Soul

The soul, in many religious, philosophical, and mythological traditions, is the incorporeal essence of a living being. Soul or psyche are the mental abilities of a living being: reason, character, feeling, consciousness, memory, perception, thinking, etc.

123368

Hell . Paradise . Life . Sin . Soul

I have heard that, over time, hell will be emptied and people will be introduced to paradise. In this case, why should we worry about sins in this life if in the end our souls will still enter paradise?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 1 month ago

When there is a possibility and a certainty, it is better to plan for the certainty.

The certainty is that hell exists. The possibility is that people might leave it.

Better to be careful! :)

Hell . Paradise . Life . Sin . Soul

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answer updated 1 month ago

1. Enemies of Allah (SWT) will remain in hellfire forever as we read in Quran, Sura 41, Verse 28: That is the recommence of the enemies of Allah; the Fire, therein will be for them the eternal place, a recommence for that they used to deny Our signs.
2. Those sinners who believed in Allah but disobeyed Him and insisted on sins and did not seek forgiveness till death, will be punished for their sins for periods depending on their sins. It is not a matter of minutes of hours but it can be years , decades or even hundreds of years.

3. Can any human being tolerate being inside big fire for a minute? What if it is for years and years which can reach to centuries? Those who think that committing sinful acts are easy, should ask themselves how much can they tolerate hellfire? may Allah (SWT) protect us from it.

4. We beg to Allah, The Most Merciful , The Best Forgiver, to protect us from any sin and forgive our previous sins and save us from the punishment of Hellfire. Allah (SWT) says in Quran about the servants of Allah : They supplicate to Allah: Our Lord, Avert from us the torment of Jahannam (Hell), verily, it's torment is unbearable. Sura 25, Verse 65.

Wassalam.

121524

Hereafter . Soul . Suicide

What can we recite to ease the journey in the hereafter for the departed soul of a person who committed suicide?

Sura Al-Fatiha, Sura Yaseen, Sura Al-Mulk, Sura Arrahman and any Quranic Sura beside Sadaqa and Du'a for forgiveness.

Wassalam.

115009

Soul

What is the difference between spirit and soul?

Our source of knowledge should be from Qur’an, The Prophet and Ahlul Bayt  (Peace and Blessings be upon Him and them). There are some people who thought that soul and spirit are same, but we read in Qur’an that soul is not the spirit and spirit is not the soul.
   1.   Allah takes our souls when we sleep, and Allah sends it back when we wake up. Again, Allah takes our souls when we die than it will not be sent back after death except in Raj’aa.
   2.   We don’t have in Qur’an that during death our spirit dies but our souls are being taken back by Allah (S.W.T.).
   3.   While the spirit goes back to Allah.
   4.   We have no details about the spirit because Allah has mentioned in Quran قل الروحُ مِ أمرِ رَبّي “Say the spirit matters belong to Allah" (Sura 17, verse 85) means Allah only knows about the details of the spirit. We have very limited knowledge about the spirit.
   5.   Soul can be good and can be medium and can be very good. It depends on the faith and deeds. We read in Qur’an about النفس آلأمّارة بالسوء Nafs Soul “Ammarah Bis_Soou’” which is ordering bad. Sura 12, verse 53.
   6.   There is another type of soul which is called Nafs Al “Lawwama” “the blaming soul” which blames the person when he or she does bad. Sura 75, verse 2.
   7.   There is Nafs Al “Mutmaenna” the peaceful soul which is the soul of the most humble servants of Allah (S.W.T.). Sura 89, verse 27.
   8.   In Qur’an we read that the soul can be indulged in bad deeds and can be enjoying good deeds “Wa Nafsin Wa Ma Sawwaha Fa Al Hamha Fujuraha Wa Taqwaha”. Sura 91, verse 8.
   9.   Life and death are on the souls not on the spirit. Allah says “كُلُّ نَفسٍ ذائقةُ الموت ” Every soul will taste death.”Allah didn’t say every spirit will taste death.
   10.   Soul is mentioned in Qur’an as the self when we say that myself, yourself that’s why Allah says in Qur’an “مَن عَمِلَ صالحاً فلنفسه” Whosoever does good he is doing good for himself. “ومن أساءَ فَعليها ” and whosoever does bad he is doing bad on himself.
   11.   These are few differences between soul and spirit but we must admit that our knowledge of spirit is very much limited. Wassalam.

