Unveiling the Human Soul: Reconnoitering Raja Gidh from Ghazalian Perspective

Abstract

This article adds to the existing literature exploring the complexities of the human mind, as depicted through the characters of a famous novel, Raja Gidh (1981), written by Bano Qudsia. With the theoretical framework of Ghazali, the legendary intellectual of the 11th century in the Muslim world, the researchers have carried out a detailed study of nafs e ammara, nafs e lawwamma, nafs e mutmainna and aql. The research design is based on a thematic analysis of the selected novel. The study has adapted Attride Sterling’s (2001) model of textual data analysis, which is divided into three stages data reduction, exploration and data complication or interpretation. The analysis of Raja Gidh in post-positivist tradition inside the parameter of the selected theory provides an insight into the relevance of the psychological issues in the modern world, accordingly consolidating our belief in the similar mechanisms of the human mind, irrespective of the variances in the time and space. Furthermore, it has also been discovered that the incorporation of Eastern insight for exploring the human psyche has the potential to become an effective critical approach for psychological analysis in the realm of literature.