AT the heart of Islamic spirituality lies a profound question: What does it mean to exist? The Qur’an, Hadith, the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt, philosophy and mysticism approach this differently, yet converge on one truth: existence comes from God, depends upon God and ultimately returns to God. The Qur’an declares, “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we return” (2:156). This is more than a statement about death. It describes existence itself. We come into being through Divine command, live within a reality sustained by God and journey towards the source of our being. Existence and divine reality: We understand the world through identities: a human being, a tree, a mountain or a star. Philosophy asks us to look deeper. Before anything can be something, it must exist. Yet created things do not possess existence independently. Human beings are born and die. Stars appear and disappear. Civilisations rise and fall. Everything carries the signs of dependence and change. God alone is independent. This gives metaphysics a spiritual meaning. The deeper we contemplate creation, the more we recognise that nothing is self-sufficient. Everything points beyond itself towards its source. Creation therefore becomes a universe of signs, or ayat. Nature becomes a language of signs through which the awakened mind recognises the Creator.
A universe of becoming: The world appears solid, yet everything within it changes. Bodies age, seeds become trees and thoughts develop. Human beings are transformed by knowledge, suffering, love and worship. Creation is not simply existing; it is becoming. The human soul participates in this movement. Every meaningful choice leaves something within us. Compassion changes us. Knowledge changes us. Pride changes us. Worship changes us. Our actions do more than create consequences; they shape the person we become. Morality therefore has a metaphysical dimension. Repeated generosity can become part of our character, while repeated envy or arrogance can become rooted within the soul. The spiritual question is not simply, “What have I done?” It is also, “What am I becoming?”
The intellect and the heart: Philosophy values reason and investigates existence, causation, consciousness and reality. Reason can lead the mind from a changing universe towards recognition of an ultimate source. Yet intellectual knowledge is not the same as spiritual experience. A person may understand the chemistry of water while remaining thirsty. Mystical spirituality therefore seeks more than knowledge about God; it seeks nearness to God. The Qur’an calls humanity to think but also speaks of the heart as an inner faculty of perception. Reason and spirituality are partners. Reason protects spirituality from illusion, while purification protects reason from arrogance. The intellect asks, “What is true?” The heart asks, “How must I change because it is true?” Wisdom emerges when these questions meet.
Between earth and heaven: Human beings belong to the material world yet possess consciousness capable of contemplating eternity. We experience hunger, fear and ageing, yet also imagine eternity and question existence. Humanity therefore stands between the world of matter and the world of meaning. The body connects us to earth; the enlightened soul turns our attention towards heaven. Spirituality does not require rejection of material life. It requires placing material things in their proper position. Temporary things become dangerous when treated as ultimate realities. The problem begins when the world possesses the heart. Revelation and self-knowledge: Revelation gives the spiritual journey direction.
The Qur’an provides guidance, while the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt show how divine principles become lived realities through justice, mercy, humility, knowledge and responsibility. True spirituality cannot be an escape from society. If prayer brings someone closer to God, that closeness should appear in character. Knowledge should create humility. Mystical experience should deepen compassion rather than spiritual superiority. The journey towards God must also transform our inner world of desire, fear, intellect and conscience. The ego says, “I am independent.” Life teaches dependence.
Returning to the source: Death appears physically as an ending, but metaphysically it can be understood as a transition from one realm to another. The soul has spent an earthly lifetime becoming something. This makes everyday life sacred. Forgiveness, hidden charity, anger restrained, sincere prayer or simple kindness may all contribute to the formation of the soul. Human life can therefore be understood as a journey from existence to awareness, from awareness to purification, and from purification towards nearness to God. Philosophy teaches us to question appearances. Metaphysics searches for the reality beneath them. Revelation gives the journey direction. Mysticism transforms knowledge into experience, while spirituality transforms experience into character. The purpose of wisdom is not merely to explain existence, but to awaken us within it. The deepest wisdom is not simply knowing that everything returns to God. It is beginning that return while we are still alive.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Manchester, UK.
