Luqman’s Timeless Principles for Building a Wholesome Personality
The glimpse of a Wholesome Personality may be visualized in part through the words of wisdom spelled out by Luqman—a man of exemplary wisdom for all times.
- Attitude of Gratitude to God: Be grateful to the Lord for all possessions. Everything in our possession is an element of God’s undue favor. [31:12]
- Attitude of Submission to God Alone: Believe in God’s Oneness, realizing Him as Perfect, the Mightiest of the Mighty, Merciful, Compassionate, Unique, and not at all comparable to any thing or being in existence. [31:13]
- Attitude of Gratitude to Parents: Behave with a sense of gratitude toward your parents. [31:14]
- Attitude of Denial of Evil: Behave with an attitude that repulses and rejects the evil of associating anything or being with God. [31:15]
- Behave with a Sense of Accountability: Behave with a full sense of responsibility, knowing that one is accountable for one’s intentions and actions. [31:16]
- Attitude of Submission to God and Preaching Virtue: Behave with a sincere sense of submission to God, promote virtue, and curb evil using the resources (knowledge, wealth, health, opportunity, etc.) one possesses and has been blessed with. [31:17]
- Attitude of Humility: Walk modestly, without displaying arrogance in actions or intentions. [31:17]
- Attitude of Speaking with Modesty: Speak in a moderate tone, as it reflects modesty, dignity, and affection toward others. An excessively loud voice displays disgust and disdain toward fellow men and women. [31:18]
Why the Qur’an Is a Complete Guide to Personality Development
The philosophical pursuit of acquiring knowledge about the unknowable ends either in speculation culminating in skepticism, agnosticism, disagreement, or illusion, although these realities are true in essence. Hence, such an attempt to acquire knowledge of the unknowable is a futile endeavor and a waste of the valuable resources of the mind and heart.
The religion of Islam should not be treated as identical to theology. Islam, rich with principles of management science, is dedicated to transforming an ordinary person into a personality. It enables people of common sense to achieve success in this world and the Hereafter. It is the discipline of nurturing and developing human capital into personality.
The management sciences taught in academia are concerned with developing individuals to achieve material goals limited to this world, while Islam, as a superior management science, is comprehensive in its principles and practices, leading not only to the attainment of material goals in this world but also to the grand success of the Hereafter—the prosperity and promise of life after death.
The Qur’an is thus comparable to a book of superior management science, rich with the essential ingredients for the holistic development of a person, fulfilling the need for peace and happiness in this world while securing ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The goal of holistic development is realized through a wholesome personality. Humanity has been provided with a host of resources, including the senses, mind, and heart. Human beings have also been granted the freedom to choose their actions and intentions. Hence, as free men and women, individuals are expected to act responsibly. They are fully accountable for all their actions and intentions.
Motivation for action is defined, accomplished, and monitored through rewards and punishments. Actions are judged in strict accordance with hidden and implied intentions; therefore, the mechanism of reward and punishment may resemble teleology more closely than deontology in its treatment.
Islam’s Methodology for Personal Growth and Success
Due to the inherent limitations of knowledge explored through logical positivism, humanity will always remain indebted to its Creator for guidance. Islam is a religion sent as a blessing from God, the Most Merciful. It is the simplest and most comprehensive model for:
- Making everyone aware of the concerns and prospects of the Hereafter—the reality of the Hereafter existing in the realm of the unknowable.
- Elaborating on the realities of the Hereafter through allegory, as they temporarily belong to the realm of the unknowable.
- Emphasizing the importance of today as an opportunity to commit or regret forever.
- Extending personalized support through a universal mission statement and methodology for behavioral transformation leading to a wholesome personality.
- Providing support through case studies of past nations, incidents, and personalities as sources of motivation for the overall transformation process.
- Enabling the wholesome personality to become a mature entity that behaves responsibly and is rewarded for exemplary behavior.
- Extending hand-holding support to aspirants on the journey of self-development toward a wholesome personality.
The religion of Islam defines grand success as attaining the eternal pleasures of Paradise, the visionary goal located in the Hereafter.
{And vie with one another to attain your Sustainer’s forgiveness and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-conscious.} [Aal `Imran 3:133]
The Qur’anic Mission Statement for Self-Development
It also provides a comprehensive methodology for self-cleansing and self-nurturing of the personality. The Qur’an is comprehensive in addressing all management needs and expectations, comprising a mission statement supported by a methodology for attaining the visionary goal of Paradise—the cherished destination of eternal bliss and happiness.
The mission statement, universally applicable to all aspiring and ambitious individuals, may be concisely articulated as follows:
“All my resources, competencies, life, death, and actions are submitted to God. I am committed to adopting in totality and abiding sincerely by God’s obligations upon me. I am wholeheartedly committed in all my actions and intentions to complying with the will of God. The will of God is supreme over any priorities I may have at any point in time, now or ever.”
Anyone living in accordance with this mission statement, irrespective of religion, ideology, race, creed, caste, or background, is a devout Muslim. Muslims are bonded by the tie of kinship. Muslim, or believer (Mu’min), is merely the name given to all aspirants on this zealous journey of personality. The Prophets and their followers were the first Muslims.
How the Qur’an Transforms Character and Behavior
The Qur’anic learning texts are organically connected with profound consequences and admit no exceptions. Hence, these unique learning texts are called wisdoms. The Holy Qur’an is the Book of Wisdom (Kitab al-Hikmah). Examples of Qur’anic wisdom that define personality include justice, compassion, love, truthfulness, piety, loyalty, respect, and altruism.
Regardless of skills, tastes, preferences, geography, customs, race, origin, or sex, any sane and sensible person can ascend to the zenith of personality by adopting Qur’anic values in daily interactions.
Islam, as a religion, is meant to help people excel in behavioral performance. The Qur’an is a book for personality development through the behavioral transformation of every sane and sensible person. Through its instructional texts, it commands positive behavioral change. This behavioral change, in turn, leads to the growth and nourishment of personality.
The behavioral transformation produced by the Qur’anic learning texts results in the development of a Qur’anic personality. Personality is expressed through daily transactions, including trade, finance, business, and communication. Behavioral performance, reflected in attitude and conduct, is visible and measurable to a considerable extent. Even ordinary activities such as walking, speaking, and listening are influenced by it.
The Qur’an provides mirror templates by which individuals can examine and compare their own behavior, serving as a methodology for self-screening and self-monitoring.
In this write-up, we shall explain how the Holy Qur’an can benefit an ordinary individual with common sense on the cherished journey of self-development leading to a wholesome personality. We shall illustrate how the Qur’an, as a Book of Wisdom, can transform an ordinary person into a true personality. We shall see how the Holy Qur’an can effectively be used as a toolkit to learn, educate, nurture, and improve our attitudes and behavior, enabling us to lead lives full of peace, charm, fulfillment, and success in this world and the Hereafter.
Through questions and answers, we shall further explore how the Qur’an, as a treasure of wisdom, comprehensively transforms an ordinary individual into a wholesome personality assured of grand success in the Hereafter.
👉 Read also: