We Muslims we are obliged to fulfill two very important aspects of our religion which will help us completes our faith. That is firstly purifying our soul with piety and secondly the outward look of a true believer. It is very easy to dress up like a true believer for someone, but when it comes to following the ethics of our religion and disciplining our soul that is where most of us fail. It is not actually the outward look of a fruit that is important! But its taste! Just like that we Muslims can portray our image as Muslims from outward looks, but if our soul is not beautified with strong faith in Allah (swa) and watered with piety we will fail in achieving the tranquility that we should achieve in believing in Allah (swa).
WHAT IS NAF’S OR SOUL ?
Nafs (pl. Anfus or Nufus) lexically means soul, the psyche, the ego, self, life, person, heart or mind.
Although some scholars have classified the Nafs up to 7 stages, there is agreement among Ulama' that in the Qur'an, Allah (swa) has described at least 3 main types of the Nafs. And these are in rank from the worse to better: Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (the Nafs that urges evil), Nafs al-Lawwama (the Nafs that Blames) and Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Nafs at Peace).
TYPES OF NAF'S OR SOUL
1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands):
This is the Nafs that brings punishment itself. By its very nature it directs its owner towards every wrong action. No one can get rid of its evil without the help from Allah (swa). As Allah (swa) refers to this Nafs in the story of the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) and Prophet Yusuf (s):
"The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil" (12:53).
2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames):
Allah (swa) refers to this Nafs,
"And I do call to witness the Nafs that blames" (75:2).
This Nafs is conscious of its own imperfections.
Hasan al-Basri said, "You always see the believer blaming himself and saying things like 'Did I want this? Why did I do that? Was this better than that?"….
3. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace):
Allah (swa) refers to this Nafs,
"O Self, in complete rest and satisfaction!" (89:27).
This Nafs is tranquil as it rests on the certitude of Allah (swa).
Ibn Abbas (r) said, "It is the tranquil and believing soul".
Al-Qatadah (r) said, "It is the soul of the believer, made calm by what Allah (swa) has promised. Its owner is at rest and content with his knowledge of Allah's (swa) Names and Attributes, and with what He has said about Himself and His Messenger (saw) and with what He has said about what awaits the soul after death: about the departure of the soul, the life in the Barzakh, and the events of the Day of Qiyamah which will follow. So much so that a believer such as this can almost see them with his own eyes. So he submits to the will of Allah ((swa) and surrenders to Him contentedly, never dissatisfied or complaining, and with his faith never wavering. He does not rejoice at his gains, nor do his afflictions make him despair - for he knows that they were decreed long before they happened to him, even before he was created…."….
We Human beings are created in way that we bend towards our desires which most of the time controls our soul. It is these desires that we Human beings should curb to control our soul. Allah (swa) had given us guidance through the noble Quran and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (saw) to cure the problems of soul’s desires and dangers of following it.
QURAN
In the Quran translation of Mohsin Khan the word desires comes 42 times in 39 verses. If you look at these verses Allah (swa) had warned the Human race repeatedly not to follow your desires.
"And no person can ever die except by Allah's Leave and at an appointed term. And whoever desires a reward in (this) world, We shall give him of it; and whoever desires a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give him thereof. And We shall reward the grateful".
(Chapter #3, Verse #145)
(Chapter #3, Verse #145)
" Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah." And whoever takes Shaitan (Satan) as a Wali (protector or helper) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss".
(Chapter #4, Verse #119)
(Chapter #4, Verse #119)
"He [Shaitan (Satan)] makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaitan's (Satan) promises are nothing but deceptions".
"Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein".
"Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected (- far away from Allah's Mercy)".(Chapter #17, Verse #18)
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allah's Obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) - then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allah)".
( Chapter #17, Verse #19)
( Chapter #17, Verse #19)
"And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder".
(Chapter #23, Verse #71)
(Chapter #23, Verse #71)
WORDS FROM PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW),COMPANIONS AND SALAF
"A wise person is one who keeps a watch over his bodily desires and passions, and checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will benefit him after death; and a foolish person is one who subordinates himself to his cravings and desires and expects from Allah the fulfillment of his futile desires". (Tirmidhi)
One time, ‘Umar (ra) had some food placed in front of him, and he began to weep. It was asked of him: “Why are you weeping, O Commander of the Believers?” He said: “I am afraid that it would be said to me on the Day of Judgement: {“On the Day when those who disbelieve will be exposed to the Fire, it will be said: ‘You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein. Now, this Day, you shall be recompensed with a torment of humiliation because you were arrogant in the land without a right, and because you used to rebel and disobey.’”} [al-Ahqaf; 20]
"The Mu'min are a people who have been prevented through the Qur'an from indulging in the pleasures of this world; it comes between them and what might destroy them. The Mu'min is like a prisoner in this world, who tries to free himself from its shackles and chains, placing his trust in nothing in it, until the day he meets his Creator. He knows full well that he is accountable for everything that he hears, sees and says, and for everything that he does with his body."
( Ibn Kathir / Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 9 pg. 276, Cairo 1352)
Abu Bakr Tamistani, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, says, "The fortune of not following desires of the soul is the biggest treasure of this world. Because, soul is the greatest of all veils between Allahu ta'ala and His slave".