117565

Soul . Body . God (Allah)

How can one prove that a soul does not transfer from body to body in different lives? Is it the case that every being created by God has its own individual soul?

There are different ways that people try to gain knowledge about what happens after death. Usually, Muslims look to scripture (Quran and hadith) for information about life after death.

The majority of Muslims interpret the Qur'an and hadith to say that people are only born once and die once (apart from the possibility of the raj'ah, as held by Shi'is, and which is not reincarnation). The standard view among Sunnis and Twelver Shi'is is that people do not reincarnate or transmigrate, and every being has its own soul.

Beyond that, it is hard to say with full certainty what happens after death, since we cannot learn about life after death through conventional means.

If it were possible to prove what happens after death with full certainty in a way that all people would agree and accept it, these things would not be questions. No one disagrees about what happens immediately when you arrive at Los Angeles airport, because it is known and provable. Life after death is a different sort of subject.

While some people argue for reincarnation on the grounds that some young children seem to remember things about previous lives, there are also other non-physical explanations for how they could have this sort of knowledge, so it isn't necessarily proof for reincarnation.

What one can say that, if there were a possibility that people reincarnate, the Qur'an did not consider it important to tell us about it. Instead, it tells us to focus on this life and how we are living right now, and not to guess whether we might be suffering due to wrongdoing in a previous life.

It also tells us to interact with others equally and fairly, based on the idea that they have come to this life newly, rather than what one might guess about their previous life.

Sometimes, belief in reincarnation can lead people to limit themselves or treat others wrongly, due to the belief that they are bearing a karmic burden or something equivalent, and this is against the Qur'anic ethos of justice.

As with all things, God knows best.

Soul . Body . God (Allah)

How can one prove that a soul does not transfer from body to body in different lives? Is it the case that every being created by God has its own individual soul?

The claim of some people that the soul of somebody will be transferred to another person is baseless and it goes against the justice of God. Allah is fully able and He creates for every one his own body and his own soul. Allah's Justice will never put a burden on any one because of the acts of another person. Body and soul of every one will get the results of his faith and deeds and there is no point at all in a person having the soul of someone else. This false claim of incarnation came from non Muslims.

Those who claim incarnation need to prove it, and they could not and will never be able to prove their claim. It is just imagination with no evidence whatsoever.

Wassalam.

112981

Islam . Soul . Man

I would like to study the scientific side of Islam related to physical illnesses and effects on the soul, as well as the evidence that the lifestyle taught by Islam is the most complete for a man to develop. Could someone indicate some reliable sources?

There are many websites dealing with similar subjects related to Quran and science, Quran and health etc.

You can also consult experts in these fields as well as in Islamic teachings. You can contact WABIL office in London to discuss the matter.

Wassalam.

110170

Soul . Nafs . Death . Eternity

Is the concept of soul identical to that of Nafs? If so, how can it be interpreted that every Nafs is to taste death? Aren't souls eternal?

In the Qur'an, when used alone, the word "nafs" is not really used as a synonym for soul (in the sense of the soul as a non-corporeal entity distinct from the body). Rather, it is usually used to refer to the complete self; for instance, in phrases like "bring yourselves" or "they deceive themselves".

(Of course, this distinction can be blurry based on how one perceives the nature of the soul and the relationship between the soul and the body.)

This is different from the use of the word "nafs" outside the Qur'an, in that "nafs" in other texts or discussions is often used to mean specifically the immaterial part of the human.

Therefore, when the Qur'an says "kullu nafsin dha'iqat al-mawt", it means that all people will taste death in a holistic sense, not specifically that all souls will.

