Islam > Glossary > Al-nfs al-rḥmany
Discover the meaning of the term Al-nfs al-rḥmany (نفس الرحماني) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readIt refers to the general existence extended over entities concretely, and to the primary matter (hayula) bearing the forms of existing things. The first is ordered upon the second. It was named as such by analogy with the breath (nafs) of man, which differs according to the forms of the letters while being in itself a simple air. The sages express it as nature. Entities were called words by analogy with the verbal words occurring to the human breath according to the articulation points. Just as words indicate mental meanings, so do the entities of existing things indicate their Creator, His names, His attributes, and all His perfections established for Him according to His essence and His degrees. Furthermore, each of them exists by the word "Be" (kun), so the term "word" was applied to them by using the name of the cause for the effect.
The general existence extended over entities concretely, and the primary matter (hayula) bearing the forms of existing things. The first is ordered upon the second. It was named as such by analogy with the breath (nafs) of man, which differs according to the forms of the letters while being a simple air. The sages express it as nature (Al-Ta'rifat p. 265).