The question of what constitutes human essence, identity, and truth may date back as far as the creation of humankind itself, evolving alongside human thought and inquiry throughout history. In Islamic intellectual tradition, this question has been explored and examined from various perspectives, shaped by the concerns of Muslim theologians, and addressed in accordance with theological and philosophical necessities. Additionally, the impact of this inquiry on discussions of eschatology, prophethood, and other theological and social debates has further emphasized its significance.



 



However, today the significance of discussions on the nature of the soul has taken on a new dimension. The significance of this debate is not confined solely to questions regarding the essence of the morally responsible being or matters related to the hereafter (ma‘ad), but is also considered a fundamental and underlying principle in the humanities. Moreover, due to its importance in the methodologies of various sciences, it is subject to extensive study and analysis. If human essence is considered solely as a material body, or conversely, as a purely immaterial substance independent of the body, these differing perspectives will lead to fundamentally distinct conclusions in the social and human sciences. Among the fundamental questions in the study of the soul, which serves as the methodological foundation for many human and social sciences, is the relationship between gender and human essence, as well as the exploration of soul-related discussions through a gendered lens. Perhaps no
 
question in these studies is more foundational than the relationship between gender and the soul. The affirmation or denial of the soul’s gendered nature has profound implications for various issues in the human sciences.
Discussions on the nature of the soul and its interaction with the body in this world constitute a fundamental aspect of anthropology in Islamic thought, attracting the attention of prominent Shi’a scholars and the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them). These figures have employed various metaphors and analogies in numerous narrations to explain this relationship. In Shi’a narrations, the essence and identity of a human being are identified with the soul. Although the question of gender and the soul is not explicitly addressed in Shi’a narrations, this study adopts a descriptive-analytical method to examine the relationship between the soul and the body in Shi’a traditions and to investigate whether the soul possesses a gendered nature or is gender-neutral.
Many narrations emphasize the bidirectional interaction between the soul and the body. However, some narrations—while not explicitly stating this reciprocal relationship—discuss spiritual attributes that are influenced by material factors such as nutrition and that fluctuate with physical changes. These narrations implicitly suggest a mutual influence between the soul and the body. Analyzing these narrations supports the deep and essential connection between the soul and the body in this world. This study argues that an examination of soul-body interaction in Shi’a narrations provides a basis for discussing the gendered nature of the soul.
According to another narration, the aspect of a human being that possesses the capacity for divine command, prohibition, and discourse is the soul and spirit. In reality, mere differences in the elemental body and material body do not solely determine distinctions in religious rulings, and reducing all legal differences to biological variations is inadequate. Since, in these narrations, the human soul and spirit are addressed by divine commandments, some differences in religious rulings may also reflect differences in the nature of souls. By examining these divine discourses alongside the close relationship between the soul and the body in narrations, we may infer that the differences between men and women in certain divine addresses, rewards and punishments, and religious rulings should not be attributed solely to the material body or social conditions. Rather, they can also be traced to the very essence of men and women—that is, their soul and spirit. According to these narrations, differences in the soul and spirit of women have led to the formulation of certain rulings that align with these characteristics, whereas the masculine soul and spirit do not necessitate such rulings.
Other narrations explicitly describe the soul's dominance over the body, explaining that the soul’s mastery over the body entails control over perceptions, actions, inclinations, and emotions. These narrations attribute the primary role in regulating tendencies, emotions, and perceptions not to the physical body but to the soul. A close examination of these narrations reveals that the soul and spirit, when governing emotions, inclinations, perceptions, and feelings in women, operate differently from the male soul. According to these sacred narrations, if men and women differ in emotions, tendencies, and inclinations, the root cause of these differences must also be sought in their souls and spirits. This is because the soul is entirely encompassing of the body, and the primary agent controlling these differences is the soul, not the material body.
Other narrations describe the soul’s presence in the body as being similar to the radiance of the sun, permeating the entire body and governing its functions. According to these narrations, even physical perceptions are attributed to the soul, and it is explicitly stated that it is the soul that perceives and sees, not the material body itself. By analyzing these narrations collectively, it becomes evident that the primary perceiving and acting entity in a human being is the soul, rather than the material and elemental body. Additionally, these narrations emphasize that even when bodily organs and instruments are lost, the soul remains intact—only its ability to influence the body is interrupted. The insights gained from the Shi’a narrations on the soul-body relationship allow us to infer that gender differences between men and women can extend to the realm of the soul and spirit. This leads to the conclusion that the human soul cannot be entirely devoid of gendered characteristics. The soul’s governance over the body, emotions, and inclinations in a woman differs from how it operates in a man, suggesting that the soul functions differently depending on whether it is directing female or male attributes.
It is important to note that proving the gendered nature of the soul does not imply the existence of two entirely distinct and separate male and female souls. Rather, while the human soul shares many fundamental similarities across genders, it also exhibits certain gender-specific differences and functions differently in some respects. The affirmation of the gendered nature of the soul is presented within the framework of the fundamental human equality of men and women and carries no intrinsic value judgment. It does not serve as a basis for the superiority of women over men or vice versa