CHAPTER I: What Are Souls?

The Figurative Use of the Term "Soul(s)" in the Quran

Firstly: God's Soul or (Himself); i.e., His Self:

 Human beings cannot see the Lord God or imagine what He looks like; this is beyond the capacity of the human brain and beyond the reasoning faculties. Our focus is to ponder and contemplate on Quranic facts and on the universe and its realms. Figurative style is employed in the Quran to talk about the metaphysical aspects of existence and about the nature of the Lord God so that our mind would understand in a simple way. When the Quranic/Arabic term Nafs (i.e., soul) is mentioned in relation to God's Soul or (Himself); His Self, this pertains to the figurative style in the Quran which employs human-related words to indicate qualities/deeds of God; the Lord God has no human soul of course. In light of the above, one can ponder the following Quranic verses. "...God warns you to beware of His Soul (i.e., Himself or His Self). To God is the destiny...God warns you to beware of His Soul (i.e., Himself or His Self). God is Kind towards the servants." (3:28-30); "Say, “To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?” Say, “To God.” He has inscribed for Himself (i.e., His Soul/Self) mercy. He will gather you to the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Those who lost their souls do not believe." (6:12); "When those who believe in Our Verses come to you, say, “Peace be upon you, your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself (i.e., His Soul/Self). Whoever among you does wrong out of ignorance, and then repents afterwards and reforms - He is Forgiving and Merciful.”" (6:54). This is about words of Jesus on the Last Day when he will defend himself against being deified: "And God will say, “O Jesus son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as gods rather than Allah?'“ He will say, “Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to. Had I said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my soul, and I do not know what is in Your Soul/Self. You are the Knower of the hidden." (5:116).

 Sunnite ignoramuses/sheikhs/clergymen stubbornly refuse to accept the fact that some Quranic verses employ the figurative style; they insist to take all Quranic verses literally; this leads to misunderstanding the Quran and also to write/utter blasphemies; e.g., Sunnite Wahabis/Salafists assume that the Lord God sits on a literal throne/chair! They ascribe to the Lord God human qualities! They are very much like those who deify mortals or assume that their deities take the human form. Such Sunnite erroneous notion of ignorance makes the Quranic verses appear as if it were contradictory. The figurative idea of the Throne means the Lord God's Dominance and Omnipotence in the universe. The Lord God has not a human soul; souls are bound to taste death: "Every soul will have a taste of death, and you will receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is swayed from the Fire, and admitted to Paradise, has won. The life of this world is merely enjoyment of delusion." (3:185); "Every soul will taste death. We burden you with adversity and prosperity - a test. And to Us you will be returned." (21:35); "Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned." (29:57). The figurative style is employed in the Quran to describe the metaphysical aspects including the nature of the Lord God Who is the Living One; The Creator never dies; the creatures perish and die. The Lord God is beyond and above time and He is the Creator of time; He is before time began and will remain and last after the earthly time (or the sense of time in the physical, observable universe) will end: "And put your trust in the Living, the One who never dies; and celebrate His praise..." (25:58); "And do not invoke with Allah any other god. There is no God but He. All things perish, except His presence. His is the judgment, and to Him you will be returned." (28:88); "Everyone upon it is perishing. But will remain the Presence of your Lord, Full of Majesty and Splendor." (55:26-27); "To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death, and He has power over all things. He is the First and the Last, and the Outer and the Inner, and He has knowledge of all things." (57:2-3).

Secondly: (yourselves) or (your souls/'selves') in the Quranic text referring to people in general or a group of persons:

1- This is exemplified in the following verses about the sinners among the Israelites.

1/1: The Lord God told them the following: "Do you command people to virtuous conduct, and forget yourselves (or your souls), even though you read the Book? Do you not understand?" (2:44); "...Is it that whenever a messenger comes to you with anything your souls (or your 'selves') do not desire, you grew arrogant, calling some impostors, and killing others?" (2:87).

1/2: Moses told them the following: "... “O my people, you have done wrong to yourselves (wronged your souls) by worshiping the calf..." (2:54); "If you work righteousness, you work righteousness for yourselves (or your souls); and if you commit evil, you do so against yourselves (or your souls)..." (17:7).

2- The term (yourselves) or (your souls/'selves') comes here in the metonymical sense of [one another]; i.e., the souls is employed within metonymy to indicate some people: "But here you are, killing your own souls (yourselves), and expelling a group of your own from their homes - conspiring against them in injustices and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although it was forbidden to you. Is it that you believe in part of the Book, and disbelieve in part?..." (2:85). By the way, this verse is about a historical fact never mentioned by historians of Arabia; i.e., Israelites who lived in Arabia at one time fought one another and enslaved and captured one another; they forced some others among their defeated parties to leave their homes.

Souls and the Human Beings

Introduction:

1- As per our own Quranist research methodology, we infer that the Quranic terms [man] or [human being(s)] refer to the vast majority of humanity who are both misguided and misguiding; both Quranic terms do not refer to all humanity. Verses containing both terms indicate general rules about the vast majority of people in all eras; in most cases exceptions are mentioned the very next verse in the same Quranic context. This idea of exception (i.e., the exception of the few apart from the vast majority) is exemplified here about Desert Arabs or Bedouins of Arabia: "The Desert-Arabs are the most steeped in disbelief and hypocrisy, and the most likely to ignore the limits that God revealed to His Messenger. God is Knowing and Wise. And among the Desert-Arabs are those who consider their contribution to be a fine. And they wait for a reversal of your fortunes. Upon them will fall the cycle of misfortune. God is Hearing and Knowing. Yet among the Desert-Arabs are those who believe in God and the Last Day, and consider their contribution to be a means towards God, and the prayers of the Messenger. Surely it will draw them closer, and God will admit them into His mercy. God is Forgiving and Compassionate." (9:97-99).

2- This applies to the Quranic discourse about [man] or [human being(s)]. This is a lengthy topic, but we will summarize it in the points below.

Firstly: human beings are created in two components: souls and bodies:

 At the very beginning, the Lord God created all souls of all human beings in Barsakh; when the Holy Spirit Gabriel breathed the soul of Adam into his body, Adam became alive, and as per the command of the Lord God, all angels of the Upper Realm prostrated to Adam: "We created you, then We shaped you, then We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam;” so they bowed down, except for Iblis; he was not of those who prostrated." (7:11). All of them obeyed the command except Iblis who later on became Satan. From the soul of Adam, his wife was created: "O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and propagated from them many men and women..." (4:1). Adam and his wife, after their descent unto the earth, begot many children and their progeny multiplied; each soul is breathed into the embryo to form a human being in a certain unique image and shape: "It is He who forms you in the wombs as He wills. There is no God except He, the Almighty, the Wise." (3:6). This means the real person is the soul; this soul wears a body of human flesh created from dust/mud of the earth.

Secondly: the creation of the human bodies:

1- All living creatures are created essentially from different types of water; the bodies of human beings (and all earthly creatures) are created from mud: dust + water (i.e., H₂O): "...And We made from water every living thing..." (21:30); "God created every living creature from water..." (24:45).

2- All bodies of all human beings are created from dust; this applies to Adam and his descendants: "The likeness of Jesus in God’s sight is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, “Be,” and he was." (3:59); "And of His signs is that He created you from dust; and behold, you become humans spreading out." (30:20). The Holy Spirit Gabriel carried the divine command (Be) and breathed the soul of Adam into his body; Adam has no parents; likewise, he Holy Spirit Gabriel carried the divine command (Be) and Jesus was created from the womb of his mother without a biological father. 

3- Thus, mud (dust + water) is the material from which bodies of human beings is created: "Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from mud." (38:71); "He who perfected everything He created, and originated the creation of man from mud." (32:7).

4- Our focus here is on the fact that Adam is described as a man and a human being.

