Do living beings have a soul or merely life, and does the concept of the soul differ from that of life?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The scholars differentiate between two types of life: the life of involuntary growth and nourishment (found in all living organisms), and the sensory, voluntary life (exclusive to humans and animals). The fetus, before the insufflation of the soul, is characterized by the first type of life (involuntary movement of growth and nourishment). After the insufflation of the soul, it is characterized by the second type of life (to which sensory and voluntary movement are added).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 68462
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy