The Levels of the Nafs in the Light of the Qur’an
Younus Al-Gohar
Surah Adh-Dhariyat, Verse 21 (51:21)
Wa fee anfusikum
I am within the concealment of your nafs.
Afala tubsiroon
Will you not attain insight?Al-Hadith
Man arafa nafsahu faqad arafa rabbahu
Whoever has known his nafs has, in reality, known his Lord.
From the Qur’an and Hadith, it can be understood that the principal barrier between us and our Lord is our nafs (Lower-self). We must transcend our nafs in order to reach our Lord. Yet nowadays, religious scholars and teachers no longer speak about the nafs. People do not even know that there is such a thing as the nafs, let alone purifying it.
The Holy Qur’an describes four states of the nafs:
- Nafs-e-Ammara (The Commanding Self)
- Nafs-e-Lawwama (The Reproaching Self)
- Nafs-e-Mulhima (The Inspired Self)
- Nafs-e-Mutma’inna (The Contended Self)
Surah Yusuf, Verse 53 (12:53)
Innan-nafsa la-ammaratun bis-soo
Indeed, the nafs commands us to do evil deeds.
The word “Ammara” comes from “Amr,” which means “to command” or “to give an order.”
When a person is born, Latifa-e-Nafs is connected to him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 7108
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA):
He said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“There is none among you with whom a satanic jinn is not born.”
They said, “O Messenger of God, was one also born with you?”
The Messenger of God replied, “Yes, one was also born with me. But he became purified through my companionship, and he only advises me to do good deeds.”
What is this satanic jinn? This satanic jinn is our nafs. And purifying this nafs constitutes half of our faith.
Al-Hadith: Sahih Muslim
At-tuhooru shatrul iman
Purity is half of faith.
What have we understood from this Hadith? We take a bath, become physically clean, and think that we have attained half of our faith. But the non-believers also do this. Does that mean they have attained half of faith? Have they become half-believers? In fact, that is not the meaning here. By “purity,” the purification of the nafs is meant. When the nafs is purified, half of faith is attained; and when the qalb is purified and begins to engage in zikr, the remaining half of faith is attained. In other words, Tazkiyat-un-Nafs and Tasfiyat-ul-Qalb together constitute complete faith.
When the nafs resides within us, it remains impure and connected with Iblis. The Murshid of this nafs is Iblis. Whenever the nafs falls into difficulty or begins to weaken, it calls upon its Murshid, and he comes to its assistance. Why do ordinary people fail to purify their nafs? Because they have no Murshid (spiritual master). When the nafs begins to weaken, it seeks the help of its Murshid, who comes and assists it so that it can become powerful again. But whom will ordinary people ask for help? They have no Murshid. And God does not directly provide such assistance. For this reason, ordinary people fail to purify their nafs. But those who have a Kamil Murshid succeed because the Murshid assists his disciple.
God has said in the Holy Qur’an:
Surah Ash-Shams, Verses 9–10 (91:9–10)
Qad aflaha man zakkaha
Successful indeed is the one who purifies his nafs.
Wa qad khaba man dassaha
And indeed, he has failed who corrupts it.
Now the question is: What is the impurity of the nafs?
The nafs originates from the jarsuma (cell) of Satan. It belongs to the race of jinn. They are created from nar (fire). All of their activities are satanic. Takabbur (arrogance), hasad (envy), bughz (hatred), inad (stubbornness), sehbat (lust), and all such qualities enter within us because of this nafs. How can it be purified? Its food is nar or fire. It becomes powerful by consuming fire. If we are given cold food, we do not enjoy eating it. We do not enjoy cold bread or cold meat. We enjoy food when it is hot. Why is that? Because the nafs prefers heat. Fire is its food. Therefore, in order to purify the nafs, it must be fed Noor instead of fire. But it will not willingly consume Noor. Therefore, first it must be kept hungry to make it weaker. When it becomes so weak that it desperately cries out for survival, it is then given Noor and instructed to recite the Kalima. It recites the Kalima out of necessity and accepts Noor as its food. Because of reciting the Kalima, Noor is generated, and from then onward it consumes this Noor as nourishment and becomes purified.
The impure nafs is called Nafs-e-Ammara. This Nafs-e-Ammara compels us to commit sins. If it likes something, it will obtain it by any means necessary. If committing a sin is required to obtain it, it will commit that sin. It does not consider the sin to be a sin. Rather, it derives pleasure from committing it. It takes pleasure in causing people grief and suffering, harming people, and humiliating others. It enjoys drinking alcohol, gambling, dancing and singing in nightclubs, committing adultery, and going around with a girlfriend. It does not consider these things to be wrong. But when the Noor of Allah enters within it, remorse begins to develop. It may still cause us to commit sins, but afterward it feels remorse for those sins. This is called Nafs-e-Lawwama, because, after committing a sin, it reproaches (malamat) itself. Remorse is the foundation of Tawbah (repentance). When the Noor within the nafs increases greatly, a connection develops between it and the nafs of his Murshid. At that point, Ilham (divine/spiritual inspiration) comes from the Murshid. Whenever it is about to commit a sin, an Ilham comes from the Murshid instructing it not to do so, and it refrains from the sin. This Ilham can also come from the Prophets and Messengers. Because of this Ilham, it is called Nafs-e-Mulhima. Even from this level, the nafs can descend. Because of disrespect towards the Murshid or because of committing a sin, the Nafs-e-Mulhima can descend to Nafs-e-Lawwama, and Nafs-e-Lawwama can further descend to Nafs-e-Ammara. But when the Tajalli of Allah descends upon the Nafs-e-Mulhima, it becomes completely purified, and it is then called Nafs-e-Mutma’inna. This nafs never descends again. Only the Saints who have attained Deedar-e-Ilahi possess the nafs at this level.
“The one who has greater power rules.” If our nafs becomes powerful, it will control our body according to its own desires. And if our Soul becomes powerful through the Noor of Allah, then our Soul will control our body according to its own nature. In other words, when the nafs is powerful, our Jism (physical body) will serve the nafs; and when the Ruh is powerful, the Jism will serve the Ruh.
Nafs-e-Ammara generally exists within those who are eternally hell-bound souls or disbelievers. And if those who are eternally believers are born into a pious household, their nafs may become Nafs-e-Lawwama simply by repeatedly hearing others reciting the Qur’an, Naat Sharif, Durood Sharif, and so forth. Alternatively, through acts of worship and devotion, their nafs may become Nafs-e-Lawwama within a short period. In this case, the assistance of a Murshid is not required.
Surah Al-A‘raf, Verse 204 (7:204)
Wa iza quri’al-Qur’anu fastami‘u lahu wa ansitu la‘allakum turhamun
And when the Qur’an is recited, listen to it attentively and remain silent, so that you may receive mercy.
In order to completely purify the nafs, there is no alternative to having a Kamil Murshid. Therefore, Allah Almighty has repeatedly instructed us in the Holy Qur’an to seek a Wasilah (means/intermediary). This Wasilah is the Kamil Murshid. The duty of the Murshid is to take his Murid (disciple) towards the Deedar-e-Elahi through Tazkiyat-un-Nafs (purification of the lower-self) and Tasfiyat-ul-Qalb (purification of the heart).