and there are people in whom both tendencies coexist. They constitute the majority of believers: those who have religious devotion as well as desires. The will to obey and the will to disobey coexist in their hearts, and sometimes one prevails, sometimes the other.

This threefold division accords with the saying that souls are of three kinds: the soul that commands evil, the tranquil soul, and the self-reproaching soul. The first group have souls that command them to do evil. The second group have tranquil souls, concerning which it is said:

“O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well pleased and pleasing to Him. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.” Sūrah al-Fajr, 27–30.

The last group have self-reproaching souls that commit a sin and then reproach themselves for it, wavering between one course and another, or mixing righteous deeds with evil ones. It is hoped that Allah will turn to them in forgiveness if they acknowledge their sins, as