The Destructive Nature of the Nafs-i Emmare
In a person’s spiritual journey, the greatest and most insidious enemy is their own nafs (self). The nafs, by its nature, always desires comfort, sin, and rebellion against divine commands. Abdülkadir Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) likens the nafs to a child without reason, blind, and constantly in need of training. A person should not attempt to reform others until they have first disciplined their own nafs. Those who cannot see the errors and weaknesses of their nafs are spiritually blind, and such blindness makes it impossible to find truth.
Ways to Oppose and Struggle Against the Nafs
A true spiritual awakening begins by opposing the nafs and declaring war on its bad habits. Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) says, “Oppose your nafs. Do not obey it. Bind it strongly and do not loosen it,” and commands that while providing the nafs with the basic sustenance it deserves (through lawful means), one must never bow to its spoiled desires. The nafs should be deprived of lusts, pleasures, and empty desires in order to be trained. Every day, a person should hold their nafs accountable, make them confess their mistakes, and force themselves to repent. When the reins of the nafs are taken control of, it transforms from an enemy that harms the individual into an obedient mount that carries them towards Allah.
Ascending to the Station of Mutmainnah
As a result of relentless struggle, the nafs abandons objection and rebellion and reaches the station of “mutmainnah” (peacefulness). When the nafs reaches this station, it submits to the command of the heart, merges with the heart, and becomes a servant of divine secrets. A nafs that obeys Allah’s commands and avoids His prohibitions now encourages its owner not towards evil but towards endless bliss in the afterlife. The person who subdues their nafs and sets aside their desires attains the station of divine nearness and dons a sublime character that even angels marvel at.