5- The descendants of Adam begot children; they consumed food items made of the mud/soil of the earth; these food items turn into ova and sperm; this means procreation is still based on the same origin: mud (dust + water). "He who perfected everything He created, and originated the creation of man from mud. Then made his reproduction from an extract of an insignificant fluid. Then He proportioned him, and breathed into him of His Spirit. Then He gave you the hearing, and the eyesight, and the brains - but rarely do you give thanks." (32:7-9); "God created you from dust, then from a small drop; then He made you pairs. No female conceives, or delivers, except with His knowledge. No living thing advances in years, or its life is shortened, except it be in a Record. That is surely easy for God." (35:11).

6- This is about changes that occur to mud in the process of creation: "He created man from hard clay, like bricks. And created the jinn from a fusion of fire." (55:14-15); "We created the human being from clay, from molded mud. And the jinn We created before, from piercing fire." (15:26-27).

7- We focus here on the fact that the physical bodies of the human beings differ from bodies of angels and jinn; Iblis the angel who became Satan the Devil hated Adam and felt superior over it: "...“I am better than he; You created me from fire, and You created him from mud.”" (7:12); "He said, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and You created him from mud.”" (38:76); "...they prostrated, except for Satan. He said, “Shall I bow down before someone You created from mud?”" (17:61).

8- This is about the stages of the creation of human bodies and how sperms that inseminate ova determine the sexes of the embryos as per the Lord God's command: "We created man from an extract of mud. Then We made him a seed, in a secure repository. Then We developed the seed into a clot. Then We developed the clot into a lump. Then We developed the lump into bones. Then We clothed the bones with flesh. Then We produced it into another creature. Most Blessed is God, the Best of creators." (23:12-14); "And that it is He who created the two kinds - the male and the female.From a sperm drop, when emitted." (53:45-46).

9- Adam's soul was taught and inculcated by the Lord God and this makes human beings above all non-human creatures of the earth: "And He taught Adam the names, all of them;..." (2:31); "He created man. And taught him clear expression." (55:3-4); "Taught man what he never knew." (96:5).

10- We focus here on the fact that teaching was for the souls and not the bodies of the humankind.

11- The Barsakh ethereal creatures known as souls are imprisoned in weak physical bodies of flesh which are easily fatigued; the rest of souls is their temporary visits to Barsakh during deep slumber: "We created man and imposed fatigue on him." (90:4); "...for man was created weak." (4:28); "God takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that have not died during their sleep. He retains those for which He has decreed death, and He releases the others until a predetermined time. In that are signs for people who reflect. " (39:42).

12- We focus here on the fact that during slumber, people are unconscious and are not tested; they do not perform deeds which are part of their responsibility; likewise, insane people are not responsible for their deeds since their souls do not control their bodies.

Thirdly: the test and responsibility are for the souls of human beings:

 Being responsible for one's deeds is part of the test of life of souls (not bodies) as per their capacity. This test is for souls which control the bodies and its instincts, appetites, and lusts. "We created man from a liquid mixture, to test him; and We made him hearing and seeing.We guided him to the way, be he thankful or disbelieving/ungrateful." (76:2-3). This is why the Quranic preaching is addressed to the aware souls and not to bodies: "O man! What deluded you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous? He Who created you, and formed you, and proportioned you? In whatever shape He willed, He assembled you." (82:6-8); "O man! You are laboring towards your Lord, and you will meet Him." (84:6); "We have entrusted the human being with the care of his parents. His mother carried him through hardship upon hardship, weaning him in two years. So give thanks to Me, and to your parents. To Me is the destination." (31:14); "We have advised the human being to be good to his parents. But if they urge you to associate with Me something you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. To Me is your return; and I will inform you of what you used to do." (29:8); "We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents. His mother carried him with difficulty, and delivered him with difficulty. His bearing and weaning takes thirty months..." (46:15).

Fourthly: bad traits of most human beings in general:

 Sadly, in most cases, most souls prefer sinning to piety; this is the tragedy of humanity; this is why the Quranic terms [human being(s)] and (man) means the vast majority of people in all eras and not all and every single person in the following Quranic contexts about bad traits and sins.

  "If We give the human being a taste of mercy from Us, and then withdraw it from him, he becomes despairing and ungrateful." (11:9); "When We bless the human being, he turns away and distances himself. But when adversity touches him, he is in despair." (17:83); "Whenever adversity touches the human being, he prays to Us - reclining on his side, or sitting, or standing. But when We have relieved his adversity from him, he goes away, as though he had never called on Us for trouble that had afflicted him. Thus the deeds of the transgressors appear good to them." (10:12); "When some adversity touches the human being, he prays to his Lord, repenting to Him. But then, when He confers on him a grace of His, he forgets what he was praying for before, and he attributes rivals to God, in order to lead astray from His way. Say, “Enjoy your disbelief for a little while; you will be among the inmates of the Fire.”" (39:8); "...The human being has always been stingy." (17:100); "The human being prays for evil as he prays for good. The human being is very hasty." (17:11); "...The human being is unjust and tend to disbelieve." (14:34); "He created the human being from a drop of fluid, yet he becomes an arguing, open adversary." (16:4).

Fifthly: exceptions are among few human beings, in all eras, who adhere to piety:

 These are few verses, among so many, which exemplify this: "Man was created restless. Touched by adversity, he is fretful." (70:19-20); "Except the prayerful. Those who are constant at their prayers. And those in whose wealth is a rightful share. For the beggar and the deprived. And those..." (70:22-26); "We created man in the best design. Then reduced him to the lowest of the low. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds; for them is a reward without end." (95:4-6); "By time.The human being is in loss. Except those who believe, and do good works, and encourage truth, and recommend patience." (103:1-3).

Sixthly: human beings in the Hereafter:

1- All deeds, thoughts, feelings, and words of souls are recorded by angels in this world and this will decide the fate of each human soul: "For every person We have attached his fate to his neck. And on the Day of Resurrection, We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open." (17:13); "And that the human being attains only what he strives for. And that his efforts will be witnessed. Then he will be rewarded for it the fullest reward." (53:39-41). Souls will be resurrected in the Hereafter; the Lord God refutes the stance of deniers of the Hereafter here: "Does man think that We will not reassemble his bones? Yes indeed; We are Able to reconstruct his fingertips. But man wants to deny what is ahead of him." (75:3-5) the fingers and bones here are of the souls and not of the bodies. "Perish man! How disbelieving he is! From what did He create him? From a sperm drop He created him, and enabled him. Then He eased the way for him. Then He puts him to death, and buries him. Then, when He wills, He will resurrect him." (80:17-22); "Let man consider what he was created from. He was created from gushing liquid...He is certainly able to return him. On the Day when the secrets are disclosed. He will have no strength, and no supporter." (86:5-10).

2- The souls are the ones which will be resurrected on the Last Day and not their physical bodies of flesh which turned into dust and this dust is destroyed when the Hour takes place to destroy the earth and the whole universe. The resurrected souls will be clothed in new, eternal bodies woven of their deeds.

Souls and the Human Bodies

 Human beings vacillate and fluctuate among many opposing dualities: evil and charity, disobedience and obedience, day and night, the visible and invisible, piety and sins,...etc. Yet, the most important duality in our existence is the body and soul. We trace this duality within the Quranic text, to get to know the Quranic features of it, in the points below.

Firstly: human souls are not "spirits":

1- It is a common mistake in Arabic and in other tongues that people assume that souls and spirits are synonymous; human souls are not spirits. Human beings are souls and bodies and NOT spirits and bodies. The Quranic term (Holy Spirit) refers to the archangel Gabriel whose mission is to breathe souls into human fetuses like he did with Adam; his previous mission was to carry Divine Revelation to prophets and messengers of the Lord God. Because the Holy Spirit is linked with the Quran and the creation of Jesus, both the Quran and Jesus are described in the Quranic text sometimes as (the spirit) because Jesus was created and the Quran descended as per the Divine Command of the Lord God. Another mission for Gabriel is to give reassurance to believers in certain dangerous situations esp. military self-defense against aggressors. This is why the archangel Gabriel has a special position in the Upper Realm; he carries the Divine Command (Be); his missions as the head of the angels include making preordained fates descend every Night of Decree during Ramadan; for more details about this, see our book found, in English and in French respectively, on the following links:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=112

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=141  

2- The Quranic Discourse about human beings or humanity is always linked to souls and not to bodies; the real persons are the souls and not the garments of flesh they wear temporarily and leave it for good in death before they return to Barsakh. Let us exemplify this: "O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate..." (4:1); "And the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness." (91:7-8); "Your creation and your resurrection are only as a single soul..." (31:28); "God takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that have not died during their sleep. He retains those for which He has decreed death, and He releases the others until a predetermined time. In that are signs for people who reflect." (39:42); "On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged." (16:111); "And every soul will come forward, accompanied by a driver and a witness." (50:21).

