What is purpose of creation?
Allah said "He doesn't create the jinns and man except they worship/serve Him..." Jinns is mentioned before man in the hadith above because they are the first inhabitant on earth,but later dethroned due to misused of opportunity given to them..
Worship should be performed by the whole man i.e entirety of man. Human being is more than one entity,it has more than one component,apart from part of the body i.e leg,head etc. "Man has two life lives in two worlds in one existence" which is body and soul..Body is the apparent part that live on earth and the soul is the inner part that lives in inner world.
Human being must worship with this three things: body,soul, and spirit because they are the component that makes the whole man,spirit is part that is given directly from God, its spirit that is out of beings during sleeping, soul is force in man which generally inclined harming him, it shall be discuss extensively later in the book.
INSTRUMENTS OF WORSHIP
Three things are involved in worship as we said earlier which are:
1. Body: it is the tool for worshipping with physical body,which is "fiqh".
2. Heart:- ilm taoheed or ilm kalam are tools to worship through heart.
3. Soul:- knowledge of tasawwuf or mystics is used to worship the soul.
NOTE: if man don't worship with these three components,he may not be blessed. It means the type of component the man used to worship determine the level of his faith. If he worship with body alone,it makes him a Muslim, but if its with heart,it makes him a Mu'meen and if he worship with his soul, that makes him Muhseen. The level of Muhseen can't be attained unless the other level has been passed. Allah says " all your hearings,seeings and inner beings or feeling i.e mind will be accounted for.."This Ayat implies every components is very important.
Shaykh Ibrahim said in His Ruhu li Adab that seek for four type of knowledge,which he mentioned in it that "study the nature of soul due to its trencheous nature because every components has its shortcomings,even Ruhu,despite been from God; because they are differs though they are all good but due to small shortcomings..
://nasrul-ilm.blog.co.uk/2014/10/11/tezkiyatul-nafsi-19541221/
Concept of Nafsi
What is Nafsi?
This is a force in man which generally inclined towards harming him,in his religious activities or moral affairs. It is making use of other components i.e it control them.
Faculties of Soul(nafsi)
According to many scholars,it is classified into four:
1. Power of intelligent(Al-kuwatul Al-akiliyah):- it helps to distinguish between true and false, right and wrong etc.
2. Power of Anger(Al kuwatu ghazabiyah):- it is very ferocious,it enable to defend during external aggression..
3. Power of desires,attraction(kuwatu shaawiyah):- it is power that makes man to be liking things like woman and worldly things. it helps to continue man existence..
4. Power of imagination( kuwatul wahamiyyah):- it helps to know what will happen by considering what has happened and what is happening to know what will later happen through the imaginary power. It is power used by reserchers..
This four powers can be weak or strong, and the power that dominates in man determine the kind of person he is.
However,human soul is a battle field where there is struggle on which power to dominate and this involve fierce fighting and great struggle, that is why purification of soul is called "Jihad Akbar",because it involved fighting,conquer and taming it..
Also,the four powers determine ones appearance in barzakh. Barzakh means Hereafter,that is the next world man will be after dealth and before the day of judgement..
Purification of soul is used to address ones self not another person, because same activities or works can be done by two different people and one earn reward and other person earn punishment..
For a man to be successful,all the four powers( kuwatu batiniyah) should be brought or control by power of intelligent,if that is done, the soul has been purified..though all the powers are good and important but depends on how its controlled..
Purification of soul
This is systematic struggle against rebellion self through constant meditation,zikr and other devotional activities within the shariah under the competent Murshid to have tranquility.
State of soul
The man stands between two extreme;
1. below the beast i.e status of animal.
2. above the status of the angel..
The state of soul are classified into:
1. The Commanding Self (nafs al ammara),
2. The Blaming Self (nafs al lawwama),
3. The Inspired Self (nafs al mulhimah),
4. The Satisfied Self (nafs al mutmainnah),
5. The Consenting Self (nafs al radiyah),
6. The Consent-Given Self (nafs al mardiyyah),
7. The Purified Self (nafs al safiyyah).
The phrase of "states of Nafs" denotes basically the "stages of consciousness". When the consciousness takes shape in the beginning, it considers all the carnal desires as if they are its own desires because it recognizes itself as a physical body as a result of its database. Thus, it leads a life completely focused on the needs and pleasures of the body. This is identified as the Commanding Self. At that level of understanding, the consciousness recognizes itself as a physical body. While still accepting himself as a body, thinking that his life will never come to an end but go on in some way after the body dies, and that he will experience the consequences of his deeds in this world, the Self begins to feel regret because he realizes his possible wrongdoings while considering his future life after death. This state is described as blaming the Self.
