The Human
By Free-Minds (e-mail: free@free-minds.org)

Sura # 76 (The Human):

1. "Is it not a fact that there was a time when the human being was nothing to be mentioned?"
2. "We created the human from a liquid mixture, from two parents, in order to test him. Thus, we made him a hearer and a seer."
3. "We showed him the two paths, then he is either appreciative, or unappreciative."

What most people are unaware of, is the very STRUCTURE of their own selves.

Most of us grow up to think that 'we' are just made-up of the 'soul' which, when it dies, reverts back to GOD.

Although this information is 'partially' correct, there is also much more to the make-up of the human being which GOD explains to us through the Quran.

It is the devil's system to confuse and weaken us so we do not even know how to fight him!. One principal rule of any conflict is that you "know your enemy". But before doing that, you must first "know yourself"!.

Rouh = Soul?

This is the single biggest misconception that people have made which helped distort the issue of 'who we are'.

In Arabia, when someone dies, the people say: 'let us pray on his Rouh!'.

Also, when they speak about someone dying, the say: 'his Rouh has left him'.

In schools, they teach our kids that the 'Soul' is the 'Rouh' and that is what will die and be judged and punished or rewarded...

However, the story changes when we look at what GOD has to say:

"GOD takes the 'Nafs' when death comes, and also at the time of sleep..." (39:42)

"No 'Nafs' dies except by GOD's leave, at a predetermined time..." (3:145)

"Every 'Nafs' tastes death, then you receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection..." (3:185)

"...You shall not kill the 'Nafs' that GOD has made sacred, except in the course of justice..." (6:151)

"...she said: my Lord, I have wronged my 'Nafs"..." (27:16)

Well, you get the picture!.

GOD tells us that our 'Soul' is called 'Nafs', and that this 'Nafs' is what is taken at death and what is judged on j-day (then rewarded or punished). The 'Nafs' is YOU, it is your entire being, it is your slate, which is burdened or lightened by your actions...

So, if the 'Soul' is the 'Nafs', then what is the Rouh?

Rouh = Spirit.

"While a barrier separated her from them, we sent to her Our 'Rouh'. He went to her in the form of a human being." (19:17)

"They ask you about the 'Rouh'. Say: 'The 'Rouh' comes from my Lord. And you were not given knowledge, except little." (Quran 17:85)

It becomes apparent to the reader that the 'Rouh' is from GOD and it is the accumulation of 'knowledge' that will assist the human being in his life...It is best described as 'Spirit'.

You see, animals also have 'Nafs' just like we do (it is their life-force), yet, you do not see monkeys building spaceships nor turtles working on computers!.

The 'Rouh' is the gift that GOD gave to our species to allow us the advantage of 'knowledge'.

"Once I perfect him (the human), and blow into him from My 'Rouh', you shall fall prostrate before him." (15:29)

All animals can communicate with one another (remember the birds speaking to Solomon?). However, it is only man that has 'knowledge'.

The 'Rouh' is GOD's gift to us, and it is only GOOD. The information that the 'Rouh' provides each of us is to be used for our benefit, but we have the 'choice' to use it for evil (like nuclear fission being used to make a bomb).

Some unfortunate news about the 'Rouh': It will NEVER approach you and save the day. for example, you are struggling to understand something. If you don't ask GOD for help, it won't go; "hey, here is the answer!" no, you have to approach it. Also, it will always be LITERAL. you will have to be specific of what you are asking. Note, you don't have to say this out loud. You can just think of it - because many times, humans have hard time expressing what exactly they want to ask. With the spirit of god, you don't have to worry about this - as long as you get the intention of asking, the spirit will know the question...as much as you wanted to ask and that ALONE (though it knows all the questions you know - it is not going to answer anything you did not ask).

Thus if we can summarize what we have upto this point.

The human being so far is made-up of:

1. The 'Soul' - Nafs (the is YOU, the real person, what makes choices and what will be judged);

2. The 'Spirit' - Rouh (this is a gift from GOD, it is NOT yours, you do not own it, all people have access to it - like the Quran. It's purpose is to help provide answers and knowledge to help your Soul make the right decisions).

Satan - Shaitan

The 3rd and most lethal mix in the equation of man is 'Satan'.