Secondly: annihilation and the Eternal Life:

 Monotheism of (There is no God but Allah) is inculcated into the Barsakh DNA, innate nature, and the instincts of all human souls: "And when Your Lord summoned the descendants of Adam, and made them testify about themselves. “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we testify.” Thus you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were unaware of this.”" (7:172); "So devote yourself to the religion of monotheism - the natural instinct God has instilled in the humankind..." (30:30). Part of this is what is called now conscience or superego; all human beings, despite different eras and regions, share the higher values of truth, charity, and justice/fairness. Thus, in sum, human souls are tested during their lifetimes on earth while being clothed in human flesh; each soul dies in predetermined time; souls return to Barsakh, their original place, and bodies turn into dust from which they were created. Souls will be resurrected for Judgment and then eternity either in Hell or in Paradise. 

Thirdly: the frailty of the human body in contrast to the eternal soul of all human beings:

1- The human flesh is weak: "......for man was created weak." (4:28), whereas the eternal soul which controls the human body is strong; this fact is reflected upon by reasonable people only. Each of us should recommend our souls by monotheism, piety, and many good deeds by making our focus on souls and not on bodies with their lusts, appetites, and instincts that tend to make human beings forget the natural instinct of souls: "...monotheism - the natural instinct God has instilled in the humankind..." (30:30). 

2- Even if science controls and defeats any sickness, diseases, viruses,...etc., science cannot slow down aging or prevent death: "God is He Who created you weak, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength gave you weakness and gray hair. He creates whatever He wills. He is the Omniscient, the Omnipotent." (30:54).  

3- In contrast to bodies, souls never grew older or weaker even during infancy and during old age of senility when one sleeps a lot and is mostly lacks consciousness: "Whomever We grant old age, We reverse his development. Do they not understand?" (36:68); "God brought you out of your mothers’ wombs, not knowing anything; and He gave you the hearing, and the eyesight, and the brains; that you may give thanks." (16:78); "O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection - We created you from dust, then from a small drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh, partly developed and partly undeveloped. In order to clarify things for you. And We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a designated term, and then We bring you out as infants, until you reach your full strength. And some of you will pass away, and some of you will be returned to the vilest age, so that he may not know, after having known..." (22:5).

Fourthly: sleep, sickness, and food:

1- The human body needs rest not only from fatigue or hard physical activities but from the existence of the human soul inside it. This is why we sleep; deep slumber allows the soul to leave for a short while the prison known as the human flesh to visit Barsakh; it is said that nearly half of one's lifetime is spent in sleep. No human beings can do without sleep; prolonged sleep deprivation leads to insanity and death; sleep allows the cells of the frail human body to renew themselves. Sickness and diseases of the body influence the soul and psychological ailments of souls influence the body as per the recent psychosomatic studies. "And of His signs are your sleep by night and day, and your pursuit of His bounty. In this are signs for people who listen." (30:23).   

2- The Quranic Discourse about sickness and healing concerns both souls and bodies; the sickness of souls is polytheism and disbelief resulted from denying the Divine Truth; this is about hypocrites: "In their hearts is sickness, and God has increased their sickness. They will have a painful torment because of their denial." (2:10). Human bodies need food to be able to live and to function; it is a daily miracle in our lives that we consume and digest food and defecate and urinate within good health; any malfunction in any of such processes endangers our lives and when one is bedridden and needs enemas, injections,...etc., one realizes how weak human bodies are and yet they are arrogant and proud! This is about Abraham talking about the Lord God: "He who feeds me, and waters me. And when I get sick, He heals me." (26:79-80). 

3- The Quranic Discourse has its unique great style in talking about food and bodily needs of human beings in relation to the Oneness of the Lord God; He does not need us, mortals, while mortals need Him: "Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is nothing comparable to Him.”" (112:1-4). In fact, all human beings need their Lord God in all the processes of consumption and digestion of food and then defecation and urination. Of course, food is made of the earth and its natural elements from which the human bodies are created.

4- We emphasize the following facts.

4/1: The frailty of the transient human bodies is in contrast to the eternal souls which control such bodies. This must be reflected on by those who have reasonable minds.

4/2: Souls return to Barsakh temporarily every day during sleep of living people.

4/3: The current civilization of the West focuses only on the physical bodies and disregard the souls because one cannot study souls within empiricism.

Fifthly: bodies and souls in relation to the notions of (test of life) and (choice):

 Thus, human beings control their souls and bodies, to a certain extent, and only within freedom of choice and free will granted to them by the Lord God; they can choose sinning or obedience, wickedness or piety, misguidance or guidance, polytheism or monotheism...etc. They choose (not) to follow Quranic sharia laws of the Lord God which regulates pleasures of this world and defines what the prohibited and permissible items are. This is the test of life: "We created man from a liquid mixture, to test him; and We made him hearing and seeing." (76:2). Yet, in contrast, the human bodies are the center of temptation; there are aspects and fates regarding the body which cannot be controlled by the soul; e.g., the vital organs and their cells in the human body function or stop as per the Divine Will; souls are like drivers of cars known as the bodies or garments of flesh. This is about guidance and misguidance within freedom of choice which is the basis of the test and the Judgment. The body is the domain/field of the soul to perform and practice (dis)obedience as per free will granted to the souls. Losers in the Hereafter regret their being heedless as they never performed (enough) good deeds which would have woven their eternal bodies fit for the Eternal Life in Paradise: "He will say, “If only I had forwarded for my life.”" (89:24). 

Sixthly: cloning and the myth of reincarnation within the Indian religions:

1- One of the sillies religious myths is about souls of the dead reincarnated in plants, animals, or other living human bodies; this myth of Indian religions (and the horrid idea of castes or class distinction by birth) is repeated in some Shiite tenets of the Qarmatians and in some Sufi orders. The Quran refutes such myth by asserting the fact that the soul wears only one physical body on earth and will leave it for good in death as it will remain in a Barsakh tomb until the Resurrection Day and the Day of Judgment.

2- The religions of the spiritual East focus on the souls too much that they deny and negate bodies; this negation is manifested in the silly notion of reincarnation. In contrast, the West civilization focuses too much on bodies that they deny and negate souls which cannot be studied within empiricism in laboratories. The scientists in the West deal with people as mere bodies controlled by brains; they never realize that brains and bodies are controlled by souls; even psychology cannot study the human souls; the scientists in the West cannot imagine how souls leave the bodies temporarily during madness, slumber, and comas.  

3- Hence, the human souls differ from souls which move and control non-human creatures on earth; human beings are responsible for their deeds and are tested in life as long as they are awake/conscious; the body has its aspects of life which go on without the control of souls; e.g., during sleep, comas, and bouts of madness. Some people who are in a state of clinical death cannot be revived by any medical machines if their souls leave their bodies forever. Cloning may produce human cells, organs, or body parts (i.e., spare parts) but they will remain devoid of souls; souls cannot be made in the laboratories; hence, scientists will never be able to create a human being with a soul. Souls are breathed into fetuses by the Holy Spirit Gabriel as per the Lord God's commands. This is beyond human capacity or power. 

