Reflections - The Middle Path
There are essentially two forces happening simultaneously within the human being. There is a positive attraction, coming from the Qalb (heart) which directs us toward our Maker, and a negative force which induces us to follow our whimsical Nafs (ego). The Qalb is constantly God-oriented, nostalgic for the Day of the Primordial Covenant as Allah the Exalted says: “And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." (1) The Nafs , a vital force and go between for the heart and the earth we live in, is also preoccupied with disorienting us from God, desiring itself instead, as Allah the Exalted says: “Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible fo...