become an artist. Such a man, even if he becomes a millionaire,
remains unhappy because the unconscious wish is frustrated. The
remedy for conflict lies in personality itself. It possesses a
transcendent function. This function is endowed with the capacity
to unite the opposing trends of the several systems within and to
work towards an ideal goal of perfect wholeness (selfhood).
Jung’s conception of the symbol is of particular significance for
religion, as religious truths are generally expressed in symbolical
language. Jung affirms that a symbol has two aspects – retrospective
and prospective. In its former aspect, the symbol expresses the
stored-up racial wisdom. In its prospective aspect it represents a
level of development that is far ahead of man’s present status. Man’s
destiny, the highest evolution of the Psyche, is marked out for him
by symbols. We thus see that in religion symbols represent higher
levels of development.
Another view of Jung has a direct bearing on religion. He
believes that a fundamental urge in man leads him to seek
unification with the universe. He passionately desires to be at one
with it. The desire to achieve unification with Reality must be
satisfied if man is to win peace and happiness. But because the
condition of life today frustrate this desire, the modern man feels
discontented and unhappy, although he does not know the reason
for this state of his mind.
III. The Qur’anic Concept of the SelfWe have now the proper background for grasping, judging and
appreciating the Qur’anic concept of the self. We have deliberately
chosen the older term “self” in preference to the terms
“personality,” “psyche” and “empirical self” which are current in
modern psychology and philosophy. The reasons for this choice
may be stated here briefly. The term “self” is in closer
correspondence with the Qur’anic term “nafs,” than any of the
terms which have come into vogue recently. Secondly, each of these
terms suggests an ephemeral phenomenon which appears at a
certain point of time, and after a short period vanishes into the thin
air, leaving behind it no trace of its existence. Such a phenomenon
cannot enjoy the status of a moral agent or a responsible being.
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 60