The Soul Is the Center of Cognition and Not the Brain

Introduction:

 Souls are like drivers of cars known as bodies; without souls, such cars/bodies are lifeless chassis or mass/frame. Hence, souls are the true persons and not their bodies; they choose evil or piety, (mis)guidance, (mis)deeds, (dis)obedience,...etc. Souls love, hate, (dis)like, think, feel tired, reminisce,...etc. and not the bodies or the brain. The souls control the brains which are the control rooms of the bodies. This does not mean that the role of bodies is to be considered as minor; souls are alive only when clothed in human flesh, of course. souls in timeless Barsakh never move and never sense/feel anything. This is about the dead human beings: "They are dead, not alive; and they do not know when they will be resurrected." (16:21). In the points below, we provide some Quranic facts about the human soul as the center of cognition.

Firstly: the human soul is the one that tastes pain:

1- Pain and fatigue are transmitted from the body to the brain or rather to the soul which controls the brain: "...territory you could not have reached without great hardship to your souls..." (16:7).

2- Souls are the ones which taste death.

 The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Every soul will have a taste of death, and you will receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is swayed from the Fire, and admitted to Paradise, has won. The life of this world is merely enjoyment of delusion." (3:185); "Every soul will taste death. We burden you with adversity and prosperity - a test. And to Us you will be returned." (21:35); "Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned." (29:57). This is about death of hypocrites: "Let neither their possessions nor their children impress you. God intends to torment them through them in this worldly life, and that their souls depart while they are disbelievers." (9:55); "Do not let their possessions and their children impress you. God desires to torment them through them in this world, and their souls depart while they are disbelievers." (9:85).

Secondly: murder is done, in fact, for the souls and not the bodies:

 Since souls experience death, they feel being murdered. Some fatal wounds and diseases stop the body from functioning properly within its role as the garment of the soul; death occurs accordingly. The same occurs when murdered people experience death; it is the death of souls and not bodies. Let us exemplify this within the Quranic verses.

1- Within sharia laws: "...do not kill the soul..." (6:151 + 17:32); "...and do not kill the soul which God has made sacred - except in the pursuit of justice..." (25:68); "...And do not kill your souls, for God is Merciful towards you." (4:29); "Because of that We ordained for the Israelites: that whoever kills a soul - unless it is for murder or corruption on earth - it is as if he killed the whole of the humankind..." (5:32).

2- Within Quranic stories: "...And you killed a soul, but We saved you from stress..." (20:40); "...“Did you kill a pure soul, who killed no one? You have done something terrible.”" (18:74); "And recall when you killed a soul, and disputed in the matter; but God was to expose what you were hiding." (2:72).

Thirdly: souls are the ones which experience pleasure:

1- During having marital sex, the bodies seem to be the focus of spouses; yet, in fact, it is souls which experience pleasure. Souls feel the urge to have sex and enjoy it through the medium of the bodies; this is in contrast to animals and other non-human creatures on earth which have sex to multiply only. Sexual pleasure outside wedlock is fornication/adultery prohibited in the Quranic/Islamic sharia laws. Human souls need preparation to enjoy sex and to get erections; e.g., most men feel disgusted by naked bodies of old women but they feel sexual arousal when seeing a photo of semi-naked young women; yet, a man never feel sexually aroused when he sees bare legs of his sister or mother. Women's souls also need to be prepared properly for martial sex: "Your women are cultivation for you; so approach your cultivation whenever you like, and send ahead for your souls..." (2:223). This means souls are the center of feeling any degree of sexual pleasure; even sexual fantasies (for men and women) pertain to souls and not bodies.  

2- Without preparing souls of both men and women for sexual arousal, the bodies remain sexually neutral and unresponsive. In the story of Joseph and the Potiphar's wife, souls are the ones mentioned (and not the bodies) as being seduced, urged, and tempted to experience carnal pleasure and physical love: "She in whose house he was living tried to seduce his soul..." (12:22); "He said, “It was she who tried to seduce my soul.”..." (12:26); "Some ladies in the city said, “The Potiphar's wife is trying to seduce her servant's soul. She is deeply in love with him...She said, “Here he is, the one you blamed me for. I did try to seduce his soul, but he resisted..." (12:30-32); " He said, “What was the matter with you, women, when you tried to seduce Joseph's soul?” They said, “God forbid! We knew of no evil committed by him.” The Potiphar's wife then said, “Now the truth is out. It was I who tried to seduce his soul, and he is telling the truth.”" (12:51).

Fourthly: souls experience souls experience all sentiments/feelings:

1- The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "…They follow nothing but assumptions, and whims their souls desire, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord." (53:23); "But as for him who feared the Standing of his Lord, and restrained the soul from whims and desires. Then Paradise is the shelter." (79:40-41); "...Therein is whatever the souls desire and delights the eyes..." (43:71); "...Souls are prone to stinginess..." (4:128); "...it was just a need in the soul of Jacob, which he carried out...." (12:68).

2- The soul of Muhammad experienced sorrow because he was keen on guiding the disbelievers and the Lord God has reproached him: "Perhaps you may destroy your soul with grief, chasing after them, if they do not believe in this Discourse." (18:6); "...Therefore, do not waste your soul sorrowing over them. God knows exactly what they do." (35:8); "Perhaps you will destroy your soul with grief, because they do not become believers." (26:3).

3- Most verses about Moses show that his soul experienced fear very much in many instances because he was brought up in a society of terror and tyranny; this is exemplified here: "So Moses felt apprehensive within his soul." (20:67).

3- For more details about other sentiments experienced by the human soul, we refer readers to this article of ours in English found on the following link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18480

Fifthly: the soul in relation to memory and secrets:

1- One's secrets are kept in the soul and not in the brain they are known only to the Omniscient Lord God; they will be known on the Last Day: "Your Lord knows best what is in your souls..." (17:25); "...He knows the secret and the most hidden." (20:7); "We created the human being, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein." (50:16); " On the Day when the secrets are disclosed." (86:9). The Omniscient Lord God in many Quranic stories informs us of ideas and intentions in the souls of good and bad people. Since the application of Quranic sharia laws is based on piety, the Lord God will judge our secrets and intentions: "...And know that God knows what is in your souls, so beware of Him within piety..." (2:235); "To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth. Whether you reveal what is within your souls, or conceal it, God will judge you for it..." (2:284).

Human Bodies Are Not Free, But the Souls Are Free

Introduction:

1- Souls control bodies like drivers riding cars; hence, souls use the bodies to (dis)obey, to (dis)believe, and to be (mis)guided; souls choose this freely. Sols have free will and freedom of choice.

2- Sadly, the vast majority of human souls in all eras choose misguidance and polytheism: "And most of them do not believe in God unless as polytheists." (12:106). This is how the polytheistic Muhammadans assume wrongly that they are 'Muslims'/monotheists but they worship thousands of deified mortals within the Sufi, Sunnite, and Shiite religions. Their souls have chosen misguidance.

3- The souls are created as free agents and they are never forced to side with guidance; this is the responsibility and the test of life: "Had We willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the declaration from Me will come true: “I will fill Hell with jinn and humans, altogether.”" (32:13); it is a Quranic fact, based on the Lord God's Omniscience, that most of human beings and jinn misuse this freedom and will enter into Hell.

4- This freedom means bearing full responsibility for one's fate in the Hereafter. The test of life goes on as long as one is alive; if punishment of sinful souls would be in this world witnessed by living people, no one would sin. The test lies in the fact that Judgment is postponed until the Last Day; yet, most souls in all eras are sinners because they disbelieve in the Last Day especially by portraying a false narrative of it filled with intercessions and indulgences; this falsehood is shared among the polytheistic Christians and the polytheistic Muhammadans who cling to sanctified clergymen of Satan. We provide some details in the points below.

Firstly: guidance is of two types:

 It is part of the Lord God's divine commands/decrees and fates that life and death are created along with the universe; this cannot be controlled by people; they cannot interfere in this. Creatures are involuntarily guided (i.e., provided with instincts) by the Lord God to eat and multiply and live in a certain way and so are human beings; their vital organs work (or stop working) in spite of themselves. This is the first type of guidance on which no human beings will be judged. "He said, “Our Lord is He who gave everything its existence, then guided it.”" (20:50); "He who creates and regulates. He who measures and guides." (87:2-3). The other type of guidance is linked to belief/faith within Celestial Books of the Lord God and His sharia laws; there are free will and freedom of choice here; souls freely choose to take heed or remain heedless, to (dis)believe, and to be (mis)guided. Souls will see the outcome for their choices on the Last Day: "God commands justice,... And He forbids immorality,...He advises you, so that you may take heed." (16:90).

