Spirit, Soul, Mind, Self, and Happiness,

from an Islamic Perspective

By Hasan Ali El-Najjar

Updated on the 16th of Dthul Qi'da, 1401 - July 7, 2020  

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الرُّوحُ وَالْعَقْلُ وَالنَّفْسُ وَالسَّعَادةُ ،

مِنْ مَنْظُورٍ إسْلامِيٍ

تأليف حسن علي النجار

 تمت مراجعة هذا الفصل في السادس عشر من ذي القعدة ، 1401 ه -  أالسابع من يوليو 2020 م

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 أعوذُ باللهِ منَ الشيطانِ الرجيم

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ 

I seek refuge with God from the Stoned Shaytan

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

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Introduction

The concepts of Spirit, soul, mind, self, and happiness are closely related in the Holy Quran. This Chapter attempts to explain some meanings, which are associated with these concepts, their interconnectedness, and their relevance to Islamic teachings in general. 

Whenever the word Spirit (roo'h, رُوح) is mentioned in the Holy Quran, it refers to a characteristic of God, praise to Him, and to Jibril, peace to him. However, it is the source of the human soul, which includes the capabilities of the human existence (life), acquisition of knowledge (the mind), and morality (the self, nafs, نَفْس), as discussed in Chapter 8 of this book. [1]  

While we, as humans, have started to understand the relationship between the human brain and the mind it incubates, we know very little about the Spirit, as we learn from the Holy Quran: [2]

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا" (الإسراء ، 17: 85)

And they ask you about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And you (humans) have not been given of knowledge (about it) except a little" (Al-Issra, 17: 85).

Scientists of our time have been able to clone animals. This has made it easier for people to believe that the All-Knowledgeable Creator, praise to Him, is capable of resurrecting (cloning) the human body on the Last Day. However, for Reckoning and Judgment to happen on that Day, the human soul has to return to its body.

The current information revolution has demonstrated that information can be captured in compacted disks (CDs), mobile audio-visual drives and devices, as well as computer hard drives and smart phones. Then, it can be transferred through space (from Earth to satellites orbiting our planet, then back to Earth, to be captured back by various devices). However, humans have neither been capable of transferring information directly from the human brain nor to it.  

This is the sphere of Allah (God), praise to Him, so far. At the time of death, He sends His angels to take the human soul. They transfer it from the brain to the barzakh, which is a place where it is kept until the Last Day, on which the human body will be resurrected. Then, it will be paired with its soul, as we are told in the Holy Quran: [3]

وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ (التكوير ، 81: 7).

And when the souls are paired (Al-Takweer, 81: 7).

Faith and Happiness

Those who truly believe in Allah and in His ability to resurrect them for reckoning, on the Last Day, would behave in a good way during their first life time on Earth. This includes doing good deeds, being patient, and showing contentment, which is the “good life,” mentioned in the following verse of the Holy Quran:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ  (النحل ، 16: 97).

Whoever does good deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - We will surely cause him (or her) to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward (in the Hereafter) according to the best of what they used to do (Al-Na'hl, 16: 97). 

Believers will also enjoy the everlasting happiness in Paradise, which their Lord promised them with, and were given glad tidings about, as follows:

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ سُعِدُوا فَفِي الْجَنَّةِ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ ۖ عَطَاءً غَيْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ (هود ، 11: 108).

And concerning those who will be happy, they will be in the Paradise, everlasting therein, as long as the heavens and the earth last, except as your Lord wills, an extended gift” (Hood, 11: 108).

Conversely, those who do not want to believe in the Day of Reckoning may act in an evil or a bad way during their life time on Earth. As a result, they will be punished by not living in peace and happiness in this life and by being punished in the Hellfire in the hereafter, as we read in Verse 3: 56 as well as in Verses 20: 124-127 and in Verses 11: 105-108 of the Holy Quran. 

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ  (آل عمران ، 3: 56).

And as for those who disbelieved, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this lower life and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers" (Al-'Imran, 3: 56).  

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ ﴿١٢٤﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا ﴿١٢٥﴾  قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ ﴿١٢٦﴾  وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِن بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ۚ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰ ﴿١٢٧﴾  (طه ، 20: 124-127).

