The Nafs's Failure to Recognise Allah: An Analysis from the Rebellion of Iblis to the Followers of Satan

OpenAlex İngilizce

This study examines the problem of the nafs's failure to recognise Allah, the rebellion of Iblis in refusing to prostrate before Adam, and the journey of those who follow Satan by obeying this rebellion, in light of primary sources and in relation to contemporary life. Drawing on the Islamic Sufi tradition, palaeoanthropology, modern neuroscience, and psychological data, the individual and societal consequences of the nafs (ego) overriding the intellect and divine consciousness are discussed within a holistic framework. An interdisciplinary perspective is presented, integrating data from the Qur'an, hadith, and classical Islamic thought with modern psychology, evolutionary ethics, and philosophy. Within the framework of the nafs's stages of ammāra, lawwāma, and muṭma'inna, the study analyses how pride, denial, and rebellion transform individuals and societies into 'the party of Satan.' Membership in Satan's party manifests today in impulsive behaviours at the level of the nafs al-ammāra, consumerism, obesity, and existential crises. The study proposes that humanity's exit from this existential crisis is possible through holistic self-discipline (riyāḍa), dhikr, and moral maturation, and aims to offer a comprehensive framework for humanity's journey toward moral maturity by addressing this narrative at cosmic, individual-psychological, and social levels.