63. Nafs and Ruh

What is the difference between “nafs” and “ruh”? There does not seem to be a clear way to distinguish one from the other. The difficulty arises from the Qur’an itself which seems to treat them as synonyms. And so does the hadith (Au.).

A report coming from Ibn `Abbas says that between “nafs” and “ruh” there is a barrier like the sun’s rays. (Nafs has the power of intellect and cognition while ruh has the power of breathing and movement: Zamakhshari from same source). Allah withdraws the “nafs” from the body during sleep, leaving the “ruh” within it. If Allah wills, He withdraws the “ruh” also to deliver death to the body. Otherwise, he sends back the “nafs” until an appointed term (Kashshaf). The report is in Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abi H atim (Shawkani).

Qurtubi also quotes the above but disagrees that the “nafs” and “ruh” are different entities. He quotes several ahadith that use the terms synonymously. E.g.,The Prophet said, “Have you not seen that when a man dies his eyes are fixed in stare?” They said, “Indeed.” He said, “That is the time when the eyes follow its ‘nafs’ (as it leaves the body)”- Muslim.

According to another report he said, “Angels appear before a dying man. If he happens to be a righteous man they say, ‘Come out O good nafs. You were in a good body ...” (Ibn Majah).

On the other hand, the Prophet used the word “ruh” describing the same situation. He said, as in a hadith of Muslim,“When a believer’s ‘ruh’ leaves, it is received by two angels that ascend with it.”

More clearly, in a single incident the words “nafs” and “ruh” were used together. It happened when, after a campaign night-halt no one woke up for Fajr until the sun was up. When the Prophet questioned Bilal who had promised to watch the dawn, he explained,“My ‘nafs’ was seized by Him who had seized your ‘nafs,’ O Messenger of Allah.” the Prophet (saws) later explained the reason why they slep off their Fajr:“Our ‘arwah’ were in the hands of Allah. He restored them when He willed” (Abu Da’ud).

The above goes to prove that “nafs” and “ruh” are one and the same entities (Qurtubi).

The matter, however, remains undecided and Zamakhshari’s report mentioned above carries greater conviction (Au.)

Sleep

Modern science is unable to explain sleep, far from giving any clue about the nature of the soul. Almost every biological organism sleeps. Whales and dolphins sleep either at the surface of water, or sink deep to sleep.

Until recently it was thought that the body needed rest and hence sleep. But it has been found that although the body is inactive, every cell in the human body is feverishly as active as during wakefulness. Further, elephants sleep from standing position. Surely, the whole body is not resting. It was then suggested that perhaps the brain needed rest. But that also proved wrong. The brain is quite active during sleep. Although theories abound, a century of intense research has failed to yield any data explaining sleep. The so-called “data-processing” theory (removal of unnecessary data from memory, by the mind, during sleep) has also been discarded. If anything, the mystery has deepened. Research shows that larger a body, lesser sleep it needs, and smaller the body, the longer it sleeps – although the opposite should have been true. The giraffe and elephant, for instance, sleep 2-4 hours a day. But bats, opossums, and some other small mammals sleep 18 hours a day or more. Human beings tend to sleep 8 hours a day, and, it is assumed that less than that is not free of harm. However, Allah (swt) has power over everything. Many scholars, politicians, students and even scientists just manage a couple of hours at night, without any apparent effects, except for the feeling of fatigue. The Qur’an itself said praising the pious (51: 17), “And little it is they used to sleep at nights” (Au.).

64. “The mystery of life and death, sleep and dreams, is a fascinating enigma, of which the solution is perhaps beyond the ken of man. A vast mass of superstition as well as imaginative and psychological literature has grown up about it. But the simplest and truest religious doctrine is laid down here in a few words. In death we surrender our physical life, but our soul does not die; it goes back to a plane of existence in which it is more conscious of the realities of the spiritual world: ‘Allah takes the soul’” (Yusuf Ali).

65. Qurtubi leads us to a hadith in D ara Qutni about sleep in the Hereafter. It says,The Prophet (saws) was asked, “Will the inhabitants of Paradise sleep?” He answered, “Sleep is death’s twin-brother and the inhabitants of Paradise will not sleep.”

