What is Nafs. (Post 6)

What is Nafs, a brief explanation. Khaliq

Nafs is the self, soul in its unrefined state. It is the lowest dimension of one's inward existence. The Nafs has 7 main characteristics and each has several other related characteristics and all of them must be overcome. The main 7 are:

1.Greed (Hirs), 2.Envy (Hasad), 3.Lust(Shahwah), 4.Backbiting (Gheebat), 5.Malice(Keena) and includes hate, resentment and anger. 6. uncharitable or ungenerous(Bokhl)*. 7. inflated sense of self (Takabbur).

The struggle to overcome them continues as long as one lives.

The suggested steps to gain control on them and acquire virtues like compassion, forgiveness, patience, truth, justice etc., are described below. However before starting one needs to contemplate on all the 7 and related characteristics and decide the one you will start to work on first. Once you have started be persistent and do not hop to the next until you have gained some control on the previous one. Remember that it is a life time struggle and hence called the major or the real jihad.

Step 1: Reflection: At the end of each day, devote time to evaluate your deeds and compliance of your obligatory duties*. Continue to perform all prayers and try to do more good deeds each day. Develop a consciousness of what is right from the religious perspective and develop awareness of sin and sawab. Use your will power to shun temptations. Continue to do Zikr in your free moments whenever it is possible. You do not need tasbeeh to remember God. You can do it while waiting for a bus or while riding the subway etc. It does not need to be a specific number that you have to count. It can be as many times as time permits. Tasbeeh is good when you have time and space to do it.

Step 2: Self‑conditioning: After getting some self control by observing actions described in step 1 make a commitment to refrain from a habit, for example, backbiting, and continue exercising your will power for several days until you have achieved some control over this habit. During this process add a virtue such as forgiveness. Then proceed to other habits like inflated ego or greed and add a virtue like compassion and work on it for as many days as necessary. At the end of each day thank Allah for the progress and pray that you succeed in your struggle to purge all sinful desires and acquire virtues such as compassion, justice, truth, humility etc. It is a life long process and is a test of your patience and will power. During the process keep up the Zikr, acts of good deeds and Ibadat(prayers and devotion). Khaliq (Apr 2006).

Masnavi of Rumi. The end and object...(Post 75)

The end and object of all negation is to attain to subsequent affirmation, as the negation in the creed, "There is no God," finds its complement and purpose in the affirmation "but God." Just so the purpose of negation of self is to clear the way for the apprehension of the fact that there is no existence but the One. The intoxication of Life and its pleasures and occupations veils the Truth from men's eyes, and they ought to pass on to the spiritual intoxication which makes men beside themselves and lifts them to the beatific vision of eternal Truth.

Omar Khayyam(1048-1131) come fill ..(Post 163)

Omar Khayyam a polymath is best known for his Rubaiyats translated by Edward Fitzgerald in the 1880s. Sufi poetry has lot of references to wine and love, more so in Hafiz(1325–1389) and Omar Khayyam. However their wine did not come from a bottle but a mystical experience. Love is Love of God (Ishque Allah). Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To flutter---and the Bird is on the Wing.

Muslim women rulers, scholars a repeat (Post 305)

Muslim women rulers, scholars and Sufis . 1.Women Sufies and Scholars Rabia Al Basri and Fatima Naishapuri, born in the 8th century were the early scholars and Sufis. As-Sulami (died in 1021) in his publication Early Sufi Women* mentions that between the 8th and 11th century there who 80 respected Sufi teachers and spritual guides. Some known figures were Lubna of Cordoba (Spain) who died in 984, who was a scholar and a mathematician. She presided over the famous Library of Cordoba that had about 500,000 books. Fatima b Al Qasim died in 1216. She was also from Andalusia and is regarded as one of the most learned scholar of her time. Zainab B Ahmed died in 1339 and was an eminent Islamic scholar of the 14th century. Bibi Hatati Kirmani and Aisha of Damascus were known Sufi teachers in the 15th century. Jaahan Ara(1592-1666) daughter of Emperor Shahjahan was a Sufi and a writer. (Women ...

Islam and Sufism an introduction

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