Islam > Glossary > Al-kyfyat al-nfsanya
Discover the meaning of the term Al-kyfyat al-nfsanya (كيفيات النفسانية) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readIt has been said: They are the qualities specific to the essences of animal souls. The objection to this is that psychological qualities, such as sciences, are also established for immaterial beings, namely the Necessary Existent and the Intellects, so they are not exclusive to the essences of animal souls. The answer is that it is a relative specificity; the meaning is thus that these qualities, among bodies, are proper to the animal, meaning they are not found in the plant or the mineral, especially since the one who maintains that they are established for Allah the Most High and for other immaterial beings does not include them in the genus of quality nor in accidents.
Some explained them as that which is specific to the essences of souls absolutely, meaning whether it is an animal or a plant. According to this explanation as well, the specificity is relative, for they are also found in things devoid of souls due to their existence in Allah and the Intellects, as was mentioned. He said 'absolutely' because health and its opposite, among these qualities, are found in the plant according to the power of nutrition and growth, as they have mentioned.