Secondly: how the imposed guidance (instincts) and faith guidance within sharia overlap within the human soul:

1- Although the soul controls and moves the body to commit sins or good deeds, it cannot control vital organs of the body by changing their pace or function or to stop their being diseased; this is part of preordained, inevitable fates which are never part of Judgment on the Last Day.

2- Thus, the soul willingly perform (or not) acts of worship as per sharia within certain excuses and ability; the Lord God mentions in the Quran several times that He does not burden a soul beyond its capacity; there is no blame for the ill, the crippled, and the blind; those of sickly constitution may not fast during Ramadan; ill people may pray while sitting on a chair or while lying in bed; those who cannot perform ablution with water can use a clean kerchief (i.e., Tayammum); this is not to mention many ways of ease/facilitation in pilgrimage. The souls of pious, guided people decide how and when and what to do regarding applying the Quranic commands of the Omniscient Lord God.   

Thirdly: guidance for those who are willing to be guided :

 Most people misunderstand the Quran by assuming that the Lod God (mis)guides human beings randomly as per His Will; this is sheer blasphemy; the Quran tells us that the Divine Will asserts choices made freely by souls within their own free will; the Lord God increases the (mis)guidance of those willing and seeking to be (mis)guided. The Lord God endorses the human soul's will and choices. "What of him whose evil deed was made attractive to him, and so he regards it as good? God leads astray those willing to be misguided, and He guides those willing to be guided. Therefore, do not waste your soul sorrowing over them. God knows exactly what they do." (35:8); "You cannot guide whom you love, but God guides who is willing to be guided, and He knows best those who are guided." (28:56); "...He guides those willing to be guided to a Straight Path." (2:142 + 2:213); "Their guidance is not your responsibility, but God guides those who are willing to be guided..." (2:272) "In their hearts is sickness, and God has increased their sickness. They will have a painful torment because of their denial." (2:10); "As for those who are guided, He increases them in guidance, and He has granted them their righteousness." (47:17); "God increases in guidance those who accept guidance. And the things that endure - the righteous deeds - have the best reward with your Lord, and the best outcome." (19:76); "As for those who strive for Us - We will guide them in Our ways. God is with the doers of good." (29:69); "This is a Reminder; so whoever wills, let him take a Path to his Lord." (76:29). This applies to the Lord God's approval of kings since nations approved such rulers for themselves; see 2:258 and 18:79. The Lord God has sent Moses to Pharaoh and not to the Egyptians because the Egyptian nation, for millennia until now, is controlled by enthroned pharaohs. Some nations seek change and the Divine Will endorses their choice of change: "...God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within their souls..." (13:11). This change entails changing souls by making them submit to the Creator and not to any mortals who claim being powerful. The Lord God allows nations to use iron (symbol for force and weapons) to impose the upholding of justice if enthroned tyrants never desire to adhere to justice which is the reason why the Celestial Books were revealed: "We sent Our messengers with the clear proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that humanity may uphold justice. And We sent down iron, in which is violent force, and benefits for humanity. That God may know who supports Him and His messengers invisibly. God is Strong and Powerful." (57:25).      

Fourthly: the freedom of souls is asserted in the Lord God's Word: the Holy Quran:

  "And say, “The Truth is from your Lord. Whoever wills - let him believe. And whoever wills - let him disbelieve”..." (18:29); "If you disbelieve, God is Independent of you, yet He does not approve disbelief on the part of His servants. And if you are thankful, He will approve that in you..." (39:7); "There shall be no compulsion in religion; the right way has become distinct from the wrong way..." (2:256); "Those who despise Our Verses are not hidden from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better? Or he who arrives safely on the Day of Resurrection? Do as you please; He is Seeing of everything you do." (41:40); "Say, “It is God I worship, sincere in dedicating my religion to Him.” “But you can worship whatever you wish besides Him.” Say, “The losers are those who lose their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection.” That is indeed the obvious loss." (39:14-15); "Say, “O my people! Work according to your ability, and so will I.”..." (6:135); "And say to those who do not believe, “Act according to your ability; and so will we.” “And wait; we too are waiting.”" (11:121-122); "Say: “O my people, work according to your ability; and so will I. Then you will know." (39:39).

The Personal Responsibility of Human Souls

Firstly: the freedom assigned to souls to choose (mis)guidance is followed by responsibility:

 The Quran emphasizes the responsibility of souls for the choices made in this world regarding beliefs and deeds since, as per Quranic warnings and glad tidings, all souls will be judged on the Last Day and losers will end up in Hell for eternity and winners will enter into Paradise abiding therein forever.

 The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "And say, “The Truth is from your Lord. Whoever wills - let him believe. And whoever wills - let him disbelieve” We have prepared for the unjust a Fire, whose curtains will hem them in. And when they cry for relief, they will be relieved with water like molten brass, which scalds the faces. What a miserable drink, and what a terrible place. As for those who believe and lead a righteous life - We will not waste the reward of those who work righteousness. These will have the Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. Reclining on comfortable furnishings, they will be adorned with bracelets of gold, and will wear green garments of silk and brocade. What a wonderful reward, and what an excellent resting-place." (18:29-31); "Those who despise Our Verses are not hidden from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better? Or he who arrives safely on the Day of Resurrection? Do as you please; He is Seeing of everything you do." (41:40).

Secondly: souls are punished or recompensed in this world as per their deeds, and if punished, this goes on for eternity in Hell in case of non-repentance:

1- Moses told the Israelites the following: "If you work righteousness, you work righteousness for yourselves (or your souls); and if you commit evil, you do so against yourselves (or your souls)..." (17:7).

2- The stingy souls who hate charity are harming themselves as they are deprived by the Lord God from many bounties such as health and they are inflicted with losses, ordeals, and calamities; when the die without sincere repentance, what they have amassed will be the means to torment them inside Hell. "Here you are, being called to spend in the cause of God. Among you are those who withhold; but whoever withholds is withholding against his own soul. God is the Rich, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, and they will not be like you." (47:38); "On the Day when they will be heated in the Fire of Hell, then their foreheads, and their sides, and their backs will be branded with them: “This is what you hoarded for yourselves; so taste what you used to hoard.”" (9:35). In contrast, those who spend for charity to please their Lord God will be rewarded in this world and in the Hereafter: "Say, “My Lord extends the provision to whomever He wills of His servants, or withholds it. Anything you spend, He will replace it. He is the Best of providers.”" (34:39); "Who is he who will offer God a generous loan, so He will multiply it for him manifold? God receives and amplifies, and to Him you will be returned." (2:245); "If you lend God a good loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you. God is Appreciative and Forbearing." (64:17); "Who is he who will lend God a loan of goodness, that He may double it for him, and will have a generous reward?" (57:11); "The charitable men and charitable women, who have loaned God a loan of righteousness - it will be multiplied for them, and for them is a generous reward." (57:18).

3- Enthroned tyrants are the big criminals who commit grave injustices and acts of aggression and they murder thousands of people; the small criminals get arrested and penalized/imprisoned; they are hated by law-abiding citizens. Yet, the enthroned tyrannical rulers who torment the innocent people, steal and smuggle the wealth of their nations, and massacre many citizens are rarely tried in court and punished; they will enter into Hell in the Hereafter; they maintain their thrones by scheming and they are constantly fighting against their power-seeking rivals; eventually their evil scheming causes their downfall; since 2010, we see the ouster and toppling of several Arab tyrants. "And thus We set up in every city its big criminals, to scheme in it, but they scheme only against their own souls, and they do not realize it." (6:123); "Do not ever think that God is unaware of what the unjust ones do. He only defers them until a Day when the sights stare." (14:42). This is a genera Quranic rule: "But then, when He has saved them, they commit violations on earth, and oppose justice. O people! Your violations are against your own souls. It is the enjoyment of the present life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do." (10:23).  

