University of Basrah Holds Lecture on the Difference Between “Rūḥ” and “Nafs” in Translating Certain Qur’anic Verses
The Center for Development and Continuing Education at the University of Basrah, in collaboration with the College of Arts, organized an academic lecture addressing the semantic and doctrinal differences between the concepts of rūḥ (spirit) and nafs (self/soul) in the Qur’anic text and their impact on English translations.
The lecture aimed to demonstrate how these differences influence the choice of terminology, highlighting the role of the translator’s cultural and intellectual background in texts with a spiritual dimension.
Presented by Lecturer Haitham Mahdi Matouq, the lecture included a theoretical introduction defining the two terms in Arabic and Islamic studies, a comparative analysis of the terms soul, spirit, and self, and an overview of major translation challenges.
The lecture recommended understanding the Qur’anic term within its legal and linguistic context before rendering it into other languages.
Department of Media and Governmental Communication
