The Slavery of the Self and the Fire of Nature
The greatest enemy that distances humans from God and imprisons them in a spiritual dungeon is their own self. Abdülkadir Geylânî (q.s.) states that the self is like a child without reason, blind, and always in need of training; therefore, the path it should take must be shown by force. The self is like a bad slave; it only obeys under duress. If one shows their self the whiteness of their teeth (a smile), it immediately becomes spoiled and throws the load off its back to sleep. Without opposing the self, binding it with strength, and destroying its natural desires, the liberation of the soul is impossible.
Weapons of Struggle: Fasting, Thirst, and Discipline
The most certain way to reform the self is not to give it what it desires and to keep it under strict discipline. Shaykh Geylânî draws attention to the dangers of satisfying the self, saying that only someone who is absolutely convinced that satisfying it will not lead to misguidance can satisfy it, and that they must also perform (worship) an amount equal to what they consume. This war against the self is not a task to be undertaken occasionally and then abandoned; it is a continuous struggle that must last every moment, day by day, and year after year. Struggling one evening and morning and leaving the self unattended for even a moment destroys everything and wastes all gains.
The Station of Tranquility (Mutmainne) and Divine Submission
As a result of this relentless jihad against the self, the spoiled and rebellious self submits and reaches the station of “mutmainne” (tranquility). A believer who strikes the self with the sword of Tawhid, lays it low with the arrow of struggle, and does not remove the fear of God from it, ultimately puts a bit in the mouth of that obedient self and takes its reins. It is then possible to traverse seas, oceans, and lands on the back of this obedient self. God takes pride in the servant who compels his self to this obedience and includes him among the elect of His path.