Thirdly: in sum, souls are punished or recompensed in the Hereafter as per their deeds:

 The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "That God may repay each soul according to what it has earned. God is Quick in Judgment." (14:51); "God created the heavens and the earth with justice, so that every soul will be repaid for what it has earned. And they will not be wronged." (45:22); "On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do." (36:54); "The Hour is coming - but I keep it almost hidden - so that each soul will be paid for what it endeavors." (20:15); "...on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged." (3:161); "On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged." (16:111); "And every soul will be fully compensated for what it had done. He is well aware of what they do." (39:70); "On that Day, every soul will be recompensed for what it had earned..." (40:17); "...Every person is hostage to what he has earned." (52:21); ''Every soul is hostage to what it has earned." (74:38).

Fourthly: more details about how souls are punished or recompensed in the Hereafter as per their deeds:

 No soul(s) would be held responsible for the guidance of any other souls; in the Hereafter, those who seek guidance will be guided for their excellent reward, and the heedless, misguided losers will be led to their detriment and perdition. Even Muhammad was never responsible for guiding anyone among his contemporaries. Hence, the mission of any State is never to guide citizens, within religion, so that they enter into Paradise; rather, its mission is to prevent compulsion in religion. Being guided within Islam is a personal responsibility for each soul.  

 The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "Say, “O people, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever accepts guidance is guided for his own soul; and whoever strays only strays to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you.”" (10:108); "We sent down upon you the Book for the humankind in truth. He who follows guidance does so for the good of his soul. And he who strays in error does so to its detriment. You are not their overseer." (39:41); "... And whoever acts righteously - they are preparing for their souls." (30:44); "Whoever does a good deed, it is for his soul; and whoever commits evil, it is against it; then to your Lord you will be returned." (45:15); "Whoever acts righteously does so for his soul; and whoever works evil does so against his soul. Your Lord is not unjust to the servants." (41:46); "But whoever brings evil - their faces will be tumbled into the Fire. Will you be rewarded except for what you used to do?" (27:90); "...Whoever is thankful - is thankful for the benefit of his own soul..." (31:12); "Insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees, it is to the benefit of his soul; and whoever remains blind, it is to its detriment..." (6:104); "...He who purifies his soul purifies it for his own good. To God is the ultimate return." (35:18); "...Whatever good you forward for your souls, you will find it with God. God is Seeing of everything you do." (2:110); "As for those who strive for Us - We will guide them in Our ways. God is with the doers of good." (29:6); "Say, “To God belongs the conclusive argument. Had He willed, He would have guided you all.”" (6:149); "Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful. And Whoever earns a sin, earns it against his soul. God is Aware and Wise." (4:110-111).

Lastly: the loss of souls:

1- The souls who will be made to enter into Hell are lost; they are the losers.

2- The Lord God says the following about those losers: "...He will gather you to the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Those who lost their souls do not believe." (6:12); "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children; but those who have lost their souls do not believe." (6:20); "...it is they who have lost their souls, because they used to despise Our Verses." (7:9); "...those are they who have lost their souls; in Hell they will dwell forever." (23:103); "Are they waiting for anything but its fulfillment? The Day its fulfillment comes true, those who disregarded it before will say, “The messengers of our Lord did come with the Truth. Have we any intercessors to intercede for us? Or, could we be sent back, to behave differently from the way we behaved before?” They ruined their souls, and what they used to invent has failed them." (7:53); "Without a doubt, in the Hereafter, they will be the biggest losers." (11:21).

3- To lose anything in this world is easily bearable and one may gain something else; in contrast, to be among the losers in the Hereafter is an obvious and worst loss; it is total loss is for eternity; no Hell-dwellers will ever get out of Hell. "“But you can worship whatever you wish besides Him.” Say, “The losers are those who lose their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection.” That is indeed the obvious loss." (39:15); "...Those who believed will say, “The losers are those who lost their souls and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” Indeed, the unjust ones are in a lasting torment." (42:45); this is about the Paradise dwellers: "“Enter it in peace and security.” And We will remove all ill-feelings from their souls - brothers and sisters, on couches facing one another." (15:46-47).

Lastly:

 The Lord God is never unjust toward those who will lose their souls inside Hell; these souls have been unjust towards themselves by committing sins and following misguidance. God says the following about the Day of Judgment: "God does not wrong the people in the least, but the people wrong their own souls." (10:44). We refer our readers to our article, in English, about the Quranic verse 10:44, found on the following link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18588

No One Is to Perform Acts of Worship on Behalf of Anyone Else (do no pray, fast, perform pilgrimage on behalf of others)

 Quranic facts of Islam negates the Sunnite myth that someone can perform any acts of worship on behalf of someone else. Each soul is a free agent on earth and it has absolute religious freedom [to (dis)believe and to (dis)obey] combined with responsibility on the Last Day within outcome either in Hell or in Paradise: "And say, “The Truth is from your Lord. Whoever wills - let him believe. And whoever wills - let him disbelieve” We have prepared for the unjust a Fire, whose curtains will hem them in. And when they cry for relief, they will be relieved with water like molten brass, which scalds the faces. What a miserable drink, and what a terrible place. As for those who believe and lead a righteous life - We will not waste the reward of those who work righteousness. These will have the Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. Reclining on comfortable furnishings, they will be adorned with bracelets of gold, and will wear green garments of silk and brocade. What a wonderful reward, and what an excellent resting-place." (18:29-31); "Say, “Believe in it, or do not believe.”..." (17:107); "Those who despise Our Verses are not hidden from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better? Or he who arrives safely on the Day of Resurrection? Do as you please; He is Seeing of everything you do." (41:40). No soul will carry the burdens of another soul; the Lord God will judge and settle our religious disputes on the Last Day: "...He who purifies his soul purifies it for his own good. To God is the ultimate return." (35:18); "...no soul bears the burdens of another. Then to your Lord is your return, then He will inform you regarding your disputes." (6:194); "...No burdened soul carries the burdens of another..." (17:15); "That no soul bears the burdens of another soul." (53:38); "If you disbelieve, God is Independent of you, yet He does not approve disbelief on the part of His servants. And if you are thankful, He will approve that in you..." (39:7).

 To choose (mis)guidance is a personal choice and as per the individual freedom of each human soul since it will be inevitably judged by the Lord God on the Last Day regarding its faith and deeds; such deeds include acts of worship (whose rewards are for pious monotheists and never to any deputies at all) which never burden a soul beyond its capacity since ease/facilitation is among the main Quranic values regarding how to perform them or be excused from performing them. Even Muhammad could never guide anyone; he was not a guardian over anyone; his sole mission was to convey the Quranic Message. "Their guidance is not your responsibility, but God guides those who are willing to be guided..." (2:272); "“Insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees, it is to the benefit of his soul; and whoever remains blind, it is to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you.”" (6:104); "...No burdened soul carries the burdens of another..." (17:15); "Whoever does a good deed, it is for his soul; and whoever commits evil, it is against it; then to your Lord you will be returned." (45:15); "Whoever acts righteously does so for his soul; and whoever works evil does so against his soul. Your Lord is not unjust to the servants." (41:46); "God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. To its credit is what it earns, and against it is what it commits..." (2:286); "God created the heavens and the earth with justice, so that every soul will be repaid for what it has earned. And they will not be wronged." (45:22); "...And whoever acts righteously - they are preparing for their souls." (30:44). This is about contemporaries of Muhammad: "Those who pledge allegiance to you are pledging allegiance to God. The hand of God is over their hands. Whoever breaks his pledge breaks it to his own loss. And whoever fulfills his covenant with God, He will grant him a great reward." (48:10); "Here you are, being called to spend in the cause of God. Among you are those who withhold; but whoever withholds is withholding against his own soul. God is the Rich, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, and they will not be like you." (47:38);  

