THE POWER OF WILL IN ISLAM

Not more than its Title's definition, the book speak about Islamic's point of
view of the will illumination , and its projections in human's life.
The part of the work normally devoted to the constraint hu Maine.
Spinoza shows that the meditation of the free man relates on the life and
not to death, that the free man does not form by itself any concept of good
or bad thing, that it is as virtuous by fleeing the dangers as by facing
them, which authorizes it to prevent, as much as it can , benefits of the
ignoramuses among whom it lives. On the other hand, he realize , with
other free men the perfection of recognizes reciprocal, because he is
never misleading. Lastly, it is in core freer in the city than in loneliness .
Why then not to have included these propo sitions in the fifth and last part
of Ethics, that which is entitled: Power of the understanding or freedom of
the man? There should not be anything ambiguity in say TINCTON of the
parts of the work.
In general the ability to produce something is related to the well power of
humans been.for exemple ARTHUR SCHUBENHAUR is a German
Philosopher whose ideas focus on a certain concept about the inner reality
of man;
SHOPENHAUER says that man is a will and desire.
Thats it man's entity revolves around his will and desire , and i will
mention some of what he says:
" if you try to convince someone of something, using proofs and logic, and
keep trying to convince him for hours , and he isn't convinced, at this
moment be sure that it isn't because he didn't understand but because he
didn't want to understand ".
that's because one's will has the upper hand over all evidences and logic,
moreover, the will employs the mind to fulfill man's needs.
When you want to do something , you justify it logically by all means, you
keep reasoning to do that , and similarly , you may use the opposite logic ,
just to get your mind to fulfill what your will and desire want .
Your will controls your mind logic , reasoning and your body , too ; the will
uses the body too.
So the body is fully controlled by mans will.

And he says our will is crucial as its our inner nature , to prove it ,
concider our bodies get tired , grows old but the will doesnt , ever very
old people eighty to ninety , and till the last moments of their lives they
have their will , wishes and needs , even when you get old , you cling to
have what you want even more than children may do !
So , your will to desire and ask for things doesnt get senile, exhausted or
sick .Thats why SCHOPENHAUER believed that the inner reality of man is
his will . Also he discussed an important matter, that is if our inner nature
and reality are our will and desire , this means that we will suffer till we die
.why? because no one can ever fulfill all his desires and wishes . your
wishes are endless if you fulfill one of them you will be satisfied for
sometime , then youll get bored , and ask for more and more and more ,
and you will never stop being in need or cease desiring things we dont
have , so you will be always wants more and more.
In his statement SHOPENHAUER says well never live in peace as well
suffer from deprivation when our desires arent fulfilled and at the same
time well get bored and fed up with things that we have .
So man is swinging between suffering and boredom , between the pain of
suffering and that of weariness , we are either deprived or bored it is
either you have it or not , if you have it youll enjoy it for a while then get
bored with it , both sensations states go on forever and youll suffer in
both cases. Man is destined to suffer , this is how SHOPENHAUER thinks
man is destined to being tormented for life , as mans will and
desire are mans inner reality ! .
He claims that there is no way for salvation except by death ! Thats why
he advocates mass suicides , he considers them the only
solution !!
I dare say that he is a melancholic and pessimistic and depressive
philosopher.

BUDDA had another point of view , he thinks that salvation exists, in

what? He said it existed in submitted your will and desire and he
motivated people to control their will and to subdue their desires. No
actually his doctrine invokes people to be rid of their desires .

