The prisoners of war are the leading figures of Makka. If we kill them, unbelief will no longer be able to recover to encounter us. So, hand over to each of the Muslims his kin among them. Hand over to Ali his brother Aqil to kill. The episode just mentioned above from the early history of Islam illustrates an important aspect of the nature of man in relation to the mission of Prophethood and religion in man s life.
Man is a tripartite being composed of the spirit, the carnal self and the body.
These three elements are so closely interrelated that neglecting one results in failure to achieve perfection. Man has accordingly been endowed with three essential faculties, namely the spiritual intellect, reason and will. During his life-time, man experiences a continual inner struggle to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. The motor of this struggle is the will, as directed by reason. However, human reason can be swayed by carnal desires, personal feelings, interests and such emotions as anger and rancor, so it needs as its guide the spiritual intellect.