Topic: Conscience

8:40; See 2:191.

Important Words:

الدین (religion) has a number of meanings including (1) religion; (2) rule and government (Aqrab). See also 1:4.

عدوان (hostility) is derived from عدا. They say عداه meaning, he passed beyond it. The expression عدا علیه means, he acted wrongfully towards him or he exceeded the proper limit against him. The words عاداه mean, he treated him with enmity and hostility. Thus عدوان means: (1) hostility; (2) wrongful conduct; (3) punishment for wrongful conduct and; (4) approach or way to a person by way of justification or excuse against him (Munjid, Mufradat & Lane).

Commentary:

This verse is often quoted by the opponents of Islam in support of their allegation that the Quran inculcates the carrying-on of war against unbelievers until all traces of false religions are wiped out and the whole world embraces Islam. But such a view is clearly wrong. The word which throws light on the true significance of this verse is فتنة (persecution) which, as has been explained in the preceding verse, means religious persecution. This verse therefore enjoins Muslims to fight only till persecution for religion is over. It is on record that during the war between Hadrat ‘Ali and Mu‘awiyah, ‘Abdullah, son of ‘Umar, was once asked why he did not take part in the war when the Quran enjoined the Muslims to fight to put an end to فتنة. He replied: "We did indeed act upon this injunction of the Quran when in the time of the Holy Prophet the number of Muslims was small and a man was subjected to فتنة i.e. persecution for his religious beliefs, being either put to death outright or tortured, until at last Islam spread and the "فتنه was over" (Bukhari, ch. on Tafsir). These words of ‘Abdullah, son of ‘Umar, leave no doubt that the word فتنة in this verse means persecution for religious beliefs and nothing else. Muslims are enjoined to fight until there is no فتنة i.e. no persecution for religious beliefs.

The words that follow, i.e. and religion is professed for Allah, would, therefore, mean that Muslims should fight till profession of a faith is not influenced by the fear of men, but that whatever religion a man follows, he should follow it only for the sake of God, and not out of the fear of men. The above interpretation is also borne out by the fact that the Holy Prophet entered into a number of treaties of peace with disbelievers, which could have no justification if the divine commandment had been to continue fighting until all embraced Islam. The object of the jihad or holy war which the Holy Prophet was bidden to undertake is clearly stated in 22:40-42, which were the first verses that gave Muslims the permission to take up arms against disbelievers and the idea has been further clarified in 2:191, 193 above. Among the numerous other verses which throw light on this subject the reader is referred to 2:195, 218, 257; 3:135; 4:91, 92; 5:3, 9, 33; 8:39, 62, 63; 9:6, 8, 10, 13; 22:39,41; 41:35; 42:49; 50:46; 60:9, 10.

The concluding clause i.e. but if they desist, then remember that no hostility is allowed except against the aggressors, further confirms the interpretation of the verse as given above. If the Quran enjoined the waging of war till Islam obtained universal acceptance, then there would be no sense whatever in the injunction that if disbelievers desisted from fighting and no longer remained aggressors, Muslims should also stop hostilities; for, as the verse puts it, fighting is not permissible "except against the aggressors".

4:126.

5:93, 100; 13:41; 16:83.

Important Words:

امیین (the unlearned), see 2:79.

الذین اوتوا الکتاب (those who have been given the Book), i.e. the People of the Book. The two expressions, i.e. امیین and الذین اوتوا الکتاب comprise the whole of mankind. الذین اوتوا الکتاب are those people who possess and profess to follow a revealed scripture; and امیون are those who accept and follow no such Book.

Commentary:

If the People of the Book and those who follow no revealed Scripture were to submit to God, they would surely accept the Holy Prophet and be rightly guided, the former because clear prophecies are found in their Scriptures regarding him and the latter because of the combined testimony of nature, human conscience and common sense. Submission to God is the source of all true guidance. One stumbles and loses the right path only when one deviates from the course of submission, bowing to authorities other than God.

5:58; 6:71.

45:35.

Commentary:

This verse qualifies the word "disbelievers" occurring in the preceding verse. The disbelievers spoken of at the end of that verse were convinced in their hearts of the truth of Islam but, as they took their religion as a pastime, they refused to listen to the dictates of reason and the voice of their conscience. So God forgot them even as they had forgotten the meeting of their Lord.

14:14.

