with them. Behold, their case rests with God: and in time He will make them understand what they were doing.
  – al-An`am 6:159
  
• [For, thou art the bearer of a divine writ] such as We have bestowed from on high upon those who afterwards] broke it up into parts,
  – al-Hijr 15:90
  
• [or] among those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects, each group delighting in but what they themselves hold [by way of tenets].
  – ar-Rum 30:32
  
• In matters of faith, He has ordained for you that which He had enjoined upon Noah – and into which We gave thee [O Muhammad] insight through revelation as well as that which We had enjoined upon Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus: Steadfastly uphold the [true] faith, and do not break up your unity therein. [And even though] that [unity of faith] to which thou callest them appears oppressive to those who are wont to ascribe to other beings or forces a share in His divinity, God draws unto Himself everyone who is willing, and guides unto Himself everyone who turns unto Him.
  – ash_Shura 42:13
  
• And [as for the followers of earlier revelation,] they broke up their unity, out of mutual jealousy, only after they had come to know [the truth]. And had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from thy Sustainer, [postponing all decision] until a term set [by Him], all would indeed have been decided between them [from the outset]. As it is, behold, they who have inherited their divine writ from those who preceded them are [now] in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion, about what it portends.
  – ash-Shura 42:14
  

According to these Qur’anic verses, our Creator commands believers to maintain religious unity and avoid breaking into competing sects or denominations. The verses above emphasize that the true religion is simply submitting to our Creator’s will, and that throughout history—from the time of Noah through Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad—He has consistently called people to one unified faith.

The Qur’an warns that religious divisions arise not from ignorance, but from jealousy and ego even after people have received clear knowledge of the truth. Believers are instructed to “hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided,” remembering how He united them when they were once enemies.

The Qur’an makes clear that those who create religious sects and delight in their particular interpretations, rather than seeking unity in essential faith, will answer to their Creator for fragmenting what was meant to be whole.

The repeated message is that sectarianism contradicts the fundamental Islamic principle of submitting together to one God.

(we are continuing to recover articles from the pre-WordPress site; this is one.)

Please join IslamAwakened in congratulating Dr. Aisha Musa on her new website

Arabic & Islamic Studies

Researcher. Writer. Thinker. Teacher

https://www.draymusa.com

(we are continuing to recover articles from the pre-WordPress site; this is one.)

Let me give you the general picture: I am white, ‘middle class’, and well past a half-century in age.

I went through all the typical white-middle-class nonsense.  I worked for the big corporation.  I climbed up the ranks.  I started as a computer operator, went through the promotions.  Systems tech.  Programmer.  Systems programmer.  Manager over a tech support department.  And so on.

House in the fancy suburb, bought my wife a Volvo, all that kind of thing.

Eventually I went out freelance, independent computer work.  Owned my own company.

Hit my 40’s, got divorced, chased women, drank a lot, chased more women, did drugs, did more drugs.

Did the wrong drug. Found myself spending much more effort trying to do cocaine than trying to do the work my Creator gave me the talent for.

Found myself eventually in jail, of course.

But our Creator is merciful.  He had His plan.

That jail, a state jail, was more than a county lock-up, but less than the stereotypical “Hollywood ” prison.  No riots, no tear gas, no beatings

(well… I did see two incidents, but let’s not digress).

But the company in jail is not the most righteous, even for a junior criminal like me.  I certainly don’t recommend it as a vacation spot for anyone… for one thing the help is really rude. 😉

Anyway, I had noticed that there was one group in there that DIDN’T seem to be out to prove themselves tougher, who weren’t busy trying to run one scheme or another, who seemed to be *unshackled* by the dark environment we were in.

That group, you might guess, was the black Muslims. And even that, I later learned, was an assumption on my part. Some of the brothers were Black Muslims (Nation of Islam) I would later learn, but most were Muslims associated with Mosques that (generally) joined W. Dean Mohammad when he led the bulk of the old N.O.I. away from Louis Farrakhan and his bunch and back to orthodox Islam.

This was good, and one of the signs of Allah’s planning.  Because one day one of my black cellmates was in the same visiting area with his family when I was visited by my wife.

My wife at that time was an African American.  And word of this got back to the rest of the inmates in my area.  Naturally some of the bigoted whites thereafter treated me with disdain; no loss as they were not the sort I associated with.  But on the other side of the race line my own aloof attitude had (unknown to me) been interpreted as prejudice by some of my non-white cellmates.

Suddenly it was seen that that wasn’t my stance.