 Hence, recommending one's soul to the Lord God by performing good deeds and acts of worship recorded by the angels is a personal responsibility; no deputies can perform this on our behalf; to recommend one's soul that way means to willingly side with righteousness and to choose to avoid wickedness while seeing to gratify the Lord God within piety and monotheism: "And the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness. Successful is he who purifies it. Failing is he who corrupts it." (91:7-10). This success means Paradise. This means that pious people have superego or conscience that makes them avoid sins, lusts, corruption, and succumbing to evildoing as much as they can; purifying one's soul means literally (Zakat) and good deeds regarding this include all acts of worship. "But as for him who feared the Standing of his Lord, and restrained the self from desires. Then Paradise is the shelter." (79:40-41)

 This personal, individual process of Zakat/purification and recommending one's soul means to fight one's tendency to stinginess by acts of charity and donating to the needy and the poor within piety while seeking to please the Omniscient Lord God: "...and find no hesitation in their hearts in helping them. They give them priority over themselves, even if they themselves are needy. Whoever is protected from his natural greed - it is they who are the successful." (59:9); "So be conscious of God within piety as much as you can, and listen, and obey, and give for your own good. He who is protected from his stinginess - these are the prosperous." (64:16); "Is He who is watchful over the deeds of every soul?..." (13:33); "...He knows what every soul earns. Those who disbelieve will know to whom the Ultimate Home is." (13:42). The pious ones fear their Lord God though they cannot see Him; they know He sees them; their good deeds are performing willingly: "Those who fear their Lord in private, and are apprehensive of the Hour." (21:49); "...He who purifies his soul purifies it for his own good. To God is the ultimate return." (35:18); "You warn only him who follows the Message, and fears the Dominant Lord inwardly. So give him good news of forgiveness, and a generous reward." (36:11).

 Those who wrong their souls are unjust to themselves because they have chosen misguidance and heedlessness; they disregard monotheism and performing good deeds; they never recommend or purify their souls; when they enter into Hell for never heeding the Quranic warnings, they will know that they have wronged their souls and that the Lord God is never unjust towards them; He is never unjust towards any of the human beings: "God does not wrong the people in the least, but the people wrong their own souls." (10:44); "...God did not wrong them, but they used to wrong their own souls." (16:33); "We did not wrong them, but they wronged their souls. Their gods, whom they invoked besides God, availed them nothing when the command of your Lord arrived. In fact, they added only to their ruin." (11:101). Purifying one's soul is an ongoing process during the lifetime of pious souls on earth; devils will continue to try to tempt them and to whisper into them to commit sins and evils so that they might wrong their own souls; i.e., being unjust towards them by tarnishing their purity with committing misdeeds/sins. This is why pious souls readily and sincerely repent and humbly implore and supplicate to their Lord God for pardon and forgiveness all the time; everyone is liable to make mistakes and sins. Arrogant, disobedient souls continue committing sins without repentance and many of them die without proper repentance and also without adhering to monotheism. "Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful. And Whoever earns a sin, earns it against his soul. God is Aware and Wise." (4:110-111); "Then We passed the Book to those of Our servants whom We chose. Some of them wrong their souls, and some follow a middle course, and some are in the foremost in good deeds by God’s leave; that is the greatest blessing." (35:32); "Those wronging their souls while the angels are taking them away - they will propose peace: “We did no wrong.” Yes you did. God is aware of what you used to do.” Enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein forever." (16:28-29).        

 Typically in most societies, the big criminals are enthroned tyrannical rulers and clergymen of terrestrial/earthly, man-made, fabricated religions of Satan. They are the most unjust people towards their own souls as they themselves are misguided and they are misguiding others at the same time; they scheme against their own souls unawares: "And thus We set up in every city its big criminals, to scheme in it, but they scheme only against their own souls, and they do not realize it." (6:123); this is about destroyed nations in ancient times: "Evil is the metaphor of the people who reject Our Verses and wrong their souls." (7:177); "Each We seized by his sin. Against some We sent a sandstorm. Some were struck by the Blast. Some We caused the ground to cave in beneath them. And some We drowned. It was not God who wronged them, but it was they who wronged their own souls." (29:40). 

 Lastly, the Quranic description mechanism of Judgment negates and refutes the myth that someone may pray, fast, or perform pilgrimage on behalf of someone else. The Quran never mentions that one might deputize someone to perform acts of worship instead of oneself. The two angels who record one's deeds write what the soul does and never acts of worship performed by someone else instead of this (dead or alive) soul. "There is no soul without a watcher for it." (86:4); "Every soul is hostage to what it has earned." (74:38); hence, there are no intercessions on the Last Day as every soul will try to argue for its own sake and defend itself on the Day of Judgment: "The Day when no soul will avail another soul anything; and the decision on that Day is God’s." (82:19); "And beware of a Day when no soul will avail another in the least, nor will any intercession be accepted on its behalf, nor will any ransom be taken from it, nor will they be helped." (2:48); "On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged." (16:111). Thus, there will be no injustice on the Last Day since accurate Scales will weigh the deeds of each soul; losers will lose their souls inside Hell: "We will set up the Scales of Justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will suffer the least injustice. And even if it be the weight of a mustard-seed, We will bring it up. Sufficient are We as Judge." (21:47); "...those are they who have lost their souls; in Hell they will dwell forever." (23:103). To lose anything in this world is easily bearable and one may gain something else; in contrast, to be among the losers in the Hereafter is an obvious and worst loss; it is total loss is for eternity; no Hell-dwellers will ever get out of Hell. "“But you can worship whatever you wish besides Him.” Say, “The losers are those who lose their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection.” That is indeed the obvious loss." (39:15); "...Those who believed will say, “The losers are those who lost their souls and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” Indeed, the unjust ones are in a lasting torment." (42:45). These last two verses apply to the fate (if they die as unrepentant souls) of Wahabis, Salafists, and the terrorist MB members and ISIS members who misuse the Lord God's Quranic verses to seek power and wealth and who distract others from the Quran by spreading devilish narratives/hadiths; these verses apply also to them: "Those are the ones who lost their souls, and what they had invented has strayed away from them. Without a doubt, in the Hereafter, they will be the biggest losers." (11:21-22). The sins and injustices will turn into Hell-torment for sinful souls who never repented and never sought to make amends before their durations of the test of life on earth ended: "On that Day, every soul will be recompensed for what it had earned..." (40:17); "On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do." (36:54); "On the Day when they will be heated in the Fire of Hell, then their foreheads, and their sides, and their backs will be branded with them: “This is what you hoarded for yourselves; so taste what you used to hoard.”" (9:35). Of course, this applies to the worst sinners and the big criminals or the enthroned tyrannical rulers who stole and smuggled the wealth of their nations; e.g., Saudi rulers who impose exorbitant fees on poor pilgrims as if the Kaaba was theirs and not the Lord God's. In fact, the Saudi kingdom is the axis of evil worldwide since it sponsors Wahabi terrorism and spends billions of US$ to spread the Wahabi ideology which is taught and offered as if it were 'Islam'. The Saudi royal family members are losers inside Hell in the Hereafter unless they repent and make amends for the corruption they have spread on earth.

 The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "We created the human being, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. As the two receivers receive, seated to the right and to the left. Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready. The daze of death has come in truth: "This is what you tried to evade." And the Trumpet is blown: "This is the Promised Day." And every soul will come forward, accompanied by a driver and a witness. You were in heedless of this, so We lifted your screen from you, and your vision today is keen." (50:16-22). This is about the fate of the unjust losers (who wronged their own souls) in Hell as they will see the devilish companions which tempted them and each will disown and blame the other: "And his companion will say, “This is what I have ready with me.” “Throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever. Preventer of good, aggressor, doubter. Who fabricated another god with God; toss him into the intense torment.” His companion will say, “Our Lord, I did not make him rebel, but he was far astray.” He will say, “Do not feud in My presence - I had warned you in advance. The decree from Me will not be changed, and I am not unjust to the servants.” On the Day when We will say to Hell, “Are you full?” And it will say, “Are there any more?”" (50:23-30). In contrast, the pious ones who repent and submit to the Lord God within peace and monotheism will enter into Paradise: "And Paradise will be brought closer to the pious, not far away. “This is what you were promised - for every careful penitent. Who inwardly feared the Dominant Lord and came with a repentant heart. Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.” Therein they will have whatever they desire - and We have even more." (50:31-35); this has been addressed to Muhammad: "We are fully aware of what they say, and you are not a dictator over them. So remind by the Quran whoever fears My warning." (50:45).   

