There was a time when the pagan Arabs were heard of following female infanticide as they did not want to face others in the community when they had received the news of the birth of a baby girl! They had an option to keep up with the humiliation that was culturally prevalent at that time and still stand up to proclaim the birth of a human being – there was nothing evil about it. However, they were referred to as an example in the Qur’an (16:59) as it shows it was their decision that was evil, not the baby girl. They used to decide in favor of burying it as opposed to struggling against social mortification. This attitude has prevailed metaphorically centuries after centuries within human beings whenever a Self instills corruption in its mind (just as burying the truth) instead of keeping itself pure (refusing to give in to temptations).

Excess is born while, making a choice, the Self is more mindful of one of the two elements – its Senses and Emotions. The ongoing tussle between the two, because of their disparate treatment from the Self, generates discordance. This conflict can be turned into harmony between the two when the Self reflects the Supreme Being in its thought, attitude, and action via depicting His mercy, forbearance, compassion, wisdom depending on the circumstantial demands. Whatever situation is presented, the Self, by dignifying the senses as high as the height of its emotion, can flourish, acknowledging its inability to determine win or loss because God’s plan destines that. Again, its feeling can also directly mingle with the senses to depict its awe, showing God is not forgotten as it willingly moves along the uncertainties. The Qur’an brings up vital perspectives to when and what options to choose on the brink of a desperate life, which may have stumbled numerously at all the excesses the Self had committed.

Excess: A Bottom-up Approach

A) Keep holding back (Refusing to Start Giving)

The inkling that inspires the Self to follow its natural disposition gives it a glimpse of its inherent qualities and imperfections. What it can and cannot – will be apparent but consciously accepting what strength is visible in others but not in itself turns it up against a borderline. Anger management then becomes a priority to ensure it can keep holding back temptation and concentrate on striving to make a deep, bold mark on earth with the best inner qualities it has in possession. The sense, which would manage that anger, would defend that going over the boundary and wasting its effort in proving something beyond its capacity is useless. Without disregarding its agony for imperfections, a sense called patience then stops it for using the beneficial knowledge – the wisdom – to passionately discern an act with a willingness. That urge ensures it does not betray the Self by not letting the understanding, when accessible, mold the character.

God would provide His bounties to everyone, but He uses His wisdom to bless the guidance to those who are worthy of it. Qur’an (62:2-4) suggests that the Prophet (SAW) would recite the revelation sent to him and teach the wisdom in it to the people. The people who were in the dark were the audience, but there is an indication in the verse that this blessing was also for the others, who were yet to join. The attribute of God’s wisdom manifests here that holding back for something worthy or refusing to give away without blindly judging – calls for a human urge to be sagacious. Moreover, (61:1-3) suggests that God’s disliking towards the difference in what humans say and do hints at His wisdom, which rightly perceives the moral weakness, even if hidden beneath outward sophistry. Likewise, the Self would find insight helpful in holding back temptation to let go of everything for something that seems fitting. Furthermore, (60:4-5) dawns upon the reality that even when the Self disassociates from people declaring enmity, a prayer for forgiveness for those would be a praiseworthy action. Not withholding the Self from – just aggression but no good wishes – appears to become the excess here. However, that should not get to be the cause of making the Self a target to be oppressed as a recompense for that excess.

The willingness to commit or setting up the mind not to commit to something that has truth in it falls within the jurisdiction of the choice of the Self. Qur’an (74:18-25) portrays the scenario where a disbeliever was shown pondering to plot the fate of the credibility of the Qur’an. After a while, he turned away arrogantly, showing off that it didn’t convince him by frowning and scowling. Then he stated it was nothing but sorcery and a human discourse. It implies the more significant fear he had was everyone would believe the Qur’an had a divine source. So he let go of the minor fear that the tremendous efficacy and the potent influence in the revelation would overwhelm the people anyway. Calling the Qur’an sheer magic would at least lead everyone around to believe that it was not divine, and this is where he chose not to keep holding the Self back. Thus the wisdom didn’t materialize to enlighten the fact because his more immense fear was not the excess of denying what seemed divine – his mind had already determined where the light cannot linger. The willingness, the urge, the yearning to follow the inconvenient truth keep the Self waiting to fathom the big picture even if the apparent knowledge makes the action seem appropriate.

B) Keep pushing out (Refusing to Stop Giving)

The practice of letting go would signify not to resist the Self, its humanness in it – to show the divinity, which coded the authenticity in its disposition destined to be present till the end. When the Self finds the flashing glimmer of thought that finds the depth from where its life wants to rise – there it can see what it can do best to reach its destiny. Because the slope and texture of that depth in its silent hour may reveal the answer to what mark it feels inclined to leave on earth. It then needs to let go of the stress and existential angst about a future that either makes it dither or hasten to act. Attending to the present mindfully becomes a priority there – through a reliance on the Highest Authority, Who determined its destiny. Because the grief and fear become helpless in touch with the Most Powerful Being – the Ultimate Authority, Who paved the way for the Self to strive for its significance on earth.

