
By: Ramia Abdo Sultan
Source: Muslimvillage
Allah the Almighty provides significant insight about man’s nature in the Noble Qur’an whereby the human being is considered the crown of creation (Qur’an Al Isra’, 17: 70). In honouring mankind with this superiority over other creation, Allah is ordaining man to connect with their Creator for the purpose of attaining spiritual perfection (ihsan). This state can only be achieved when an individual constructively utilises the key elements of one’s original human nature, the fitrah. These elements are the physical body, the ego/self (nafs) and the spirit/soul (ruh).
It is important that we be well acquainted with the various faculties of human nature in terms of the role they play as individuals as well as in relationships with each another. The body is one’s means of interacting with the physical world, and is temporal in nature. The ruh which is eternal and metaphysical in nature is the force which administers and directs one’s physical body. The nafs is an immaterial entity which is considered the interface between the body and the ruh. The nafs has an invariable connection with body and ruh as it enables the spirit to relate to the physical world, and the body to receive instructions from the ruh. The nafs has potential to be good or evil, and depending upon the direction it will take, it ultimately has the power to influence the other faculties.
One will come to discover that while each faculty is dependent and intertwined with one another, certain faculties, such as the nafs, have the potential to significantly influence other faculties due to its dominant nature. It is only through self-awareness, repentance and the constructive use of these faculties that humans have the prospect for purification (tazkiyah) and reforming one’s self to enable the revival of their natural disposition which they were born with, their fitrah.
Islamic concept of Fitrah
According to Islam, the human being is born in a state of fitrah, the original inherent nature of the human being. Fitrah relates to the profound, universal essence of man, and it is humankind’s natural inclination towards goodness and submission towards the One God, Allah. Thus, fitrah indicates that a human is born with an uncorrupted heart which is capable of considering the truth of Islam and submitting to One God, if one is given the opportunity to do so without obstacles .
This concept of natural tendency to submit to the One God, is exemplified in the Qur’an, whereby God gathered all the human souls at the time of the creation of Prophet Adam, and obligated them to enter into a covenant testifying that God is their Lord, making each soul bear witness against its own self (Qur’an Al A’raf 7:172).
This verse confirms that the primordial nature of a human is to yearn for submission to Allah and to take the path which leads one to Him, especially since this tendency has been embedded in humans from the beginning of all creation . To do otherwise will cause one to testify against oneself for all his deeds on the Day of Judgement. It is therefore critical that one persistently seeks to preserve or purify his fitrah in order to reconcile with that strong desire to submit to one God.
While humans are born with a pure and untainted nature, free from any sin or presupposed evil, one’s fitrah is ultimately influenced by external circumstances and by the religion of their parents.
Additionally, the Islamic concept of fitrah emphasises the notion that each individual is responsible for their own deeds. A person will be responsible for the manner in which they exercised their own free will and intellect, and not that of others.
One can only overcome the possibility of estrangement from one’s fitrah by exploiting his faculties, freewill and intellect within the framework of Islam. Humans have an inherent propensity to rise above any potential frailties in order to substantiate benevolent qualities. Ultimately, the success or failure in submitting to God and defeating one’s beastly and evil nature will largely depend upon the quantity of time and cultivation one confers to each faculty within their nature.
The faculties of Human Nature
Body
In several verses of the Qur’an, God asserts the perfection and beauty of man as a creation (Qur’an, Al Tin, 95:4). The body is seen as one’s connection with the physical world, and through it, one is able to interact with material effects. Whilst the body is temporal in nature, one is responsible for the overall health and welfare of the body primarily for the sake of the spiritual soul (nafs) which constitutes the real essence of man. The state of the body will ultimately set the direction for the ruh and the nafs since the body is administered by the ruh and is intimately connected with the nafs.
It is fundamental that humans appreciate the significance of being balanced when pursuing physical and spiritual development. One should not place too much emphasis on one aspect, therefore neglecting the other. For example, a person pursuing spiritual development may suppress the necessities of their physical being in the belief that this will ultimately be the saviour for their soul. This belief goes against human nature and does not conform to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him (pbuh).
