What does Islam say about the soul (nafs)?

"Allah says I accept the testimony of my servants according to what they know and I forgive him for what I know. The soul's control over the body ceases when the body no longer obeys it. The limbs are tools employed by the soul enabling it to grasp, hear, see, and understand. The heart in this context refers to the soul which perceives things independently. It can experience sorrow, distress, joy, and delight all unrelated to the organs. Traits inherent to the soul remain with it after it departs the body. However, what the soul does through the organs becomes inoperative with the body's death until the soul is returned to the"

"of eyes, and testified by the evidence of the Quran and Sunnah. It is impossible to fully unveil the essence of death without understanding life, which requires comprehending the true nature of the soul. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was not permitted to discuss it beyond stating, the soul is from the command of my Lord. Thus, scholars are not allowed to uncover the secret of the soul, even if they perceive it. What is permitted is the mention of the soul's condition after death. Numerous verses and reports indicate that death is not the annihilation of the soul. For instance,"

"it after it departs the body. However, what the soul does through the organs becomes inoperative with the body's death until the soul is returned to the body. It is possible that the soul may return to the body in the grave or be delayed until the day of resurrection. Allah knows the decrees he has made for each of his servants. The body's cessation due to death is similar to the incapacitation of limbs when damaged preventing the soul from acting within them. The soul remains wise, intelligent, and perceptive using some organs while blocked from others. Death is the complete non-responsiveness of all"

"If the soul is poor, its poverty will affect the heart, disturbing its wealth. Thus, the wealth of the soul completes and perfects the wealth of the heart. The heart's wealth originates from the wealth of the soul. From the heart, wealth reaches the soul, and from the soul, poverty, harm, and hardship reach the heart. Now, the شَيْخ defined the wealth of the soul with three things: First, its steadfastness on what is desired, which is the Truth, the Exalted."

"but awakens when prompted, some whose testimony is reclining, and others whose testimony is closer to being upright. Within the heart, it is like the soul's relation to the body, a dead soul, a sick soul closer to death, a soul closer to life, and a healthy soul caring for the body's welfare. In an authentic hadith from the Prophet, peace be upon him, he said, I know a word that no servant says at the time of death, but that his soul finds comfort in it."

"of the heart. If the heart's ruler lacks the strength for defense, what hope remains for the rest? Likewise, the soul is enfeebled by cravings and sins. The composed soul weakens, while the commanding soul gains strength and dominance. As the latter becomes stronger, the former weakens, leaving the commanding soul in control. Sometimes, the composed soul may perish beyond hope of revival, rendering the individual spiritually dead both in this world and in the barzakh, not truly living in the hereafter in a way that benefits them."

"serene soul. God, the Most Exalted, has placed within man a commanding self and an assured self, and they are opposed. Whatever is light on one is heavy on the other, and whatever pleases one causes pain to the other. There is nothing more difficult for the commanding self than working for God and preferring His pleasure over its desires, and nothing more beneficial. For the assured self, nothing is more difficult than working for something other than God and responding to the call of desire. There is nothing more harmful."

"It is called a tranquil soul, a reproachful soul, and a commanding soul, but it is not three separate souls in essence and reality. It is one soul with multiple attributes. When people refer to someone as having a soul or not, they mean the presence or absence of reprehensible attributes. Scholars say that when the soul becomes refined and separates from vices, it becomes a spirit."

"meaning the heart's witnessing of the meanings of these attributes and its immersion in them. The sign of this correct witnessing is that his inner self is filled with excellence, and his outer self is immersed in الإِسْلَام. Thus, his outer self becomes a reflection of his inner self, confirming what he is characterized by, and his inner self validates his outer self."

"Were it not for the decreeing of sin, the son of Adam would perish from self-admiration. A sin by which he is humbled is dearer to God than an act of obedience by which he grows proud. The candle of victory is only set in the candlestick of brokenness. A servant honors his soul by nothing so much as by humbling it, gives it might by nothing so much as by abasing it, and grants it rest by nothing so much as by wearying it — as has been said: I shall weary my soul, or else I shall come upon rest; for the soul's humiliation lies in the soul's nobility."