Qur’an (31:10) suggests God created the sky and it is seen held up there without pillars, set the mountains standing firm lest the earth shakes with us on it, dispersed on it every kind of creatures, sent down rain to cause every variety of valuable plants to grow on land. The One who created naturally deserves the attention as the One being in control of it. Angels are mentioned (40:7) to glorify God and ask for forgiveness for the believers who repent and strive on His way – it portrays that removing the evil consequence of the misdeeds is in God’s jurisdiction too. God ordained the destiny of the Self and the guidance toward that through His revelations (87:3). Among His determined aspects of creation would be the phases of the sun and the moon (10:5), the measure of the night and day (73:20), the sustenance of all the creatures for lifetime till the Day of Judgment (41:10) – in fact, God determined the precise measure of everything created (25:2). The search on the Divine Book reveals that the Self does not have to select the standard in this world. The Self, who is patient and righteous, would be determining the measure of crystal clarity of the cups that would be used to serve it in the heaven (76:16). The Self is hinted here to have the authority finally to determine, in line with its fancy, how it would be enjoying the bounty in the afterlife. Back on this earth, God will decide the Self’s destiny to strive to fulfill (80:19). Therefore, no complaints about what proportion the Self has been given strength and weakness to live with – giving 100 percent of what is gifted toward that destiny would involve pushing out against everything holding it back. And not giving 100 percent or settling with a mediocre effort – less than its gifted capacity – seems to become the excess.

Qur’an (59:1-2) portrays the scenario where God’s influence would come up from places where the faith brokers would least expect it. They thought their stronghold would protect them from being banished by the human onslaught. Hence they thought they were immune from the grasp of God, Who holds the Highest Authority. But, with the absence of the strength of faith in heart, their hearts got filled up with panic, and their own hands and the hands of the believers destroyed their own homes. They tried to render the structure behind useless for the believers before leaving. The forts and strongholds proved ineffective in the face of faithless hearts attacked by panic. The gratefulness to God starts the journey of monotheism, and this ‘One God belief’ causes the Self to ask the One for forgiveness, Who can forgive. Then the Self entreats the One not to remove hardships but rather prays for the strength to endure them – because that One God controls all of those, including its destiny. That reliance on the Highest Authority seems to be the means to keep pushing out as if it is what the Self is meant for.

Excess: A Top-down Approach

Combining A and B above, it appears that the Self gets closer to balance by willingly advancing with wisdom, when keeping itself pure is prioritized, against the temptation to let go of the truth. The Self here replicates God’s wisdom; in Arabic forms, it can be termed replicating Al-Hakeem (Most-Wise). Moreover, the Self evinces God’s attribute of Highest Authority when it earnestly relies on Him. He governed its destiny – as it moves forward at full throttle against all odds showing nothing can stop it there. In Arabic, it would be more appropriately known as depicting Al-Azeez (Almighty – Highest Authority). This essence has been found aptly mentioned in the Qur’an (35:2), which indicates none can withhold when God grants mercy to humans, and none can release what God withholds. Keep pushing out and keep holding back seems to be God’s genre of dealings with His creation. The purpose of this reality for the Self is perceived to be representing the effort to keep the focus on the means without being overwhelmed by the intention to reach the end. Besides, the gift of guidance is already given through the Qur’an, which lets the Self develop the wisdom to see the reality beyond its external appearance at the front.

From a birds-eye view, the Self is not set to indulge in balancing everything after the excess it commits – striving for justice in all its worldly dealings will put some weight back in its favor on the scale. Every excess is understood to be accountable in line with God’s wisdom. Interestingly, the attitude of the Self during its dealings in life – how sensitive it felt to others – how mindfully aware it was about its impact on the surroundings – all these are supposed to transform its mark on earth as its legacy. This legacy, if it portrays the truth that the Self belongs to God and Him, it would return to and meet with – moving on after the stumble at excess becomes meaningful then. Blind or lame does not matter – poor or weak does not matter either – The Wise, The Almighty is manifested in the grand scheme of life through the Self – that seems to matter.

Therefore, reaching out to own potential for justice, even if it is difficult, would fill the mind of the Self with enough harmony. But, on the other hand, not doing it is as good as metaphorically continuing the ancient practice of female infanticide in the form of burying the truth without a fighting urge to retain the Self as pure. On that note, the struggle for this justice has all the hints to bring in the harmony that the Self desperately needs. That would justify its senses with a willing acceptance of the wisdom of guidance (i.e., the Qur’an) and would nurture its emotion with a passionate aim to follow its destiny.