Ruh, Nafs, Aqal, Qalb and Spiritual Intelligence: Towards al-Ghazali Model of Psychospiritual Development

Abstract

This article first describes the Quranic concepts of human psyche i.e., ruh, nafs, aqal, and qalb in the light of contemporary research in applied psychology, then move to describe the psychospiritual development by providing an overview of the available literature on Islamic perspective in psychology and particularly the field of positive psychology. The current study is an attempt to explore the psychospiritual approach based on the contribution of the prominent Muslim Scholar i.e., Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad al Ghazali (d. 1111) who has elaborated the inner faculties i.e., nafs, ruh, aqal, and qalb influencing the behavior of every individual. The interplay of these intrapsychic forces can be understood from the phenomenon of psychospiritual interventions. This article can offer not only new theoretical dimensions but also give clues to some mainstream interventions which produce capacities for and boost wellbeing of individuals and communities.