Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, Jan. 1, 2025 By AimanAbir18plus – Own work, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia
Introduction Chapter Sixteen of The Seventh Covenant introduces a mystical doctrine of the human self (nafs) based on Islamic esotericism, neurological speculation, and apocryphal claims regarding angelic incarnation. It purports to redefine the human “ego” by mixing psychological introspection with unverifiable metaphysical categories. This response offers a theological refutation rooted in the biblical doctrine of man, sin, and sanctification.
I. The Command to Deny the Self: A Biblical Framework
The author rightly notes that Jesus taught self-denial:
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)
However, the biblical context of this command is not the annihilation or mystical transformation of the self through Gnostic techniques or involuntary behaviours. Rather, it is the conscious surrender of sinful desires in obedience to Christ:
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)
The “self” in biblical usage refers to the sinful nature (“flesh”), not a metaphysical force residing in the chest, nor a creation of one’s own deeds. It is inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12), not a byproduct of sensory experience.
II. Mystical Physiology: The Chest and the Soul?
Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan claims the human chest is the seat of the self, citing involuntary movements (like placing hands on the chest) as evidence. This speculation has no biblical or scientific foundation.
Scripture does acknowledge emotional experiences affecting the body, but it attributes the seat of emotions and moral decisions to the “heart” (Greek: kardia):
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
This does not equate to the chest housing a metaphysical entity called “the self” or dividing human reactions into esoteric categories. Such mystical anthropology echoes Sufi and Gnostic traditions, not biblical revelation.
III. The False Dichotomy of Good and Evil Selves
The claim that each person has a “good self” and an “evil self,” and that these selves grow or diminish based on one’s deeds, contradicts biblical anthropology. Scripture does not teach a dualistic internal conflict between two independently existing selves, but rather a moral struggle between the flesh and the Spirit:
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…” (Galatians 5:17)
This is not a battle between two selves but between the old sinful nature and the Holy Spirit within the believer. The only way to overcome the flesh is not to strengthen a so-called “good self,” but to be born again and walk by the Spirit (John 3:3; Romans 8:1-13).
IV. Do Some Humans Lack Selves? Angelic Incarnations?
Al-Hassan claims some humans have no self but only souls, and even asserts that archangels like Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael have incarnated as humans today. These teachings are not only speculative but blatantly unbiblical.
“Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)
Angels are ministering spirits, not incarnated beings. The idea that angels permanently become human contradicts Jesus’ teaching that angels do not marry nor are given in marriage (Matthew 22:30), implying they do not take on human nature.
Moreover, the assertion that some humans lack a “self” yet possess a “soul” is unsupported by Scripture. The Bible presents man as a holistic being, body and soul:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:28)
There is no biblical basis for fragmenting human nature into mystical categories of “soul-only humans” versus “self-soul” hybrids.
V. The Self is Not Formed by Senses Alone
Al-Hassan’s assertion that the self is formed by hearing, sight, touch, and taste, and that our deeds build either a good or bad self, relies heavily on works-based theology. Scripture disagrees. The self is not gradually created by one’s actions; rather, all people are born in sin and need regeneration:
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:13), not a self-crafting project based on involuntary gestures or mystical habits.
Conclusion: The Gospel versus Mystical Anthropology
Door Number Sixteen fails to present a biblical doctrine of the human self. Instead, it offers a mystical construct rooted in esoteric speculation, Sufi influences, and apocryphal angelology. Scripture teaches that man is a fallen being in need of redemption, not a duality of self-entities warring for dominance. The solution is not to balance the good self against the evil, but to die to self entirely and live in Christ:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Let us reject these heretical distortions and stand firm upon the gospel of grace, which alone renews the heart and transforms the self by the power of God.
