In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The human being has 3 primary enemies and causes of destruction and misguidance: your nafs (lower self) and hawa (desires), the dunya (this temporary material world) and shaytan (satan).
1. The desires of the ego (Hawa Al Nafs). Also known as the hidden lust. This is the first and most dangerous of the enemies for through its existence the other two enemies exist and without it there is no existence to the inner enemies of the Nafs. This enemy is inside the very essence of the human being, i.e. in his nafs, in the left half and is inspired to transgression (Fujur). It is the opposite of the right side of the soul that is inspired to consciousness (Taqwah).
The transgression of the nafs is contained in its desires and its desires mean its lust for immortality (Me!) and sovereignty (boundless greed and covetousness). This enemy is the main cause of the self-oppression of humanity. This oppression leads to either denial and polytheism or to misguidance, disobedience, and sins. There is no remedy for these two desires except through constantly reminding the nafs of its mortality and the certainty of death.
"...Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy." (Yusuf 12:53)2. The desire for the ornaments of the world (Shahwat Al Dunia). This is the second enemy but it is outside of the human being's essence. It is the weapon of Iblis that he displays before the lustful eyes of the ego's desire. Thus he makes it like a mirror that attracts the nafs and seduces it so that it stirs and moves toward inequity and attachment to its desires and the love of the material world that leads it to drown in the world's false and perishing ocean.
The only remedy for this desire is to become aware and certain of the fleeting nature of this world and of the necessity of losing one's attachment to it. It is to know the world for the temporary abode and place of trial and test that it is. It is to understand that this world is part of a continuum.
The desires of the world are five as explained in the Quran:
"Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. (14)" (AleImran 3:14)If we truly understand the reality of dunya and how cheap and little the dunya is, we can start living a life of indifference towards it.
3. Shaytan is the third enemy (Shaytan Ar-Rajeem). He is also external to the human being's essence. His role is to seduce, mislead, and make beautiful all that is false and forbidden and repugnant in this world in order to cause the nafs to become attached to these things through its desires.
Shaytan has no means other than to embellish and tempt the ego and no weapon except to energize and stir the two inner desires of the ego, the "Me" and "Greed" so that the human being will inflate himself and in turn increase his separation. In this way shaytan leads the human being to either denial and polytheism or to disobedience and sins. If we understand the tricks of shaytan, we can start closing the doors on him through constant remembrance and seeking refuge in Allah and in putting one's trust in Him.
"Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze." (6) (Fatir 22:6)The ascent or descent of the Nafs depends on the degree of remedy and protection from these three enemies. So the Nafs either ascends to the station of "…the most beautiful station." Or it may descend to the station of "…the lowest of the low."
The Qur'an mentions five levels for the human soul. The basic level is the one in which we are born which is called the Blaming Self (Nafs Al Lawwama). If it is neglected and left to its whims and desires it will descend to the station of the Commanding Self (Nafs Al Ammara). And if it is developed and cared for through effort and resistance to its desires it will, InshaAllah, ascend to the highest levels of closeness, contentment, and love for Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
The higher levels are three, the first one above the Blaming Self is the Secure Self (Nafs Al Muttma'ina), followed by the Content Self (Nafs Al Radiyah), and finally to the Gratified Self (Nafs Al Mardiyyah) and that is the self that reaches its natural place and station which is "…the most beautiful station."
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned the states of nafs: "The Nafs is a single entity, although its state may change: from the Nafs al-Ammara, to the Nafs al-Lawwama, to the Nafs al-Mutma'inna, which is the final aim of perfection.
Imam Baghawi says: "The Nafs al-Mutma'inna has an angel to help it, who assists and guides it. The angel casts good into the Nafs so that it desires what is good and is aware of the excellence of good actions. The angel also keeps the self away from wrong action and shows it the ugliness of bad deeds. All in all, whatever is for Allah and by him, always comes from the Soul which is at Peace. The Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' has Shaytan as its ally. He promises it great rewards and gains, but casts falsehood into it. He invites it and entices the soul to do evil. He leads it on with hope after hope and presents falsehood to the soul in a form that it will accept and admire."
It has been said that the Nafs al-Lawwama is the one, which cannot rest in any one state. It often changes, remembers and forgets, submits and evades, loves and hates, rejoices and become sad, accepts and rejects, obeys and rebels.
Nafs al-Lawwama is also the Nafs of the believer….It has also been mentioned that the Nafs blames itself on the Day of Qiyamah - for every one blames himself for his actions, either his bad deeds, if he was one who had many wrong actions, or for his shortcomings, if he was one who did good deeds.
The Gnostics (Arifun) have detailed and explained this matter and made it easy for the Muslim to know it and act upon it thus making immunity and remedy easy. They made the levels seven in number within the scope of the five mentioned in the Qur'an.
7 Levels of Nafs
1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands)
2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames, the Reproaching soul)
3. Nafs Al Malhamah (The Inspired Self)
4. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace)
5. Nafs Al Radhiyah (The Content Self)
6. Nafs Al Mardhiyah (The Gratified Self)
7. Nafs Al Kamila (The Complete Self)
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَءَاثَرَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿٣٨﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٤١[Qur'an An-Nazi'at 79:37-41]
So as for he who transgressed (37) And preferred the life of the world, (38) Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge. (39) But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, (40) Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge. (41)
May Allah grant us tawfiq to the highest station. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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