Breaking the Illusion: Understanding the Ego and True Self In this episode a speaker explores the ego as an idea and a false identity that emphasizes the physical self. He lists common ego traits—lust, greed, pride, arrogance, fear, aggression, possessiveness, criticism, laziness and deception—and explains how they build an inner wall that separates us from our true self. The talk stresses that knowledge alone cannot remove the ego; purification (yuzakkihim) must come first, and wisdom (hikmah) is a gift from Allah received through the purified soul. The soul is described as the eternal essence that connects us to Allah, while body and mind are transient and must be guided by the soul. The speaker warns against extreme mystical claims of merging with Allah and emphasizes responsibility, humility, and the danger of seeking external success symbols or specialness. He urges listeners to seek inner connection with the soul, cultivate communal bonds, and engage in the great struggle (Jihad al-Akbar) to attain inner peace and true worship.