It is also in Tabar ani and Bazz ar with the one in Bazz ar declared trustworthy by Haythami (Au.).

66. Sa` id b. Jubayr and Suddi held the opinion that when people sleep their souls meet with those of the dead in the higher realm. Then, Allah (swt) retains the souls of the dead and restores the souls of those in sleep (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). The above opinion is attributed to Ibn `Abbas and can be found in `Abd b. Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, Tabar ani (in his Awsat), Abu al-Sheikh (in his al-`Azamah), Ibn Marduwayh and Diyaa’ (in his Mukhtarah) – Shawkani.

This, one might note, is not supported by a hadith. Also see Surah al-An`am, ayah 60 and 61 and the corresponding notes (Au.).

Imam Razi however opts for the plain meaning: Allah withdraws the souls at sleep. Then, He withholds those whose death is destined, restoring the rest to the sleepers.

At all events, the manner of Allah taking the souls away at death has been described elsewhere. Allah said (32: 11),“Say, ‘The angel of death given charge of you draws your souls‘” (Razi).

A related hadith can be quoted here. It is in the Sahihayn:Abu Hurayrah reports the Prophet, “When one of you goes to bed, he should dust his bed with the hem of his lower garment, for he does not know what has come on to it after him, and then he should say, ‘In Your name my Lord, I place my side, and in Your name do I raise it. If You hold back my soul, show it mercy. And if you send it back, protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Alusi, Shawkani).

(By the words “he does not know what has come on to it after him” the allusion is to the possibility of insects or creepers invading the bed: Au.).

67. Asad comments: “According to Razi, this passage connects allegorically with the preceding – the light of guidance being likened to life, and man’s going astray, to death or, if it is not permanent, to death-like sleep followed by awakening. Beyond this, however, we have here a reminder – in tune with the subsequent passage – of God’s almightiness, and especially of His exclusive power to create and to withdraw life. As to the operative verb ‘yatawaffa,’ it primarily denotes ‘He takes [something] away in full;’ and because death is characterized by disappearance of all vital impulses (the “soul”) from the once-living body – their being ‘taken away in full,’ as it were – this form of the verb has been used tropically, since time immemorial, in the sense of ‘causing to die,’ and (in its intransitive form) ‘dying’ or (as a noun) ‘death:’ a usage invariably adhered to in the Qur’an. The traditional likening of sleep to death is due to the fact that in both cases the body appears to be devoid of consciousness, partially and temporarily in the former case, and completely and permanently in the latter. (The popular translation of ‘anfus’ – pl. of ‘nafs’ – as ‘souls’ is certainly inappropriate in the above context, since, according to the teaching of the Qur’an, man’s soul does not ‘die’ at the time of his bodily death, but, on the contrary, lives on indefinitely."

Yusuf Ali has the spiritual aspect in mind. He writes: “If we contemplate these things, we can see more clearly many spiritual truths: e.g. (1) that our bodily life and death are not the whole story of our existence; (2) that in our bodily life we may be dead to the spiritual world, and in our bodily death, may be our awakening to the spiritual world; (3) that our nightly Sleep, besides performing the function of rest to our physical life, gives us a foretaste of what we call death, which does not end our personality; and (4) that the Resurrection is not more wonderful than our daily rising from Sleep, ‘twin-brother to Death.’”

68. That is, on Judgment Day intercession will be in the hands of Allah alone. He will grant whom He will (Ibn Jarir).

Two conditions are attached to intercession: Only he can intercede whom Allah allows, and in favor of only him whom Allah allows (Zamakhshari, Alusi).

Majid quotes a Western scholar to lay his finger on the error committed by the Christian Church. He writes, “Referring to four passages in the NT says a modern spokesman of Christianity: ‘In all these passages Christ is represented as mediating between God and man. God and man have been estranged. The relation which normally subsists between them has been destroyed, and the work of the mediator is to restore it. In 1 Timothy this work is explicitly connected with the redemptive death of Christ; there is one meditative between God and man, Himself man. Jesus Christ who gave Himself as ransom for all (ERE., VIII, p. 516).”

