Nafs

The triliteral root nūn fā sīn (ن ف س) occurs 298 times in the Quran, in four derived forms:^[4]

1. once as the form V verb tanaffasa (تَنَفَّسَ)
2. once as the form VI verb yatanāfasi (يَتَنَافَسِ)
3. 295 times as the noun nafs (نَفْس)
4. once as the form VI active participle mutanāfisūn (مُتَنَٰفِسُون)

The noun nafs has important instances in the Quran such as the following: "O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves..."^[5] The major theme of the word nafs as used in the Quran is to instill a sense of individual responsibility through a strong emphasis on the choices made by the individual (as in 5:105), while at the same time reminding humanity of its common origins (verse 4:1).

The Quran affords much importance to the nafs of an individual, highlighting the agency of free will and intelligence, without which neither responsibility nor accountability can exist. The Quran does not attribute to the nafs any inherent properties of good or evil, but instead conveys the idea that it is something which has to be nurtured and self-regulated, so that it can progress into becoming 'good' and 'inwardly meaningful' through its thoughts and actions. The Quranic conception of the nafs therefore has an extremely modernistic undertone, much like Nietzsche's conception of "Übermensch" or 'Superman', as suggested by Muhammad Iqbal, a prominent Muslim scholar and philosopher, who went as far as to accuse Nietzsche of borrowing the term from Islamic thought. Iqbal stated: "It is probable that Nietzsche borrowed it (Übermensch) from the literature of Islam or of the East and degraded it by his materialism."^[6]

Three principal stages

There are three principal stages of nafs in Sufistic Wisdom, also mentioned in different verses of the Quran. The Sufis call them "stages" in the process of development, refinement and mastery of the nafs.^[7][8]

The inciting nafs (an-nafs al-ʾammārah)

In its primitive stage the nafs incites people to commit evil; this is the nafs as the lower self, the base instincts.^[9][10] In the eponymous Sura of the Quran, Yusuf says "Yet I claim not that my nafs was innocent: Verily the nafs incites to evil."^{[Quran 12:53]} Islam emphasizes the importance of fighting the inciting nafs in Quran^[11] as well as in hadith. One tradition holds that Muhammad said after returning from a war, "We now return from the small struggle (Jihad Asghar) to the big struggle (Jihad Akbar)". His companions asked, "O prophet of God, what is the big struggle?" He replied, "The struggle against temptations."^[12]

This stage is generally divided into the levels al nafs al-hayawaniyya and al nafs al-iblissiyya. Al nafs al-hayawaniyya ("the animal state") describes the self, which runs after material possessesion, sensual desires and animalistic pleasures. Al nafs al-iblissiyya is even lower than the animal state, because the self seeks to replace God in the love for itself.^[13]

The Quran enjoins the faithful "to hinder the nafs from lust",^{[Quran 79:40]} and another traditional narration warns that "the worst enemy you have is [the nafs] between your sides."^[14] Rumi warns of the nafs in its guise of religious hypocrisy, saying "the nafs has a rosary and a Koran in its right hand, and a scimitar and dagger in the sleeve."^[15]

Animal imagery is often used to describe the nafs. A popular image is a donkey or unruly horse that must be trained and broken so that eventually it will bear its rider to the goal.^[9][16] Rumi compares the nafs to a camel that the hero Majnun, representing the intellect ('Aql), strains to turn in the direction of the dwelling-place of his beloved.^[9][15]

The self-accusing nafs (an-nafs al-luwwāmah)

In Sura al-Qiyama the Quran mentions "the self-accusing nafs".^{[Quran 75:2]} This is the stage where "the conscience is awakened and the self accuses one for listening to one’s ego. One repents and asks for forgiveness."^[17] Here the nafs is inspired by one's heart, sees the results of one's actions, agrees with one's brain, sees one's weaknesses, and aspires to perfection.

The nafs at peace (an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah)

In Sura al-Fajr the Quran mentions "the nafs at peace".^{[Quran 89:27]} This is the ideal stage of ego for Muslims. On this level, one is firm in one's faith and leaves bad manners behind.^[17] The soul becomes tranquil, at peace.^[17] At this stage, followers of Sufism have relieved themselves of all materialism and worldly problems and are satisfied with the will of God.

Four additional stages of nafs

In addition to the three principal stages, another four are sometimes cited:

The Inspired Nafs (an-nafs al-mulhamah)

This stage comes between the second (The self-accusing Nafs ) and the third (the Nafs at peace) principal stages. It is the stage of action. On this level "One becomes more firm in listening to one’s conscience, but is not yet surrendered."^[17] Once one have seen one's weaknesses and have set one's targets, this ego inspires one to do good. The Sufis say that it is important that whenever one think of good, one must immediately act upon it. Abbas Bin Abdul Muttalib lays down three rules:

1. Ta'Jeel or Swiftness. A good deed must be done immediately and there should be no laziness.
2. Tehqeer or Contempt. One must look at one's good acts with contempt otherwise one will become self-righteous.
3. Ikhfa or Secrecy. One must keep one's good acts secret otherwise people will praise one and it will make one self-righteous.