Christianity has an extreme similar stance , it calls for getting rid of

desire completely for Gods sake and this is what monasticism is all about
to abandon women not to be married and totally get rid of sexual desires .
ISLAM adopts a moderate stance we arent asked to be rid of our desires,
but to tame and subdue them , that is to say to control them according to
the Islamic SHARIA. We arent asked to abandon women or to keep on
fasting forever , rather we are requested to get married , so as to lawfully
consummate our desire according to the Sharia.
Christianity urges people to be so tolerant loving , slapped on your right
cheek , turn the other side to be slapped , Love your foes , in Contrast
JUDAISM adopts an extreme stance their justice is extreme!
So the extreme tolerator are the Christians and JEWS who are to avenge
themselves on the spot are the ones at the opposite end of the scale .
ISLAM adopts a moderate stance in this respect , it calls for Mercy which
is a combination of live and justice , God saysTHOSE WHO REPRESS
ANGER AND WHO PARDON MEN he didnt tell us to be rid of anger , no ,
only to repress it ,however to forgive and pardon others when you can , is
the best thing to do .
In ISLAM you have the right to avenge yourself on those who harm you
still if one forgives and makes reconciliation his reward is with Allah , you
can avenge yourself , but forgiveness is the best way to react , islam has
adopted that realistic moderate stance regarding everything , man is not

burdened with responsibilities he cant shoulder ,so you are to control your
will and desires but not get rid of them , you couldnt ignore or eliminate
your desires , islam doesnt ask to kill our will desires, or do without them ,
but to control them according to the tenets of the sharia law.
Islam tackles this issue in a profound way , if the will can transcend
sordidness it becomes noble and lofty , so we mustnt ever ignore its role ,
since our will can transcend sordidness .
it is righteous what matters isnt that we have a will , or not rather it is
the nature of what we want , also there are different levels of human will ,
wishes and desires some may only focus on food and sexuality they live
as animals do, but youd transcend that and reach out to beauty and noble
emotions , you might even become insightful and a staunch advocate for
doing good deeds ,turning your intention to ALLAH and to your Lord
turn all your intentions, so there are different levels.
Islam doesnt ask you to abolish your will, but to be a better person using
it , transcend evil and worldly needs with your will seek a higher status ,
instead of demanding sordid things , demand lofty ones , dont love
beautiful things but love the beauty and the best is loving the lord of
beauty the creator of everything ALLAH.
Mans needs are classified into different levels , these demands can be low
, or lofty they are either worldly or divine requests , these are the levels of
human needs , islam doesnt tell us to ignore our will or abolish our desires
but develop lofty wishes and desires , that is in order to reach a higher
status , this is how you tame your desire with you will .
You ask ALLAH to tame your desire , mans will is the minor whereas
ALLAHs is the supreme will , if youre facing a problem you seek refuge in
ALLAH , since he has the supreme will , then you ought to try to quench to
control your desire and transcend it in a highest level,
seeking lofty demands and needs instead of lowly ones.
Desire and lust In Islam

So islam tackles the matter of desire and lust, in a very profound way ,
the same goes for mans will and various needs , so how islam and sharia
tackle this issue ? they have a deep , and realistic point of view , islam
acknowledges mans abilities instincts and his limited endurance that he
cant exceed , this is more profound than SHOPENHAUER s Philosophy ,
so SHAUPENHAUR Tackled this issue in a rebellious and pessimistic way
that reflected his personal view , whereas islam has a very profound point
of view.
Regarding this issue many notable Islamic scholars have an equally
profound point of view , they say that islam doesnt think low of the
human body , but it considers the body a means to be pious or to be
sinner , the stomach can be full with food and may be empty while
fasting , it gives you the opposite feelings , hunger and fullness .
So the same organ which may be full of food , may be void of it too, the
same principle applies to human sexuality , human sexuality may lead
man to commit a sin whereas the same desire may be fulfilled lawfully
through marriage , the body can be a double edge
weapon, it may lead you to the right path or may lead you astray .thats
why such scholars say this your chance to purge yourself of sordidness
and to transcend it is during your lifetime , because you need your body to
transcend evil . you can use it to do so .
Use your body to be a good , not a bad person , it leads you to chastity or
lust , doing right or wrong lawful or unlawful acts , you use your body ,
anyway .in this respect , some of those scholar say getting rid of
sordidness and lowly desires ,after death is impossible ,that means
getting rid of sordidness and lowly lustfulness after death is out of
question as you wont be able , then to use your body to undertake any
actions whether right or wrong , thats why they regard our bodies as the
means by which you transcend evil or stoop even lower, if you fulfill your
desires unlawfully youll descend to a lower status , but if you control your
desire youll rise to a better status and in the both cases you use your
body .so it is the tool or means which takes you up or down .thats why
they respect the body and even kind of revere it , they think very highly of
the body and what it can do.
So the body is respected in islam and considered a means of
transcendence, for them , the relation between body and soul is
reciprocal .

