How many times does nafs appear in the Quran?

296 times. Counted from the Uthmani text bundled with this site: nafs with the plurals anfus and nufus, in all their written forms with article, prefixes, and attached pronouns.

What is the root of nafs?

The root letters are ن ف س. The root relates to breath and self. The nafs is the self that breathes, desires, chooses, and will be judged.

What Does Nafs (نَفْس) Mean in the Quran?

Q: What does nafs mean in the Quran?

Nafs (نَفْس) means soul, self, person. Kullu nafsin dha'iqatul-mawt, every soul will taste death (3:185). The nafs is the Quran's word for the human self, the one commanded, tested, held to account, and, when Allah wills, brought to peace.

Inside the Quran

Kullu nafsin dha'iqatul-mawt, every soul will taste death (3:185). The nafs is the Quran's word for the human self, the one commanded, tested, held to account, and, when Allah wills, brought to peace.

The plural anfus appears in daily-life ayat too, the Quran speaks of what people do to themselves, bi-anfusihim, and the famous promise that Allah does not change a people until they change what is in themselves (13:11) uses exactly this word.

See it in real ayat

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.”

Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:185

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

“Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."”

Surah Al-Baqara 2:286

وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

“And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it”

Surah Ash-Shams 91:7

Arabic quoted letter for letter from the Uthmani text of our Quran reader. Translation: Saheeh International.

Letters in this word

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