Getting to the point, this all led to my being invited to an Islamic learning session. (Here in the U.S. prisons have to accommodate the faiths of the inmates, within limits) 

A chance to get out of the block for a couple of hours?  (And some curiousity?) 

I went.
And then one of the brothers with a good voice called the adzan.

It was like nothing I can explain. The Southern Baptists talk about being ‘born again’… Brothers, sisters: is that the right word!

I cried like a baby.  There in the middle of a room full of felons. Tears streaming down my face.

Not one of them ever mentioned that to me. To the best of my knowledge it was never mentioned outside of that room (and stories like that spread faster than fire in there).

I had $110,000 in a retirement account when all of this started.

When I got out of jail I had $4,000 left in the bank, and a felony conviction.

I had lost $106,000 but I had gained Islam. I would pay twice that without blinking.

I do not need anyone else’s affirmation of my Islam, I have received that from the ONE who matters!

By the way, for anyone who wants to verify, the legal facts I related above are a matter of public record in the State of Texas. The events all happened in the year 2000.

Oh, that $4,000? Just as it was running out, I ran into an old boss (who knew my troubles) in Wal-mart.  He hired me two days later.

Alhamdulallah once again!

This account is not for my own fame or aggrandizement but for the sake of Allah. If any good comes out of this story all the credit is due Him; only the mistakes are my own.
Note: ANYONE who has a similar struggle, please visit Millati Islami for support.

G. Waleed Kavalec

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“O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,
and join me with the righteous;” 
 — Quran, al-Shuara 26:83

There is a video interview of the above story here: 
  https://www.facebook.com/meriikahaani/videos/t.618860864/1226351340725126/ 
In my opinion br. Rehan Allahwala has taken it a bit “over the top” but that is his way.
My life has changed since that video, my beard is smaller, my Islam remains, as Allah wills.

You may also want to visit our FaceBook page here
 https://www.facebook.com/IslamAwakened/

Moral transgression costs a heavy price—indeed, an exceedingly heavy one. Yet this price is not rendered in material currency, but rather in the coin of psychological anguish, emotional turmoil, and spiritual desolation. Our Creator did not establish arbitrary DOs and DON’Ts merely to test human compliance. Rather, He revealed fundamental principles for righteous living. His disapproval of falsehood, theft, betrayal, covetousness, murder, envy, sexual transgression, and arrogance stems from the reality that such behaviors corrupt both the individual who commits them and the social fabric surrounding them—ultimately destroying one’s own moral integrity and relationships with others.

Consider how these transgressions unfold in everyday life:

• A single lie requires ten more lies to maintain it, creating a web of deception that traps the liar in constant anxiety.
  
• Theft breeds suspicion and fear throughout communities, making neighbors distrust one another.
  
• Envy corrodes the heart from within, robbing us of gratitude for our own blessings while fixating on what others possess.

Each transgression creates expanding circles of harm, like stones thrown into still water.

Every act that the Qur’an identifies as transgression represents something from which our Creator seeks to shield us. His ultimate purpose is to guide humanity toward love, tranquility, divine grace, and harmony—both in our relationship with Him and within the entirety of His creation. Moral transgression constitutes our willful rejection of this divine guidance, pursued in service of our own ephemeral and misguided desires.

The wisdom embedded in divine guidance resembles that of a skilled physician who warns against behaviors that damage health. What might appear restrictive is actually protective—boundaries designed not to limit our joy, but to preserve our well-being and guide us toward authentic fulfillment. When we transgress these boundaries, we often discover too late that we have wounded ourselves more deeply than anyone else.

: A Qur’anic Exploration of Oneness, Creation, and the Journey of the Soul

Tawḥīd is the foundation of all truth—the absolute certainty that Allah alone is the Creator of all things, the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, without partner, likeness, or rival. All creation belongs to Him, and to Him alone all existence shall ultimately return.

Allah is not confined by space, time, or causality. He is neither form nor matter, neither male nor female. He is Al-Ḥayy (the Ever-Living), Al-Qayyūm (the Self-Sustaining), the Absolute, the Necessary Being (al-Wājib al-Wujūd), beyond imagination and comparison. As the Qur’an declares:
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (Q 42:11)

The cosmos is not God, nor a fragment of Him. Rather, it is His creation and a collection of signs (āyāt) pointing toward Him. The human being contains signs that reflect the wider cosmos, the one begins to glimpse the knowledge of one’s Lord.

