Humans’ Capacities for Personal Development in View of Islam
This does not mean that man does not need to grow and move toward perfection. Certainly, without Tarbiya (personal development) and growth, man cannot reach the status he is meant to achieve.
The most important and at the same time the most difficult thing in the divine creation is Tarbiya. That is why God chose the best people for this responsibility: “God chose (and gave distinction to) Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and Imran over all the people of the world.” (Surah Al-Imran, verse 33)
The word Tarbiya may have originated from two roots: One is the word Rabu, meaning growth and increase. The second possibility is that Tarbiya comes from the word Ribeh. In this case it means moving something toward perfection and removing its imperfections. Tarbiya for humans is different from that for all others in the world because mankind has a sublime status.
Man has two dimensions, namely the body and the soul. That is why the realm of Tarbiya for mankind is much broader. The capacities of Tarbiya for mankind are trinary. Mankind can have sensory Tarbiya, Shuhudi (witnessing) Tarbiya and intellectual Tarbiya.
Sensory Tarbiya is based on man’s five senses. It is tangible and at hand but also limited because it is confined to the realm of senses and subject to errors.
The second level of Tarbiya is Shuhudi. It is very delicate and based on love and emotions. The love and emotions turn into Wijdan. This kind of Tarbiya is internal and personal and cannot be spread.
The third one is intellectual Tarbiya, which is deep, extensive and extrasensory. Moreover, intellect is stable and lasting. That is why in Tarbiya, the most emphasis on intellectual Tarbiya.
The intellect has three layers: The deep, middle and surface layers. The deep layer of the intellect is about ontology, that is, knowing the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence. The messengers of God come to inspire people’s intellect to try to know the nature and quiddity of things. This is the profound and sublime layer of the intellect. The middle layer recognizes the interactions and relations among people. The surface layer is the one we call Aql Ma'ash, that is to say, the intellect that assesses gains and losses.
The most sublime text of Tarbiya for mankind is the Word of God. The Quran offers ways for all three kinds of Tarbiya.
