TWO TYPES OF SOULS
In the present world, man is free to choose between two courses: he can accept God’s greatness and surrender before Him or he can live in his own glory.
The Quran says: “He who purifies it (his soul) will indeed be successful, and he who corrupts it is sure to fail.” (91: 9-10)
The present world is a testing ground for us before the life of the Hereafter dawns. It is an opportunity for us to prepare for the Hereafter. If you leave this world and enter the world of the Hereafter as a noble and pure soul, you will be settled in the delightful environs of heaven. And if you depart from this world for the world of the Hereafter as a soul laden with evil, you will be hurled into the universal dustbin for all eternity.
The present world is, as it were, God’s nursery. Different types of plants are grown in a nursery. The gardener inspects all of them. Those that he does not want, he plucks out and throws away. And the ones he finds desirable, he carefully lifts from their beds so they can grow and flourish in a garden.
In the present world, you are free to choose between two courses. You can choose to purify your soul or to pollute it. You can accept God’s greatness and surrender before Him or you can live in your own glory. When you are faced with the truth, you can choose to acknowledge it unhesitatingly. You can be concerned about the welfare of others and be just in your dealings with others. Whether in friendship or enmity, you can willingly choose to obey God’s will instead of your whims or the prodding of your ego. If this is how you choose to be and opt to lead your life, you have cleansed your soul. And you will then be settled in the beautiful world of God’s Heaven.
But, on the other hand, you can choose to be immersed in your self-perceived greatness. When confronted with the Truth, you can choose not to accept it. In your dealings, you can choose to be unjust and cruel. You can choose to follow your own will, not God’s will. If you behave in this way, you have polluted your soul. The Lord of this universe will not accept you in His neighbourhood.
