ABSTRACT

The study aims to investigate how the concept self (i.e nafis) is metaphorically conceptualized in the Quran within the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). The research limits itself to the concept of the Evil-Commanding Self (al-nafis al-ʼammārah bil-soūʼ) in Chapter Two (Surah Al-Bagarah) as a sample. The researcher applies a descriptive and an analytical method using data from Quranic verses where the term self is used. The data is analyzed basically to cognize how the term self relates to the construction within which it is positioned in particular, and the structure of the verse in general. The researcher found thirteen verses where self is described as commanding evil. The verses were grouped under nine general concepts (i.e. betrayal, deceiving, contradictory, neglectful, hypocritical, unjust, envy, cheaply sold self, etc.). It is found that caring for and talking about human self in the Quranic text is not arbitrary, but it has always been cognized as a power that resides inside people as a source of their actions and movements. Furthermore, it is also found that the way the term self is perceived reflects basic and universal human experiences as well as cognitive capacities.  In doing so, the study contributes to a deeper comprehension of the human psyche and its significance in religious and ethical contexts.