Surah Al-Baqarah, as one of the most comprehensive chapters of the Holy Quran, in verses 73 and 74 undertakes an in-depth examination of the existential faculties of human beings, especially the intellect and the spirit, along with their intrinsic complexities. These verses employ metaphorical and profound language to introduce man as the most intricate divine creation, exploring his existential layers through the lenses of the self (nafs), intellect (aql), heart (qalb), inner heart (fuad), chest (sadr), and spirit (ruh). This discourse, adopting a scientific and systematic approach, analyses these verses by integrating the lecture content and exegetical interpretations, elucidating the position of intellect and spirit within the ontological system and their role in guiding humanity. The aim of this text is to provide a deep and academic perspective that, utilising noble metaphors and spiritual allusions, is applicable for specialists in the fields of Quranic exegesis, Islamic philosophy, and religious psychology.
Man, as the most complex divine creation, is praised in the Holy Quran with an exalted expression: فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ (Surah Al-Muminun, Verse 14). This verse refers to the excellence of human creation, which originates from his collective station. The collective station is a metaphor for the human capacity to integrate contradictory material and spiritual attributes, which renders him the vicegerent of God on earth. This complexity distinguishes man from other creatures, such as angels and jinn, as he is a mirror reflecting all divine attributes within his existence.
The understanding of man, due to his existential complexities, is exceedingly difficult. Scientists, prior to studying humans, first examine other entities such as animals, plants, and inanimate objects, then approach the understanding of man with the scientific capital gained from these studies. This gradual methodology indicates the depth and complexity of human structure, necessitating precise and scientific exploration. Just as a surgeon requires dissection to understand the body, the comprehension of human existential faculties demands deep and methodical analysis.
Within his ontological system, man possesses hierarchies each of which plays a specific role in his behaviour and spirituality. These hierarchies include the nafs (self), intellect (aql), heart (qalb), inner heart (fuad), chest (sadr), and spirit (ruh). The nafs is a faculty attributed to humans, angels, and jinn, serving as the basis of divine obligation, whereas animals lack this faculty. The intellect is an innate attribute enabling man to reason and be guided. The qalb, fuad, and sadr represent emotional and perceptive layers, identified in Quranic verses as centres of perception and feeling. The spirit, however, is a transcendent faculty that rarely manifests in ordinary humans, being mainly attributed to prophets, saints, and those close to God.
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ
(Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 29)
Translation: When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down before him in prostration.
This verse refers to the infusion of the divine spirit into man, which elevates him to a sublime being and the vicegerent of God. However, the manifestation of the spirit in ordinary humans is rare due to the dominance of the nafs and attachment to the material world.
The nafs, as a faculty common to humans, angels, and jinn, serves as the foundation of divine obligation. It enables man to bear divine responsibilities. Unlike animals, which lack this faculty, man, endowed with the nafs, has the capacity to accept obligation and progress toward perfection. Nevertheless, the nafs can, under the influence of desires and whims, divert man from the path of guidance.
The intellect (aql), as an innate human attribute, is repeatedly ascribed to man in the Quran and introduced as a factor for guidance and reasoning. Numerous verses, such as لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 73), emphasise the necessity of employing intellect. This verse, linked to the revival of a dead man through a part of a cow, calls on man to reason over the divine signs:
فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 73)
Translation: So We said: Strike him with a part of it. Thus Allah revives the dead and shows you His signs, that you may reason.
This verse presents intellect as the tool for comprehending divine signs and guidance. However, the Quran in over eighty verses refers to the failure to employ intellect and the rejection of it, signifying the human challenge in exercising this faculty.
Intellect, in the Quran, possesses levels. The low-level intellect, mentioned in يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ (Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 41), indicates misuse of intellect to distort divine speech:
يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ
(Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 41)
Translation: They hear the words of Allah, then distort it after they have understood it.
This low-level intellect acts under the influence of the nafs and leads to deviation. Conversely, the elevated intellect, emphasised in verses such as لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ, guides man towards truth and guidance.
One of mans main challenges is the failure to activate intellect. The Quran in verses like أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 44) draws attention to this issue:
أَتَأْمُرُونَ
