Spiritual Education and Ma‘rifat in Islam: Key to National Peace

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Jul 11, 2025

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Humans, unlike other animals, are not merely physical beings. Just as they have a body, they also have a soul. The body has needs, and so does the soul. A complete human being is the union of both body and soul.

Therefore, the way of life sent by Allah through His final Messenger (peace be upon him) is a complete system that maintains a perfect balance between Shari‘ah (laws) and Ma‘rifah (spirituality). A major difference between this and any man-made system is that it not only includes rules, economy, and criminal law, but also addresses the spiritual crises of humankind.

By declaring the Kalima Tawheed (testimony of monotheism), a person begins to sense and internalize Allah’s presence and supremacy in their soul, heart, and mind. They accept Allah wholeheartedly as the only law-giver and deity. They devote all their obedience and worship solely to Allah.

Then, as they begin to implement His laws one by one, Shari‘ah starts to take form in their life. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) established a just and peaceful society through the combination of both Shari‘ah and Ma‘rifah.

As a result, the companions became spiritually purified and, by following the Qur’anic injunctions, they also became disciplined and united in worldly matters. They transformed from the ignorant and barbaric people of Arabia into the finest nation on earth. Injustice, chaos, and tyranny vanished from their society.

They reached such a level of spiritual consciousness that even after committing punishable crimes like theft or adultery, they would come to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and beg for punishment out of sincere repentance. In other words, they refrained from wrongdoing even in private because they were constantly conscious of accountability to Allah.

In Islamic terminology, this state is known as Taqwa (God-consciousness).

However, it is unfortunate that when the Muslim Ummah became fragmented, the balance between Shari‘ah and Ma‘rifah was lost. Today, we see that on one side, a group emerging from madrasas engage in intricate debates about minor issues of Shari‘ah, while remaining completely indifferent to the absence of Allah’s rule in national life.

On the other side, a group from the Sufi tradition adopts various spiritual paths in pursuit of nearness to Allah, while ignoring the fact that human society is filled with injustice, oppression, and turmoil, turning into a living hell. This is the unbalanced Sufism that spread across Muslim lands after the conquest of Persia.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) established a balance between Shari‘ah and Ma‘rifah in the character of his Ummah. Thus, true Islamic spirituality means internalizing the presence of Allah in one’s heart and soul, and accepting Him alone as the legislator in every aspect of life.

The feeling that Allah is watching all my actions, and that I will be held accountable before Him on the Day of Judgment, is known as Dhikr (remembrance).

To keep oneself away from all injustice and wrongdoing by recognizing Allah’s presence at every step of life, and to struggle—by sacrificing one's life, wealth, and attachment to family—for the establishment of His commands in human life, is the essence of Islamic Ma‘rifah or spirituality.

But there exists a group that tried to remove the concept of struggle from Muslim life by fabricating numerous false hadiths—such as the claim that "Jihad against one’s own soul is the greater Jihad (Jihad al-Akbar)".

Renowned hadith scholars like Hafiz Ibn Hajar never recognized such statements as hadiths, but identified them as Arabic proverbs.

And the greatest proof that this is false is found in Surah Al-Furqan, verse 52, where Allah says:

"Do not obey the disbelievers, and wage against them a mighty struggle (jihad), a great one."

In other words, Allah Himself declares that the greater Jihad is the total struggle against deniers of truth and the oppressors.

Today, humanity across the world is experiencing severe disaster. If people can escape the eyes of the law, they, regardless of education, become immoral beings. In such a time, both true spirituality and Shari‘ah are urgently needed. Hezbut Tawheed is presenting a balanced way of life that combines both.

On one hand, it will make people humane, spiritually pure, and sincere believers; on the other, it will make them self-sacrificing, fearless, martyrdom-seeking warriors for the establishment of Allah’s religion. Saints like Shah Jalal (R), Shah Paran (R), and Shah Makhdum (R) who came to Bengal centuries ago to establish Islam, and whom we know as Sufis, saints, and spiritual leaders, were not only spiritually accomplished but also victorious warriors.

This is the true example of a balanced religion. On the contrary, those who ignored all the problems of society and chose seclusion in shrines and khanqahs can never attain true closeness to Allah.

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