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Understanding Nafs
Using reflective, integrative holistic use of the Arabic
Roots and I,II,III,V,VI Arabic Verb Forms
Nafs in its Arabic meaning relates to the soul, the psyche,
the mind, nature, essence, identity, actuality, reality, creature, human being,
desirous, spirited. From the above meanings one can deduce that Nafs refers to
the real, autonomous self that is a living creature, having a specific
identity, wrapped in a certain nature that makes up its essence due to its
desire to be spirited or not.
Within Islam the Ruugh – is the inner Divine Spirit that
energises the nafs (self) towards Divine potentials, while the bodily cravings draws
it towards earthly constrictions. The intensified effort [II] of the self,
strives towards comfort, reassurance and appeasement. To do this the self has
to dispel[II] and banish refuse to uncover its lower desires, control its means
of venting its anger, control its voice to prevent the exposure of its lower
tendencies – allowing it uncover[II] its higher positive features of the self.
The ability to do this is to see the self as precious, valuable and priceless
[I]. If not, the self will be lost and cease to exist [II, nafasa].
When the self has to relate to others [iii, vi] it has
choices to fight, involve in rivalry, contention, competition or to seek
balance through divine guidance and aspire towards innate goodness [Fitrah]
through a struggle [jihad] between good and evil tendencies.
The means to acquire a higher choice of character, the self
has to, reflectively [v] take a breather/ rest before decisions – not to hurry
with actions or reactions. Taking a breath, means that one is actually allowing
Divine Blessing that activate the Ruugh or Spirit to enter the mind via the
relaxed/ oxygenated blood-heart-pump before acting and not acting while the
breath is shallow or exhaling impurities from the lungs – characterised by
sighing and gasping [v]. Relaxed inward breath, raises the conscious awareness
of all possibilities and prevents base/ shallow reactions based on superficial
awareness or illusion.
The negative development features of the self are stimulated
by withholding the self through niggardliness, envy and to begrudge others[I].
A deeper realisation of the self is to consider the body
(space-time bound vessel) as a capsule (sanafa) that contains the self [nafs]
and the Divine Spirit [Ruugh] ( spaceless-timeless entities – the nafs, having
choice between good/evil; the Ruugh being the energising, motivating Divine, Good
Force that permeates every nucleus – waiting to be tapped).
The Nafs has basically 3 levels – The Lower
Nafsul-ammaarah stage – desirous, hasty, self-satisfying, without control,
appetite. The Middle-self or Questioning Self is the nafsul-lowwaama – the self
that starts becoming aware and starts questioning the validity/value of the
thought or action – within the context of Divine Pleasure. The High/
Self-at-Peace is the Nafsul-Mutmainna – the self that has attained the
realisation of its pure essence in total awareness of the divine attributes
within the self – thus adoring God and is totally in service of His Divine
Guidance, and experiencing His divine presence – become then “ godly “ and in
this state the self is not in opposition to the spirit of god within – thus the
nafs/Soul, Rugh/Spirit and Jism/ body acts in unison and the eye, ear, hand and
foot operates within Divine Will and the individual is now back in Fitrah –
absolute divine goodness – able to surpass space, time and operates without
lower-human-created barriers. The person now operates in pure grace and orbits
in praise of The Creator and then exhibits divine powers. It
The above reflective life, gives one the choice either to
enter the world of space/fields (Fasana) or the world of destruction [nasafa]
through pulverising/ scattering or blowing up all the self’s potentials through
negativity, hastiness and non-reflective actions.
And Allah SWT Knows Best.
MFaadiel 20-12-2017
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