POS1-The Soul

POS-1

PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL


THE SOUL

Fifth Principle of Dream Interpretation (from Dream Interpretation: According to the Qur’an and Sunnah by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips)

One may implement what is seen in a good dream. That is, if a person sees himself or herself doing something that is commendable in a dream, it is permissible for a person to carry out the act in the waking state.

Souls do not meet

‘Umaarah quoted his father, Khuzaymah ibn Thaabit, as saying he had a dream in which he prostrated himself on the Prophet’s head. When he told it to Allah’s Messenger (saw), he said, “Indeed, souls do not meet.” Then the Prophet (saw) bent his head and placed his forehead on the Prophet’s forehead (Musnad Ahmad, vol.5 p 215)

THE NATURE AND ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN SOUL
(By Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi)

Scholars of various schools of thought differ greatly regarding the nature and essence of the soul (nafs)

Some points of contention:

* Is it part of the physical body or a non-essential characteristic of it?
* Is it an entity consigned to dwell within the physical body? Or is it an independent essence in itself?
*Is the nafs (soul) the same as the ruh (spirit)?
* Finally, what happens to the soul upon death?
* Is it confined to its body and its grave? If not, is it free to move in the unseen spiritual world and on the earth?

Various Incorrect Theories

*Abul-Hasan al-Ash’ari’ : Differed regarding the ruh(spirit), nafs (soul) and hayah (life force)

*An-Nadhdham, one of the leaders of the Mu’tazilah is attributed with having said that the nafs is the form of the ruh and that the ruh is alive (i.e. animate) and exists independently.

*Other scholars alleged that the ruh is a non-essential characteristic of the human being unable to exist independently of itself.

*The proponents of another theory claimed that man consists of a particular form contained within a physical body; however, they differed as to precisely what this form is.

The Correct View
What is considered as the most accurate view regarding the nafs and the ruh is that of Ibn al-Qayyim which is affirmed by Ibn Abul-‘Izz al-Hanafi in his commentary on Al-Aqeedat at-Tahawiyyah. They base their position on various verses of the Qur’an and the traditions of the

Prophet (saw) as well as on sound logic and rational thought. According to them:

· Man consists of a spirit and a body together.

· The spirit is an entity which differs from the physical, tangible body. It is a higher type of luminous (or light-like) being, alive and moving, and it penetrates the limbs, circulating through them as water circulates throughout the petals of a rose, as oil circulates throughout the olive and as fire circulates throughout the burning embers of coal

· One may reasonably perceive the soul filling and occupying the body; its form, though non-physical, is molded into the body’s shape. The soul will maintain its penetration of the limbs of the physical body and continue to affect their sense, movement and will as long as these limbs remain sound

· However, if they are overcome and no longer accept the forces enacted upon them by the soul, the soul leaves the body and enters the spiritual world.


Ruh = Nafs : Ruh and the nafs is the same thing (spirit/soul)

QUR’ANIC EVIDENCE FOR SOUL

Surah 39 Az-Zumar (The Groups)

It is Allah who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during sleep He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term

42. appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.

Two points where Allah (swt) “holds unto’ the soul

1. Sleep
2. Death

Surah 6 Al-An’am (The Cattle)

93. And who can be more unjust than he who invents a lie against Allah, or says: “A revelation has come to me” whereas no Revelation has come to him in anything; and who says, “I will reveal the like of which Allah has revealed.” And if you could but see when the zalimun (polytheist and wrongdoers) are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): “Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc) with disrespect.

EVIDENCE FROM THE SUNNAH

The following portion is of a long, authentically related hadith;
“The Angel of Death (says), ‘O you foul soul, come out to the anger and wrath of your Lord.’ The soul inside the disbeliever’s body is overcome by terrible fear [and does not want to deliver itself up], whereupon the Angel of Death violently pulls it out like multi-pronged

skewers being yanked out of wet wool – tearing with them the arteries and the nerves.”

This hadith gives an example of the physical and physiological punishment awaiting the disbelievers.

Umm Salamah reported “Allah’s Messenger (saw) entered upon Abu Salamah (i.e. his corpse), whose eyes were wide open. The Prophet closed the lids and then said, ‘When the ruh (spirit) is taken out, the eyesight follows it (i.e. watches it ascend).’”

This hadith indicates that the soul is a form and can be grasped and extracted hence the eyes can visualize it.

The Prophet (saw) described how the believer’s soul comes out of the body:

“The Angel of Death comes to the (dying) believer, sits at his head and says, ‘O, you good soul, come out and receive your Lord’s forgiveness and pleasure.’ Then the soul flows out effortlessly just as water flows from the mouth of a waterskin.”

This hadith indicates how the believer’s soul comes out of the body and reaffirms the soul’s separate existence from the body.

The soul is being carried up through the skies, the angels ask, “Who is this?”

This question reaffirms the soul’s separate existence from the body. The angels would not pose such a question unless they have seen a distinct form. This hadith indicates the soul is being carried and reaffirms its separate existence

Abu Hurayhah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said: “When the soul of the believer comes out (of its body), two angels receive it and rise with it towards the heavens, whereupon the inhabitants of heaven say, ‘A good soul has come from the earth. Allah has blessed you and the body which you used to occupy.’”

This hadith indicates that the soul inhabits the body, filling and possessing the whole of it and after leaving the body becomes independent. This hadith also reaffirms the soul separates from the body