The
Soul and its Purification
I Want to Fight My Soul So What
Is The Way?
Author: Nawwal Bint Abdullaah
Source: Translator Abu Iyaad
All Praise is due to Allaah the Rabb of all the Worlds and prayers and peace
upon the best creation of Allaah.
To proceed:
We hear many complaints from the people. Most of their complaints are related to
their souls, which command them what is evil. They also complain about the evil
of their actions. One of them says:
Indeed I have been put to trial with four, they did not afflict me
Except due to my misfortune and wretchedness
Iblees, the world, the soul and the desire
How will this end when they are my enemies, all of them
So we find some of them saying 'I have tried many times, repeatedly, to turn my
soul away from committing these specific acts of disobedience but my efforts
have failed.'
Another one says: 'I tried to get my soul to perform acts of obedience (to
Allaah), good and righteous deeds but I am not able to remain firm upon them, I
leave them so quickly.'
And we hear a third one say: 'I have repented from many evil actions and
promised myself that I would not commit them again. However after the passing of
time and being occupied much it did not take long before I returned to them. In
fact I fell into others and increased in them.'
If we were to look at the condition of these people we would realise that among
the reasons for their not being able to dominate and control their souls and not
being able to remain firm upon what they have promised themselves is their lack
of striving against their souls. In fact they have left the fetters and reins
for the soul so that it leads them and plays with them however it wills. The
soul is such that if it is not fought against and controlled it commands its
possessor to commit evil and obscene deeds. These people, because they have not
fought against their souls and controlled them in that which Allaah loves and is
pleased with, are not able to remain constant in their (good) actions. For this
reason it is necessary for them to control their souls for Allaah's pleasure and
His obedience. Not that it should control them and as a result destroy them
It is vital that a person launches a war against his soul. One which is not
haphazard or aimless but rather a firm and determined one in which he uses the
weapons of faith (eemaan), sincerity to Allaah (ikhlaas), patience (sabr) and
supplication (du'a). He uses them until he is able to overcome this mischievous
enemy which is concealed between the two sides of his body [the soul, which
commands the evil]. As a result he tames and pacifies it and makes it obedient,
humble and submissive to the command of Allaah.
For this reason we find that Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) says: 'Since the jihaad against
the enemies of Allaah outwardly (i.e. physically) is a branch of the jihaad of
the servant against his own soul for the sake of Allaah...'
The jihaad that is greater and mightier than the jihaad against the disbelievers
and pagans is the jihaad of a person against his own soul for the sake of Allaah,
just as the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "The
Mujaahid is the one who struggles against his own soul in Allaah's
obedience." [Tirmidhee who said it was Hasan Saheeh and Al-Albaanee said:
'Its isnaad is good']
And when a person is not able to struggle against his own soul and overcome it
in that which Allaah loves, he will not be able to fight against the external
enemy, nor overcome it. How can he, when he is defeated and weak, both mentally
and spiritually, and cannot even gain control of his own feeble soul?
Before entering into the discussion of how to fight against the soul it is
necessary to mention a little section about the soul and its nature. Then we
shall mention the cure for the soul and the way to purify it from its desires
and lusts, if Allaah wills.
The Reality of the Soul
The soul continuously calls its owner to transgression, preference of the world,
the desires and love of the delights and pleasures. But Allaah calls His servant
to fear of Him, awe of Him and forbids the soul from its whim. He has prepared a
mighty reward for the one who follows His command. The Exalted said:
And as for the one fears the standing in front of His Lord and restrains the
soul from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode. [Soorah
Naazi'aat 79:40-41]
The soul in its essence calls and commands the evil. Allaah the Exalted said:
Verily the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His
Mercy (upon whomsoever He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving,
Most-Merciful. [Soorah Yoosuf 12:53]
The soul was originally created ignorant and given to transgression. Knowledge,
guidance and righteousness are things that befall it due to inspiration from its
Lord and then by the struggle against it by its owner and his nurturing it and
engaging it in jihaad. Allaah the Exalted says:
And those who strive in Our way We shall guide them to our paths and verily
Allaah is with the doers of good (muhsinoon). [Soorah Ankabut 29:69]
Allaah
Azzawajall guaranteed the one whom He found trying and striving (against his
soul) that He will be with him, will help him and will bring into reality his
wish or desire (of domination over his soul). What then can a man desire after
that?
And Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) said: "The travellers to Allaah, in all their
different paths and diversity of their ways are agreed that the soul is a
barrier between the heart and Allaah and that it (the heart) will not come close
to Him, the Sublime, or arrive to Him except after killing his soul , abandoning
it by opposing it and being victorious over it"
For this reason, it is obligatory upon us to fight and strive against it in
order to travel (by this striving) in the straight path and to the clear success
which Allaah Azzawajall has prescribed for us and which the best of the creation
of Allaah, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) has explained to us.
Know that striving against the soul does not occur except by four ways. Whoever
follows them and applies them to his soul will have fought against it and
protected it with the help of Allaah. Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) has mentioned these
ways and they are as follows:
Firstly: By holding the soul to account
Secondly: By opposing it and not following its whims and desires
Thirdly: By making it patient in Allaah's obedience
Fourthly: By making it patient in refraining Allaah's disobedience
The First Way: Holding the Soul to Account
The destruction of the soul and the heart and their corruption is due to the
neglect of calling the soul to account. There are very few amongst Allaah's
servants whom you will find calling their souls to account. One will ask it
constantly: What did I intend with that word of mine, or that advice I gave, or
when I called unto Allaah or when I commanded the good and forbade the evil (on
a particular occasion)? Was that word which my tongue engaged upon and which my
mouth uttered a word sincerely for Allaah? Did I desire the Face of Allaah with
it? Or did I desire a portion of the world with it? What did I desire with that
action, whether it was prayer, charity, fasting or putting and end to a certain
evil? What did I hope for from it and what was the desire behind it? Did I hope
for reward from Allaah for it and His pleasure, or was my hope for reward and
praise from Allaah's creation, showing off and seeking to be heard of?
In such a way does he question his soul and hold it to account for every word,
movement and moment of rest. What did I hope for from it? And what did I desire
by it?
May Allaah show mercy to Al-Hasan al-Basree who said: "You will not find a
believer except that he is (constantly) holding his soul to account. What did I
intend with that word of mine? What did I intend with my food? What did I intend
with my drink?"
Imaam Ahmad wrote: "The intelligent person is the one who controls his own
soul (calls it to account) and acts (in preparation) for what comes after
death...", and what is after death? After death is the barzakh. After death
there is accountability and punishment. After death are the Scales (upon which
the deeds are weighed) and the Siraat (the bridge over Hellfire) and then it is
either Paradise or Hellfire. So what have we prepared for what comes after
death?! "...and the incapable person is the one who makes his soul follow
its whim and has many expectations from Allaah."
Such a person is the one who says 'Allaah will forgive me, Allaah will show
mercy upon me', he covets all these things from Allaah and yet he does not
perform the righteous actions and falls into many sins and acts of disobedience.
Righteous actions are one of the means of entering Paradise. It is not
sufficient for someone to have expectations (from Allaah) without making some
effort and sacrifice and striving with his soul to perform righteous actions.
Allaah Azzawajall frequently links eemaan with righteous actions and it is also
one of the ways of entering into Paradise. We ask Allaah to grant us His
Gardens.
Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: "Call your souls to account before you are
called to account and weigh your souls (i.e. your actions) before you are
weighed for it will make the accountability easier for you tomorrow if you call
your selves to account today" [Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad]
Maalik ibn Deenaar (rh) said:"May Allaah show mercy to a servant who said
:'Are you not the perpetrator of this action? Are you not the perpetrator of
that action? Then he rebukes it, strikes it and confines it to the Book of
Allaah and is becomes its master and guide.'"