CURE
There are so many cures for purifying your nafs but I will go through few since I don't want to make this article longer.
1- Remembering Allah (swa)
Allah (swa) says in Quran "Lo! In the creation of the Heavens and the earth and in the night and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for men of understanding, such as remember Allah, in standing, sitting, and reclining". [Qur'an 3:190-191]
These few verses from Quran are enough to show you the virtues of remembering Allah (swa). Abu Musa related that Prophet (saw) said "The difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead". (Bukhari)
There are several types of remembrance. The remembrance of the Names of Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, the remembrance of His Attributes, and praising Him and thanking Him. All of these can take the form of saying, for example, 'Glory be to Allah', 'Praise be to Allah', 'There is no god but Allah'. A servant can also remember Allah by referring to His Names and Attributes, such as by saying, for example, "Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, Hears all that his servants say and do"; or by mentioning what He has commanded and what He has forbidden, such as saying, "Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, commands such and such, or forbids such and such."
2- Remembering death
Remembering death is something that our Prophet Muhammad (saw), his companions and the salaf practiced to control their worldly desires and soul. All the people on this face of the earth knows that sooner or later they will meet their fate. But we are deluded by worldly desires that we fail to recognize our final abode. It is common sense that for the one who thinks about his death will prepare it the best way. So for anyone who knows the trials of death and the punishment of grave will not indulge in worldly desires and commit sin.
3- Reciting Quran
Allah (swa) says in Quran "We send down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for those who believe ". (17:82) All the illnesses of the heart result from desires and doubt, and the Qur'an is a cure for both. It has enough clear signs and proofs to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and thus it cures the diseases of doubt which ruin knowledge, understanding and perception, by enabling a person to see things as they really are.
4- By stopping committing sins
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "When a Muslim, or a believer, washes his face (in the course of Wudu'), every sin which he committed with his eyes, will be washed away from his face with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin which is committed by his hands will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet committed will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water; until he finally emerges cleansed of all his sins.'' (Muslim). So dear Muslim brothers and sisters perform ablution as much as possible and try to stay in the state of this purity as long as you can. Try to make ablution before going to bed. This will indeed purify you from sins and purify your nafs.
FINAL WORD
Abu Hurairah [ra] narrated that the Messenger of Allah [saw] said: "When Allah created Jannah and Hellfire, He sent Gabriel to Jannah, saying, ‘look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.’ So Gabriel went to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. Then Gabriel returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, no one hears of it without entering it.’ So Allah ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said, ‘Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants! So, Gabriel returned to it and found that it was surrounded by forms of hardship. Then he returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it, Allah said, ‘Go to Hellfire and look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.’ Gabriel found that it was in layers, one above the other. Then Gabriel returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it.’ So Allah ordered that it be surrounded by lusts. Then He said, ‘Return to it and Gabriel returned to it and said, ‘By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it.’ (at-Tirmidhi, abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i) From this words from our Prophet Muhammad (saw) we know that attaining the blessings of this world is sacrificing all the worldly desires and being obedient to Allah (swa). Even if it means to sacrifice all your worldly pleasures and desires the Paradise is worth it my dear brother and sisters. A place with all your desires full filled and everlasting without any decreasing in its pleasures. So why not we sacrifice all this temporary pleasures and desires to achieve the glade tiding of Allah (swa). May Allah (swa) purify our souls and give us strength over our disobedient souls.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "When a Muslim, or a believer, washes his face (in the course of Wudu'), every sin which he committed with his eyes, will be washed away from his face with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin which is committed by his hands will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet committed will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water; until he finally emerges cleansed of all his sins.'' (Muslim). So dear Muslim brothers and sisters perform ablution as much as possible and try to stay in the state of this purity as long as you can. Try to make ablution before going to bed. This will indeed purify you from sins and purify your nafs.
FINAL WORD
Abu Hurairah [ra] narrated that the Messenger of Allah [saw] said: "When Allah created Jannah and Hellfire, He sent Gabriel to Jannah, saying, ‘look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.’ So Gabriel went to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. Then Gabriel returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, no one hears of it without entering it.’ So Allah ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said, ‘Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants! So, Gabriel returned to it and found that it was surrounded by forms of hardship. Then he returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it, Allah said, ‘Go to Hellfire and look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.’ Gabriel found that it was in layers, one above the other. Then Gabriel returned to Allah and said, ‘By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it.’ So Allah ordered that it be surrounded by lusts. Then He said, ‘Return to it and Gabriel returned to it and said, ‘By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it.’ (at-Tirmidhi, abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i) From this words from our Prophet Muhammad (saw) we know that attaining the blessings of this world is sacrificing all the worldly desires and being obedient to Allah (swa). Even if it means to sacrifice all your worldly pleasures and desires the Paradise is worth it my dear brother and sisters. A place with all your desires full filled and everlasting without any decreasing in its pleasures. So why not we sacrifice all this temporary pleasures and desires to achieve the glade tiding of Allah (swa). May Allah (swa) purify our souls and give us strength over our disobedient souls.
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