Commentary:

Disbelievers, complacently conscious of their power and wealth, listen to no request however reasonable, and in the words of the opponents of Shu‘aib always say: "There is no need for anyone to judge between us. We ourselves can judge and our verdict is that, only he who follows our religion will be allowed to live with us." On the other hand, the followers of every Prophet, like the followers of Shu‘aib, have always made a pathetic, though unavailing, appeal to their persecutors in the words: "Will you compel us to adopt your religion, even if it offends our reason and goes against our conscience?" The concluding words of the verse also show that throughout history good and intelligent men have always believed that force should not be used in matters relating to conscience.

2:194.

Commentary:

The verse shows that fighting was to be continued only so long as there was persecution and men were not free to profess the religion they liked. If the opponents of Islam desisted from

fighting, Muslims were also to desist. Islam fought only to defend itself and to establish freedom of conscience. See also 2:194.

The words, Allah is Watchful, imply that Muslims should not feel afraid that the disbelievers may desist only ostensibly and temporarily, and that they may attack the Muslims again when a favourable opportunity offered itself. God was Watchful of all that they do, and He would surely help Muslims, if the disbelievers acted faithlessly towards them.

Important Words:

طیبة (good) is derived from طاب which means, it was or became sweet and pleasant, or good and ennobled. طابت النفس بکذاmeans, the soul became pleased, contented and satisfied with that. طاب عیشه means, his life became happy and plentiful. طابت الارض means, the land became abundant in herbage; طیب خاطرہ (tayyaba) means, he put his heart at rest and afforded him peace of mind; he placated or soothed his mind. (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This and the following verses constitute two of the most important verses of the Quran. They contain the infallible criterion which helps a man to test and realize the truth of a revealed book that claims to meet the needs and requirements of all mankind.

The Word of God has been likened in these verses to a tree which possesses five essential qualities: It is (1) good (طیب), which means that it possesses a good and beautiful form; (2) it has deep roots in the earth (اصلھا ثابت); (3) its branches reach high into the sky (فرعھا فی السماء); (4) it yields its fruits in abundance and in all seasons (تؤتی اکلھا کل حین) and (5) the yielding of its fruits is in conformity with the command and decree of God (باذن ربھا).

The first quality is that it is طیب (good). As given under Important Words, a thing is called طیب (good) when it is free from all defects, is beautiful to look at, possesses an agreeable flavour, is clean and pure and is possessed of all good qualities in abundance. These qualities possessed by a revealed Book would mean that (a) it is free from all such teachings as may in any way offend against human reason and conscience or against human feelings and susceptibilities; (b) the person who acts upon it becomes fully satisfied with it; (c) it is grand and splendid in every way; (d) it is highly pleasing and (e) it surpasses other corrupted revealed Books in all these qualities.

The second essential quality of such a book is (1) that, like a good and deep-rooted fruitful tree, it possesses a strong and stable foundation which means that it ever continues to receive fresh life and sustenance from its source, satisfying all human needs and the depth and vastness of its meaning knowing no end; (2) that, like a strong tree, it does not bend before the blasts of objections and adverse criticism but stands firm against all storms; also that it remains firmly fixed in its place and is not swayed by changes in the views and conditions of man; (3) that, like the tree which has roots deep in the earth, it possesses a very long life and is not subject to change or abrogation; (4) that it continues to possess a community of votaries and followers who, by carrying its teachings into actual practice, set up a very high standard of moral excellence and thus demonstrate by their practical example the excellence and beauty of its teachings; and (5) that it derives life and sustenance from only one source and there is, therefore, no disharmony or discord in its principles and teachings.

The third characteristic of such a book is that its branches reach high into heaven, which means that by acting upon it a man can scale the highest summits of spiritual eminence; that, like a large tree with branches extending over a wide area, it fully meets all the vast and multifarious needs of man, and there is not a question which concerns the material or spiritual welfare of man that it does not answer.

The fourth distinctive feature of such a book is that it yields its fruits in abundance and in all seasons (see the succeeding verse), which means that its blessings are witnessed at all times and that it continues to produce in every age men who by acting upon its teachings attain communion with God and who by their uprightness and the purity of their conduct tower high above their contemporaries.

The fifth characteristic of such a book is that the works of its followers produce not only results in harmony with the physical laws of nature but also a spiritual result which is the pleasure of God.

