RKUD 3020 : ISLAMIC ETHICS KIRKHS, IIUM

1. MAN’S NATURE
 -man is composed of a soul (spiritual insight) n of a body
 -the soul is the core of man, is divine spiritual entity of great subtlety
 -the soul is a substance n not an accident, so it exist by itself-it is the body
which depends upon the soul for its existence
AL-GHAZALI

2.  -the soul differs from the body as the former belongs to world of
the spirit n the latter pertains to the material world
 -the soul is of the same origin as the angels-its origin and nature
are divine (its inclination towards good and aversion from evil are
innate in it
 --inclination towards evil(after the creation of desire)
 -the creation of each soul is in the upper world, the world of the
spirits, at the moment when the human seed enters the womb,
the soul is then connected with the embryonic body
 -the soul is everlasting, after the death the body perishes but the
soul survives

3.  -the reason for the soul’s coming to the world of the body is to
acquire fitness(well-being) for paradise, or
provision(preparation)
for the hereafter
 -It is devoid of all knowledge but possesses a capacity for it
 -for it is divine in nature it has a longing for the upper world
 -Soul is given a body, its help it may acquire provision for its
eternal life
 -the soul is the core of man the body is its instrument for
acquiring provision and perfection
 -the soul uses the body as its vehicle

4.  -although a separate substance, it is united with the body
through the physical heart
 -the heart is the 1st channel of the soul’s free use of the body
 -the body also serves the soul by containing the means to
acquire provision, consisting of knowledge n action

5. ITS INTERACTION WITH THE BODY
 -etching in the body is the assistant of the soul
 -although soul and body are distinct entities, they affect each
other
 -every act produces an effect on the soul, provided it is
performed deliberately, this effect forms the quality of the
soul
 -after an act has been repeated for some time, its effect on
the soul become established

6.  In short,
 -a deed creates some effect on the soul
 -this effect causes the body to repeat the same deed
 -this deed again produces some effect on the soul
 -this effect is added to the previous effect which is now
strengthen
 Man’s constitution
 -there are 4 basic elements which determine man’s
nature and from which proceed man’s action and
mental qualities

7. 4 elements develop at different stages
i) animality (bahimiyya)which is desire (shahwa)
 --its purpose is to seek the means by which the body, the vehicle
of the soul, will remain in sound health and the human species
will be preserved
 --it is responsible for the animal qualities of man like eating
ii) bestiality(sab’iyya) which is anger(ghadab)
 --its purpose is to ward off all that is harmful to the body
 --man possesses the qualities and acts of ferocious animals
like envy
 -If 1 n 2 have not been controlled, it causes moral destruction

8. iii) a diabolic(shaytaniyya) is produced at the age of discrimination
(tamyiz)
 -it consists in making use of discrimination to search out the
ways of wickedness n to satisfy anger and desire through guile
and deception
 -it responsible for enmity, guiding people to evil
iv) the lordly (rabbaniyyah)
 -the source of the qualities of love
 -it presents in the soul from the time of its creation n now it
becomes manifest

9. 2 CONSEQUENCES
i) man lies bet. the lower animals n the angels
-the >one neglects the one’s angelic nature the closer one
bcome to the rank of the lower animal
ii) the principles of good and evil are present in man’s
- no one can be free from the sin except ???????
 Closely related to al-Ghazali’s conception of the elements
in man’s constitution is his theory of the faculty of the
soul

10. 4 FACULTIES OF THE SOUL
i) desire - serve a good purpose if they
ii) anger -are in proper limit
iii) knowledge (reason) - x power to prevent 1 & 2
iv) justice - a virtue which is corresponding to the faculty of
justice - has the power of keeping1&2 under control