Islam and God-Centricity: Discovering God
is the fifth volume in a multi-volume series. This volume explores the notions of 'form' and 'essence' with respect to the human individual itself: What is the form of the individual? What is its essence? What is the true identity of the individual? The purpose of Islam is to surrender to God absolutely and thereby realise His Presence. God is All-pervading, and hence He is closer to the individual than they are to their own mind and body. It is because of this Truth that the blessed Prophet stated that to
know one's soul is to know one's Lord
. This book is an examination of the human individual, that is, the soul, its consciousness, mind, and body, and the factors that prevent the realisation of God's Presence. It identifies and designates the cause of the ignorance of one's soul, and hence all its ensuing effects, as the soul's consciousness "I am the body", which in Arabic is
nafs ammāra.
In this context, the devotional practices of Islam are also explored. The book presents the age-old notions of spirituality from an existential perspective, and hence in its own language and terminology.