And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Rising (Resurrection) blind." (124)

He will say, "My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was (during my first life) seeing?" (125)

(Allah) will say, "Thus, Our signs came to you, and you forgot them; and thus, you will this Day be forgotten." (126)

And thus, We will recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring (127) (Ta-Ha, 20: 124-127).  

يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ ﴿١٠٥﴾ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ شَقُوا فَفِي النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَشَهِيقٌ ﴿١٠٦﴾ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ﴿١٠٧﴾ (هود ، 11: 105-107).

When people stand before their Creator, on the Day of Reckoning, they will be given their books, which record all their words and deeds, during their first life on Earth. They will be surprised that even the smallest of their deeds are recorded in these books, as mentioned in verses 86: 4 and 99: 7-8.

   إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ  (الطارق ، 86: 4).

There is a record keeper over (charged with) every (human) self (Al-Tariq, 86: 4). 

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ﴿٨﴾ (الزلزله ، 99: 7-8).

Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, (7) And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (8) (Al-Zalzala, 99: 7-8).

The believers will be happy that their good deeds are recorded for them but the criminals will regret seeing their bad deeds are also recorded for them, as we are told in verses 3: 30 and 18: 49.

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا ۗ (آل عمران ، 3: 30).

(On that) Day, every (human) self will find what it has done of good present (before it), and (will also find) what it has done of evil, (for which) it will wish if there was a long time separating it from its evil deeds (Al-'Imran, 3: 30). 

وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا  (الكهف ، 18: 49). 

And the book (of deeds) will be placed (given to each person), and you will see the criminals fearful of that which is in it; and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present (to each one of them). And your Lord does injustice to no one (Al-Kahf, 18: 49).

If the criminals deny what they did, then Allah, praise to Him, will show them evidence from their body organs, which were used in committing their evil deeds. Thus, their hands, legs, hearing, sights, and skins will testify against them, as mentioned in verses 36: 65 and 41: 20.

الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (يس ، 36: 65).

Today (on the Day of Reckoning), We will set a seal on their mouths, and their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to (all) that, which they earned (did) (Ya Seen, 36: 65).

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (فصلت ، 41: 20).

When they reach the (Fire), their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them, to all that they did (Fussilat, 41: 20).

In previous centuries, it should have been hard for people to imagine how their voices and deeds can be recorded and saved in a book, or a record. However, this has become a normal thing to do since the start of radio and television broadcasting. Media units routinely record people’s voices and images and broadcast them around the clock. Even the average person is capable of doing that by using cameras, computers, CDs, and smart phones. So, if we, as humans, have been capable of doing that, then it should be a given that it is easier for the Creator, praise to Him, to have His angels record people’s deeds, and to make these records available to them on the Day of Reckoning, on which He does not do injustice to anybody.

Another way to understand how people’s voices, images, and deeds can be captured and recorded, even after their death, is through the electromagnetic waves, which are produced by their actions. These are permanent records, which can be captured in space, from certain locations in the universe. The evidence for the feasibility of this to happen is the fact that when we see a star, it does not mean that it is still in the same location, which we see it in. Actually, it should have left its location a long time ago but we’re capable to capture its image right now, from our location in the universe. This scientific fact is mentioned in verses 56: 75-76 of the Holy Quran. It follows that our voices, images, and deeds can be captured somewhere in the universe and can be given to us as records, on the Day of Reckoning. [7]

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ ﴿٧٥﴾ وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٧٦﴾ (الواقعة ، 56: 75-76).

I swear by the locations of the stars, (75) and it is a mighty oath, if you could know (76) (Al-Waqi’a, 56: 75-76).

Thus, the honorable angels record all of people’s words and deeds. Then, these records will be saved in certain destinations, after death, as we are told by verse 6: 67. On the Last Day, the human self will return to be paired with its body, as mentioned in verse 81: 7. Finally, people will receive their records, to be ready for reckoning.  

لِّكُلِّ نَبَإٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقَرٌّ۬وَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ (الأنعام ، 6: 67).

For every bit of news (information), there is a destination (to be saved in), and you will know it (Al-An'am, 6: 67). 

وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ (التكوير ، 81: 7). 

And when the (human) selves are paired (with their bodies) (Al-Takweer, 81: 7).

Verse 6: 67 also prophesized that we would know how people’s words and actions can be recorded and kept safe, to be shown again at any time after that. This prophecy has been fulfilled in our time, as we have been capable of capturing human actions, in voice and images. We are also capable of broadcasting these through radio and TV electromagnetic waves throughout the terrestrial and extraterrestrial space. 