One’s body will eventually play an important role on the Day of Judgement, when all creation will be questioned and held accountable for their deeds by God. Should a person deny or fail to acknowledge a deed which was committed, their body parts will testify against its possessor (Qur’an, Al Isra 17:36). Thus, it is pivotal that one guards their body during the journey of life and allows it to surrender to the guidance of the pure faculties such as the ruh. Doing so enables one’s body to bear witness only to actions of a righteous believer on the Day of Judgement.
Ruh
The ruh, which is predominantly described through its characteristics rather than what it actually is, represents a mysterious entity whereby its true knowledge is exclusively with Allah (Qur’an, Al Isra, 17:85).
Most scholars have been cautious when detailing the nature of the ruh, and it is most commonly described through its manifestations. Some have described the ruh “as a non-material essence of human existence, motion, perception, feelings, and intellectual and ‘spiritual’ development” , or as “a subtle body whose source is the cavity of the physical heart and which spreads by means of the pulsative arteries to all the other parts of the body” or “like a lamp,wherever the lamp is brought to any part of the house it is lighted by it”.
As God’s deputies on Earth (Qur’an, Al Baqara, 2: 30), humans represent a mirror in which Divine attributes have been reflected onto. Here, man is raised to a position that Angels and other creations should bow to whereby God bestowed mankind with such dignity by breathing into mankind His spirit (Qur’an, Al Hijr, 15:29).
The ruh is the essence of a human being, and without it, a human merely wanders the earth motionless and foolishly only to survive, with no aspiration to spiritually or intellectually develop.
Since the ruh originates from the world of Divine Commands, it constantly yearns for that world and for its Creator. Through its eternal, metaphysical nature, the ruh seeks to direct and administer one’s conscience and faculties towards its Creator, as this is what it finds peace in. This will only be attained if the God consciousness (taqwa) aspect is preserved within the ruh.
Thus, in order for one to preserve or revive the ruh to its original form, one must strive to increase their good deeds and augment their God consciousness. The purity of one’s ruh is not determined merely by one’s level of knowledge, but rather, by one’s proximity to God. The ultimate way in which one can attain closeness to God is through frequent worship, remembrance of God (dhikr) and knowing God through His names and attributes. Nurturing the ruh will enable the other faculties to be guided under its command, thereby increasing the prospect of restraining any carnal or harmful desires attributed to one’s nafs.
Nafs
The nafs, which is commonly referred to as the “ego” or “self”, is an immaterial entity which embodies certain human conditions such as anger, hatred, ill will, irritation, lust and desires.
The nafs is the interface between the body and the ruh. When connected with the ruh, the nafs submits the to ruh’s positive commands. However, when the nafs submits exclusively to the body’s needs, it will only seek to satisfy its desires and negative appetites. Thus, the nafs is ready to accept direction towards good or evil.
Despite the carnal characteristics of the nafs, and its potential to influence one unfavourably, it is considered a bounty endowed by God, if utilised adequately. Firstly, the nafs allows humans to be free from absolute limits, allowing one either to completely satisfy their appetites or desires, or alternatively, tame or purify their nafs to a moderated level. Thus, the nafs allows one to exercise their free will and choose the direction they wish to follow; whether that of good, or evil (Qur’an, Al Mulk, 67:2). Also, unlike other creation, the nafs provides humans with the opportunity to select the rank in which they seek to position themselves; either one higher than the Angels, or one lower than animals (Qur’an, Al Tin, 95:4-6).
A nafs which is left unrestrained has the potential to steer its possessor towards a grim destination since the driving force is set by the aforementioned destructive conditions or states. However, a nafs which is nurtured by good deeds and which surrender’s to the ruh, has the ability to transport its owner to the destination of apex peace and contentment, submission to Allah the Almighty. The nafs is therefore not in a fixed state and is in fact accustomed to variation. Thus, while Allah endowed humans with the purest and best of natures, it is man’s duty to preserve this purity.
