“Freud and the Quran: Uniting Perspectives on the ‘Self’ and Personality”

Do you ever feel an intense desire to do something even when you know it’s morally and ethically wrong?

All humans feel like this, but have you ever thought why? Why can’t we control ourselves when we’re doing something wrong or evil?

I am one of those people who feel guilty whenever I sin, even if that’s small. This guilt made me realize that at this point in my life, I want to concentrate on getting to know myself better.

This is the main reason why I did some research on the Islamic concept of “Nafs-e-Ammara” which is mentioned in the Quran and its connection with the personality theory of Freud — Freud is called the Father of Psychology. The concept he has given us about personality is somehow the same as the Islamic concept of “Self”.

I have discussed his concepts of personality in this article, you can check it out and then come back to know more about how it relates to the Quran:

Now you have read about Freud’s personality theory so we will come back to what we were discussing before.

What is Nafs-e-Ammara?

The Arabic term “al-Nafs al-Ammāra” refers to the leading or evil-commanding soul. Simply, it means our inner self, a psychological state that frequently encourages us to commit immoral or sinful acts. It leads us to actions that we might regret later. In Quran, this word has been used in verse 53 of chapter 12.

Nafs-e-Ammara (the commanding self) includes traits like being greedy, evil deeds, jealousy, hatred, ignorance, slandering, backbiting, anger, greed, covetousness, laziness, foolishness and stinginess.

إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ

Indeed the nafs overwhelmingly command a person to do sin. [12:53]

Now there are 3 stages of Nafs (self), let’s break it:

The Commanding self (Nafs-e- Ammara):

This is the basic level where our desires and instincts rule the roost! I already discussed this above in detail. Let me give you an example of it:

Example: You have a desire to spread rumors about another person’s mistake to make yourself feel better. In Islam, spreading rumors and backbiting are regarded as serious sins, and your commanding self encourages you to engage in such negative behavior to satisfy your ego.

The Reproaching Self (Nafs-e-Lawammah):

As we grow, we begin to see our shortcomings and experience guilt for the things we have done. This is the nafs that can occasionally lead someone to sin, but that nafs then accuse itself, blame itself, and feel awful and guilty. Therefore, the most obvious indication of this is that the person possesses such a nafs that, when they sin, they experience regret, remorse, guilt, shame, and embarrassment; they also wish they could take it back and wish they had never done it, and they may even plan to never do that again at that very moment. They are thus engaged in battle with their nafs (self). They commit sins occasionally and avoid them on other occasions.

Example: You regret not being able to control your temper after remembering to speak harshly to someone. Islam holds that harming someone without a good reason through words or deeds is wrong and that you should seek forgiveness to change your ways.

The Contented Self (Nafs-e-Mutmainna):

Those who have been molded, trained, and disciplined to be content with what Allah Almighty is pleased with are known as the nafs al-muṭmaʾinna, or those who are content with Allah Almighty’s order or decree. This satisfaction comes from knowing that Allah Ta’ala is pleased and joyful. Along with safety and contentment from committing sin and desiring sin, the nafs also arrive at a state of serenity. They still have desires, but they only have those that Allah Almighty finds pleasing; they are no longer driven to sin. This means that they have no desire for immoral or wicked behavior and are happy with what Allah Ta’ala has given them.

To the righteous, it will be said, “Oh reassured soul, return to your Lord well pleased, and pleasing to Him.” [18].

Example: You decide to offer prayers on time despite the temptation to skip them. According to Islam, staying true to your religious commitments leads to satisfaction and inner peace and is consistent with the ideals of a happy self.

Freud’s Theory and Modern Psychology

Let’s now explore how Freud’s concept of the “id” relates to contemporary psychology. According to Freud, there are three components to the human psyche: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is the primal, instinctual portion of our mind that follows the pleasure principle and pursues quick fulfillment of desires without taking the effects into account.

Example: You decided to skip a crucial task because you’re stressed and want to binge-watch a show you love on television.

Nafs-e-Ammara is a symbol of our primal urges and desires that must be subdued, much like the id.

Freud had a profound knowledge of human motivations and nature, he applied the concept of id, which has been acknowledged as Nafs-e-Ammara in Islamic Psychology. Although he presented this concept in a non-religious way. Islamic teachings provide us with a spiritual and moral framework that helps us to control and manage our primal urges and be better human beings.

How can you Control Nafs-e Ammara?

Although we think that the concept of Nafs-e-Ammara (the commanding self) is for Muslims only because it is not mentioned in their holy books. But all Muslims and Non-Muslims can benefit from it and learn how to control their selves. We all should pick the right things and try to change ourselves every day. It is a crucial concept to understand for self-discipline and personal growth.

These are some actions that we can follow to control our commanding self:

• To recognize and manage impulsive behaviors, consider your actions and desires.
• When you’re spending money on useless things or eating too much remember that it’s your id telling you to do it, try to exercise self-control and know your triggers.
• Avoid the triggers and situations that lead you towards bad deeds or impulsive urges.
• If you make a mistake unintentionally despite exercising self-control, ask for forgiveness from God and try to be better at it next time.

These techniques can help you restrain these urges to live a more disciplined and balanced life regardless of one’s religious background.

Final Thoughts

If you want to live a balanced and moral life, then you should understand this concept that Islam teaches us about. This concept is all about knowing yourself more, your triggers, and self-actualization. So whenever you feel like you want to miss a prayer being a Muslim or having an extra cookie when you are on your diet then remember to consider this concept of Nafs-e-Ammara and try to exercise self-control and don’t follow the devil’s path. He just wants you to do whatever your heart says even if that’s harmful to you and Islam teaches us to stop ourselves whenever we see something have bad consequences like sex addiction, substance abuse, and evil deeds. The beautiful thing about this concept is, that anyone can follow it to be a good human being.

Hope you like it! Share your experiences in the comment section and the ways how you exercise self-control, it will be helpful for people reading this article.