The Quran possesses all these qualities in full measure. In most beautiful and simple language it has thoroughly dealt with all the intricate and difficult moral and spiritual problems of man. It has satisfied and will continue to satisfy all the multifarious and multitudinous needs of man. Its principles and teachings are practical and practicable in all times. It has produced in all ages in the past (and will also continue to produce in future) men who, by acting upon it, came to establish a real and living contact with their Creator and who drank deep at the fountain of Divine communion. It has never been found wanting whenever tested and tried. The Quranic tree will never wither or decay and will continue to yield delicious and wholesome fruit till the end of time.

2:257; 10:100.

25:38; 42:46.

Important Words:

سرادقھا (whose tent). سرادق is derived from سردق. They say سردق البیت i.e. he covered the house with an awning over its interior court. سرادق means, an awning extended over the interior court of a house; a tent of cotton or hair-cloth; a tent; smoke rising high and surrounding a thing; dust rising or spreading itself. They say سرادق المجد علیک ممدود i.e. the canopy of glory is extended over thee (Lane & Aqrab).

مرتفقا (resting place) is derived from رفق i.e. he was or became gentle or he acted or behaved gently ارتفق means, he bought or demanded aid or help or he profited by him or it (a thing) or he made use of it; he leaned upon his elbow; and, it was or became full. مرتفقا means, a place or thing upon which one leans, hence a place of rest (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The words, It is the truth from your Lord, signify that the prophecy, implied in the foregoing verses, that the great material might and glory of Western Christian nations will be reduced to dust and that Islam will emerge triumphant and full of new life shall most surely come to pass.

The words, let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve, hint that the time of the Imam Mahdi will not be the time for waging jihad by the sword, but for the peaceful preaching of Islam.

The last part of the verse answers a natural question that arises from the first part, viz. if there was to be no jihad by the sword how was Islam to come into its own? To this question the last part of the verse returns the answer that God Himself will see to it that the seemingly irresistible might of western Christian nations is completely broken. Divine punish-ment will overtake these nations in the form of wars which will not end until their power is completely shattered and is reduced to ashes and dust. Molten lead and iron will scorch their faces. They will cry for peace and will get bombs and gun-shots instead. Their beautiful residences will become unfit for human habitation and life will become a veritable hell for them. All their efforts to bring about peace in the world, being insincere and dishonest, will come to nothing.

Commentary:

With this verse is introduced the subject of jihad. The theme of sacrifice has formed a befitting prelude to this all-important subject. Having explained the importance and significance of sacrifice, the Quran proceeds to tell Muslims that the time has arrived that they should be prepared to undergo all manner of sacrifice in the defence of their faith which the enemy is out to destroy. Before the permission to fight in self-defence was given to Muslims, they were apprised of the importance of sacrifice. The words, "Surely, Allah defends those who believe," throw a flood of light on the Islamic conception of jihad. Jihad, as these words show, is fighting in defence of truth. But whereas Islam allows no aggressive war, it regards the waging of it in self-defence as an act of the highest virtue. Because much misconception prevails regarding the Islamic teaching about jihad and because Islam has been much maligned and subjected to much wilful and deliberate mis-representation on this account a somewhat detailed note is called for on this subject.

Man is God’s noblest handiwork. He is the acme of His creation, its aim and end. He is God’s vicegerent on earth and the king of His whole creation (2:30). To him even angels in heaven make obeisance and for him all animate and inanimate things—the earth, the heaven, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, oceans, rivers, animals, and birds, have been created and to him they have been made subservient (14:33, 34; 35:14). This is the Islamic conception of man’s high place in the universe. It is therefore only natural that that religion which has raised man to such a high pedestal should have attached very great importance and sanctity to his life. Of all things man’s life, according to the Quran, is most sacred and inviolable. It is a sacrilege to take it except under very rare circumstances which the Quran has specifically mentioned. According to the Quran the killing of a person without a just cause is tantamount to the killing of the whole of mankind (17:34; 5:33); so sacred and sanctified is man’s life.