Levels of the nafs
The Holy Qur’an mentions three levels of the nafs. During one’s life, the nafs experiences some impediments that trigger its potential for corruption and evil. Thus, it is essential that one identifies the various levels of the nafs in order to attempt to reform and realign the nafs back towards the path of one’s fitrah.
i) The evil commanding self (nafs-ul ammarah): this level of nafs is the lowest form, whereby it commands its possessor to be seduced by evil (Qur’an Yusuf 12:53) and surrender to all forms of negative tendencies without limits. All that is evil becomes attractive and man loses his conscience and insight. Allah likens those who submit to the evil commanding self to “cattle” (Qur’an Al A’raf 7:179) since this nafs disables one’s intellect.
ii) The accusing self (nafs-ul lawwamah): this level of nafs causes its owner to self-observe and self-criticise for wrong actions or neglect of one’s duties, and then blame themselves for any shortcomings (Qur’an Al Qiyamah 75:2). While being on this level allows one to develop and perfect their nafs, it alters often, and has the potential to progress or relapse. Thus, a person at this level should strive to improve in order to progress to a higher level.
iii) The restful self (nafs-ul mut mainah): a person at this level truly believes in Allah’s existence and understands who Allah is. This understanding leads one to resolve all inner conflicts as well as display true love, tolerance and forgiveness to others. Such a person is a true believer who possesses a tranquil nature, and has reconciled with their fitrah whereby they may return to God, all serene, well-pleased and pleasing to Him (Qur’an Fajr 89:28).
Which faculty is more dominant over the other?
The concept of the “struggle (jihad) of the nafs” supports the proposal that the nafs is perhaps the most challenging and dominant faculty, since its strength can ultimately direct the body and ruh. This concept derives from the Hadith of the Prophet pbuh, in which he said to his followers when returning from a battle, “You have returned from the lesser struggle to the greater struggle.” And he was asked, “What is the greater struggle?” He answered, “The struggle against one’s self (nafs) which is between the two sides of your body”. A human is in a continuous battle with his own nafs since humans possess a potential for evil within themselves. Hence, the Prophet pbuh would begin a speech by seeking “refuge in Allah from the evil in our souls and from the sinfulness of our deeds”.
Whilst all faculties equally play an important role within the system of human nature, one can assert that the nafs requires the greatest attention due to its ability to significantly impact the other faculties. One must strive to constantly purify and reform one’s nafs in order to safeguard the other faculties from potential corruption. Additionally, while humans are prone to continually commit sin, it is only those who are aware of their actions and seek to repent from their sins that are able to realign their nafs towards their fitrah. One will only succeed if the nafs is purified, rather than corrupted (Qur’an Al Shams 91:9). A purified nafs which is constantly monitored will act as a duplicate of the ruh, thereby representing a powerful mechanism which attracts good and suppresses evil.
Purification
Although the nafs is usually associated with commanding evil, it is reformable. This is achieved through the process of purification (tazkiyah). It should be emphasised that purification of the nafs involves a process, whereby one fosters the healthy elements in his nafs, and removes any contaminants which have otherwise invaded his nafs. Thus, a pure state cannot be achieved instantly, and once achieved, one cannot stop the process. Purification requires a constant development and progress towards positively nurturing the nafs with an aspiration to reach true ihsan.
Undergoing purification will only be experienced by those who initially become aware that their nafs is corrupted, then seek repentance and reform their nafs. Thus, self-awareness plays an important role and one must regularly observe his nature to determine if any attention is required.
One could work towards purifying their nafs by becoming more God conscious, increasing their obligatory and voluntary acts of worship and through zikr. In doing so, one is also fulfilling their true purpose of existence – to worship Allah (Qur’an Al Thariyat 51:56).
Therefore, as superior creatures, human beings have been created with complex and exclusive features, which make them distinct to other creation. The key elements of one’s fitrah, encompasses the physical body, the nafs and the ruh.
It is imperative that humans have a comprehensive understanding of the functions and purposes of each faculty, in order to be able to identify which faculty requires greater attention.
One will come to discover that each faculty is not only dependent on one another, but also, certain faculties such as the nafs, are likely to considerably influence other faculties due to its dominant nature. Thus, one must constantly scrutinize the various functions of each faculty within their human nature and their relationship with one another.
It is only through consistent self-awareness and the constructive use of these faculties, that humans have the opportunity for purification and reforming one’s self, to facilitate the journey towards the straight path and reconcile with their fitrah.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of MuslimVillage.com.