Al-Ghazālī reminds us that the heart, when polished by dhikr, reflects Divine light like a mirror reflects the sun.[1]

Life and what we call death are not adversaries; they are phases of a Divine decree. Everything in creation flows within this order, not by its own will, but by the command of Allah alone: “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.” (Q 39:62) Nothing possesses independent existence. No star shines, no atom vibrates, no cell divides except by Allah’s decree.

The dualities that human intellect perceives—light and darkness, expansion and contraction, attraction and repulsion—are not rival powers. They are created patterns reflecting Divine Wisdom and order expressed in time and space. Ibn Taymiyyah emphasized that no force acts independently: all causes and effects are bound to Allah’s continuous will and power.[2]

Modern science often speaks in the language of duality—wave versus particle, energy versus mass, positive versus negative. These are useful descriptions but not ultimate truths. Electricity and magnetism are not eternal parents birthing one another; they are both created, both sustained, both governed. To ascribe power to these forces as if they act by themselves is to mistake the sign for the Sign-Giver: “They have taken gods besides Allah who create nothing, while they themselves are created.” (Q 22:73)

Gravity does not pull—Allah commands. The sun does not shine by itself—Allah sustains its flame. Nothing collides randomly—every flutter of an atom is under His decree.

Death is not annihilation, but transition: “Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned.” (Q 29:57) Modern physics notes that energy is not destroyed but transformed; revelation elevates this truth further—the soul does not vanish, it endures by Allah’s will. The body dissolves into dust, but the soul—breathed into man from Allah’s command—returns to its Origin: “They ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is of the command of my Lord.” (Q 17:85)

Man is not a body possessing a soul, but a soul entrusted with a body. The soul was created before worldly birth, bore witness to the primordial covenant—“Am I not your Lord? They said, Yes, indeed” (Q 7:172)—and will persist after death until it is returned to its Creator. Ibn Kathīr explains that this verse establishes the testimony of every human soul before its earthly existence, affirming Allah’s Lordship upon them.[3]

Time itself is a creation. Allah is not in time; time is in Allah’s creation. The past, present, and future exist simultaneously in His knowledge: “With Him are the keys of the unseen… Not a leaf falls but He knows it.” (Q 6:59)

The universe operates by a law of balance—al-Mīzān: “And We have set up the balance so that you may not transgress the measure.” (Q 55:7–8) From galaxies to atoms, from the orbit of stars to the symmetry of a flower, balance reflects Divine precision. Sacred geometry and natural harmonies—the Golden Ratio, Fibonacci spirals, fractals—are not self-emerging laws but signs of Al-Khāliq, the Creator: “Indeed, We have created everything in due proportion and measure.” (Q 54:49)

The human soul carries within it the fitrah—the primordial disposition toward truth. The Qur’an affirms: “Truly, it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts in the chests.” (Q 22:46) Knowledge is not merely acquired from outside but awakened from within. Intuition, conscience, and the inner light are all traces of this Divine signs within. Al-Ghazālī describes true knowledge as the unveiling (kashf) of this light when the heart is purified from heedlessness Such unveiling does not replace revelation. [4]

This life is not a meaningless accident. You are not a random assembly of molecules. You are a soul, sent into a body, tasked with worship and awakening, destined to return. “Every day He is in [yet another] glorious task.” (Q 55:29)

All creation glorifies Allah in ways unseen: “The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him; and there is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification.” (Q 17:44) Classical commentators like al-Rāzī explain that this tasbīḥ is real, each creation in its own mode, though hidden from human perception.[5] What science perceives as vibration or resonance is, in truth, a created mode of remembrance. This does not mean atoms have consciousness like humans, but that Allah has commanded every particle with a glorification befitting it.

The journey of the soul is to pierce the veils of multiplicity and behold Allah’s Oneness—to see that all opposites are signs of His wisdom, to awaken to the Light behind the forms: “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth.” (Q 41:53)

Notes & References
[1] Al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, Book 21.
[2] Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, vol. 8.
[3] Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on Q 7:172.
[4] Al-Ghazālī, al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl.
[5] Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Tafsīr al-Kabīr, commentary on Q 17:44.

Human consciousness cannot be reduced to the activity of matter alone, nor can the human being be dismissed as nothing more than a temporary arrangement of cells destined to vanish into nothingness at death. The Islamic worldview, rooted in Tawḥīd — the absolute Oneness of Allah — provides a more coherent, rational, and comprehensive understanding of human existence, consciousness, and destiny. Science, no doubt, is a powerful tool for uncovering the mechanisms of the physical world, but its success in describing material processes does not justify the metaphysical leap into materialism, the belief that reality is exhausted by matter. This leap is an assumption, not a conclusion of evidence. To take materialism as the ultimate truth is to confuse the method of studying signs with the reality those signs point toward, mistaking the map for the territory.

