The word · Belief
النَّفْس
Nafs
The self: the inner person that can command wrong, blame itself, or come to rest.
Also written · Nefs · Nafis · Nafss · Nafse · The self · Ego · Lower self · Nafs al-ammarah · Nafs e ammara
The meaning
What Nafs means in Islam
The Qur'an describes it in three states: the soul that commands evil (Qur'an 12:53), the self reproaching soul (Qur'an 75:2), and the soul at peace, called back to its Lord well pleased (Qur'an 89:27-28). These are not three souls but one self in three conditions, and a person moves between them in a single day. Struggling with the nafs is ordinary religious life, not a sign that something has gone wrong.
Evidence · Qur’an · Stated directly in the Qur’an
Read beside it
Rooms that name it
- The Qur'an names three states of the selfA Light · Root n f s, breath and self
- Surah Al-QiyamahSurah 75 · The Resurrection
- Surah An-Nazi'atSurah 79 · Those Who Pull Out
Words that sit beside it
- RuhThe spirit that gives a body life, whose reality Allah kept to Himself.الرُّوح
- FitrahThe natural disposition every person is born with, leaning toward recognising one Creator.الفِطْرَة
- ShaytanA devil: any rebellious jinn, and with the definite article, Iblis himself.الشَّيْطَان
- QarinThe jinn companion assigned to each person, whose work is whispering toward wrong.القَرِين
More from Belief
- Adhab al-QabrThe punishment or ease a person meets in the grave, before the Day of Judgement arrives.عَذَابُ القَبْر
- AthariThe Sunni creed school that keeps to the wording of the texts and avoids theological speculation.الأَثَرِيَّة
- IslamSubmission to Allah: outwardly the five pillars, inwardly the handing over of the whole self.الإِسْلَام
- KutubThe scriptures Allah revealed, belief in them being one of the six articles of faith.الكُتُب
- QadaAllah's decree carried out: the partner word to qadr, though scholars differ over which term means which.القَضَاء
- SunnahThe Prophet's way in belief, worship and conduct, and the measure against which innovation is judged.السُّنَّة