From an Islamic perspective, there are four spiritual dimensions or aspects in each of human being; Ruh (spirit), nafs (soul), aqal (intellect), and qalb (heart).

1. SPIRITUAL
DIMENSION
OF MAN
KAIYISAH NURULSYAKUR BINTI YUSOF
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2. SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF MAN
Spirit
(‫)الروح‬
Soul
(‫)النفس‬
Heart
(‫)القلب‬
Intellect
(‫)العقل‬

3. AL- RUH (SPIRIT)
 Mentioned 25 places in the Qur’an.
 As a life giving entity, divine relation, as Ar- Ruhul Amin.
 Means: spirit, derived from root ‘raha’ which means to animate, to
revive, to inhale, to breathe, to leave, to go away.
 Characteristics: An eternal, immortal, formless, indivisible, has a
divine nature, belongs to the World of Command.
 Ruh vs Body.

4. Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: I am
about to create man, from sounding clay from
mud moulded into shape; When I have
fashioned him and breathed into him of My
spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him.
(Al- Hijr: 28-29)
They ask thee concerning the Spirit, say: “The
spirit by command of my Lord: Of knowledge it
is only a little is communicated to you.
(Al- Isra’:85)
QUR’ANIC
VERSE
ABOUT
RUH

5. AL- QALB (HEART)
 Appears 144 places in the Qur’an.
 Means: substle spiritual light that is contained within the cone
shaped structure of the human heart.
 Characteristics: unfixed, unstable.
 Functions: decisive maker in the human psyche, vital to produce a
human being who has a good personality, enables man to
comprehend the Divine, enables man to know and understand the
reality of things, make evaluative judgements, and sift the right
from the wrong.

6. QUR’ANIC
VERSE
ABOUT
QALB
Many are the Jinns and men
We have made for Hell: They
have hearts wherewith they
understand not, eyes
wherewith they see not, and
ears wherewith they hear not.
They are like cattle-nay more
misguided: for they are
heedless.
(Al- A’raf: 179)

7. AN- NAFS (SOUL/ SELF)
 Nafs, Anfus and Nufus has been mentioned 376 places in the Qur’an.
 Refers to the whole of humanity, biological activities of man more than his conscious
and cognitive part.
 Natures: Indestructible, indivisible, substle, origin from the unseen, immortal, can be
easily influenced by the mind, will, intellect, and heart. When Ruh comes in contact
with human body, it forms a borderline area that connects the physical parts and his
spiritual nature.
 3 levels of Nafs mentioned in the Qur’an:
1. An- Nafsul Ammarah: the nafs impelling towards evil/ the evil self.
2. An- Nafsul Lawwamah: the changing or blaming nafs/ the reproaching self.
3. An- Nafsul Muthma’innah: the nafs at peace/ the content self.

8. QUR’ANIC
VERSE
ABOUT
NAFS
To the righteous soul will
be said: O soul, in rest and
satisfaction! Come back
thou to thy Lord – well
pleased and well pleasing
to Him! Enter thou, the,
among my Devotees! Yea,
enter thou My Heaven
(Al- Fajr: 27-30)

9. AL- AQL (INTELLECT)
 Mentioned as verb ‘aqala’49 places in the Qur’an.
 Refers to the thinking capasity of man.
 Derived from the root ‘aqala’ which means to possess intelligence, to
comprehend, and to understand.
 Reason vs Intellectual:
1. ‘Aql Juz’i for reason. Faculty of analytical thought. Expression of mind.
2. ‘Aql Kulli for intellect. Faculty of intuition. Expression of ‘aql.
 Its’ functions: to defeat or reject nafs. Qalb uses ‘aql as an instrument in
comprehending knowledge and needed for higher level; intuition,
enlightenment, inspiration.

10. QUR’ANIC
VERSE
ABOUT
‘AQL
Indeed, the worst
of living creatures
in the sight of
Allah are the deaf
and dumb who do
not use reason.
(Al- Anfal: 22)

11. CONCLUSION
• Fitrah is not only acknowledge as an inborn natural
disposition, but also as active inclination towards
submition to Allah.
• Qalb, nafs, and ‘aql come into existence along with the
infusion of the immortal ruh into the mortal body of
man.
• Man shares some of his basic characteristics with
animals, angels, and attributes of Allah.

12. REFERENCES
 Yasien Mohamed,
Human Nature in Islam.
Kuala Lumpur. A.S.
Noordeen.
 Mohd Abbas Abdul
Razak, Human Nature:
An Islamic Perspective.
IIUM. Journal of Islam
In Asia, Special Issue,
No.1, March 2011.