Types of Human Souls: Blaming Souls and Souls which Command Evil

Firstly: instinct of monotheism and free will are instilled in the human souls:

 The monotheism of (There is no God but Allah) is inculcated into the souls of all humanity in Barsakh: "And when Your Lord summoned the descendants of Adam, and made them testify about themselves. “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we testify.” Thus you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were unaware of this.” Nor can you Say, “Our ancestors practiced polytheism before; and we are their descendants who came after them; will you destroy us for what the falsifiers did?”" (7:172-173); "So devote yourself to the religion of monotheism - the natural instinct God has instilled in the humankind..." (30:30). This means souls are free to (dis)believe & to (dis)obey while waiting for the outcome on the Judgment Day. Yet, when the tendency to engage into sinning and evildoing prevails over a soul, this soul forgets temporarily about monotheism inculcated into its Barsakh DNA and it numbs/dulls its conscience or superego for a while; yet, once human beings face life-threatening situations, they implore the Lord God for deliverance without polytheism and they vow to reject sinning. This means their instinct of monotheism is awakened or revived. 

Secondly: the blaming souls have their conscience or superego intact:

1- This is because of piety and the belief in the Hereafter chosen freely by monotheists who avoid wickedness, evil, and sinning as much as they can and purify their souls: "And the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness. Successful is he who purifies it. Failing is he who corrupts it." (91:7-10).

2- When this superego or conscience of the blaming soul was awakened, the Potiphar's wife confessed her guilt in public inside the palace of the king: "“Yet I do not claim to be innocent. The soul commands evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. Truly my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”" (12:53).

3- Those who will deserve Paradise adhere to piety and avoid evil desires and sinful whims as per their blaming souls which make them readily repent and purify themselves; losers never listen to their blaming souls and insist on being heedless losers; if they die without repentance, their fate is Hell: "As for him who was defiant. And preferred the life of this world. Then Hell is the shelter. But as for him who feared the Standing of his Lord, and restrained the self from desires. Then Paradise is the shelter." (79:37-41).

4- The blaming souls will be the winners on the Last Day who will be comforted and assured of Paradise: "And I swear by the blaming soul." (75:2); "But as for you, O comforted soul. Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted. Enter among My servants. Enter into My Paradise." (89:27-30)

Thirdly: about souls which command evil:

 When one of the sons of Adam murdered his brother, his soul instigated and incited him to commit this grave sin our of envy and grudges as well as selfishness and stinginess. "Then His soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him, and became one of the losers." (5:30). The brothers of Joseph envied Joseph who was the favor son of Jacob/Israel; when their father heard about the disappearance of Joseph, he said he knew his sons are to blame for this evil: "...“Your souls enticed you to do something. But patience is beautiful, and God is my Help against what you describe.”" (12:18). Jacob repeated the same again to his sons here when they lost another younger brother in Egypt: "He said, “Rather, your souls have contrived something for you. Patience is a virtue. Perhaps God will bring them all back to me. He is the Knowing, the Wise.”" (12:83). Of course, this means that souls which command evil justify its own sins by any means; this is exemplified by Al-Samiri who carved the calf of gold for the Israelites to worship during their exodus: "...“I saw what they did not see, so I grasped a handful from the Messenger’s traces, and I flung it away. Thus my soul prompted me.”" (20:96). 

Fourthly: souls which command evil adhere to stinginess or selfishness:

 It is a sickness inside the soul/heart of people and its only cure is to spend money on charity and on serving the cause of the Lord God while seeking ardently and piously to gratify Him: "So be conscious of God within piety as much as you can, and listen, and obey, and give for your own good. He who is protected from his stinginess - these are the prosperous." (64:16); "...and find no hesitation in their hearts in helping them. They give them priority over themselves, even if they themselves are needy. Whoever is protected from his natural greed - it is they who are the successful." (59:9). In fact, stinginess or greed is the primary cause of most tragedies worldwide in all eras; the only cure is piety, charity, and the monotheistic belief in the Hereafter.

Fifthly: the Quranic preaching addresses the superego of conscience of souls of the disbelievers/polytheists:

 No human power can remove instinct of monotheism from the human souls; the superego or conscience of eth souls can be ignored or dulled but it will never disappear regardless of any justifications for sins and evildoing; this is why no tyrants/sinners are devoid of the good aspect inside their souls; if they are sincere within self-talk they would have to admit they cannot accept the same injustices that they commit against others if committed against themselves or their souls. "And man will be evidence against himself. Even as he presents his excuses." (75:14-15). This is why the Quranic preaching addresses the superego of conscience of souls of all sinners and disbelievers/polytheists; e.g., the following is about those of Qorayish: "Say, “I offer you a single advice: devote your souls to God, in pairs, or individually; and reflect. There is no madness in your companion. He is just a warner to you, before the advent of a severe torment.”" (34:46); "Do they not reflect within their souls? God did not create the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, except with reason, and for a specific duration. But most people, regarding meeting their Lord, are disbelievers." (30:8); "But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they call you to arbitrate in their disputes, and then find within their souls no resentment regarding your decisions, and submit themselves completely." (4:65).

Sixthly: the Quranic preaching addressed to the superego of conscience of souls of Muhammad:

  "And content your soul with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, desiring His Presence. And do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the glitter of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance - so he follows his own desires - and his priorities are confused." (18:28); this is about sincere supplications offered to the Lord God: "And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and fearfully, and quietly, in the morning and the evening, and do not be of the heedless." (7:205).

Seventhly: the Quranic preaching addressed to the superego of conscience of souls of monotheistic believers who are piously conscious of the Omniscient Lord God:

  "And the parable of those who spend their wealth seeking God’s approval, and to strengthen their souls, is that of a garden on a hillside. If heavy rain falls on it, its produce is doubled; and if no heavy rain falls, then dew is enough. God is seeing of everything you do." (2:265); "O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even if against your souls, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, God takes care of both. So do not follow your desires, lest you swerve. If you deviate, or turn away - then God is Aware of what you do." (4:135); "O you who believe! Fear God, and let every soul consider what it has forwarded for the morrow, and fear God. God is Aware of what you do. And do not be like those who forgot God, so He made them forget their souls. These are the sinners." (89:18-19); "...No soul shall be burdened beyond its capacity..." (2:233); "...And know that God knows what is in your souls, so beware of Him. And know that God is Forgiving and Forbearing." (2:235).

Eighthly: the blaming soul is a good, benevolent soul, whereas the evil soul is the one that commands evil and does not repent:

 In the field of the call in every society, there are callers to corruption who are hypocrites who pretend being pious and there are callers/preachers of reform and the Truth who seek only to gratify their Lord God as this is true, peaceful jihad and they sacrifice anything for it; hypocrites hate such monotheistic sincere preachers: "Among the people is he whose speech about the worldly life impresses you, and he calls God to witness what is in his heart, while he is the most hostile of adversaries. When he gains power, he strives to spread corruption on earth, destroying properties and lives. God does not like corruption. And when he is told, “Beware of God,” his pride leads him to more sin. Hell is enough for him - a dreadful abode. And among the people is he who sells himself seeking God’s approval. God is Kind towards the servants." (2:204-207); this is about hypocrites: "...They damn their own souls, and God knows that they are lying." (9:42).

Lastly:

 The souls of losers inside Hell will be reminded of the covenant of the Lord God within their being rebuked severely; this is part of their torment: "Did I not covenant with you, O children of Adam, that you shall not worship the Devil? That he is your sworn enemy? And that you shall worship Me? This is a Straight Path. He has misled a great multitude of you. Did you not understand? This is Hell-Fire, which you were promised. Roast in it today, because you persistently disbelieved." (36:60-64).