However, since the soul and body experience things simultaneously, the soul will also taste the experience of death, just as it experiences other things occurring via the body.

If one understands death to mean "transfer from realm to realm", rather than "annihilation", then definitely the soul will experience transfer from realm to realm upon death.

Some say that we will have a different type of body as a vehicle for the soul in the barzakh and in the Hereafter. Therefore, if death is also understood to mean "transfer from one type of body to another", the soul will also taste death in that way.

So it is not incorrect to say that all souls will taste death; the usage of the word in the Qur'an is simply more expansive than that.

Note that compound phrases in the Qur'an such as nafs al-'ammarah (the bestial soul), nafs al-lawwamah (the blaming soul), and nafs al-mutma'innah (the content soul which God calls to Paradise) refer more to immaterial aspects of the human being.

102881

Islam . Soul . Dunya

Is it possible and permitted in Islam to meet in this world the soul of my loved one who has passed away?

Hadeeth says: The deceased is too far away from the living person, while the living person is too near to follow the deceased.

Departed souls are in the hands of Allah (Allah takes back the souls on death)(Sura 39, Verse 42). Meeting the souls of the deceased in dream is in the hands of Allah (SWT).

Wassalam.

72945

Body . Soul . Human . Death

Is it correct to say that the body, soul and spirit are 3 components of a human being and that on death the spirit, and not the soul, leaves the body?

Rebecca Masterton, Dr Rebecca Masterton graduated with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature; an MA in Comparative East Asian and African Literature and a PhD in Islamic literature of West Africa. She has been... Answered 1 year ago

Scholars have not agreed upon how the body, soul and spirit are interconnected. Due to the Neoplatonic influences upon the Islamic tradition, some have come to believe that the body is like a shell consisting purely of matter, and that the soul yearns to be free of it to return back to its Creator (a whole stream of thought and practice in the mystical tradition has arisen based upon this idea, e.g. see the work of Shihabuddin Suhrawardi). Others, such as Mulla Sadra, say the body is a manifestation of the soul. However, still influenced by Neoplatonism, Mulla Sadra holds that, as the 'person' progresses through stages of purification, they move away from this material manifestation towards immateriality. Generally, among Muslim thinkers, the soul could be likened to the psyche. It is the part of ourselves that consists of desires, fears, and the characteristics that make up our personality. The Qur'an says that 'every soul (nafs) will taste death' (3:185). The Quran also talks about the experiences that we will have in the next world. The spirit is that which animates the body and gives it life. The spirit is also that which gives the soul life. Therefore, both will leave the body upon death, but it is the soul that experiences the trials and rewards of the next stage of existence.

93971

Son . Soul . Suicide

My son who was 18 years old took his life earlier this year. I cannot stop thinking why he did that. Can you please help me to help the soul of my Marhoom son?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 1 year ago

Bismihi ta'ala

It is indeed very sad to hear that your late son took his life. May Allah ta'ala grant him ease in the Next life. Most important for you is not to ponder on why and how, but more on what you are able to do to contribute to helping others around you to avoid repetition of such an incident.

You experienced this, so you are able to help those around you and the community to bring about awareness. Take this unfortunate incident and use it for positive use. This will not only keep you occupied from having negative thoughts, or, God forbid, falling into depression, or losing hope in your life as well.

You should try to do righteous deeds and grant its reward to your late son. Do charity work on his behalf, and try to let others remember the good things about him, so they can be insired and learn from all of this.

Another thing that would be important to do is reach out to a qualified counselor who can give you professional tips to deal with such loss and overcome this difficulty.

With prayers for your success.

95226

Soul . Paradise . Qiyama

Is it possible for a person's level in Jannah to increase more once Judgement Day is complete and every soul returns back to Allah (swt) or is that the peak of paradise for them forever?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 1 year ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Paradise has levels and the human enjoys an infinite journey in the Infinite.

May you always be successful