AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

1. Human Soul
In discussing the subject of human soul, Al-Ghazali used the terms of al- qalb, alruh, an-nafs and al-`aql, which refer to the soul. He further stated that all those
expressions have two different meanings; spiritually and physically. The first
term, al-qalb physically means al-lahm al- sanubari or piece of flesh situated in the
left of our body. While spiritually, Al-Ghazali called it as al-Latifah alRuhaniyah (spiritual subtlety) or the center of human spiritual which make men are
different with other living things. Al-Latifah al-Ruhaniyah or spiritual subtlety is a
thing which is created, that means it is a kind of creature but it is immortal, not
measured in terms of extent in space and time, or of quantity (Fazril: 2011). In this
second sense, all the others three; al-ruh, an-nafs and al-`aql, are seated on the
qalb that make men fit for being responsible on their acts in this life (Musthafa:
2010).
Al-Ghazali also divided al-qalb into three types; qolbun salim (the healthy
heart), qolbun maridh (the sick heart), and qolbun mayyit (the dead heart). Qalbun
salim is defined as a heart cleansed from any passion that challenges what God
commands, or disputes what He forbids. As a result, it is free from any impulses
which contradict His good and it is safeguarded against the worship of anything
other than Him (Farid: 1993). The next is qolbun maridh refers to a heart that with
life in it, as well as illness. The former sustains it at one moment, the letter at
another and it follows whichever one of the two dominates and manages it. The
worst type of heart is qolbun mayyit or the dead heart which it does not want to
know its Lord and does not want to observe his God. It worships things other than
Him and it follows his lower self to fulfill his worldly desire in this life.
The second term used by Al-Ghazali is ar-ruh which means the physical material
thing in the heart that vibrates the whole body like the current of electricity. It also
can be described just as light from a lantern fills a room. In this physical sense, arruh in modern medical through infra red technology is seen as the red heat of the
body which is started from the heart and widen to the whole of the body. When a
person breathes his last, this red heat is then nowhere to be found (Rijalludin:
2010). The second connotation is immaterial thing which emanates from the
creative command as stated in the Quran that He breathed into (Marys body) of
His spirit and as something in which mens knowledge to that spirit (cometh) is a
little only (Qs.Al-Israa: 85, At-Tahreem: 11). This second meaning of ar-ruhmakes
man be possible to be alive and lead to function all of his organs as well as his soul.
Al-ghazali also affirmed that ar-ruh inherently has all the knowledge and perceives
everything for it is directly from God as it is stated clearly in the Quran that all
human being have testified that there is no God but Him. In other words, men are
having knowledge that He is the Lord of this universe.
The third term is an-nafs in which Al-Ghazali gives two different meanings to it. The
first meaning refers to the immaterial entity, commonly referred to as the ego, or
lower self, in which are the animal faculties which oppose the rational faculties.
This nafs is the source of the negative power of anger and sexual appetite in a man

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

which blinds his intellect and encourages him to disobey his Lord. Thisnafs is taken
by sufis as the evil attributes of a man by which they emphasize to keep fighting it
and to bring it under ones control as it is referred in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet
that mens worst enemy is their nafs which lies between their sides (Rijalludin:
2010). The second sense connote to the immaterial entity, that of mans real nature
and essence. This is the nafs capable of being pulled up towards the heavenly world
from which it has initially arisen and been created. Al-ghazali divided this second
nafs into three stages, to be precise: Nafs al-mutmainnah (the Self at Peace), Nafs
al-lawwamah (the blaming self), Nafs ammarah bi al-su (the self urging evil).
Nafs al-mutmainnah or the self at peace is the superior phase of nafs. A person
when achieved this stage, he is in full rest and satisfaction. This stage of nafs finally
guides to resolution of ones inner conflicts and attainment of harmony with God
and his personality is now decorated with His universal color while his behavior
reflects the Absolute being and the Ultimate Reality (Manzurul: 1984). Nafs allawwamah or the blaming self is the sate of nafs that rise from the ignoble qualities
of Nafs ammarah bi al-su. In this stage of nafs, a person struggles against his lower
self, criticizes him for falling, victim to them and blocks further proceeding (Daud
Hamzah and Kadir arifin: 1980). The lowest state of nafs isNafs ammarah bi al-su or
the self urging evil. Daud Hamzah and Kadir arifin explain this nafs as the drive
underlying brutality and perverted sex. This nafs also does not submit to God
because it is a member of the syaithan. It activates the ignoble traits such as
meanness, greed, worldliness, illusions, indecency, arrogance, pride, conceit, envy,
jealously, maliciousness, vengeance, treason, betrayal, negligence, and indifference
to Lord Almighty.
The fourth term discussed by Al-Ghazali is al-aql which also possess two different
meanings. The first meaning is the knowledge concerning everything in this
universe. It can be alleged as the knowledge which seat on the soul or al-qalb. In
this sense, Al-ghazali give emphasized on knowledge and its attributes (Rijalludin:
2010). Al-aql in this sense means al-aql ar-ruhaniyah which refer to the aql that
gain the knowledge itself (al-mudrak Ii al-`ulum).
In order to make clear on the point of human soul, Al-Ghazali figured out the body
as a kingdom, the soul as its king, and the different senses and faculties as
constituting an army. Reason may be called the vizier, or prime minister, passion
the revenue collector, and anger the police officer. Under the guise of collecting
revenue, passion is continually prone to plunder on its own account, while
resentment is always inclined to harshness and extreme severity. Both of these the
revenue collector and the police officer, have to be kept in due subordination to the
king, but not killed or excelled, as they have their own proper functions to fulfill. But
if passion and resentment master reason, the ruin of the soul infallibly ensues. AlGhazali further on enlightened that a soul which allows its lower faculties to
dominate the higher is as one who should hand over an angel to the power of a dog
to the tyranny of an unbeliever. Those who cultivate the demonic, animal or angelic
qualities will see the manifestation of these characteristics in visible shapes, the
sensual appearing as swine, the ferocious as dogs and wolves, and the pure as
angels in the Day of Judgment. The aim purification of soul is to discipline the heart

