5. HUMAN SOULS (SPIRITS)

Human beings consist of body and soul or spirit. Without soul we do not live. The spirit is the engine, the motor, and the mover of the body. Our action is controlled by our soul or spirit, and is motivated by it. Good spirits create good deeds, and bad spirits create bad deeds.
The Sufis (Muslim mystics) list four stages or stages of the development of the human spirit:
1 النَّفْسُ اْلأَمَّارَة (al-nafsu’l-ammārah), the spirit which is prone to do evil (in seeking satisfaction). It cannot make distinction between good and evil. It is uncontrollable by our reason. It is most evident among children. This spirit is mentioned in the Qur’ān when Prophet Yusuf (Joseph, p.b.u.h.) according to the majority of Qur’ānic commentators (or Zulaykhā’, according to A. Yusuf Ali) said:
(يوسف : ٥٣‎) وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ
“Yet I do not absolve myself (of blame):
the (human) soul certainly incites evil.” 12
2. النَّفْسُ اللَّوَّامَة (al-nafsu’l-lawwāmah), the self-reproaching spirit which feels conscious of evil. It is an inner voice, which is usually suppressed by selfishness. This kind of spirit is mentioned in the Qur’ān when Allah says,
وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ (القيامة : ‌‌‌‌‌‌٢)
“And I do swear by the self-reproaching soul.” 13
This spirit may be compared to the conscience, except that the conscience is a faculty, not a stage of spiritual development. The conscience, the “guilty feeling”, tortures many criminals with blame until they surrender to punishment. When they are punished, they feel relieved.
3. النَّفْسُ اْلمُسَوَّلَة (al-nafsu’l-musawwalah): This spirit knows what is good and what is bad, but it is still unable to conquer evil, because of external factors, such as jealousy and hatred. The example in the Qur’ān is the hatred and jealousy of Yusuf’s brothers when they threw him into the well. Allah said,
قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِنْدَ
مَتَاعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِينَ. وَجَاءُوا
عَلَى قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ
جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ
(يوسف : ١٧-١٨).
“They said: ‘O father! We went racing with one
another, and left Joseph with our things; and the
wolf devoured him. But thou wilt neverbelieve us even
though we tell the truth.’ They stained his shirt with
false blood. He said:‘Nay, but your minds [or spirits]
have made up tale(that may pass) with you. (For me)
patience is most fitting: against that which ye assert,
it is Allah (alone) Whose helpcan be sought.’” 14
4. النَّفْسُ اْلمُطْمَئِنَّة (al-nafsu’l-mut.ma’innah): the soul in complete rest and satisfaction. This is the final stage of spiritual development. Your spirit becomes tranquil, no matter what happens around you: calamity, disaster, etc. you do not panic because you trust in Allah. Allah will say to this kind of spirit:
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ.ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً
مَرْضِيَّةً. فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي
(الفجر : ٢٧‌‌‌‌‌‌-‌٣٨)
“(To the righteous soul will be said, ‘O (thou)
soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back
thou to thy Lord,--well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing
unto Him! Enter thou,then, among My devotees!
Yea, enter thou My heaven.” 15
This state of spiritual tranquility is one of the four fundamentals of happiness. In a tradition, the Prophet taught a man to say this supplication: “O Allah, give me a tranquil spirit, faith (īmān) when I meet you, satisfaction with your creed, and contentment with your providence.”
The second fundamental of happiness is having faith when one is dying. When one is on the finish line of life one should be in the state of iman. A person who is not a mu’min (a believer) while one is dying will be doomed to punishment although one is pious in one’s early life.
The third fundamental of happiness is satisfaction with Allah’s creed. However, this does not mean fatalism. On the contrary, it is the acceptance of whatever the outcome of our utmost effort without blaming anybody and without saying “if I did such-and-such, this would not have happened”. Remember, man proposes and Allah disposes.
The fourth fundamental of happiness is contentment with Allah’s providence. Do not envy people for what they have. Perhaps they are not happier than you are. The English proverb says “The key to happiness is contentment.”
The meaning of h.ayāt t.ayyibah (good life) according to ‘Alī (may Allah be pleased with him) as mentioned in the following verse is “content”. The verse runs as follows:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً
وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
(النحل : ٩٧)
“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman,
and has faith,verily, to him will We give a life
that is good and pure, and We will bestow
on such their reward according
to the best of their actions.” 16


Footnotes:
12. Qur’ān, Yūsuf [12]:53
13. Qur’ān, al-Qiyāmah [75]:2
14. Qur’ān, Yūsuf [12]:17-18
15. Qur’ān, al-Fajr 89:27-30
16. Qur’ān, al-Nah.l [16]:97