Human Conscience: A Qur’anic and Biblical Exploration of the Divine Imprint in Man

By Dr. Afzal M. Dogar, New Age Islam 15 September 2025 Introduction Across civilizations, faith traditions, philosophy and science the question of conscience has stirred profound reflection. Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? Is it taught by culture, or is it inscribed in our very nature? Both the Qur’an and the Bible affirm that conscience is not merely a social construct but an innate gift from God — a divine imprint woven into the human soul. This universal moral faculty connects humanity to its Creator and provides the foundation for moral accountability. Conscience in the Qur’an: Fiṭrah as the Innate Disposition The Qur’an speaks directly to this inner faculty in Ar-Rūm 30:30: “So set your face to the religion, inclining to truth — [adhere to] the Fiṭrah of Allah upon which He has created mankind. Let there be no change in the creation of Allah. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.” The term Fiṭrah refers to the primordial disposition instilled by God in every human being. It is both a moral compass and a spiritual orientation toward the Creator. Conscience, then, is part of this Fiṭrah: a natural capacity to distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsehood. Revelation (Dhikr, “reminder”) is sent not to impose alien rules, but to awaken and clarify the principles already inscribed within the self. The Qur’an deepens this idea in 2:138, describing faith as Sibghat Allāh — “the colour of God.” Believers are called to clothe themselves in God’s colour, meaning to embody the divine imprint already placed within their Fiṭrah. Just as dye penetrates and transforms the fabric, so too divine attributes are meant to permeate human conscience and conduct. This Fiṭrah is connected to the Qur’anic account of Adam: “And He taught Adam the names — all of them” (Q 2:31). Many classical commentators interpret this as the knowledge of created realities, but Sufi thinkers such as Ibn ʿArabī saw in it a deeper layer: that God invested Adam with knowledge of His own Most Beautiful Names (al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā). In this reading, conscience itself is shaped by these divine qualities, embedded in human nature from the very beginning. Ibn ʿArabī explains that every human being carries within them the latent effects of these Names — mercy, justice, wisdom, truth — but they lie veiled until polished by spiritual discipline and divine guidance. Revelation and prophetic example serve as that polishing force. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in Ibn ʿArabī’s view, represents the Insān al-Kāmil (Perfect Human), the one who fully embodied the divine attributes within his Fiṭrah. By following revelation and prophetic guidance, other humans too can refine their conscience and actualize the divine imprint within themselves. Elsewhere, the Qur’an warns that when humans go against this God-given nature, they become self-destructive: “Man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth!” (Q 80:17). Revelation thus acts as a safeguard against forgetfulness, realigning conscience with its divine source and restoring the purity of the Fiṭrah. The Qur’an portrays revelation as a safeguard against this forgetfulness, realigning conscience with divine truth. Conscience in the Bible: The Law Written on the Heart In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul echoes the same principle in Romans 2:14–15: “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves… They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness.” Here conscience is described as “the law written on the heart.” Even those without the Mosaic Law possess inner moral awareness. Early Church Fathers such as Augustine saw conscience as God’s voice within the soul (Confessions, Book X). Modern Christian thinkers, like C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity), also argued for a universal “moral law” inscribed in humanity. Even the people without the Mosaic Law, possess an inner knowledge of justice and morality. The Gentile nations never saw the Ten Commandments. But innately in their heart, by the law of nature given them by their Creator, they did the right things. Notice these having not the law are a law unto themselves. Because by nature they did the things contained in the law which show the work of the law. Pastor Chuck Baldwin, in his reflections on this passage, defines conscience as “the Creator’s moral code of justice written in our hearts.” Conscience is the innate knowledge of right and wrong given to us by our Creator which separates men from the animal kingdom. Murder, theft, dishonouring parents, lying — these were wrong even before commandments were revealed because conscience itself bore witness. Regardless of race or locality every human when engaging in acts like theft, lying or murder feels fear and anxiety while feeling pleasure and tranquillity when doing good or helping others. Highlight that all humans are born with a conscience. Even a little child when he climbs up on the kitchen table and puts his hand in that cookie jar and knows that he wasn't supposed to put his hand in that cookie jar at that time. And his mother walks in the room as he's reaching his hand into the cookie jar. What does that little fellow do? He quickly climbs down from the chair, runs out of the room or he runs to mommy, starts hugging her and kissing on her and hoping she'll forget what she just saw him do. That little child has a conscience of right and wrong. On the Day of Judgment, Paul notes, God will “judge the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16), including