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

from the rust of passion and resentment, till, like a clear mirror that reflects the light
of God.

2. The Faculties or Power of Soul

Al-Ghazali, just like other Muslim philosophers, classified the souls faculties or
powers (quwah) into three different souls respectively: (1) the vegetative (alnabatiyyah), (2) the animal (al-hayawaniyah), and (3) the human/ rational (alnatiqah). The vegetative soul has the ability of nutrition, growth and reproduction.
These abilities also possess by animal and man. While the animal soul are also
possesses by man. The power that make human being becomes a unique creature
of God and makes him different from other creature is his rational soul. Therefore,
man is a rational animal (al hayawan al-natiq), whereby natiq signifies the
rationality which refers to an inner faculty which man possesses that formulates
meaning (dhu nutq) (Al-Attas: 1990). Aql as a spiritual substance therefore is mans
power that makes him be able to recognize and distinguishes truth from falsehood
and makes him be able to receive the truth message given by the Lord Almighty
through His messengers.
3. The Soldiers of Soul
According to Al-Ghazali, the soul has two types of soldiers. The first is the visible
soldiers; consist of the bodily members which follow the instructions of the soul. The
second type of soldier is invisible and comprises ideas and perceptions. He then
added that the soldiers can also be divided according to three other categories:
(i) irada (the
will),
which
instigates,
such
as
appetitive (shahawa) and
anger(ghadab), (ii) qudra (power), which includes sinews and muscles, which are
the actual means by which the members are made to move: (iii) al-ilm wa'lidrak (knowledge and perception, which provide information acquired through the
five external senses of hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch, and also the five
internal senses located in the brain, which are imagination (takhayyul), the census
communes (hiss mushtarak) (which coordinates information received through the
various faculties), thought (tafakkur), remembrance (tadhakkur), and memory (hifz).

4. The Qualities of Soul

In describing the qualities of the soul, Al-Ghazali mentioned four qualities which
exist
in
every
soul;
predatory (sabu'iya), animal
(bahimiya), satanic (shaytaniya) and divine (rabbaniya). The first quality is the
faculty of anger, the second is appetite for food, sex and so on, the third quality
refers to the ability to commit evil, while the fourth, Divine the upmost quality that
requires the greatest investigation and insight to attain to uncover the wiles of the
satanic quality, and to submit the appetite to the irascible faculty. Al-Ghazali then
gave details that the predatory quality engenders such vices as wastefulness,
boasting, pride, and lust for oppression; the animal quality produces hypocrisy,
slander, greed, and shamelessness; the satanic quality, having successfully