VI. Soul, Self, and Reincarnation: A Heretical Framework
In the teaching cited from Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, a foundational error is introduced: that the soul reincarnates from one body to another. This is a blatant contradiction to the biblical doctrine of death and judgment:
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)
Reincarnation is a pagan concept found in Hinduism, Buddhism, and certain Gnostic sects—not in biblical Christianity. The soul does not cycle through bodies. Instead, each individual lives one life, dies once, and stands before the judgment seat of God. This teaching alone places Al-Hassan’s doctrine outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy.
VII. The Reassured Self: A Gnostic Invention, Not a Biblical Reality
Al-Hassan’s concept of a “reassured self” (nafs al-mutma’innah) borrows heavily from Islamic mysticism and Qur’anic terminology (cf. Surah Al-Fajr 89:27-30), not the Bible. He defines it as “a cluster of all the feelings and emotions… in harmony with the pure soul.” But Scripture never speaks of a separate class of beings within man made up of conflicting entities (e.g., self vs. soul vs. reassured self). These are esoteric inventions used to prop up a metaphysical worldview foreign to Christian doctrine.
The Bible affirms that the soul is the immaterial, conscious life of the person, not a divine fragment awaiting purification. The so-called “evil self” is not an ontologically separate being, but simply the sinful nature inherited from Adam:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Sanctification is not the merger of soul and self, but the regeneration of the whole person through the work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
VIII. Do the Senses Record Good and Evil? A Denial of Real Angels
One of the most bizarre claims is that the “two angels” recording deeds are actually the person’s senses and body parts: ears, eyes, hands, feet—even testicles. This is not only crude but theologically perverse. It reduces the spiritual realm to physical mechanisms and denies the role of actual angelic beings created by God for His service:
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)
Angels are real personal beings, not metaphorical stand-ins for human anatomy. Reducing divine witnesses to testicles and limbs is not only irreverent but borders on blasphemy.
IX. Did the Self Think It Was God? A Gnostic Echo
Al-Hassan quotes a dubious hadith where the self allegedly answered God’s question, “Who am I?” with “Me”—implying that the original self claimed divinity. This is an unmistakable echo of Gnostic and Luciferian themes, in which the soul or self has divine origins and must be awakened or purified to return to godhood.
This idea is foreign to biblical anthropology. Man was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), but never as a god, and never with a self that originally believed it was divine. Instead, the first sin was disobedience—tempted by the lie “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). This very lie is embedded in Al-Hassan’s mystical narrative.
X. A False Gospel of Works-Based Self-Purification
Al-Hassan’s theology turns salvation into a process of self-refinement, where emotions, deeds, and senses must become purified to unite the self with the soul. This is a gospel of works, not of grace. It offers no assurance, only a vague hope that one’s actions and feelings might eventually achieve “reassurance.”
But the Bible teaches clearly that salvation is by grace through faith:
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…” (Titus 3:4–5)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
The believer’s hope is not in emotional alignment or inward unity but in the finished work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
VI. Discipline Over Knowledge? A Misleading Moral Hierarchy
In a continuation of mystical moralism, Ahmed Al-Hassan teaches that “discipline is more important than knowledge” and proposes that good manners, moral conduct, and self-sacrificial communal ethics are superior to intellectual understanding. He states:
“Discipline is more important than knowledge. Morals and manners are above all… Knowledge can be given to someone at any time but if a person is raised wrong then it is very difficult to correct them.”
While Scripture certainly commends moral behaviour and the fruit of the Spirit, the idea that discipline and good conduct are more important than knowledge in a redemptive or spiritual sense is not supported by biblical teaching. Discipline, apart from truth, is dangerous. Morality without right doctrine leads to self-righteousness or even cultic control:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me.” (Hosea 4:6)
This reveals the inverse of Al-Hassan’s claim: without right knowledge of God, discipline and ethics are hollow. Even the apostle Paul warned against “a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). Jesus declared that true worship is “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)—not through moral superiority or ascetic sacrifice.
