The Examination of Human Nature from the Viewpoint of Nahj al-Balagha

The Muslim thinkers have offered different theories to specify the human nature. The disagreement that exists among them leads us to refer to the divine knowledge to achieve an accurate specification of the human nature. The divine knowledge, especially Nahj al-Balagha, puts forth the notion that human nature has been created in two stages: first, his essence has been generated and then, his combined domains have been formed. Accordingly, human is similar to other creatures with regard to essence, but is different from them concerning the combined domains. In the first step, human essence originates from the Eternal Divine Light, and in the second stage, he receives his various domains. Human domains can be generally divided into the physical and spiritual realms. Subsequently, his spiritual domain is divided into different dimensions such as life, passion, rationality, and faith (reason). As a result, from the viewpoint of the divine knowledge, especially Nahj al –Balagha, the human can be defined as "a luminous essence constituted from the two domains of body and soul who has various dimensions such as life, passion, rationality, and faith."