Back to search
The question

Why is the soul that incites to evil (An-Nafs al-Ammara bi's-Su') an enemy to man and a cause for him to enter Hellfire, despite being a part of him? Does the soul desire that? And is what is mentioned in the two referred-to fatwas contradictory; meaning, does the inciting soul command evil independently, or is Satan the primary cause and the inciting soul confirms his stratagem?

Share this answer

Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The concept of the self (nafs) is inseparable from the human essence; the self is its core and composition, and it is a sign of Allah's power and wisdom in making it capable of both good and evil. Scholars have clarified that the human self is inherently predisposed to accept both immorality (fujoor) and piety (), as indicated by the noble verse: "And [by] the soul and [by] Him who fashioned it and inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness."

As for waswasa (whisperings/evil suggestions), the self has its own specific waswasa, independent of the devil's waswasa, though they may converge or diverge. The Holy Quran refers to the waswasa of the self in the Almighty's saying: "And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him," just as it mentions the waswasa of the devil. Scholars have differentiated between angelic, self-originated, and satanic whisperings. Angelic whisperings, and those from a believer's heart, are true, while the whisperings of the self and the devil are false.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
166897
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy