The Nafs.
The Quran divides the people of
the universe into two groups; for one group there is no purpose of life expect
enjoyment which is mostly precured by eating, drinking, and enjoying sex. Their
guiding urge in life is to fulfill their desires rightly or wrongly as
individuals and as well as a nation. Moreover, they want to maintain their
status as a powerful and prosperous one. In the words of the Quran, “And those
who disbelieve enjoy themselves in life and eat and drink as do the animals”
(47:12). “And they say, ‘’ there is nothing but our life of this world; (we
live and die according to the physical laws,) and it is the passage of time
that kills us” (45:25).
The other
group has a different concept of life. According to the other group, human life
consists of two things, a physical body, and a particle of divine energy known
as nafs. This addition of nafs distinguishes human life from
animals. The nafs which is also known as personality is not a part of
Allah as believed in mysticism or Vedant, it is a part of divine energy which
belongs to aalam-e-amar; and distinguishes a human from animals.
Human beings do not get the nafs in
a developed form, it is given to them as a realizable possibility in a dormant
or potent form. The purpose of human life is to actualize and develop the nafs.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary that an objective standard must be
provided, so that by comparing with it one can be sure about development. Under
the roof of the blue sky, the personality of Allah is the most perfect,
complete and developed. We finite humans cannot apprehend the infinite; we can
understand His attributes; these attributes are placed as an objective standard
in the Quran. Let me make it clear, we human beings can develop into a better
human up to a limited finite capacity, we can never reach the perfection of
infinite Allah. Moreover, one must keep in mind that Allah has not become most
perfect gradually, He is the most complete and perfect personality from the
very beginning.
For the
development of personality, an encouraging atmosphere is essential, which can
only be attained in a society. If one is living alone on an isolated island, he
or she does not need to observe any rules or regulations. When we live
together, and our interests are different, therefore, we need to have rules.
The Quranic concept of development of personality is different from mysticism
and other religions; it does not require isolation from the society for prayers
and contemplation, rather seeks it in facing the challenges and strife of life.
Personality can never develop in the seclusion of monasteries.
Freedom of choice is the basic characteristic
of personality, all freely done actions leave their impressions on him. The
Quran says: “There shall be no compulsion in Deen, the right and wrong
ways are clearly marked in the Quran” (2:256) “Proclaim, the truth is revealed
by your Rabb, then let him who will believe, and let who will,
disbelieve” (18:29). When one accepts a system after calculating pros and cons,
then one is obliged to accept the discipline imposed by it.
As we cannot know what Allah is made of,
similarly we cannot describe what self’s composition is. It is neither a
tangible material object, nor it is governed by physical laws; therefore, it
illudes all explanation. The only thing we can say is that it is a capacity
laced with will and freedom to choose, which expresses itself through the
physical body. The scientists tell us that the cells of the human body undergo
constant change; so much so, that after three or seven years we have an
entirely new body. In this constant turbulence and change, the nafs
which is not governed by physical laws, remains the same. In the words of a
famous philosopher Nicolae Berdyaev, “Personality is changelessness in change.”
Every human child is given a nafs at
the time of his or her birth; every human being deserves respect by virtue of
this gift. Allah in the Quran says, “Verily We have honored the children of
Adam” (17:70). To honor means that no one has the right to subjugate or enslave
another human being and forcibly make him or her obey his orders. The freedom
of will is the basic characteristic of the nafs and whoever tries to rob
him of this characteristic wants to take away his God given dignity. The nafs
owes allegiance to the laws of Allah. He obeys these laws after considering the
pros and cons of it. After contemplation if the nafs finds them useful
he willingly accepts them.
Every personality is unique, it
possesses the will which provides the basis for every action; therefore, every
action leaves its effect on it. These effects or impressions are permanent, no
one can remove, erase, or alter them. This record of actions is known as amalnama
which hangs around the neck of every individual. “Every person’s doings have We
fastened firmly to his neck; and on the day of judgment, We shall place before
him a book which he will find wide open, and he will be told: Read your own
record, your own nafs is sufficient as a reckoner against yourself this
day” (17:14-15). Every nafs is responsible and accountable for his or
her actions. It is mentioned in the Quran, “Everyone must bear the consequences
of that which he does, and no bearer of a burden can bear the burden of
another” (6:165).
Personality develops when it obeys the
laws of Allah (values) and becomes capable of promotion to the higher stages of
life known as paradise, if the development stops it disintegrates, and becomes
unable for promotion to a higher stage of life. This stagnant condition without
hope for betterment is described as a life of hell.
It is in the Quran “Allah takes charge
of nafs at the time of death, and of those not yet dead during their
sleep. Then He retains those in respect of which He has decreed death and sends
back the others for an appointed term (39:43). This ayah raises a question
about the nafs, which is held back in sleep and death; when a person
wakes from sleep the nafs is returned to those who are alive, but dead
do not receive it. During sleep all physical functions of the body are
performed in their usual way, and even the unconscious mind is present; only we
are not conscious about it. In other words, in this ayah, the nafs means
the conscious state of mind; consciousness returns to a sleeping person when he
or she awakes from sleep. In the case of death, the relationship of
consciousness with the physical body is broken forever.
We are not told and have no information
in what manner a nafs, or consciousness operates after death. At this
stage of life, we cannot imagine what form of life waits us after death; we are
only familiar to express ourselves through the physical body. It is our concept
of Eeman that life continues after the decay of physical body, but we
cannot understand the form in which it will continue, but the working of the nafs
in the life after death is portrayed as a fact in the Quran.
