Is the word "Nafs" (self/soul) in the Quran considered among the ambiguous terms (mutashabihat lafdhiyyah) that carry more than one meaning? What are its meanings, and why did the Quran express the human being with the word "Nafs" in many instances? What is the difference between "Nafs" as an indefinite, definite, or annexed noun? What is the semantic implication of the prepositions "li" (for/to) and "min" (from) when they precede the word "Nafs" in the Quran?

The word "nafs" (soul/self) is mentioned 295 times in the Holy Quran. It is one of the polysemous words that carry several meanings, as mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi: Adam, mother, community, family, people of religion, human being, some, and the self specifically. The nafs has stages that change and transform: an-nafs al-lawwamah (the reproaching soul), an-nafs al-ammarah bi's-su' (the soul inclining to evil), and an-nafs al-mutma'innah (the tranquil soul). Allah Almighty swore in Surat Ash-Shams that success belongs to him who purifies his soul, and loss belongs to him who corrupts it.