According to the Quran, charity should be given both secretly and openly. In Muhammad Asad's translation of the Quran, 14:31 reads: "[And] tell [those of] My servants who have attained to faith that they should be constant in prayer and spend [in Our way], secretly and openly, out of what We provide for them as sustenance, ere there come a Day when there will be no bargaining, and no mutual befriending."

The pleased nafs (an-nafs ar-raḍīyyah)

This stage comes after the third principal stage. On this level "one is pleased with whatever comes from Allah and doesn’t live in the past or future, but in the moment."^[17] "One thinks always: ‘Ilahi Anta Maqsudi wa ridhaka matlubi’. One always sees oneself as weak and in need of Allah."^[17]

The pleasing nafs (an-nafs al-marḍīyyah)

On this level the two Ruhs in man "have made peace".^[17] "One is soft and tolerant with people and has good Akhlaq (Arabic: أخلاق), good manners."^[17]

The pure nafs (an-nafs aṣ-ṣāfīyyah)

On this level "one is dressed in the attributes of the Insan Kamil, the perfected man, who is completely surrendered and inspired by Allah."^[17] One is "in full agreement with the Will of Allah".^[17]

Full sequence of nafs development

Therefore, the full sequence of the seven stages of the development of the nafs is as follows:

1. The inciting nafs (an-nafs al-ʾammārah)
2. The self-accusing nafs (an-nafs al-luwwāmah)
3. The inspired nafs (an-nafs al-mulhamah)
4. The nafs at peace (an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah)
5. The pleased nafs (an-nafs ar-raḍīyyah)
6. The pleasing nafs (an-nafs al-marḍīyyah)
7. The pure nafs (an-nafs aṣ-ṣāfīyyah)

Dervishes from the Jerrahi school of Sufism are encouraged to study a text describing these stages of nafs as a nested series of cities.^[8]

Characteristics of nafs

In its primitive state the nafs has seven characteristics that must be overcome:

1. Pride (Takabbur)
2. Greed (Tamaa)
3. Jealousy (Hasad)
4. Lust (Shahwah)
5. Backbiting (Gheebah)
6. Stinginess (Bokhl)
7. Malice (Keena)

Discover more about Sufism's conception of nafs related topics

Joseph in Islam

Joseph in Islam

Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim is a prophet mentioned in the Quran and corresponds to Joseph, a person from the Hebrew and Christian Bible who was said to have lived in Egypt before the New Kingdom. Of Jacob's children, Joseph reportedly had the gift of prophecy. Although the narratives of other prophets are presented in a number of surahs, Joseph's complete narrative appears in only one: Yusuf. Said to be the most detailed narrative in the Quran, it contains more details than its biblical counterpart.

Quran

Quran

The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters, which consist of verses. In addition to its religious significance, it is widely regarded as the finest work in Arabic literature, and has significantly influenced the Arabic language.

Hadith

Hadith

Ḥadīth or Athar refers to what most Muslims and the mainstream schools of Islamic thought, believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators. In other words, the ḥadīth are transmitted reports attributed to what Muhammad said and did.

Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is believed to be the Seal of the Prophets within Islam. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity, with the Quran as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis of Islamic religious belief.

Prophet

Prophet

In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the supernatural source to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy.

God

God

In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In non-monotheistic thought, a god is "a spirit or being believed to control some part of the universe or life and often worshipped for doing so, or something that represents this spirit or being".

Lust

Lust

Lust is a psychological force producing intense desire for something, or circumstance while already having a significant amount of the desired object. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality, money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food as distinct from the need for food or lust for redolence, when one is lusting for a particular smell that brings back memories. It is similar to but distinguished from passion, in that passion propels individuals to achieve benevolent goals whilst lust does not.

Rumi

Rumi

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī, Mevlânâ/Mawlānā and Mevlevî/Mawlawī, but more popularly known simply as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. Rumi's influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Kurds, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, as well as Muslims of the Indian subcontinent have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi has been described as the "most popular poet" and the "best selling poet" in the United States.

Rosary

Rosary

The Rosary, also known as the Dominican Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or beads used to count the component prayers. When referring to the prayer, the word is usually capitalized ; when referring to the prayer beads as an object, it is written with a lower-case initial letter.

Scimitar

Scimitar

A scimitar is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, scimitar does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different Eastern curved swords inspired by types introduced to the Middle East by Central Asian ghilmans. These swords include the Persian shamshir, the Arab saif, the Indian talwar, the North African nimcha, and the Turkish kilij. All such swords are originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia (Turkestan).

'Aql

'Aql

‘Aql, is an Arabic language term used in Islamic philosophy or theology for the intellect or the rational faculty of the soul or mind. It is the normal translation of the Greek term nous. In jurisprudence, it is associated with using reason as a source for sharia "religious law" and has been translated as "dialectical reasoning".