The body can discipline the soul ,just as the soul can discipline the body ,
each of them can control the other , both can do so , The body plays a role
, and a noble one.
Islam tackles this issue thoroughly and in a profound way , the issue of the
body , lust and desires , in brief the body is like a staircase you either use
to go up or down , it shouldnt be despised as when you want to purge
yourself of sordidness , and also when you deviate , you use your body to
do either . so the body is the ultimate means to both to transcend evil or
to go down .

YOGA understanding
Yoga has another point of view regarding the will of man , we know about
yoga and its demanding practices , aiming to tame the will , yogis even
employ their will to control the heartbeats blood , blood pressure
,digestion and so on .
You may have heard of Indian yogis who bury themselves , for several
days in the sand with no food , or those yogis who sleep on beds of nails ,
and others who walk on thorns fire and blazing coal , and others who
stopped blood from flowing in his tongue using his will! His tongue
resembled a piece of wax ! how did he do that ?! its a matter of power of
the will .
By concentration and using their will , yogis can control body functions and
manage to do amazing things .

Transcendental meditation
one of the vogues spreading in America is called transcendental
meditation , it is advocated by a group of Indians who keep trying to
spread it .What does transcendental meditation mean?
Its a method of reaching a state of complete tranquility and relaxation , so
as to relieve yourself from all that occupies you , doing such meditation ,
you only need to close your eyes and just focus , an you may be given an
Indian hymn to recite , these techniques control the blood pressure , and

seem to help alleviate angina , thrombosis, and peptic ulcers , as these

diseases are affected by stress .
An Indian once came to an Muslim country to spread transcendental
meditation , but he failed to do so , because of a simple reason , our
prayer comprises the equivalent to transcendental meditation , why is that
? whenever were starting to pray first of all ,we forget all about our
worldly burdens , do away with what occupies our minds. Then stand to
pray in a relaxed and pious state .and think only of ALLAH, Exalted be he.
This is better than concentrating reciting an Indian hymn! Our prayer
comprises another important thing , fulfilling the relation between man
and Allah reciting the QURAN. So we find that our prayer encompasses
that meditation whose news have hit the fan in America .thats the
transcendental meditation . this is one of the issues which are related to
todays life .
Another thing is how psychology deals with this point. What is the
perspective of psychology regarding that? Psychology entails studying
psychological and psychiatric disorders in psychology , a psychological
disorder is about the defeat of the will facing a sudden , drastic change of
some kind ,such as failing in love , getting fired from work , going
bankrupt , going through lawsuits , enduring a chronic disease , death of
the parents , or a spouse, etc , all this dilemmas may happen to anyone,
so you either cope , or suffer from a lack of readjustment, man is facing an
endless chain of unexpected changes , accidents, diseases, bad and good
things always happen.
Can you always adapt with such changes ?! or when you face sudden
problems you will not manage to readjust , so your will become defeated?
The defeat of your will facing any of those untoward sudden changes , that
may happen any day. Heralds a psychological disturbance or a psychiatric
disease .
In the past psychotherapy was the mainstay of treatment of such cases ,
but now treatments entails medications as tranquilizers ,hypnotics ,etc ,
this is no treatment , its escaping the dilemma! Some stress related
psychiatric diseases are related to situations and problems such as
divorce, failing in love , the death of one of the parents , and the lack of
ability to cope and adapt , you may try to escape the problem, How ? you
may do so by daydreaming , eating too much , indulging in spirits, and
some may go to extreme and get violent , some had develop hysteria ,
hysterical paralysis , for instance .so when such patients are treated with
tranquilizers , its as if they were given another means of escape .

Classical psychotherapy methods of treatments were better , confrontation

and understanding 20mn