Even at the heart of modern neuroscience, the problem of consciousness remains unsolved. Science can trace correlations between brain activity and mental states, but correlation is not causation, and it cannot explain why subjective awareness — the “what it is like” to be — accompanies those physical processes. This gap is not an illusion but a profound limitation of materialist accounts. The Qur’an itself affirms this mystery when it says: “They ask you about the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is from the command of my Lord, and you have been given of knowledge only a little” (17:85). The reality of the rūḥ, the soul breathed into man by Allah, provides a metaphysical foundation that science alone cannot supply. Consciousness, identity, and free will are intelligible only when understood as gifts rooted in the Divine command, not reducible to neurons firing blindly in a purposeless cosmos.

The persistence of the self across the radical changes of the body is also a sign. Our cells, our very matter, are constantly replaced, yet the “I” remains. This enduring identity is not explained by shifting atoms but by the continuity of the soul, which carries moral responsibility and agency. Without the soul, notions of accountability, freedom of choice, and justice collapse into the determinism of physics. But Allah declares: “That every soul may be recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged” (45:22). The Qur’an grounds human dignity in this accountability, which presupposes more than material processes: it presupposes a soul.

Moreover, the very existence of meaning, information, values, and morality defies reduction to brute matter. Syntax can be described materially, but semantics, intentionality, and value require transcendence. Within Tawḥīd, this is no mystery: meaning is grounded in the Divine Word, and human beings are created with fiṭrah, an innate orientation toward truth, morality, and worship. “So set your face to the religion as a ḥanīf — the fiṭrah of Allah upon which He created mankind” (30:30). This explains why humanity across cultures universally seeks purpose, values, and ultimate truth.

The distinction between contingency and necessity provides further clarity. The cosmos itself is contingent; it could have not existed. Its laws, its matter, and its conscious beings are dependent realities. To posit an eternal, impersonal material substrate as the explanation is to relocate, not solve, the problem. Islam resolves this by grounding existence in al-Wājib al-Wujūd, the Necessary Being, Allah — self-subsistent, absolute, and eternal. Within this metaphysical system, the soul is not magical fantasy but a created and purposeful reality, intelligible as part of the Divine design and destined to return to its Creator. “Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return” (2:156).

Even empirical observations point to dimensions beyond reductionist materialism. Reports of near-death experiences, cases of cognition seemingly independent of normal brain function, and the striking universality of moral intuitions across humanity all serve as reminders that human reality is more profound than chemistry and biology. The Qur’an directs us to these signs: “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth” (41:53). Denial of these realities is not intellectual humility, but a premature closure of inquiry.

The accusation that belief in the soul is mere wishful thinking ignores the fact that materialism itself is a metaphysical stance equally requiring justification. To claim “there is no soul, only matter” is not neutral science but philosophy. Both claims must be defended, and the Islamic position, far from being grounded in fear of death, is based on the recognition of order, purpose, meaning, and responsibility woven into existence. The Qur’an diagnoses the true reason for denial: “Rather, they deny the Hereafter” (30:16).

Thus, the truly humble scholar admits the limits of human knowledge and does not dismiss centuries of reflection by prophets, sages, and philosophers as mere denial of mortality. Allah reminds us: “Of knowledge, you have been given but little” (17:85). Arrogance before this mystery is the mark not of reason but of pride. The Qur’an consistently condemns this attitude, as with Iblīs who refused to acknowledge a truth greater than his pride.

Rejecting the soul because one dislikes the idea of accountability or fears death is not philosophy but psychology. Accepting the soul, by contrast, is to acknowledge the reality of consciousness, identity, freedom, meaning, and contingency, all of which demand more than matter for their explanation. It is to recognize that man is not merely dust, but dust into which Allah breathed His spirit, ennobling him and making him responsible. In the light of Tawḥīd, the soul is not superstition but the very center of what makes us human, a sign of the Divine, and the bearer of our eternal destiny.

: A Qur’anic Exploration of the Highest Form of Consciousness

In contemporary spiritual discussions, especially those influenced by psychology and Eastern traditions, the concept of “being present in the Now” or Mindfulness is often described as the secret of power. It is argued that when the mind ceases its wandering—away from regrets of the past and anxieties of the future—and rests fully in the present moment, one touches peace, focus, and even a form of awakening.

This idea has undeniable benefits for mental health and well-being. Yet from the perspective of the Qur’an and Islamic spirituality, we must ask: Is the ultimate secret of power truly just presence in the Now? Or is it something greater—the awareness of God, the Infinite Being who created both time and the moment?

The Qur’an consistently points us to a reality far beyond mere “mindfulness.” It calls us to Taqwa—God-consciousness—an awareness that not only encompasses the present moment but transcends it by connecting us to the Eternal.

1. The Appeal and Limits of Mindfulness

The practice of Mindfulness as taught in modern psychology and spirituality emphasizes anchoring attention in the present—through breathing, sensations, or the immediate environment. The benefit is clear: when attention is freed from the endless cycle of past and future thoughts, the mind feels clarity and calm.

But this state remains fundamentally self-referential. The individual becomes aware of their inner processes, their breath, their body, their immediate sensations—but not necessarily of anything beyond themselves. It produces tranquility, but this tranquility is fragile. It depends on the discipline of practice and can vanish as soon as external stress intrudes.

In other words, mindfulness treats the symptoms of distraction, but does not address the metaphysical hunger of the soul.

2. The Qur’anic Perspective: Presence with God

The Qur’an invites us to a form of presence infinitely greater: the awareness of God (Allah), the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.

“And He is with you wherever you are.”
(Qur’an 57:4)

This verse presents a paradigm-shift. The human being is never merely “in the moment”; the human being is always already in the presence of God. What is required is not simply mindfulness, but God-consciousness (Taqwa)—the act of remembering, sensing, and responding to that Divine Presence.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ captured this reality in one of the most profound hadiths of all spirituality:

“That you worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

This is not just presence in the Now; it is presence with the Eternal. It is not simply about silencing thoughts but about orienting thought, feeling, and action toward the Infinite.

3. Why Awareness of God is the Strongest Presence

The Qur’an presents Taqwa as the key to strength, liberation, and clarity in life:

“And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect.”
(Qur’an 65:2–3)

Here, the fruit of God-consciousness is not merely inner peace, but concrete transformation: escape from difficulty, provision beyond calculation, and alignment with Divine Wisdom.

Mindfulness may calm the mind, but only God-consciousness reshapes destiny.

This is because:

• Mindfulness connects you to your breath.
• God-consciousness connects you to the One who grants you breath.
• Mindfulness frees you from mental chatter.
• God-consciousness frees you from illusion itself, anchoring you in truth.

4. Fitrah: The Human Nature That Seeks the Infinite

Human beings are created with an innate nature—the Fitrah—that yearns for the Absolute. This is why presence without God always feels incomplete. A person may experience calm in mindfulness, but an existential restlessness lingers, because the soul was not created to be satisfied with the self; it was created to be satisfied with the Creator.

“So set your face towards the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created people.”
(Qur’an 30:30)

When a human being awakens to God-consciousness, they see the world with new eyes: every moment is no longer empty time, but a mirror of Divine Reality. The “Now” becomes a sacred sign. This is the true presence.

5. The Language of Modern Spirituality vs. Qur’anic Reality

Secular or non-theistic spirituality often speaks of:

• Transcendence of Thought
• Consciousness Beyond Thought
• Enlightenment

These concepts attempt to describe states where the human mind transcends its ordinary limits. But they often stop short of pointing to the Source of existence itself. They remain descriptive of psychological states, not metaphysical realities.

By contrast, the Qur’an speaks of Taqwa (mindfulness of God), Ihsan (excellence through awareness of His presence), Khushu‘ (humble attentiveness to Him). These are not mere psychological conditions; they are existential orientations toward the Infinite. They do not just transcend thought—they transcend creation by connecting directly to the Creator.

“Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”
(Qur’an 13:28)

This is the Qur’anic definition of true “enlightenment.”

6. The Real Secret of the Now

Thus we arrive at the decisive comparison:

• Presence in the Now may grant momentary clarity.
• Presence with God grants eternal clarity.
• Mindfulness offers self-mastery.
• Taqwa offers alignment with Divine mastery.
• Mindfulness ends in the self.
• God-consciousness opens into the Infinite.

The Now is powerful not because it is the Now, but because it is the arena in which God reveals Himself to you.

As the Qur’an reminds us:

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth.”
(Qur’an 41:53)

Conclusion

Mindfulness teaches us to “be present in the moment.” But the Qur’an calls us to something greater: be present with Allah in the moment.

