FIFTH CHAPTER · SECOND SECTION · First Article
First Article
It explains how the nafs al-lawwāma (the self-reproaching nafs) received this name, its spiritual journey (seyr),
its realm, its place and states, its inwardly inspired states (wārid), and its attributes.
O dear one! It should be known that the friends of Allah (awliyāʾ) have said: The nafs al-nāṭiqa (the rational soul) found in the second spiritual station, having repented from commanding evil and reproaching itself greatly, has thus been named nafs al-lawwāma (the self-reproaching nafs). As the Truth, exalted is He, has stated in His Noble Qur'an: “And I swear by the self-reproaching soul (nafs al-lawwāma) (that you will be resurrected and called to account).” (Qiyāmah 75:2)
The spiritual journey of the nafs al-lawwāma is toward Allah. Its realm is the barzakh (intermediate) realm. Its locus is the heart (qalb), and its state is love (maḥabbat). The meanings (wārid) that come to the heart are the spiritual path (tariqa), and its actions consist of what the Beloved of the Truth, the Noble Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), performed. Its attributes are: reproaching and desiring, thought, self-admiration (ʿujb), fondness for eating and drinking (ishrat), objecting to people, severity, wishfulness, hidden ostentation (riyāʾ), secret love of station, and attachment to desires.
Some characteristics belonging to the nafs al-ammāra (the commanding nafs) remain in this nafs as well, but now they are habits and natural dispositions. However, even with the aforementioned attributes, the nafs al-lawwāma sees truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood, and is disturbed because of these qualities. Yet, what can it do, for it does not have the power to rid itself of them. Its love for the religion and its inclination toward the path of truth (tariqa) are constant, and this desire continues with steadfastness. [324/a] It performs righteous deeds such as prayer, fasting, and charity. However, self-admiration and hidden ostentation infiltrate this nafs. Dangerous thoughts always occupy its mind. For this reason, the owner of this nafs loves for people to know of his deeds. Even though what he does is for Allah and not for people, the situation remains the same. Even in righteous deeds that he hides from everyone, he still wishes that others would praise and exalt him for what he has done.
He is disgusted by this trait as well and can never find peace. Yet, what can he do, for it is not possible for him to completely uproot these qualities. For if he could entirely uproot this trait from his heart, he would become a servant safe from spiritual dangers and endowed with ikhlas (sincerity). Moreover, every person of ikhlas is also upon a great danger (khaṭar-i ʿaẓīm). As the Noble Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) has said:
“All people will perish [because of their sins], except the scholars. The scholars will also perish, except those who act upon their knowledge. Those who act upon their knowledge will also perish, except the sincere (mukhlisūn). And the sincere are in great danger.” [115]
For even the sincere wish that people know of their sincerity. Yet, hidden ostentation is precisely this: you desire that people know what you have done. Open ostentation is to do something for the sake of people. Therefore, the hidden form of ostentation is more dangerous; it leads a person to hidden shirk (associating partners with God).
Whenever the sālik (spiritual traveler) sees that he possesses the aforementioned qualities, let him know that he is at the second station among the degrees of the nafs al-nāṭiqa. This is called nafs al-lawwāma. The sālik at the second station becomes one of the abrar (the righteous) and the people of taqwa (God-consciousness). Even if the possessor of this station is sincere in his deeds, he cannot be sure of being safe from facing great danger.
Nevertheless, this station is the second in relation to the path of the muqarrabūn (those brought near to Allah). For they (i.e., the muqarrabūn) have sought to transcend their own nafs and subsist with the Master (Allah), and before their appointed time arrives, they have been commanded to die a voluntary death (irādī mawt) and have taken the path of annihilation (fanāʾ). For their Master has said to them: “Die before you die (i.e., die a voluntary death before physical death).” [116] With this command, they have striven to break the evil desires of their nafs and kill them spiritually.
In relation to the abrar (the righteous) who will receive their book of deeds in their right hand (ahl al-yamīn) on the Day of Judgment, this (second) station is known as the last of the degrees they can reach and the final point of the stages they can traverse. For this reason, it has been said: “The good deeds of the abrar are like the sins of the muqarrabūn.” For the friends of Allah among the muqarrabūn do not remain at this second station, but ascend to higher stations and rise until they reach the seventh station. It is certain that above these seven stations, there are five more stations for them, the details of which will be explained in later sections.
