"The Significance of Knowing Oneself in Islamic Spirituality"

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Qur’an then mentions another mysterious and distinguishing factor between the angels and Adam, when it says in reference to God.

"He taught Adam all the names" (2:31). Some say this refers to giving Adam and all the children of Adam the ability to categorize and make connections between the creations. Others say this refers to the ability to perceive the essence beneath the physical forms. Then there are those that say that what Adam was taught were the names of Allah that are manifested and reflected in all forms of creation, for as Allah says, "Adam was created in My image.

This is why many spiritual masters throughout time have said, "He who knows himself knows his Lord.

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Although we can reflect God’s qualities, we are not God. It is not in knowing ourselves that we know God because God is like us, rather when we come to intimately know our humanity, our limitedness and fallibility, we come to taste something of God’s infinite and perfect nature.

Just as when you read a beautiful and thoughtful book you are naturally inclined to ponder the brilliance of the author, when we reflect on the intricacy of our creation, it naturally points us to the unfathomable perfection of the Author who wrote us into existence.