Abū Zayd Al-Balkhī’s Sustenance of the Soul and the Development of Self-Control
Keywords:
Abū Zayd al-Balkhī, ‘Ilm al-nafs, Psycho-Spiritual, Ethics, Islamic PhilosophyAbstract
This study aims to explore the view of Abū Zayd Aḥmad Ibn Sahl al-Balkhī on the sustenance of the soul and the development of self-control. The authors focus the discussion on the definition, the nature of self-control and its development, the healthy and unhealthy soul development that manifest into good and bad behaviour. The type of research used for this study is qualitative research as it is to be more helpful to gain in-depth understanding of underlying reasons and thoughts on this topic. This research will employ the descriptive and analytical methods on the content of primary sources and modern secondary sources. Finding reveals that Abū Zayd al-Balkhī’ framework of sustenance of the soul in the development of self-control is significant and relevance to be implemented in developing human character and behaviours. He believed that someone who has a healthy soul possesses high self-control and can control their action to do just good deeds and abstain themselves from doing evils.
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