What are the ranks of the self (nafs) in Islamic jurisprudence?
There are three types of souls: the one that incites to evil, the tranquil, and the self-reproaching, all of which are mentioned in the Quran. The soul that incites to evil is mentioned in Yusuf: "And I do not absolve my soul. Indeed, the soul is a persistent inciter to evil." The tranquil soul is mentioned in Surah Al-Fajr: "O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]." And the self-reproaching soul is mentioned in Surah Al-Qiyamah: "And I swear by the self-reproaching soul." Some scholars view it as a third, distinct soul, while others believe it is a description of the two previous souls; the good soul reproaches you if you do evil, and the evil soul reproaches you if you do good. Researchers have concluded that the soul is one, but it is described by different attributes and is named accordingly; it incites to evil, then becomes self-reproaching when faith influences it, and if faith strengthens, it becomes tranquil.
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