محمد اکبریان - Assistant Professor at the Islamic Science and Culture Research Institute, Iran

Understanding the meaning of self-oppression requires a psychological explanation of the dual identity in human beings, one of them oppresses and it is satisfied with it, and the other is oppressed which is dissatisfied with it. The association of this duality in the existence of a human being has faced problems for non-Muslim Quran scholars. To solve the problem, Izutsu has referred to the meaning of "self-oppression" as "oppression of God" and George Hourani has interpreted the meaning of cruelty to self as mistakes and self-harm and has understood the verses of the Qur'an in this meaning. Both views are contrary to the appearance of the Qur'anic verses and the views of Islamic thinkers. In the Holy Qur'an, cruelty to self is known independently of cruelty to God. The Qur'anic verses have also informed about two types of soul in human existence, which expresses the dual identity of man. Inspired by the Qur'anic verses, Islamic thinkers have pointed out the meaning of this dual identity and the inner conflict of man and have provided a rational explanation of the dual identity in human existence. By proving the dual identity in human existence, man's cruelty to himself becomes understandable without the need for reference or interpretation, and the challenge of orientalists is answered.

Self-Oppression, dualism, Single Identity, True "I"