The muqarrabīn do not remain at this second station for the following reason: since there is the possibility of facing great danger and severe reproach in this station, those who remain here do not see comfort or safety. For the highest degree in the second station is ikhlas (sincerity), and even the people of ikhlas (mukhlisūn) are confronted with the test of great danger. For them, it is not possible to escape this danger. However, in reality, it is only possible to be saved from this by witnessing with spiritual perception (shuhūd-i dhawqī) that the One who moves and keeps one firm in place is Allah, exalted is He, and by passing beyond the witnessing of ikhlas. Yet, attaining this shuhūd-i dhawqī is only possible by entering the path of the muqarrabūn. The abrar cannot even sense its fragrance. For the muqarrabūn have reached certainty (yaqīn) through certain proofs and some unveilings (kashf). The Truth, exalted is He, has made worship the beginning and entryway for such servants so that He may admit whomever He wills into His presence through that door.
Thus, the muqarrabūn have entered through those doors to hold fast to the command of the Truth, and with their insight (basīra), they have witnessed only Him. They have not paid attention to or relied upon the aforementioned doors. They have not followed the path of self-admiration (ʿujb) or ostentation (riyāʾ). Rather, they have seen and known the blessings of hudā (guidance) upon themselves. By taking the help (tawfīq) of the Truth as their companion and with the opening of the paths of worship, they have known that they have been deemed worthy and accepted to enter through the gate of servitude. The person of perfection whose state is as described above does not need ikhlas. Rather, [324/b] ikhlas does not even come to his mind.
For he does not see any action for his own nafs in what he does, such that he would consider ikhlas necessary for it. In what he does, there is no act for anyone other than Allah, the All-Wise, the Absolute Doer (Faʿʿāl-i Ḥakīm), that he should be harmed or saddened by it. For this reason, he is sincere in all his actions and is always joyful and at peace in every state.
Nevertheless, since the leading ones among the abrar have not reached this degree, they see it as if they themselves are creating their deeds. In this case, they are responsible for seeking ikhlas in their own actions. For the abrar have been veiled from witnessing that Allah, exalted is He, creates everything visible and all the actions of the servants. In this state, they have become distressed and troubled due to some actions. In the end, their fatigue and hardship reach such a degree that if one of them were to enter a mouse hole, immediately a cat would be set upon him and torment him with its claws. As it is narrated: “If a believer were to enter a lizard's hole, Allah would surely set upon him something there to torment him.” For within them are human traits that necessitate the existence of bad qualities such as self-admiration and arrogance, which cause fatigue and constriction of the chest.
Poem
1- Whoever hurts you, it is your shaykh and preacher who is that thorn.
He is the tanner of the Truth (the purifier); you will be purified, do not flee.
2- When your heart and soul are purified, you will understand the world.
Like the wave of the sea, no one remains settled in the world.
3- Someone would say to his house: “O house! Do not suddenly collapse upon me, be sure to give notice!”
4- That house collapsed upon its owner one night. He said: “O house! Where are all my admonitions now?”
5- The house replied: “I informed you with my cracks. As I opened my mouth, you, O builder, closed it.”
6- In the parable, the house is the body, its cracks are illnesses.
As the body opens its mouth, you closed the path of speech.
7- The headache says: “Death has come, the body has fallen, O Truth! Leave aside ointments and medicines, come to Allah, O beloved!”
In contemporary Turkish
1- Whoever hurts you, it is your shaykh and preacher who is that thorn. He is the tanner of the Truth (purifier); you will be purified, do not flee.
2- When your heart and soul are purified, you will understand the world. Like the wave of the sea, no one remains settled in the world.
3- Someone would say to his house: “O house! Do not suddenly collapse upon me, be sure to give notice!”
4- That house collapsed upon its owner one night. He said: “O house! Where are all my admonitions now?”
5- The house replied: “I informed you with my cracks. As I opened my mouth, you, O builder, closed it.”
6- In the parable, the house is the body, its cracks are illnesses. As the body opens its mouth, you closed the path of speech.
7- The headache says: “Death has come, the body has fallen, O Truth! Leave aside ointments and medicines, come to Allah, O beloved!”