69. Such is the state of many Muslim groups today. They call upon “Awliya’ Allah,” seeking their help - which is nothing less than shirk – but when they are told to call upon Allah alone, the All-powerful, the Quick to Respond, they turn away in disgust ( Alusi, Thanwi).

(Even if not to the above extent, but it is common to see how people brighten up, and joy is visible on their faces when other than Allah are talked about: stories of feats and miracles on the part of the so-called saints and holy men, but which have no basis in truth. Talk to the same people about Allah, and a sudden cooling of interest is markedly visible (Shabbir).

“Not very different,” adds Majid, “is the case of the Christians. Look at their invocation of the saints, their patronage of relics and their use of images. And look at their Litany of the Blessed Virgin: ‘We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not our petition in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed vigin-Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us .. God the father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world. God the Holy Christ. Holy Trinity .. Lord God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Pray for us, O holy mother of God.’ (Butler’s Catechism, pp. 9-12).”

70. In reference to the words, “Originator of the heavens and the earth,” Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir quote a hadith from Muslim:`Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf says he asked ` A’isha about how the Prophet began his Prayers deep at night? She answered that he began by saying, “O Lord of Jibril Mik a’il and Isr afil, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the seen and the unseen, You will judge between the people in what they are differing. Lead me in what has been differed with in truth, by Your leave. Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path.”

Shawkani also quotes this hadith.

Ibn Kathir quotes a few more ahadith on the topic. `Abdullah ibn Mas` ud is recorded in Ahmad as reporting the Prophet, “Whoever said:‘O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the seen and the unseen, I pledge to You in the life of this world that there is no deity except You, alone. You have no associates and Muhammad is Your slave and Messenger. If you leave me to myself, You will only take me closer to evil and away from good. I do not place any trust except on Your mercy. Therefore, let there be a pledge remaining with You, which You will fulfill on the Day of Standing, surely, You do not break the trust,’

... whoever said this ... but Allah will say on the Day of Standing, ‘My slave has made a compact with Me, so fulfill it now.’ Then he will be admitted into Paradise.” “So,” said Suhayl, “I informed Qasim b. `Abdul Rahman that `Awn says such and such a thing.” He said, “There is not a maiden in our household but who says these words in her apartments.”

Haythami wrote: Its narrators are those of the Sahih except that one narrator is missing after `Abdullah ibn Mas` ud (Au.).

The above report, adds Ibn Kathir, has been recorded through a second chain which is also in Ahmad. And a third chain says that Abu Rashid al-Habrani went to `Abdullah ibn `Amr and told him, “Narrate to me something from the Prophet.” He took out a collection spread it before me and said ‘this is what the Prophet dictated to me.’ I read out of it. (One of the things) it said was that Abu Bakr asked the Prophet to teach him what he should say in the morning and in the evening, in response to which the Prophet said, ‘O Abu Bakr, say the following:“O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Knowner of the seen and the unseen, there is no deity save You, Lord of all things and their Owner. I seek Your refuge from the evil of myself, from the evil of Shaytan and his associates and that I should perpetrate upon myself an evil or should push it towards a Muslim.”

Tirmidhi declared this report as of Hasan Gharib status (Au.).

To touch on another aspect, it is reported that when Rabi` b. Khuthaym was informed about Hussain’s martyrdom, all he said was “Ah,” and then recited this verse. The Salaf have said that when one is told about the differences between the Companions, he might recite this verse to great relief: “O Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the Unseen and the Seen, You will judge between Your slaves in matters in which they were differing” ( Alusi, Shafi`).

71. Q ar un for example said the same thing. He said (28: 78),“I have been given it (the wealth) because of a knowledge that I have” (Razi, Qurtubi).

72. That is, said Suddi, a similar calamity will strike these, the unbelievers from the Ummah of the Prophet, as struck those of the previous prophets (Ibn Jarir).

73. When a man succeeds, he attributes it to his abilities, education and qualifications. But, how can he fail to notice that many there are who are better qualified than he, but are doing worse, while, on the other hand, there are men of modest abilities, if not altogether quite unworthy, who do far better than him. Should not the man in question conclude that provision seems to rest in somebody’s else hands? (Abridged from several commentators).