Why a Methodology is Essential: The Clockwork of the Soul

The essential methodology for aligning soul, mind, heart, and body in spiritual transformation.

As we explored in the previous post (Surah al-Nisā’ 4:2 and the abjad connections), even seemingly small acts of injustice—like consuming the rights of others—reflect deeper imbalances in the soul. THIS is precisely why a methodology is essential.

Think of the soul, mind, and body as the cogs of a clock. The problem is not that the methodology is ineffective — it is that we do not understand the system as a system. Transformation cannot happen if we try to force a single cog to move faster or in isolation. A divinely-aligned methodology ensures that every cog turns in harmony, working with the way our biology, mind, and heart function together.

Surah al-Hashr (59:18):
"O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow..."

Surah al-Baqarah (2:286):
"Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear..."

“The most beloved of deeds to Allah are the most consistent, even if they are few.”

— Prophet Muhammad (ṣ), Shia source: Bihar al-Anwar

If we try to reform ourselves in fragments—focusing only on mind, or heart, or habit—we will never reach true transformation. The methodology aligns all cogs as an integrated whole, so the clock of the soul ticks naturally, steadily, and accurately.

The universe, like Allah Himself—Al-Aḥad, the One—does not operate in fragments. Likewise, our path must be unified, comprehensive, and divinely-aligned. Only then can spiritual reform move beyond effort into true, organic transformation, fulfilling the balance of heart, mind, and soul.

We do not recite the surahs of the week, or 50 verses a day of Qur’an, and if we do, it is only in one language — either we understand but it’s translation, or we don’t understand and recite Arabic. We do not read tafsir regularly or progressively. We do not recite our daily Ziarats of all the Masoumin (as), which is the connection part of Wilayat. Do we read Nahjul Balagha? Do we recite our comprehensive Ziarats? Do we recite Sahifa al-Sajjadiya from beginning to end? Do we read Risalat al-Uqquq, the foundation of law? Do we understand that every Imam (as) has his mission and role in our evolution, and that each is one of the hours of the clock of our evolution? The list goes on, but we cannot leave out one of the most central practices — the comprehensive reciting of the Names of Allah. And then, do we tie it all in by anchoring into the mind with the pen?

We seem to think that any of these practices is for fun and do not have very specific purposes — because we do not believe in the precision of Allah's plan. Maybe with our minds, but it has not reached our heart — because the entire system is not taken seriously. We say Islam is a science, but we do not understand that this science is not just for the birds and bees but for our practice.