No less important, according to Islam, is freedom of conscience. It is man’s most precious heritage—perhaps more precious than life itself. The Quran, which has attached the greatest sanctity to man’s life, could not have failed to acknowledge and declare the sacredness and inviolability of this, his most precious possession. "Let there be no compulsion in religion," says the Quran (2:256). It abounds in verses of like import which shows that not only Islam does not encourage the use of force for the spread of its teaching but positively and in most emphatic terms forbids and condemns it and gives man unrestricted choice in the matter of his faith and belief. Here are some of them:

Say, 'O ye men, now has the truth come to you from your Lord. So whosoever follows the guidance, follows it only for the good of his own soul, and whosoever errs, errs only against it. And I am not a keeper over you (10:109).

And say, It is the truth from your Lord; therefore let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve (18:30).

We know best what they say; and thou hast not been appointed to compel them in any way. So admonish by means of the Quran him who fears My warning (50:46).

So remind. Thou art only one to remind. Thou art not a warden over them (88:22-23).

These verses, as it were, make an unequivocal declaration about the freedom of human conscience or the Magna Carta of the liberty of man’s beliefs and convictions. The injunctions embodied in these verses have not remained a dead letter. The Holy Prophet and his Companions lived up to them and strictly obeyed them even if acting upon them meant loss of prestige as it happened at the time of signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, or when the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir, on their banishment from Medina, were allowed to take with them the scions of the Muslim families of Aus and Khazraj, much against the remonstrances of their Muslim relatives, because they (the scions) had chosen to go with the Jews (Abu Dawud Kitabul-Jihad, & Manthur). It is also on record that ‘Umar, the second Caliph, presented Islam on several occasions to a Christian slave of his, Asbaq by name, but every time he refused to accept it (Manthur). Instances of such tolerant behaviour on the part of the leaders of Islam during the ages can easily be multiplied. In the face of such magnanimous display of religious tolerance it seems unbelievable that Islam should have been accused of fanaticism and bigotry or of having been spread by force, but it is a sad fact of history that it has been so maligned and accused by its hostile critics.

2:252.

47:8.

Important Words:

صوامع is the plural of صومعة which is derived from صومع. They say صومع الشیء i.e. he collected together the thing. صومع البناء means, he raised the building. صومعة means a mountain; a high place where a monk lives or a holy man worships seeking solitude; a cloister; the cell of a recluse (Aqrab & Lane).

بیع (churches) is the plural of بیعة which means, a church or, as some say, a Jewish place of worship (Aqrab & Lane).

صلوات Places of worship of the Jews (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse gives the second reason, which led the poor and weak Muslims to take up arms. It was that they were driven out from their hearths and homes without a just and legitimate cause, their only crime being that they believed in one God. For years the Muslims were persecuted at Mecca, then they were driven out from it and were not left in peace even in their exile at Medina. They continued to be harassed in that place also. Islam was threatened with complete extirpation by a combined attack from the Arabian tribes round Medina, among whom the influence of the Quraish, on account of their being the custodians of the Ka‘bah, was very great. Medina itself was honey-combed with sedition and treachery. The Jews, compact and united, were opposed to the Holy Prophet. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy, whose designs to become the crowned king of Medina had been upset by the Holy Prophet’s arrival in that city, and the hypocrites were an additional source of great danger to Islam. The Quraish held out a threat to ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubayy that if the people of Medinah gave shelter to the Holy Prophet and did not make common cause with them against Muslims they would attack Medina with all their powerful hosts and allies and would kill their men and carry their women to Mecca in captivity (Abu Dawud). Thus Islam had to defend itself against much more powerful enemies at Medina than at Mecca. The position of Muslims in the first few years of their life at Medina was decidedly much weaker than at Mecca and the Holy Prophet’s difficulties instead of lessening had greatly increased. It was under these highly unfavourable circumstances that Muslims had to take up arms to save themselves, their faith and their Holy Prophet from extermination. If ever a people had a legitimate cause to fight, it were the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his Companions, and yet the unconscionable critics of Islam have accused him of waging aggressive wars to impose his faith on an unwilling people. See also 9:13.