their obedience or disobedience to conscience. Thus, revelation and conscience are parallel witnesses, both pointing back to the same Divine source. Conscience Beyond Scripture: Philosophical and Psychological Insights Philosophers and psychologists have long recognized what the Qur’an calls fiṭrah and Paul calls the “law of nature.” ● Plato spoke of a transcendent realm of moral Forms, which the soul can apprehend. Conscience, in his terms, is the “inner daimon” guiding the soul toward justice (Apology 31d). ● Immanuel Kant described conscience as the categorical imperative: the voice within that commands moral duty regardless of consequence. His idea that morality must be universal and innate aligns with the Qur’anic and Biblical view that ethics are not relative inventions but God-given (Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, 1785). ● Carl Jung suggested that the human psyche carries archetypes and collective memories — among them, a moral sensibility that transcends individual experience (Modern Man in Search of a Soul, 1933). ● Modern neuroscience has even identified neural circuits in the prefrontal cortex and limbic system linked to empathy, fairness, and guilt — biological correlates of what revelation calls conscience (Moll, J., Zahn, R., et al., Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6, 2005). These findings suggest that moral awareness is hardwired into the human brain, resonating with the Qur’anic claim that God “breathed into man of His spirit” (Q 15:29). The Image of God and the Fiṭrah: A Shared Anthropology Both traditions root conscience in humanity’s divine likeness. The Bible declares: “So God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). The Qur’an describes humanity as shaped by God’s own design, into whom He breathed “something of His Spirit” (Q 32:9), and [adhere to] the Fiṭrah of Allah upon which He has created mankind (Qur’an 30:30) This does not imply physical resemblance but rather a moral and spiritual reflection of God’s attributes. Just as God is Just, Merciful, and Truthful, so too humans carry within themselves fragments of these qualities, which surface as conscience. As Muslim thinkers like Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Ghazāli observed, God’s Asma’ al-Ḥusnā (Most Beautiful Names) manifest in creation, and humans uniquely mirror them in moral capacity. The Fragility of Conscience: Forgetfulness and Corruption While conscience is universal, scripture also acknowledges its vulnerability. The Qur’an warns against Taghyīr Khalq Allāh — corrupting what God has created (Q 30:30). Human greed, arrogance, and haste (Q 21:37; Q 17:11) can cloud the Fiṭrah, leading people to justify wrong as right. Similarly, Paul speaks of consciences being “seared” (1 Timothy 4:2), dulled by repeated sin or cultural distortion. This fragility explains the necessity of revelation: to realign, purify, and remind. In both traditions, revelation functions as conscience’s external ally, while conscience remains the inward witness. Conscience as the Meeting Ground of Humanity What emerges is a remarkable interfaith harmony: ● Qur’an: Conscience (Fiṭrah) is the natural disposition created by God, guiding humanity toward truth, safeguarded by revelation. ● Bible: Conscience is the law written on the heart, holding humanity accountable even apart from scripture. ● Philosophy And Psychology: Conscience reflects universal moral law, grounded in reason, archetypes, and even biology. Together, these perspectives affirm that conscience is not confined to any one religion but is a universal endowment of the Creator to all humanity. It is the ground of common morality and the basis for interfaith cooperation in justice, compassion, and stewardship of creation. Conclusion The convergence of Qur’anic Fiṭrah and Biblical “law written on the heart” shows that conscience is humanity’s shared inheritance. It is the Divine voice within, reminding us of our dignity as bearers of God’s image and calling us to live in alignment with truth and justice. Revelation serves not to replace conscience but to awaken it, correct it, and direct it toward its highest purpose. In a fragmented world, this shared understanding of conscience offers a bridge: a reminder that beneath all differences, every human being carries within the imprint of the Creator — a compass pointing us back to Him. References The Qur’an (30:30; 15:9; 17:11; 80:17; 32:9). The Bible, Genesis 1:27; Romans 2:14–16; 1 Timothy 4:2. Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ʿAẓīm. Al-Ghazālī, al-Maqṣad al-Asnā fī Sharḥ Asmāʾ Allāh al-Ḥusnā. Augustine, Confessions. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785). Carl Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul (1933). Moll, J., Zahn, R., et al. “The Neural Basis of Human Moral Cognition,” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6, 2005. ----- Dr. Afzal M. Dogar is an independent scientific writer based in Zurich, Switzerland. He is a former Associate Professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) with a background in molecular biology, RNA therapeutics, and biotechnology. He has conducted research in gene regulation, cancer biology, and RNAi/miRNA-based therapeutics, and has trained graduate students in advanced molecular techniques. Currently based in Switzerland, he writes on the intersections of science, society, and interfaith dialogue, with a focus on reconciling scientific inquiry with ethical and spiritual perspectives. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/human-conscience-quranic-biblical-divine/d/136840 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism