Psychologist Melek Güngördü says the soul becomes a monster if its face is not turned to its actual owner, God. Noting that such a soul is capable of anything, she asserts that this is why even minor problems can end in murder or suicide. Stating that people will try any method to reach material satisfaction, she says they often forget to satisfy their souls, leading to a psychological breakdown. Güngördü says this situation brings unhappiness. “An unhappy person is more impatient and gets angry more easily,” she says.Psychologist Orhan Keskin stresses that spiritually strong people are better equipped to endure life’s difficulties. Stating that the problems people face such as economic difficulties, domestic violence and problems in the workplace can cause emotional damage and weaken a person, he says this weakness should be overcome through faith. Keskin also adds that spiritual emptiness can result in murder or suicide.
Faruk Beşer, a professor of Islamic law, says fasting is meant to console the soul amidst life’s difficulties. He underlines that parents should begin feeding their children’s soul from an early age to prevent spiritual emptiness. “Taming the spirit from childhood prevents it from becoming a monster,” he explains.
Meanwhile, Directorate of Religious Affairs chief Ali Bardakoğlu expressed a similar opinion in a piece published in the directorate’s latest edition of its monthly circular, emphasizing that Ramadan is a time for Muslims to repair their spiritual lives and build a firm base from which to move forward into the future. He noted the challenges that modern lifestyles and trends could present to one attempting to focus on spirituality, saying, “Amidst an atmosphere where our attention and cares have been distracted by an increasing number of external influences, and where the hustle and bustle of the world has overtaken our life to the point that we can’t even set aside a minute for ourselves, it is manifest that as Muslims we have neglected what should be our primary occupation -- examining our innermost selves.”
Bardakoğlu went on to stress the importance of taking one’s self to account spiritually, improving one’s own actions and dealings with other people and correcting bad habits and errors. As a tradition related from the Prophet Muhammad says, Bardakoğlu noted, Ramadan is a means to protect from sin between this year’s Ramadan and the next -- but only, he says, “if we make the lessons we learn this month long lasting and carry them into every area of our lives.”
