The Holy Qur'an, like a clear spring, serves as humanitys guide on the path of guidance and felicity. Verse 43 of Surah Al-Imran, with profound and meaningful expression, elucidates the stages of human deviation from the path of truth and its effects on the heart and soul. This verse, revealed following the preceding verse, invites humans to contemplate their behaviour in the face of hardships and divine blessings, warning against the peril of heart-hardening and surrender to satanic whisperings. This treatise, through a psychological and mystical lens, analyses this verse and, utilising the lectures of religious scholars, presents its concepts in a coherent and scientific framework. The aim is to clarify the path of guidance and misguidance within the divine creation system, so that the reader, by reflecting on these verses, is directed towards repentance and humility.
So why did they not, when Our punishment came to them, humble themselves? But their hearts hardened, and Satan adorned for them what they were doing.
The verse begins by reproaching those who, upon encountering "Our punishment" (the divine hardships and trials), instead of humility and supplication, turn away from God. Supplication, like a golden key, opens the human heart towards divine mercy. This term, employed in the Holy Qur'an to denote bowing, self-abasement, and return towards God, calls humans to repentance and helplessness before the Lord. In the system of creation, hardships serve as a mirror that prompts humans to self-reflection. When a person turns to supplication and repentance in the face of these trials, their heart is preserved from darkness and hardness.
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"And all of you, repent to Allah, O believers, that you might succeed."
(Surah An-Nur, Verse 31)
The lectures emphasise that in times of hardship, humans must humble themselves before God, weep, and display helplessness so that their hearts remain protected from hardness.
The verse continues with the phrase "But their hearts hardened," indicating that instead of supplication, some people's hearts become hardened. Hardness, like a heavy stone, prevents the heart from receiving the light of guidance. This state, resulting from neglect and distancing from repentance, drives the heart towards darkness and opacity. The lectures describe this hardness as the heart's toughness, darkness, and freezing, considering it the direct outcome of the absence of humility before God.
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً
"Then their hearts became hardened after that, so they are like stones or even harder."
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 74)
The lectures stress that supplication can prevent this hardness. Crying and repentance, like soft rain, remove the hardness of the heart and return it towards the light of guidance.
The phrase "and Satan adorned for them what they were doing" illustrates Satan's interference in beautifying the wrongful deeds of humans. Satan, like a deceptive painter, makes ugly actions appear beautiful in the eyes of humans and drives them towards narcissism and justification of their sins. The lectures explain this process in three stages: first, lack of supplication; then, heart-hardening; and finally, Satans intervention that adorns human deeds.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَادِهِمْ
"And thus did Satan make pleasing to many of the polytheists the killing of their children."
(Surah Al-An'am, Verse 137)
The lectures consider narcissism one of the greatest psychological diseases, emerging from heart-hardness and the influence of Satan. The narcissistic human, like a bird trapped within the mirror of pride, views every act of their own as correct and commendable. This state, originating from lack of supplication and heart-hardness, prevents self-awareness and repentance.
وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
"And let not the deceiver deceive you concerning Allah."
(Surah Luqman, Verse 33)
The lectures highlight that narcissism mainly manifests in those who hold material or social superiority. The poor or powerless, due to humility derived from their circumstances, are less prone to this trap.
Crying, like a rain of mercy, frees the heart from hardness and darkness. The lectures regard crying as the epitome of supplication that prevents heart-hardness. A person who weeps over their sins keeps their heart safe from freezing and darkness.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ
"And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 83)
The lectures delineate the stages of human deviation as follows: first, lack of supplication; then, heart-hardening; subsequently, Satan adorning actions; and finally, becoming the "image of Satan." This final stage, like absolute darkness, deprives the person of any chance for repentance or return. A human who transforms into the image of Satan has no conceivable path to guidance and, according to the lectures, "loses both this world and the Hereafter."
وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ
"And they followed what the devils used to recite."
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 102)
The subsequent verse (43:44 of Surah Al-Imran) refers to divine deception:
So when they forgot what they were reminded of, We opened to them the gates of everything, until, when they were rejoicing in what they had been given, We seized them suddenly, and behold, they were plunged into despair.
The lectures term this process "Yawm al-Hiyal" (the Day of Deceptions), during which God bestows abundant blessings upon heedless individuals to immerse them in pride and negligence, then suddenly destroys them. This deception is like an invisible net that traps the arrogant human being.
The phrase "and behold, they were plunged into despair" refers to a state of hopelessness and regret in which no opportunity for repentance remains. The lectures interpret "Mublisoon" as derived from the root "Talbis" (deception), not directly related to "Iblis" (Satan). This state is the ultimate consequence of heart-hardness and surrender to Satan, leading to total destruction.
وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ
"And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands."
(Surah Al-Furqan, Verse 27)
The lectures differentiate between "Satan" and "Iblis." Satan is like an inner shadow, referring to the internal psychological changes and contaminations of the human heart, whereas Iblis is a distinct external entity. This distinction aids in a deeper understanding of the concept of Satan in the Holy Qur'an.
إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ
"Indeed, the soul is prone to evil."
(Surah Yusuf, Verse 53)
The lectures regard the "Commanding Self" (Nafs Ammarah) as the inner Satan of the human being, which through the development of egotism leads one towards hardness and narcissism. This self, like a deceptive fire, drags the human towards pride and
