"Successful are those who purify it (i.e. their soul), and the losers will be those who corrupt it."
A commentary by Zahid Pervez on Surah ash-Shams (The Sun) Chapter 69, Verse 30-34 of the Quran

The method laid down by Islam for spiritual development is through:

1. Acts of worship
a) reading the Quran, b) remembrance of God, c) night vigilance (qiyam al-layl), and d) spending resources, time, wealth, etc. in the way of God, with an emphasis on their inner dimensions.

In other words, how the soul, heart and mind should be engaged in acts of worship and in developing a feeling of God-consciousness.

2. Personal efforts for inner change and improvement through
a) self-discipline, b) a regular check on intentions and motives, c) regular self analysis, d) creating a sense of time and time management, and e) attempting to obtain feedback from others.

The aim of these exercises is to eradicate inner evils such as

1. arrogance and a superiority complex, 2. selfishness, 3. hate, 4. greed and love of material things, 5. anger for wrong purposes, 6. pretence and show, 7. stubbornness, 8. low-spiritedness and lack of perseverance, 9. fear, and 10. the pursuit of vain desires.

At the same time, a person must endeavour to cultivate inner virtues such as

1. faith, 2. sincerity, 3. piety, 4. hubleness, 5. gratitude, 6. a sense of purpose and mission in life, 7. remembrance and love of God, His Prophets and believers, 8. concern for the Hereafter, 9. softness of heart, 10. control of the ego, and 11. a burning desire to realise the vision of Islam.

[compiled from "Building a New Society" by Zahid Pervez, pp. 218-219]