… the nafs is certainly prone to evil … (12/53)
… even though men's souls are swayed by greed …(4/128)
Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him? Or thinkest thou that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle;- nay, they are worse astray in Path. (25/43-44)
Certain unbelievers preferred to be a prey to their whims and concupiscence and transgressed the law laid down by God; they deified the vanities of their ill-conceived inclinations. They became lower than beasts and proved to be ungrateful to God's gifts granted them. Nafs is a liar, an egotist; it attributes partners to God; it is a savage-brute, a miser. It gives rise to suspicion, jealousy, haughtiness, concupiscence, makes one inflexible or insistent especially in maintaining a position or opinion; it breeds hatred, sarcasm and anger. Had there not been a soul in conjunction with it man's lot would be perdition.
HEEDLESSNESS THAT THE NAFS INSPIRES
Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), "My Lord hath honoured me." But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!" Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans! Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor!- And ye devour inheritance - all with greed, And ye love wealth with inordinate love! (89/15-20)
The verses bear upon man's heedlessness, selfishness, ingratitude and covetousness. The individual tried by God with overabundance of wealth, forgets to repay Him and cannot extricate himself from the pit he has fallen. Should it happen that God restrains His gifts from him, he curses his fate, oblivious of the fact that both riches and poverty have their limits. Man must therefore be modest in his aspirations and thanks God for which He has conferred him without transgressing.
NAFS INTUTING ITS RAISON D'ETRE
And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit: (Eschew Evil). (75-2)
This is the state wherein nafs takes cognizance of its actual situation, reproaches itself and repents.
CONGLICT BETWEEN NAFS AND RUH
By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right;- Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that corrupts it! (91/7-10)
The sense of distinguishing between good and evil is innate in man. Cruelty, theft, telling lies etc. are reprehensible acts, they soil one's nafs. On the other hand, good deeds, beneficence, generosity, patience and justice are laudable qualities. The positive forces and the negative forces are continuously in conflict in man. It depends on the individual to choose either the former or the latter, since as a consequence hereof his future will be decided upon.
THE NAFS UNER THE COMMABD OF THE RUH
And for such as had Entertained the fear Of standing before Their Lord's (tribunal) And has restrained (Their) soul from lower Desires.Their abode will be The Garden. (79/40-41)
(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! 'Come back thou to they Lord, -well pleased thyself and well pleasing unto Him, enter thou, then, among my devotees, yea enter thou My heaven! (89/27-30) The verses speak of a cleansed nafs and ruh that have been sublimated!
RUH (soul, spirit)