the word nafs (“soul”). This word occurs in the first verse, namely His words:

“Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die He takes during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term.” [al-Zumar 42]

Thus, the verse he cited to establish that nafs denotes the same thing as rūh (“spirit”) is the very verse that mentions the taking of souls. This entails that what is taken in death and sleep is the soul, which is the spirit, and that the sleeper’s spirit is taken, but in a manner short of death, whereby it is retained or released. As for using the word nafs to denote the intellect, this has no basis whatsoever in the Arabic language.

As for his statement that it denotes a thing itself, its very self—as in the words of the Most High, “They deceive none but themselves” [al-Baqarah 9], His words, “So kill yourselves” [al-Baqarah 54], and “But they wronged themselves” [Hūd 101]—the term does not denote the very self of each and every thing, except, of course, when used for emphasis. For when people use the plurals anfus and nufūs (“souls”), these are not understood to include what has neither life nor activity, such as inanimate objects. This is why the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No soul is born but Allah has already recorded its place in Paradise or Hell.”