"He (Satan) said, "Since You have honored him over me, if You respite me till the Day of Resurrection, I will possess all his descendants, except a few." (17:62)

The unfortunate fact of our lives is that Satan challenged the right of our ancestors to posses access to the 'Rouh". Satan claimed that he was more qualified to utilize GOD's gift and that he would do a better job with it:

He (GOD) said, "What prevented you from serving when I ordered you?" He said, "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from mud." (7:12)

This questioning of man's ability led to a dispute in the heavens and 'doubts' thus erupted:

Sura 38 (S'ad):

67 . Say, "Here is awesome news.
68. "That you are totally oblivious to.
69. "I had no knowledge previously, about the feud in the High heavens.
70. "I am inspired that my sole mission is to deliver the warnings to you."
71. Your Lord said to the angels: 'I am creating a human being from clay.
72. "Once I design him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall assist him."
73. The angels assisted, all of them,
74. except Satan; he refused, and was too arrogant, unappreciative.
75. He said, "O Satan, what prevented you from assisting what I created before with My hands? Are you too arrogant? Have you rebelled?"
76. He said, "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from clay."
77. He said, "Therefore, you must be exiled, you will be banished.
78. "You have incurred My condemnation until the Day of Judgment."
79. He said, "My Lord, respite me till the Day of Resurrection."
80. He said, "You are respited.
81. "Until the appointed day."
82. He said, "I swear by Your majesty, that I will send them all astray.
83. "Except Your worshipers who are devoted absolutely to You alone."

The above verses tell the story very clearly.

Satan requested that he be given a chance to 'prove' that man is unfit for the task...

And GOD thus allowed Satan (who has evil intentions) to entice us (but NOT have access to us):

"You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion." (Quran 17:64)

"I will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find that most of them are unappreciative." (7:17)

Had the story stopped there, we would still be fine. Problem is, Satan managed to trick our ancestors into giving him ACCESS to our Souls!:

"The devil whispered to them, in order to gain access to them. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you from this tree, except to prevent you from becoming angels, and from attaining eternal existence." (7:20)

Eating from the 'forbidden' tree allowed Satan to have constant access to our 'Nafs'.

The mix we now have is:

1. The 'Soul' - Nafs ;

2. The 'Spirit' - Rouh;

3. Satan - Shaitan (this is the devil having access to our Souls and being able to influence them).

Satan is the ULTIMATE falsehood within you. If there is ever a falsehood, don't look for it...outside of you - it lies within you.

Some more bad news: unlike the Rouh, Satan APPROACHES you. If you have a delimma, he will give your answer. Whether the answer is correct is not even a question, because we know it isn't. sometimes, before you even have a delimma, he will give you chaos...because he will give you so much falsehood in your life that you will end up feeling CONFUSED, DEPRESSED, feeling HATED by god, ABANDONED, etc etc etc - all the things he thrives in.

Do not despair.

Because Satan exists within you, there isn't much you can do about getting rid of him for good. however, you can get rid of every time he approaches - and as long as you keep in mind you shouldn't get tired of kicking him into silence, you are always the winner - because he invades your mind. by seeking refuge in GOD, you give the Rouh authority to keep him silent.

"When you learn the Quran, you shall seek refuge in GOD from Satan the rejected. He has no power over those who believe and trust in their Lord. His power is limited to those who choose him as their master, those who choose him as their god." (16:98-100)

How can you be safe with his falsehood information?. Every time he offers a solution, you do not take it for face value - you go and ask your Rouh. if you get a solution without asking for it - there are two ways you might've got that;

1. The 'Nafs' gave it to you (your own subconscious made the suggestion);

2. It came from Satan!.

You never get unasked solutions from the spirit. Abraham...whom god has chosen...was not approached by GOD - he approached GOD. The point is; GOD always loves you...but he won't stop you from ruining your life...if you don't ask for His help. GOD never abandons someone entirely...and never guides someone entirely - if he did, he would Abraham, Mohammed, etc - messengers whom He has chosen (who we see making human mistakes). And guidance, unlike the Muslim understanding of it...is a process of every situation...instead of all at once thing.

Final Note:

The best Islam is within you - the spirit of GOD (Rouh'u Allah) is within you. There is no such thing that truth lies outside of you. the ultimate truth lies within you. please, take advantage of that blessing. It will be your ultimate weapon against falsehood...