The Most Important Viewpoints in Determining the Referent of Anfusanā in the Verse of Mubāhila

One of the issues that has prompted different views in the verse of mubāhila (mutual cursing) is determining the referent of anfusanā (our souls) in this verse; that is, which person(s) is meant by anfusanā. The identification of anfusanā in this verse is very important; because that person, whom Almighty God has considered to be the soul of the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), must enjoy the same virtues and excellences as the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.). So, it denotes the superiority and Imamate of that person after the Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.). Since there are four important perspectives in this regard, which include 1. The Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.), 2. Ethnic groups and nomadic tribes, 3. The Apostle of Allah (S.A.W.) and the Commander of the Faithful, 4. Only the Commander of the Faithful, the purpose of this article is to study and explore the referent of this verse with a descriptive-analytical method. The basic question is, "Who is the real referent of the word anfusanā according to the Qur'anic verse?" By examining these viewpoints, we come to the conclusion that the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.) is the referent of anfusanā in this verse.