After having given reasons why the Muslims were obliged to take up arms, the verse proceeds to mention the object and purpose of the wars of Islam. The object was never to deprive anybody of his home and possessions or to deprive whole peoples of national freedom or compel them to submit to foreign yoke under the garb of making them civilized as Western nations do, or to explore new markets and get new colonies. It was to fight in self-defence and to save Islam from extermination and to establish freedom of conscience and liberty of thought. It was also to defend places of worship belonging to different religions against desecration or destruction. Having laid down the principle that all religions have their origin in Divine revelation and that the founders of all religions were Divine Messengers and should therefore be equally respected (35:25), the Quran in the present verse has enjoined upon the Muslims to defend, even with their lives, all the places of worship—the churches, the synagogues, the temples, the cloisters, etc. This subject also finds an echo in vv. 2:194; 2:257; 8:40; 8:73. Thus the first and foremost object of the wars of Islam was, and will always be, to establish freedom of belief and worship and to fight in defence of country, honour and freedom against an unprovoked attack. Could there be a better cause to fight for than this? The Islamic injunctions as embodied in the present verse did not remain merely pious principles. They were acted upon by Muslims in daily life. The Muslims in the heyday of their power and glory always allowed complete freedom of belief and worship to people who accepted their protection and guardianship. To show the broad-mindedness and catholicity of Islamic teaching in this respect, we give below only one of several charters of freedom which the Holy Prophet granted to the followers of other faiths:

This is the document which Muhammad, son of ‘Abdullah, God’s Prophet, Warner and Bearer of glad-tidings, has caused to be written so that there should remain no excuse for those coming after. I have caused this document to be written for Christians of the East and the West, for those who live near, and for those of the distant lands, for the Christians living at present and for those who will come after, for those Christians who are known to us and for those as well whom we do not know. Any Muslim violating and abusing what is therein ordered would be regarded as violator of God’s testament and would be the breaker of His promise and would make himself deserving of God’s curse, be he a king or a subject. I promise that any monk or wayfarer, etc. who will seek my help on the mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or in places of worship, I will repel his enemies with all my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend him, because they are my covenant. And I will defend the covenanted against the persecution, injury and embarrassment by their enemies in lieu of the poll-tax they have promised to pay. If they prefer themselves to defend their properties and persons, they will be allowed to do so and will not be put to any inconvenience on that account. No bishop will be expelled from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his place of worship, and no pilgrim will be detained in his pilgrimage. None of their churches and other places of worship will be desolated or destroyed or demolished. No material of their churches will be used for building mosques or houses for the Muslims, any Muslim so doing will be regarded as recalcitrant to God and His Prophet. Monks and bishops will be subject to no tax or indemnity whether they live in forests or on the rivers, or in the East or West, North or South. I give them my word of honour. They have my promise and covenant and will enjoy perfect immunity from all sorts of inconveniences. Every help shall be given them in the repair of their churches. They shall be absolved from wearing arms. They shall be protected by the Muslims. Let this document be not disobeyed till the Judgement Day (Baladhari).

Similar charters were granted to the followers of other faiths. True Muslims have always tried to follow faithfully the example of their Prophet.

The words, "And Allah will surely help one who helps Him," signify that Muslim armies will receive Divine help because they fight Allah’s own battles and promote the sacred cause which is very dear to Him.

7:72; 12:41; 53:24.

Commentary:

Three arguments have been given in this verse in support of belief in the Unity of God and against idolatry: (a) There is to be found no authority in any revealed book for idol worship; (b) human reason and conscience are against it and idolaters can give no sound argument based on their personal experience and observation in support of it and (c) in the struggle during the ages between idolaters and believers, the latter have invariably come off triumphant. Thus Divine revelation, human reason and the verdict of history are all against idolatry. This is a truth writ large on the history of all religions.

2:187; 7:56.

10:15.

Commentary:

This verse gives the second argument in support of God’s existence, His great and unlimited Powers and Unity. It purports to say that as God’s great powers are manifested in the marvellous working of the laws of nature, so are they manifested in man’s inner conscience when he cries to God in the agony of his soul and God listens to his cry. The acceptance of prayers which is the pith and kernel of all religious belief constitutes one of the most important arguments to prove the existence of God. If man had not witnessed great miracles being performed in all ages through the acceptance of prayers by God of His dear ones, he would have justifiably ceased to believe in God’s existence.

The words, "Who answers the distressed when he calls upon Him," may also refer to the extremely weak and distressed state of the Companions of the Holy Prophet when in their agony they prayed to God and He heard their prayers. The words, "and makes you Successors in the earth," lend support to this inference inasmuch as they implied a prophecy that the weak and distressed Muslims would one day become rulers in the land in which at that time there was no security and safety for them.

8:46, 68.