This is not only the highest form of consciousness but the essence of human existence. To live with Taqwa is to transform the fleeting Now into a doorway to eternity.

Modern spirituality calls this Consciousness Beyond Thought or Enlightenment. The Qur’an names it more beautifully: Taqwa, Ihsan, and Dhikr Allah—God-consciousness, excellence through His presence, and remembrance of Him.

And this is not just the secret of psychological strength. It is the secret of existence itself.

The concept of “abrogation” (naskh) is arguably one of the biggest obstacles to a fully peaceful and coherent understanding of the Qur’an.

▲ In short, here’s why this is a major obstacle:

It allows for selective quoting: extremist groups or hard-line preachers often say, “Don’t quote the peaceful verses; they’ve been abrogated.” That opens the door to a one-sided, militant theology.

▲ How the concept of abrogation enables extremist violence:

The concept of abrogation (naskh) is itself a highly debated issue among scholars. There is no unified consensus. While some claim fewer than ten verses are abrogated, others raise the number to over 500. Shockingly, some assert that verse 9:5 alone abrogates more than 100 peaceful Meccan verses. Even more troubling is the claim by certain scholars that Hadith can override or abrogate Qur’anic verses—a view that fundamentally challenges the Qur’an’s authority.

▲ What typically are the verses that they abrogate?

ISIS and similar extremist ideologues often declare that the following verses have been abrogated:

• 2:256 – “…There is no compulsion in religion…”
• 2:190—”Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.”
• 22:39 – “Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being oppressed…”
• 60:8 – “Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have not fought you…”

They claim that all these verses have been overridden by verses like;

• 9:5 – “When the sacred months are over, fight the idolaters wherever you find them, lie in ambush for them, arrest and besiege them. However, if they repent, perform the prayer, and pay Zakat, then let them go. Allah is Most Forgiving and Kind.”
• 9:29 – “Fight those who believe not in God and in the Last Day, and who do not forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, and who follow not the Religion of Truth among those who were given the Book, till they pay the jizyah with a willing hand, being humbled.”

But here’s the riddle. If you think that verses 2:256, 2:190, 22:39, and 60:8 are not abrogated, you would believe that in verses 9:5 and 9:29 god instructs us only to fight back in self-defense. However, if you feel that verses 2:256, 2:190, 22:39, and 60:8 are nullified, then verses 9:5 and 9:29 give the message of aggressive wars—Muslims are commanded to fight for colonial expansion and mass conversion.

So, the doctrine of abrogation (naskh) has become a theological weapon. Groups like ISIS have employed this concept to invalidate core Qur’anic principles of justice, peace, and restraint, thereby legitimizing horrific crimes under the guise of “religion.”

One must know that this interpretation is not rooted in the Qur’an itself, which consistently emphasizes justice, mercy, and ethical warfare. Nowhere does the Qur’an say that verse 9:5 cancels earlier peaceful commands—it’s context-specific, relating to specific hostile groups who broke treaties and attacked the Muslims first.

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▲ The Real-World Consequences

Because of this concept of abrogation, ISIS has been able to justify atrocities like:

• Aggressive warfare
• Forced conversions and extermination campaigns, i.e., atrocities against the Yazidis and Christians
• Kidnapping and systematic rape of Yazidi women, branding them “spoils of war”

Claiming sexual slavery is religiously sanctioned by referring to a twisted reading of verses involving “what your right hands possess” (ma malakat aymanukum)

A 12-year-old Yazidi girl recounted how her ISIS captor would pray before and after raping her, claiming it was allowed by “religious texts.”

ISIS fighters told survivors that enslaving non-Muslim women and using them sexually was “permissible in Islam” because the peaceful verses had been abrogated.

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▲ Abrogation as a theological shortcut to brutality

This shows how the weaponization of abrogation enables a theology where mercy is erased, justice is distorted, and violence becomes a virtue.

As long as extremists can declare peaceful Qur’anic teachings as “abrogated,” any act of barbarity can be passed off as religiously justified.

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▲ A call for ethical reclamation

If Muslims want to counter extremist narratives, a critical re-evaluation of abrogation is necessary:

The Qur’an presents itself as coherent and free of contradiction (4:82).

• So, ethical verses cannot be cancelled by the so-called aggressive ones
• Verses 2:106 and 16:101 require careful reexamination and consideration

You can read my response in this regard by clicking the link below:

Rezaul Haque’s answer to Can you explain the concept of abrogated and abrogating verses in the Quran?