The main idea here is that if humans have been capable of accomplishing that, then it should be a given that Almighty Allah, praise to Him, and His angels are more capable of capturing the human soul, including the self, and returning it to its body, on the Last Day.

Reckoning on the Basis of Obedience or Disobedience to God's Commands 

The two concepts of good and evil are not left to people to define. Otherwise, they may never agree on what constitutes each one of them. Allah, praise to Him, revealed His teachings about these concepts through the messages He sent to guide humanity. These messages were delivered by God’s messengers throughout human history. The Holy Quran mentions names of 25 Prophets and Messengers of God but verses 4: 164 and 40: 78 tell us that there were other Messengers who are not mentioned. [8] 

A Messenger was different from a Prophet in that he was given a message from God to deliver it to people. Examples of Messengers include Noo’h (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Moussa (Moses), ‘Eissa (Jesus), and Mu’hammed, who had a strong will in their persistence to deliver their messages despite the great dangers they faced, peace and blessing of Allah be upon all of them.

However, a Prophet received messages from God to teach people and remind them of the message of a Messenger who came before him. Examples of Prophets include Sulayman (Solomon), Elysa’ (Elisha), Dhul Kifl, Younus (Johah), Zakariya, and Ya’hya (John), peace and blessings of Allah be upon them. Both the Messengers and Prophets were supported with prophecies and miracles, to convince people that they had God’s support for their missions.

God's messages to humanity, through His messengers, include His commands, which aim at spreading good behavior and happiness among people in this life, and promise everlasting happiness in the hereafter. God’s messages also include His prohibitions, which aim at saving them from falling into evil behaviors and their harmful consequences in this life, and punishment in the hereafter. Allah summarized these meanings in verse 16: 90, which shows that He commands what’s good and forbids evil, as follows:

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ (النحل ، 16: 90).

Indeed, Allah orders justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives; and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and transgression. He admonishes you, so that perhaps you will remember (Al-Na’hl, 16: 90). [9]

Thus, there is an association between obedience to God and happiness in this life and in the hereafter. Likewise, there is an association between disobedience to Him and suffering in this life and in the hereafter. 

Obedience to God has been mentioned as associated with the great winning, in verse 4: 13; with a high-ranking status in Paradise, in verse 4: 69; with winning, in verse 24: 52; with the greatest winning, in verse 33: 71; and with entering Paradise gardens in verse 48: 17.

Disobedience to God has been mentioned as associated with painful punishment, in verse 48: 17; with humiliating punishment, in verse 4: 14; with being clearly lost, in verse 33: 36; and with punishment in the Hellfire, in verse 72: 23. [10]

The Holy Quran refers to Jibril, peace be to him, in particular, as the Spirit, the Trusted Spirit, and the Spirit of the Holy, as mentioned in verses 78: 85, 26: 193, and 16: 102. However, verse 16:2 refers to angels (in plural), as the ones who descend with the Spirit of God’s command on whom He wills among His worshippers.

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا (النباً ، 78: 38).

The Day that the Spirit (Jibril) and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Beneficent (the Most Merciful) permits, and he will say what is correct (Al-Naba’, 78: 38).

The Trusted Spirit (Jibril) came down with it (Al-Shu'ara, 26: 193). 

Say the Spirit of the Holy (Jibril) has brought it (the revelation) down from your Lord in truth” (Al-Na'hl, 16: 102). 

He sends down the angels, with the Spirit of His command, upon whom He wills of His worshippers, (telling them): "Warn that there is no deity except Me; so be mindful of Me."(al-Na’hl, 16: 2). 

The Mind

The Self

The third component of the human soul is represented by the morality software, which God blew from His Spirit in humans, thus distinguishing them from other organisms, as pointed in Chapter 4. It enables humans to create the human self (personality), through the interaction with others, as well as through successive decision-making processes and information analyses, on the basis of the mentally-acquired knowledge.

Two major ideal types of the human “self” have been identified for thousands of years, which are the good and the evil types. However, logically speaking, a spectrum of possibilities lies between the two types.

The Holy Quran tells us that God has given the human being the freedom to choose, through his/her inherent ability to differentiate between good and evil deeds, and through his/her ability to choose between them, as expressed in verse 90: 10.