Moreover, the metaphor used by Al-Hassan—that correcting an undisciplined person is like trying to straighten a crooked tree—denies the power of God’s regenerating grace. In contrast, the Bible teaches that God can change the hardest heart and make the most crooked person upright:
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
By elevating behavioural discipline above divine truth, this teaching fosters a performance-based, works-oriented mindset. His list of instructions—e.g., “Teach them that my brother comes first and I come last”—mimics Christian humility but ultimately promotes a cultish groupthink rather than gospel-based transformation.
It is not self-denial for Christ’s sake, but self-denial for the sake of the collective image of Ahmed Al-Hassan:
“…and how to be the perfect reflection of this religion and perfect image of Ahmed Al-Hassan to the people.”
This reveals the true goal: not Christlike sanctification but conformity to a religious leader’s image. This contradicts the biblical aim of sanctification, which is to be conformed “to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), not to a false messianic figure.
Theological Refutation of the DMT “Spirit Molecule” Doctrine
In recent theological controversies, claims have surfaced attributing spiritual significance to the substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT), sometimes called the “Spirit Molecule.” These claims, notably espoused by figures like Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace), suggest that DMT acts as a divine or spiritual “connecting substance” between worlds, facilitating elevation and contact with otherworldly beings or realms. This article aims to provide a biblical and theological refutation of this doctrine by examining the nature of the soul, spiritual experience, and the role of chemical substances in spiritual perception.
The False Equivalence of DMT and Spiritual Reality
1. Spiritual Reality Is Not a Neurochemical Phenomenon
The claim that DMT, a chemical compound naturally produced in the brain, acts as a spiritual “portal” is a reductionist view that attempts to equate physical biochemical processes with genuine spiritual realities. Scripture repeatedly distinguishes the spiritual realm from the material:
“The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)
Genuine spiritual perception is not simply the effect of brain chemistry or altered neurochemicals but a work of the Holy Spirit granting discernment beyond natural senses.
2. Spiritual Elevation Is a Work of God, Not Chemical Substances
Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan’s claim that DMT facilitates “elevation” and opens portals to other worlds contradicts the biblical teaching that spiritual enlightenment and access to divine realities come only by God’s sovereign grace and revelation:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44, ESV)
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26, ESV)
Spiritual elevation is not chemically induced but spiritually granted by God. Hallucinations or drug-induced visions are not to be mistaken for genuine encounters with God or the soul’s journey.
3. The Soul’s Nature Is Distinct From Physical Substances
The theological dialogue quoted confuses the soul’s ontological nature with chemical phenomena. The soul is immaterial, created by God, and distinct from the physical body:
“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7, ESV)
The Bible does not teach that the soul is a product of chemical substances or brain states but a divine gift independent of bodily chemicals. The idea that DMT quantity within a person can affect the soul or its spiritual experience lacks any biblical foundation.
The Danger of Chemical Spiritualism
4. Chemical-Induced Experiences Are Deceptive
The use of DMT or other psychoactive substances to induce spiritual experiences aligns with biblical warnings against deceptive spirits and false signs:
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13–14, ESV)
Hallucinations produced by chemicals can be demonic illusions or deceptions, not true spiritual revelations.
5. True Spiritual Authority Does Not Depend on Altered States
The Imam’s analogy of DMT as a “portal” or “frequency” confuses new age or occult spiritualism with biblical Christianity. The Apostle Paul warns against spiritual experiences detached from sound doctrine:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1, ESV)
Biblical faith is not built on subjective altered states but on the objective Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Biblical Discerning of Spiritual Experiences
DMT and similar substances may cause powerful altered states or hallucinations, but Scripture provides no warrant to interpret such experiences as genuine spiritual elevation or access to the soul or other realms. True spiritual life and insight come solely from God’s grace, mediated by the Holy Spirit and grounded in Christ and His Word.
To accept chemical substances as “connecting substances” between worlds is to adopt a form of spiritual syncretism that ultimately undermines biblical truth and exposes believers to deception.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV)