According to modern psychological sciences, the personality of a person is influenced by three main factors namely his heredity, which is totally beyond his own control; the environment in which he is brought up that can be controlled by him partly; and his personal reaction or reflections of his heart and mind which is quite under his control and is subject to his will power to dominate the other two factors in the final result of an “individual’s personality”.
It is in fact the third factor of internal reflections of heart and mind rather than heredity, even according to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India and renowned philosopher and author, that a human being is Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya or Sudra. This fact explained as by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in his commentary of Bhagwadgita is not given publicity by certain circles. These four are thus psychological divisions of a personality rather than castes based on inheritance.
In Islam the incidental heredity is not the factor that determines whether one is truly a Muslim or otherwise, even though every child is born in Islam i.e. in submission to the Lone Creator. The environment plays partly incidental and partly controllable roles e.g. the parents may choose to educate a child in a purely secular environment devoid of ethical or religious education. The choice and influence of environment on a personality is thus partially controllable by education, training, experiences with company, etc.
The Islamic belief is fully practised by intention, expression and actions only when the personal reaction of a person is positive in faith irrespective of heredity and partly independent of environment. Good environment and company is a must for one to improve his faith and practice.
We know that it is the (negative) personal reaction (to faith) that kept the wife and son of Nuha, the father of Ibrahim, the husband of Bibi Asia (i.e. Firoun), and even a few close relatives of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), etc. from accepting and declaring faith in the truth of Islam.
We believe in the strict sense of the word Islam, everything living or otherwise is a Muslim by nature, i.e. everything is in submission to One Lone Creator, whether the subject accepts the truth or not.
We have, irrespective of one’s heredity and environment, only two divisions of humans, one of (active) Muslims who accept Islam in heart, words and actions and the other of Non-Muslims who do not wilfully accept, declare and practise Islam. Those calling themselves Muslims in name as well as those declaring by intension, expression and action to be Non-Muslims are to be separated as the second group, as will be the case in the hereafter as per the Qur’an: “Separate yourself from the righteous this Day, you criminals. (36:59)”
Those calling themselves Muslims only outwardly are more dangerous than declared Non-Muslims.
Allah says, “Yet had We willed, We could indeed have imposed Our guidance upon every human being: but My word shall come true: ’I will fill Hell with (rebelling) Jinns and men all together. (32:13).”