Chapter 1: My Academic Journey

In my role as an Engineering Professor at the American University of Beirut, I dedicated over four decades to teaching subjects like neuroengineering, biomedical engineering, electronics, and electric circuits. Throughout my career, I published over 100 technical papers primarily focused on neurophysiology, biophysics, and biomedical instrumentation, alongside authoring four books on electric circuits, electronics, and neuroscience.

As a former dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, I was instrumental in launching several academic programs that opened new career opportunities for numerous young men and women. While this was immensely rewarding, I often pondered whether it was truly sufficient. Our students invested four years preparing for their careers, but I questioned the ultimate purpose of their endeavors.

Is the goal merely to earn money, achieve affluence, gain recognition, find happiness, raise a loving family, cultivate friendships, or contribute to society? What defines genuine success in life? We equipped our students with exceptional technical skills, yet did we prepare them to be better individuals?

Many people establish their life goals early on and pursue them with conviction. As an educator with extensive experience, I felt compelled to articulate in straightforward terms the answers to these pressing questions that I find rational and fulfilling. This impulse led me to write the book Spirituality Rekindled: The Quest for Serenity and Self-Fulfillment.

My insights are drawn from the teachings of the Quran, which I find to be clear, coherent, and logical. They can be summarized as follows:

1. The Quran offers undeniable proof of its divine origin, evidenced by verses that reference physical phenomena only understood through modern science, along with a multitude of numerical relationships that cannot be mere coincidences. A glimpse of this evidence was discussed in the Medium article, “The Superhuman Origin of the Quran.”
2. The only plausible source of the Quran is God, who must exist (see the Medium article “Why I Firmly Believe in God”).
3. God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, existing beyond human comprehension. We can only contemplate His attributes and manifestations, as explained in the Medium article “How Should We Think About God?” Nature, with its laws, is a reflection of God, who governs everything through these principles, and all creation glorifies Him.
4. In His infinite mercy, God created humanity to achieve eternal bliss in Heaven, which represents the ultimate purpose of life. This divine promise of joy in Heaven far exceeds any worldly achievement.
5. God could have created humans as angelic beings, devoid of evil. Instead, He endowed us with consciousness, the potential for both virtue and vice, free will, and remarkable intellect to comprehend His revelations, witness His creation, and choose the righteous path as stewards on Earth.
6. To serve God and attain His mercy and eternal bliss requires reflecting His glorious attributes, especially His loving mercy. Thus, we must strive to act virtuously towards all beings and the environment.
7. This earthly existence, with its inherent challenges and suffering, serves as a test for humanity to pursue the right path in serving God.
8. Virtuous behavior is nurtured through spirituality, characterized by a profound connection to the Almighty.
9. Adopting this spirituality demands ongoing, holistic self-development—spiritually, psychologically, morally, and intellectually. This growth is the true reward in our earthly life and imbues it with meaning, enhancing our humanity.
10. The progress of one's self-development can be gauged by a daily reflection: “Am I a better person today than I was yesterday?” The answer to this question serves as a true measure of success in life.

If this article resonated with you, I encourage you to reflect on its implications and consider how it can enrich your life.

Section 1.1: The Intersection of Engineering and Spirituality

Chapter 2: New Perspectives on Spirituality

In the video "New Religions of the 21st Century | Yuval Harari | Talks at Google," Harari discusses the evolving landscape of spirituality in today's world, emphasizing the need for new frameworks to understand our existence.

Another enlightening perspective is offered in "IIT Engineer to Iskcon Monk? | Gauranga Das' Spiritual Journey," where Gauranga Das shares his transformative journey from an engineer to a monk, highlighting the spiritual insights gained along the way.