Islam Rediscovered
14. Spirituality in Islam
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compassionate Lord: “Dwell in Paradise; you shall
have no fear, nor shall you grieve.” (7:49)
There is nothing mysterious about spirituality in
Islam. It is rather the direct result of the kind of
intellectual development that takes place when a
believer ponders over the Creator and His creation:
he gains something in the process that may be
termed spirituality. The source, therefore, of Islamic
spirituality is perusal and reflection rather than any
sort of mysterious exercise.
That is why the Qur’an rejects asceticism
(monasticism), referring to it as a
bida‘a
(innovation)
in religion which God did not prescribe for people.
(57:27)
From the Qur’an we learn that, in the very creation
of the universe, the signs of God lie hidden all
around us. A person who is in a state of keen
awareness when he reflects upon the things of the
world comes to see the Creator in the creatures. The
meaning of the creation of the Universe is laid bare
before him. Ultimately, the universe becomes a
permanent source of spiritual inspiration. He is
continuously nourished by it during his worldly