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

encouraged the soul to obey the first two, produces guile, deceit, fraud and so on.
But should the divine element triumph, and subdue all of these, then the virtues will
appear. When man controls his predatory quality and sets it within its proper limits,
he acquires such virtues as courage, generosity, self control, patience, forgiveness
and dignity. When the animal faculty is controlled, virtues such as chastity,
contentment, modesty and helpfulness ensue.
5. Purification of Soul
One of the most important task for which the Prophet Muhammad was sent was the
purification of soul. It is stated in the Quran that He who has sent amongst the
Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs and
purify them and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, although they had been,
before, in manifest error (Qs. Al-Jumuah: 2). Men who are able to keep purifying
their heart will be blessed by God Almighty and classify as lucky man as stated in
the Quran that man who purify their soul is indeed successful and man who
neglects it is indeed a failure (Qs. As-Shams:7).
The word tazkiyah means to purify or to cleanse. Tazkiyatun nafs is described as a
disciplined process that gives birth to the seed of awareness in the heart. It is
related closely to the function of heart itself, which is to know the Creator, to love
Him, and to seek closeness to Him (Farid: 1993). Tazkiyatun nafs also means the
process to ascend the nafs from the level of Nafs ammarah bi al-su to the level
of Nafs al-mutmainnah and to maintain it in this level through spiritual exercise.
The process of tazkiyatun nafs or purification of soul involves the process
of takhalli (eradication
of
the
self
from
ignoble
characteristics
and tahalli (implantation of noble characteristics in the self to form autonomous
personality traits) (Daud Hamzah and Kadir arifin: 1980). In this process, According
to Al-Ghazali, the route of ascendancy is marked by ten stations or maqomat which
starts from tawbah (repentance), sabr (patience), shukr (thankfulness), raja (hope),
khawf (fear), faqr (poverty), zuhd(renunciation), tawhid (unity), tawakkal (trust), and
finally mahabbah (love).
Tazkiyatun nafs is a continual process that should be done throughout the day. It will
bring to an end only after one has departed his life. During that final day, there are
only two pronouncements; happiness or misery. Those who goes to meet his Lord in
pleasure will be welcomed by God as it is affirmed in the Quran: The term
purification inArabic is tazkiyyah and is described as a disciplined process that gives
birth to the seed ofawareness in the heart.The term purification inArabic is
tazkiyyah and is described as a disciplined process that gives birth to the seed
ofawareness in the heart.The term purification inArabic is tazkiyyah and is
described as a disciplined process that gives birth to the seed ofawareness in the
heart.O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back thou to thy Lord,
well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter thou, then, among My
devotees! Yea, enter thou My Heaven! (QS.Al-Fajr: 30), while those who are
completed his life in a miserable way will be departed to the everlastingly place of
torment.

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

Education with Soul
In this analysis, I am not going to criticize or to point out the weaknesses of AlGhazalis concept of soul since my knowledge about it is very limited. We should
thank him on his effort to investigate the knowledge of soul. Undoubtedly, AlGhazali was a great Muslim scholar who had spent most of his times to enlighten
our knowledge on the topic of soul. Some Muslim scholars even adored him as e
Hujjatul Islam or the proof of Islam. And it has been said that if all the books of Islam
were destroyed it would be but a slight loss if only the Ihya of Ghazali were
preserved. Thus, in this part I am trying to discuss on an idea of education with soul,
on how soul can be related to Muslims education.
Educators should consider that ones success is not only on matters of worldly
achievements, but also on the success of controlling his lower self to follow the
commands of God and be able to observe the role of abd and khalifah who enjoin
what is wrong and forbid what is wrong by the guidance of revelation and intellect.
An intelligent man according to Prophet is those who are able to control the lower
self and prepare for the Day of Judgment, while a weak person is he who follows his
lower self(narrated by Imam Ahmad).
Islamic education is defined as the recognition and acknowledgement, progressively
instilled into man, of the proper places of things in the order of creation, such that it
leads to the recognition and acknowledgement of the proper place of God in the
order of being and existence (Al-Attas: 1990). Al-Attas further deliberated that the
recognition and acknowledgement which are instilled into man isadab. According to
him, adab involves action to discipline the mind and soul as well. Adab also
combines the ilm and amal together. Hence, the goal of Islamic education is to
produce a good man from whom the good society will be established. From this
definition of education and its goal, it is clearly seen that the element of soul is
already in our education. Human soul has been considered as an important factor in
producing good men as well as the mind. However, the question that may come to
mind is that do we have the knowledge of our self or do we realize its importance
and practice its purification in our life? Do our teachers understand the concept of
soul and do they practice it?
The knowledge of self is not such kind of theoretical knowledge, but it needs to be
practice continually during our life. It is not to be stopped somewhere, but it will
come to end after the death come to take our live. In other words, all parties
included in the business of education; teacher, student, staff, curriculum designer,
and so on, should know the knowledge of self and should live with its purification.
Man who is able to sustain his soul purification is actually going to reach the level
of Nafs al-mutmainnah or the self at peace. In this stage, the noble characteristics
are being developed or they are there already. Therefore, education with soul means
education that gives attention on the cultivating of good characteristics and Islamic
values, as well as other humans potentials, and model from up to down, from
principle to teacher and from teacher to student. Of course, the best example of
education with soul is the education that had been practiced by Prophet Peace upon
Him. One day Ali ibn Abi Thalib was asked by one of his sahabah, ya Amirul

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

Muminin, why now we live in disunity between Muslims? Why we cannot be in a
peace like in the time of Prophet? then Ali answeredbecause during Prophet,
Muslims are like me, but now, Muslims are like you (Dr. Muhammad Abduh). In
other words, Ali would like to say that our spiritual quality is different. In the time of
Prophet, Muslims were guided by Prophet directly and follow the teaching of him,
including soul purification, but after that time, little by little Muslims are not really
follow his path. The education which had been carried out by Prophet and his
companions, emphasized on the importance of soul as well as cognitive. These two
things, mind and soul are the core of Islamic education.
The idea of murabbi rather than muallim in Islamic education is also a part of
education with soul whereby teacher is not just a transmitter of knowledge and
information (muallim). But he or she is amurabbi or murabbiyah who are
responsible to the development of learners cognitive as well as spiritual
aspect. Murabbi is a living model whom learners can learn the virtues and values of
Islam. His way of life is a correct and an ideal model that can be followed by
learners.
In actual facts, the problems of poverty, illiteracy, war, social ills, and hedonistic as
well as materialistic culture are still becoming a recurrent challenge in Muslim
countries. Our education is supposed to overcome those problems. However, in fact,
it is not really helping us to solve the problems yet. Moreover, the impact of
liberalization of knowledge necessitates the capability to possess skills that is
needed by the industrial sectors (Rosnani: 2007). This new trend has changed
Muslims paradigm towards seeking of knowledge. According to Rosnani,
liberalization of education brings much harmful effect to Muslim Education which
creates dehumanization of education. Education will be seen much in term of profit
making. Besides, students achievement also will be seen only in the term of paper
test, whereby knowledge of self or soul and its purification will not be taken into
consideration. Most of Muslims, if they are parent, will think on sending their
children to a good school which may equip them with necessary skills in life to be
able to get better job. For teachers or schools, they will think on how all the
students can pass the exam. While for students, they will think on how to get better
job with better salary. That shit. I am not saying all Muslims think like this, but the
majority is there. Success is seen only as worldly achievements.
In addition, Ghazwu al-fikr (battle of ideology) is the danger consequence of
liberalization of education which threat Muslims (Rosnani: 2007). Muslims are
bombarded with many doctrines; materialism, hedonism, liberalism, secularism, etc,
which may exposure our ideology and values. All these things should make us
become sensitive to protect our ideology as well as our youth through education
with soul.
However, the matter of soul as well as its purification is not a simple matter. The
substance is that whomsoever Allah guides no one can misguide and whomsoever
Allah leads to go astray no one can guide. Hence, as it is stated before that
knowledge of self and its purification is not merely a theory, but it is a practice.
Those who are guided by Him will be able to put soul into practices and keep

AL GHAZALIS PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

purifying their soul. Once he has started practicing it, undoubtedly, his personality
development will be in advanced and gets equipped with the qualities of quietness,
mildness, tolerance, forgiveness, helpful, kind, generous, and understanding of all
beings. These good characteristics will give him an understanding on how to
conduct his life in an elegant ways and manner, including in the teaching and
learning process.
In order education with soul can be performed in Muslims education, there are at
least three things that should be consider; the need to teach the Quran, the need
to select the best teacher, and the need to occupy thinking skills. By saying
teaching Quran, I mean that Quran not only be learnt superficially (tajwid, makhraj
or remember it), but also it should be learn as a text which guides our life. Since
Quran is the huda for mankind, Muslims need to explore it, understand it, and
observe it in all aspects of their daily life.
Besides, Muslims education also needs to revise the way how they recruit the
teacher. As it has been discussed before, teacher is a murabbi (living model) for his
family, his students, as well as his community. Therefore, Muslims education should
employ the best teacher, possess excellent cognitive ability and spiritual quality,
who can steer Muslim youths. Being a teacher should be considered as a noble
profession as well as other prestigious profession such as doctor as it is stated by
Ibn Abbas that every creature, even the fish in the sea, asks forgiveness for the one
who educates people about the good. Hence, Muslims education should provide the
best teacher for our education.
In addition, Muslims education also needs to cultivate the thinking skills to our
students so that they will be able to use their intellect well as encouraged by
Quran. Teaching students to think may improve their ability to think well in order to
be prepared for handing future challenges effectively. In addition, according Rosnani
and Suhailah (2002), the goals of teaching thinking are not only to make students
more proficient in thinking, making decisions and solving problems in the classroom,
but also to make them acquire the ability to know and understand and the ability to
make wise judgment.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Al-Ghazali in his master piece of work Ihya ulumuddin, described the
spirit in the body is like a king in a city. The members and capacities are like
craftsmen and laborers. The intellect is like a sincere, wise minister, while anger is
like a chief of police, who controls the appetite, which in turn is a base slave who
brings food and supplies to the city. Although the slave presents himself as a sincere
adviser, he constantly opposes the minister: he is in reality a saboteur. The city
prospers when, thanks to the efforts of the chief of police, the slave is rehabilitated,
and is forced to submit to the minister. Man who is able to take control upon his soul
and keep purifying it, he is indeed the true successor.