The Position of `Aql in the Prose and Poetry of Nāṣir-i Khusraw

Excerpt:
Nāṣir alludes to this position of the innate intellect in his prose and poetry. In his Jāmi’, interpreting the hadith: “Every human being has two devils who lead him astray”, and comparing the two devils to the appetitive and irascible souls, he says that every individual is endowed with the rational soul (nafs-i nāṭiqa) and the appetitive and irascible souls. The rational soul is a potential angel whereas the appetitive and irascible souls are potential devils. If the rational soul is able to subjugate them then the individual becomes an actual angel, but if the latter subjugate the former, he becomes an actual devil. This means that every individual who is endowed with the rational soul has the potential to be an actual angel. However negligence in executing the innate intellect’s teaching causes the person to become “the vilest of beasts”. Such are the consequences of accepting or rejecting the perfect intellect’s teaching or guidance in the form of true knowledge. 

This excerpt has been taken from pages 33 and 34.