alnafs

Al-nafs (النفس) is a central term in Islamic anthropology, usually translated as the self, soul, or psyche. From the root N-F-S, it designates the inner, sentient aspect of a person that can motivate actions, reflect moral states, and undergo purification. In the Qur’an and traditions, nafs is the inward seat of conscience, temptation, and moral struggle, interacting with the ruh (spirit) and the qalb (heart).

In many Sunni and Sufi frameworks, nafs is described as having stages, most often three: nafs al-ammārah bi-s-sū’ (the self that commands evil); nafs al-lawwāmah (the self that reproaches and repent); and nafs al-muṭma'inna (the tranquil self at peace with God). These categories are widely used to explain moral psychology and spiritual progress.

Purification of the nafs, or tazkiyah, is a central aim in Islamic ethics. Practices include tawbah (repentance), dhikr (remembrance of God), prayer, fasting, and ascetic disciplines. The struggle to reform the self is described as jihad al-nafs, a continual effort to restrain lower impulses and align the self with divine guidance.

Scholars distinguish nafs from other aspects such as the ruh and the qalb, though the terms overlap in practice. In many accounts, nafs is the dynamic, changeable center of motive and character, whereas ruh denotes life by God, and qalb the seat of perception and intention. The concept also underpins ideas of fitrah, the innate disposition toward good.

In modern usage, nafs appears in classical theology and philosophy and in Islamic psychology as a framework for personality, moral growth, and self-regulation. It remains a focal point in discussions of consciousness, virtue, and the effort to refine the self.