The Blind and Ignorant Nature of the Nafs (Self)
At the center of the struggle (mujahada) that a person undertakes with their inner world on the Sufi path lies the nafs. Abdülkadir Geylani (q.s.) likens the nafs to a spoiled child without reason, blind, and always in need of training. He says, “It has no intellect. It is like a small child. Its eyes are also blind. You must show it the way.” Thus, he emphasizes that a person cannot learn anything from their own nafs but rather must teach it the truth under the guidance of knowledge and reason. By its very nature, the nafs always demands comfort, sin, lustful desires, and boundless freedom. A person who submits to these ignorant whims is no different than a hapless traveler following a blind guide towards an abyss.
Ways to Train the Nafs
The reformation of a spoiled and stubborn child is only possible through uncompromising discipline. Shaykh Geylani commands a relentless struggle against the nafs: “Do not show it the whiteness of your teeth, but display majesty when its eyes are open so that it does not look and see the whiteness within. It is a bad slave, and only obeys force.” In this metaphor, the “stick” refers to spiritual discipline in Sufism: fasting, eating little, sleeping little, and adhering strictly to acts of worship. Do not immediately respond to the nafs’s desires; give it only the minimum necessary for survival (from lawful sources). When it is satisfied, it gains control; when kept hungry and under discipline, it becomes an obedient mount.
The Nafs Transformed into an Obedient Mount
After a long and arduous struggle, the nafs abandons its rebellious nature and reaches the station of “mutmainna” (tranquility). It now submits to the command of the heart and soul, transforming from an enemy urging towards evil to a faithful steed accompanying the servant on the right path. Geylani (q.s.) states, “Recognize your nafs only when performing commands and prohibitions,” indicating that its true face is revealed only when confronted with the rules of Sharia. A person who leaves their nafs to its own devices and does not imprison it with divine commandments will never attain true spiritual freedom. When the nafs is defeated, a person rises to an exalted rank envied even by the angels.