Personality is defined as the enduring personal characteristics of individuals. Personality development refers to the creation of a personality cult with the intention of forming a particular impression in the minds of others. This is the sum total of choices, behavioural traits and decisions that a person makes in life. Personality development is also explained as the development of the organised pattern of behaviours and attitudes that makes a person distinctive. It occurs with the ongoing interaction of temperament, character and environment.
The study of personality is based on the essential insight that all people are similar in some ways, yet different in others. There have been many different definitions of personality proposed. Personality is that pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that distinguishes one person from another and that persists over time and situations. The study of personality has a broad and varied history in psychology with an abundance of theoretical traditions. The major theories include dispositional (trait) perspective, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, behaviourist, evolutionary and social learning perspective.
The theory of personality is based on three aspects, namely, primal instinct, heart and soul. Dr. Israr Ahmed, founder of Tanzeem-e-Islami in Pakistan, has spoken on this concept, giving commentary on the verse 24:35. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly (white) star lit from (the oil of) a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.” (Quran 24:35)
In the verse, the evil represents the ‘Primal Instinct’ (Nafs), the glass pane represents the ‘Heart’ (Qalb), the flame within the lamp represents the ‘Soul’ (Rooh), and the Niche (which contains the glass pane and lamp) represents the ‘Chest Cavity/Ribcage’ of a human being, as it looks similar to a Niche. The following is the detailed explanation of the three aspects of human personality:
PRIMAL INSTINCT (NAFS)
It is just pleasure-seeking; it seeks pleasure and avoids pain. If human beings allow the Primal Instinct to gain supremacy, they will show no better behaviour than that of their mammalian counterparts. It is this element of Primal Instinct within the human psyche that Islam seeks to control. In fact, contrary to the popular belief, the highest struggle (jihad) in Islam is the struggle against one’s Primal Instinct (Jihad bin Nafs). The Soul on the other hand is just opposite to the Primal Instinct. Its job is to pull people towards good acts and inspire them to indulge in good deeds. The Soul basically resides in the Qalb (heart). It can also conflict with the Qalb but can never isolate itself from it.
HEART (QALB)
It is something which continuous changes. At times it is pulled by his Primal Instinct on one side and Soul on the other. If a person is more inclined towards his Primal Instinct, the glass gets covered with dust. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) has used the metaphor of a black dot on the heart for every bad deed, he has wonderfully explained this concept. He once said, “When a slave (a person) commits a sin (an evil deed) a black dot is dotted on his heart. Then if that person gives up that evil deed (sin), begs Allah to forgive him, and repents, then his heart is cleared (from that dot covering the heart); but if he repeats the evil deed (sin), then that covering is increased till his heart is completely covered with it. And this is Ar-Ran that Allah mentioned (in the Quran), “No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.” (Quran 83:14)” (Tirmidhi) On the other hand, if the individual has not committed any sin, the glass is clear, and then the flame not only enlightens a person’s own Primal Instinct, but can also project the light further and positively influences others.
SOUL (ROOH)
Soul is the essence of human life. It is regarded as an immortal and eternal aspect of one’s life. It is an immaterial aspect within the body of the human person. It is considered to be the purest aspect of an individual’s personality. It is a force which pulls the individual towards doing good.
LIGHT UPON LIGHT
In the latter part of the verse Allah uses the word ‘light upon light’. This refers to two lights, the first light is the one which is lit from the soul to do good and the second light is from the revelation of Allah. When both these lights meet, man is completely enlightened and gets into a peaceful state of mind.
Once, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) dispatched a contingent of the army (to the battlefront). Upon their (successful) return, he said, “Blessed are those who have performed the minor jihad and have yet to perform the major jihad.” When asked what the major jihad is, the Prophet replied, “The jihad of the self (struggle against self).” (Al-Majlisi, Bahar al-Anwar) Jihad against the self comes before jihad against the oppression, because one cannot strive against the oppression, until one has striven against one’s own self. Thus, one should strive and struggle to purify his soul throughout his life, so that he can be successful in this life and the hereafter.
The struggle to tilt the heart (the present restless state) of a person towards the soul should be the aim, if one wants to improve his personality, which will ultimately lead him to a state of pleased soul, comfortable heart and will contribute to his success in this world and the hereafter.