Important Words:

أثخنتموھم (you have overcome them). أثخن is transitive from ثخن (thakhuna or thakhana) which means, it was or became thick or coarse. أثخنه means, he rendered him heavy or languid or enervated; or he overcame him after inflicting many wounds on him. أثخن فی العدو means, he made a great slaughter among the enemy or inflicted heavy wounds upon him. أثخن فی الارض means, he caused much slaughter in the land; or he fought vehemently in the land (Lane & Aqrab).

انتصر منھم (He would have punished them) is derived from نصر. They say نصرہ اللّٰه علی عدوہ i.e. God helped, aided or assisted him against his enemy or made him victorious. انتصر means, he defended himself against his injurer. انتصر منه means, he exacted his right or due completely from him; he avenged himself upon him; he punished him (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse, in a nutshell, lays down some important rules about the ethics of war and its conduct and incidentally deals a death blow to slavery. Briefly these are: (a) When they are engaged in regular battle in the defence of their faith, honour, lives or property, the Muslims are enjoined to fight bravely and relentlessly, giving no quarter, and expecting none from the enemy; and not to flee from the field of battle under lame or weak excuses. They must either win or die. "He who turns his back to the enemy", says the Quran, "draws upon himself the wrath of Allah" (8:13-17). (b) When war is once started, it should continue till peace is established and freedom of conscience secured (8:40). (c) Prisoners are to be taken from the enemy, only after regular and pitched battle has been fought, and the enemy is decidedly and positively beaten. Thus regular war is declared to be the only reason for taking prisoners for no other cause free men are to be deprived of their liberty. (d) When war is over, prisoners should be released, either as an act of favour, or on taking ransom or by negotiating mutual exchange. They should not be held permanently in captivity or treated as slaves. The Holy Prophet carried this Divine commandment into actual practice by setting at liberty about a hundred families of Banu Mustaliq and several thousand prisoners of Hawazin after both these tribes had been decisively beaten in battle. It was after the Battle of Badr that ransom was accepted for the prisoners who were set free. This was perhaps, because Islam was then in a very weak state. But, on this occasion too, those of them who could not pay their ransom in money but were literate, were required to teach reading and writing to some of the Muslims. The verse thus has struck very effectively at the roots of slavery, abolishing it completely and forever. (Muir, Zurqani & Hisham).

The words "And if Allah had so pleased, he could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others," signify that God possessed the power to punish the enemies of Truth without the instrumentality of Muslims but He got the latter engaged in fighting with disbelievers so that on the one hand their own good qualities of character should have an opportunity to come into play and on the other the bad qualities of disbelievers should become exposed. Perhaps in no other aspect of life was the moral superiority of the Companions of the Holy Prophet so clearly demonstrated as in their treatment of their fallen foes.

The words "And those who are killed in the way of Allah—He will never render their works vain," mean that the sacrifice of Muslims slain in the field of battle would not be wasted. It was their sacrifice that firmly laid the foundation of a bright future for Islam.

Important Words:

قلب (heart) means, heart, the soul; the conscience; the mind, meaning the intellect; the endeavour to understand, and consideration. They say ماله قلب i.e. he has no intellect or intelligence; the purest or best or choicest part of a thing; قلب الجیش means, the main body of the army; as distinguished from the van and the rear and the two wings. The word also signifies, a man genuine or pure in respect of origin or lineage, holding a middle place among his people (Lane & Aqrab).

25:28.

Commentary:

The Quran has mentioned three stages of development of the human soul. The first stage is called النفس الامارة i.e. the uncontrollable spirit or the spirit prone to evil, when the animal in man is predominant.

The second stage is that of النفس اللوامة i.e. the self-accusing spirit, when man begins to be conscious of evil, that is, when his awakened conscience upbraids him for doing bad deeds and restrains his passions and appetites. In moments of weakness of the flesh, in this stage, he may falter or fall, but will not perish, every failure bringing with it a fresh reproach and repentance. The human in man gets the upper hand in him. It is the beginning of his spiritual resurrection. النفس اللوامةhas been cited here in evidence of the Final Resurrection. If man has no responsibility, if he has not to account for his deeds in an afterlife, why this pricking of conscience at the doing of an evil deed?

The highest stage of development of the human soul, however, is that of النفس المطمئنة i.e. the spirit at rest. At this stage the human soul becomes practically immune to failure or faltering and is at peace with its Creator.