Concept Of Spiritual
“Sorry for interrupting in between.” Some people do genuinely experience very intense spiritual states at times, but these do not last for long. This is a blessing from God, but it is not necessary that you must also have it, nor is it a required part of faith. I don’t remember the exact hadith reference, but it is true that a companion asked the Prophet when such a state disappears. The Prophet replied that one should be grateful to God, as such states occur only sometimes. If they were to remain all the time, a person would not be able to bear it. In my view, a human being is not strong enough to continuously experience the presence of God, so these states occur occasionally—they are not the goal. It is important to understand that in religion, the primary importance is not given to emotional feelings but to conscious awareness. Islam is essentially an intellectual and conscious revolution, not merely a set of temporary emotional experiences. The true connection with God comes through reflection, contemplation, and recognizing reality. When a person deeply reflects on the universe, on themselves, and on the teachings of the Qur’an, a realization develops within them. This realization is the true essence of spirituality. It is not necessary that it is always accompanied by intense emotional states. Emotions come and go, but conscious understanding and conviction are more stable and lasting. Many people interpret spirituality as a certain feeling or state, such as softness of the heart, tears, or a special kind of pleasure in worship. However, these are not the essence but rather secondary things. If someone experiences them, it is an added blessing, but if not, it does not mean their faith is deficient. The real thing is that a person’s mind becomes awakened toward God, they recognize the truth, and they shape their life accordingly. Spirituality in religion is essentially intellectual spirituality—that is, a process of thinking, understanding, and discovering truth. As a result, a person develops seriousness, humility, and a sense of responsibility. It is not necessary that these always appear with emotional intensity. Some people are naturally more emotional, so they describe strong feelings in worship, while others are more balanced and intellectual, and in them the same thing appears as calmness and awareness. A well-known incident from the companions also clarifies this. Hanzala ibn Abi Amir felt that when he was in the company of Muhammad, the reality of Paradise and Hell became very vivid, but when he returned to his home and daily work, that state did not remain. He became worried and mentioned this to Abu Bakr, and then both went to the Prophet. The Prophet said that if they remained in that same state all the time, angels would shake hands with them, but that is not possible. Rather, sometimes there is one state and sometimes another. This makes it clear that a person’s connection with God sometimes feels strong and sometimes weak, and this is not a deficiency in faith but part of human nature. A human being cannot maintain the same emotional state continuously. Therefore, if worship serves as a source of awareness, discipline, and grounding, and if there is inner peace, moral clarity, and a correct direction in life, then this is the true and desired state. It means that religion has become deeply rooted in a person’s personality, rather than existing only as temporary emotional experiences. For this reason, one should not chase emotional states. A person should focus on understanding, reflection, and self-correction. If a spiritual state comes, it will come naturally, but making it a goal leads to exhaustion and artificiality. So the real thing is that a person develops recognition of God, moral clarity, and consistency in life. If these are present, then this is complete spirituality, whether or not intense feelings accompany it.