They wrongly believe that the Islamic explanations carry no...

They wrongly believe that the Islamic explanations carry no intrinsic significance in the matter of refining and improving the natural human instincts. Actually, the Holy Qur'an is replete with instances of emphasis on human refinement, such as when it asserts that a conscientiously righteous person is one who has been able to refine, discipline and purify his natural instincts and desires.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا “He will indeed be successful who purifies it” (Sura ash-Shams, 91: 9) This quotation further implies that human conscience is liable to pollution. At the same time, it suggests that human beings can improve their individual conscientiousness by overcoming any polluted state affecting the same. Above all, the Holy Qur'an considers pollution-free conscience to be indispensable for attaining righteousness and happiness.

There can be no denying the intrinsic meaning and significance of the moral values taught by the Glorious Qur'an. The aforementioned teaching and its explanation pinpoints a conscientious approach to the problem of human refinement. No school of thought or moral procedure rules out human susceptibility to pollution of the conscience or psyche and the consequent need to purifying and ameliorating the undesirable condition.

Human psyche is vulnerable to prurient desires, moral aberrations and psychopathological disorders, just as the human body or organs are liable to disease. An individual can feel within himself or herself the specific nature and extent of any physiological or psychological or spiritual ailments of his or her own.

An individual does this to an extent far more real and complete with regard to himself or herself, than in respect of other persons, or for that matter, even in the case of any environmental pollution. Thus, it is possible and necessary to ensure righteousness and rectitude on an individual basis, through a psychosomatically and spiritually harmonious personality development. The Holy Qur'an makes this point thoroughly clear.

There is another Qur'anic description of the raw, natural self of an untrained person: بالسوء اماره ( ammaratu bissu’ ). According to this description, a person's untamed or inappropriately trained self is referred to as a commander of evil (thoughts and deeds). Does it mean that a non disciplined self can be wicked by nature, according to the Qur'an? The reply to the abovementioned question cannot be positive.