وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا 7
Translations
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it
Transliteration
Wa nafsin wa ma sawwaha
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the human soul (nafs) and the One who fashioned and balanced it in perfect proportion. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as Allah's creation of the soul with innate disposition (fitrah) toward recognizing good and evil, along with the faculties necessary for moral choice. The ayah emphasizes Allah's meticulous design of human nature, establishing the foundation for accountability and moral responsibility.
Revelation Context
Surah Ash-Shams was revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period and focuses on cosmic signs pointing to Divine power and human moral responsibility. This ayah is part of an oath (qasam) structure common in Meccan surahs, where Allah swears by the sun, the moon, the day, the night, and the soul—all demonstrating His creative power and authority over moral discernment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Every newborn is born according to the fitrah (natural disposition), then his parents make him Jewish, Christian, or Magian' (Sahih Bukhari 1385). This hadith complements the ayah by explaining how the innate soul receives guidance or misguidance based on upbringing.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that we possess an innate capacity to discern right from wrong, and we are accountable for how we develop and act upon this God-given disposition; therefore, we must consciously nurture our souls toward virtue and resist corruption.