Comsats University

Islamabad
Name: M Zubair Razzaq

Reg No: SP20-BBA-129

Subject: Islamic banking and finance

Submitted to: Dr. Sabeen

Assignment No 3
Question 1:
Discuss three types of nafs and relate them to different
economic system?
Answer:
The three types of Nafs are:
1)Nafs-ul-Ammarah
2)Nafs-ul-Lawwamah
3)Nafs-ul-Mutmainnah
Al-Nafs al- Ammarah:
Indeed, the nafs that overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin. [12:53]

This means that the nafs commands us and tells us what to do. So, when the person has any
desire, any wish, any appetite, nafs commands us, it dominates us. It is that nafs which is
sovereign over a human being, it has sovereignty over us. What it means is that the nafs is
sovereign over us, if it is Ammarah, it means we are subjugated by it. In this type of nafs, we
listen and follow all its dictates and commands. This is the first type of nafs and the sign that a
person has this type of nafs is that they sin willingly, blatantly, remorselessly, in any way that
they ever want. And if we think about it, in many places in the west, this concept is glorified
because people say” you should do whatever makes you happy, do whatever pleases you, do
whatever your heart desires”. Even Muslims now, that are doing what our passion desires. So
that means that we have a nafs-ul-ammarah. This nafs has related to capitalist economy because
in capitalism economic system, private individuals or businesses own capital goods. In capitalist
economy, the production of goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general
market known as a market economy. The following points will define that how al nafs ammarah
and capitalist economic system both are related:

 No one follows the Islamic laws.

 People do sins without any fear of Allah like inequality.
 Government does not intervene, or its intervention is very minimal. Businesses are
allowed to produce anything (halal and haram) and charge any price they wish if they can
find buyers who can afford their goods and services. In capitalist economy, poor people
 couldn’t afford any good and services because businessman’s charge high price for their
product.
 In capitalist economy, people do what they desire like starting business of alcohol which
is haram in Islam. They do this sinful act because his nafs ul ammarah commands.
 Freedom of choice in production.
 Freedom of choice in consumption.

Nafs-ul-Lawwamah:
Lawwam here means to self-incriminate, to self-reproach, to have blame, to do mulamat of
oneself. So, this is that nafs that does sometimes bring a person to do sin, but then that nafs self
incriminates itself, it reproaches itself, it feels bad, it feels guilty. And then this guilt is supposed
to increase so much so then the person leaves those sins because they feel so guilty about them.
So, the sign of this is precisely that the person has such a nafs that when they commit a sin they
feel remorse, regret, they feel guilt, they feel shame, they feel embarrassment, they wish they
could take it back, they wish they never did it, they may even intend at that moment never to do
that again. So, they are fighting a battle with their nafs. Socialism economic system defines that
the mean of production, such as money and other forms of capital are owned by the state or
public. The government decide that how wealth is distributed among the among the people. They
control the whole country.

Socialism is, broadly speaking, a political and economic system in which property and the means
of production are owned in common, typically controlled by the state or government. Socialism
is based on the idea that common or public ownership of resources and means of production
leads to a more equal society. The Socialist economy is quite clear. Since Socialism does not
admit the idea of private property, wealth under the Socialist system is distributed only in the
form of wages. On the contrary, according to the Islamic principles of the distribution of wealth,
which we have outlined above, all the things that exist in the universe are in principle the
property of Allah Himself. Then, the larger part of these things is that which He has given
equally to all men as a common trust. It includes fire, water, earth, air, light, wild grass, hunting,
fishing, mines, un-owned and uncultivated lands etc., which are not the property of any
individual, but a common trust. Every human being is the beneficiary of this trust and is equally
entitled to its use.

Nafs-ul-Mutmainnah:
To the righteous it will be said “oh reassured soul, return to your Lord well pleased, and
pleasing to Him” [89:27-28]

They are mutma’in, they are content with the hukm of Allah Almighty, there is nothing else that
makes them happy. So, this person is also doing what makes them happy. But this person has
been molded and trained and disciplined it in such a way, that the only thing that makes it happy,
that gives it solace, the only thing that it is mutma’in on, that it is content with, is what Allah
Almighty is please with, what Allah Almighty is content with. The meaning of mutma’in is that
has reached a state of serenity. The serene, contented, tranquility, at peace nafs. And obviously,
the peace here means that it has aman, itminan from doing sin and aman and itminan from
desiring sin. It has no unlawful desires. It has desires, that is what the nafs does, but it only
desires good things. The sign of this Nafs is that this person, not only do they not do sin, but
they also no longer desire sin. In Islamic economic system, Islam accepts markets as the basic
coordinating mechanism of the economic system. Islamic teaching holds that the market, given
perfect competition, allows consumers to obtain desired goods and producers to sell their goods
at a mutually acceptable price. Here Some are the point which will define that how Nafs-ul-
Mutmainnah and Islamic economic system both are related:

 In Islamic economic system, people follow the Islamic laws to stay away from the sins. This
lies on the Nafs-ul-Mutmainnah. Because this nafs commands us to do a good deed which
makes our Allah happy.
 Two main ingredients of Islamic Economics are institution of Zakah and interest free
economy which is a good deed.
 Riba is prohibited in Islamic economy.
 Forbidden goods are not produced.
 The role of government is to achieve the goals of Islamic society.
 Private ownership is allowed such that it is allocated and utilized accordingly.
 All decisions should earn the approval of Allah.
 The prime objective is to achieve Al Falah.

These all the things are adopted in Islamic economic system because Nafs-ul-Mutmainnah
commands us to do a good deed, and this bring us closer to Allah. They all want to make their
Akhirah better.

THE END