The Role of Practical Intellect in Man's Perfection

Muslim philosophers maintain that man's soul comprises natural, vegetative and animal faculties. They are also of the view that the human soul has two special powers namely the theoretical intellect and practical intellect. Very little has been said about the practical intellect, its function and status among the faculties of the rational soul. Thus, this article using an analytical – descriptive method of research concludes that the four qualities, natural, vegetative and animal faculties (numbering about twenty four faculties) are at the service of the practical intellect (at the 25th stage) so that it may also aid the theoretical intellect through its three functions (interaction, inference, voluntary actions) in four stages such as purification of the exterior (zahir), purification of the interior (batin) or detachment (takhliya), beautification (tahliya), annihilation (fanā) and the four journeys. It should, therefore, prepare the theoretical intellect to be influenced by sublime origins and to reach the acquired (mustafad) stage after completing the potential (hayulani), habitual (bil-malakah) and actual (bil-fil) stages. Thus, it becomes clear through philosophical reasoning that the world in its entirety and the practical and theoretical intellects are entirely at man's service to enable him to attain the highest degree of perfection which is proximity to Allah.