As seen above, the Self at both of these levels, that are the states of consciousness, are connected to and focused on the physical body. The consciousness at that state is not aware of its heaven (sama) yet. Its world is the earth (ardh), the physical body. All his delights, concerns and struggles are connected with his ardh, that is his body. If a person's consciousness realizes that it is not in fact a body but a reflection of the universal oneness or an expression of the qualities possessed by the universal oneness, at the level that its capacity allows, such awareness is called as "the Inspired Self" (nafs al mulhimah) in view of its characterization because such awareness is realized through inspirations (ilham). At that level of understanding, the consciousness begins getting rid of the idea of accepting himself as a body. He sometimes feels himself as a body and sometimes as something separate from the body. However, what kind of an entity he is at that state of feeling separate from the body is not clear to him yet. Also, that is not a state that can be experienced through knowing. This stage of understanding for the consciousness is the most difficult stage of life. There, the consciousness faces many contradictions. He may sometimes consider himself as a servant, other times as a God, experiencing the odd results of such sensations. The person, who sees himself as God at that stage, may even find the level of sainthood (walayat) as lowering for himself. He may, thus let loose all his values and fall on a completely corporeal life. For people of true faith (muhaqqikun), the act of "reading" begins to be practiced at that level of consciousness. When reading the system, which is called "Sunnat-Allah", is initiated for such a consciousness, then the "why"s of "what" RasulAllah brought opens to him at the level of realization known as "certainty through Haqq (haqq ul yakeen)". He becomes khaneef (worship-free of a God) at that station. His is "actual belief" in the one named as "ALLAH" at that level. He is purified from the spiritual power of "heartless discovery, unveiling" (kashf-i zulmani) and possesses the spiritual power of "caring discovery" (kashf-i noorani). He begins to perceive the secrets of the Qur'an that rule till Doomsday. He who experiences that spiritual state is called as "arif" (Aware -Gnostic). Almost all the persons whose believers (ahl-al taqlid) among common people assume them to be saints (awliya) and even regard them suitable for the spiritual status of Ghawth, Qutb (chief center authorities of spiritual influence) and are at that realm of consciousness. Those persons may sometimes think themselves as real possessors of those spiritual positions (martaba) due to their level of comprehension, whereas theirs is yet no more than a small accumulation of water coming down from the fountain of sainthood (walayat).
Diseases of the Soul
There are many diseases of the soul that are to be purified which are: Riyah, Ujb(self conscious),kibr(pride),Takabur(arrogance), Envy,false hope...
UJB (Self-conceit)
This is blame worthy state of the soul in which man thinks highly of himself on account of advantage real or imagine..
Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers in their deeds? Those whose efforts are wasted away in the life of the world, while they think that they are doing
something good. (Qur'an, 18: 103-4)
Imam Ali (ra) said:The one into whose heart 'ujb permeates is destined to be destroyed. [Al‑Saduq, al-Amali, p.447]
Imam Musa al-Kazim (ra) said: "There are several levels of 'ujb . One of them is when one's bad actions appear to him as good; he reckons them as good and loves himself, imagining that he is performing virtuous deeds. Another level of 'ujb is represented by a person who believes that by having faith in God he has done God a favour; whereas (in reality) it is God Almighty who has conferred a favour on him (by endowing him with faith).[Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi , vol. 2, p. 313,hadith # 3].
`Ujb is a feeling of exaggeration of
one's virtues and good deeds, their
overestimation and satisfaction with
them, accompanied with a sense of
superiority on their account. A person with ujb considers himself free from all shortcomings and faults. In contrast, a feeling of pleasure and delight on performing virtuous deeds accompanied with a sense of humility and modesty before God and gratitude for His favours is not 'ujb, but is a praiseworthy trait.
Imam Ali (ra) said: The person who imagines himself to be great in the eyes of God is worthless. [Al-Amidi, Ghurar ul-Hikam wa Durar ul-Kalim, hadith # 8609]. While describing the attributes of a wise person, the Prophet of Allah (saw) said: He takes the few good deeds of others as abundant in number and considers his numerous good deeds as few. [Al-Noori, Mustadrak al Wasail,vol.1, p. 132, hadith # 184].
Various Degrees and Types of ujb
1. The first degree of 'ujb is with regards to faith and belief in true
doctrines. In it, a person believes to have conferred a favour on God by having faith in Him, or by performing the duties enjoined by Him and His Prophet (saw), or by propagating His message, he has contributed to the splendour of His religion. In his heart he thinks in this manner although he would not reveal it openly.
2. The second degree of 'ujb is in good traits and qualities , where the afflicted person considers himself to be a favourite of God, and includes himself among those who are nearest to Him. If he hears the names of His awliya , he imagines himself to be one of them, although, he overtly projects an image of humility. If any disaster befalls him, he thinks it is due to his closeness to God.
3. The third degree of 'ujb is with
regards to virtuous deeds. In this case, a person considers himself worthy of being rewarded by God in return for his good behaviour and deeds. He considers himself as a true believer and that it is obligatory on God to befriend him in this world and grant him higher stations in the Hereafter. But in his heart he questions the justness of His actions that causes the sincere and pious to suffer, and the apparent kindness He showers upon hypocrites in this world. He pretends to be happy and contended
with His will and judgement outwardly but nurses in his heart a feeling of hatred against Him.
4. Another type of 'ujb is when a
person considers himself more superior and pious to others and regards himself as a better human being. He considers himself to be more perfect than others in the observance of wajibat (compulsory
duties) and muharramat (prohibited
things). He excludes every individual
from Divine grace and mercy, and
considers them a right belonging to
himself or to some persons like him. He is sensitive to the errors of others, but overlooks his own faults. He thinks of others as imperfect and insignificant beings, views them disdainfully in his heart and treats them with contempt. Ultimately he arrives at a point when he denies whatever virtue he perceives in
others.
5. Yet another type of ujb relates to the vicious beliefs and evil deeds of faithless individuals, which makes them proud and think highly of themselves. They consider themselves to be men of liberal thinking and open minds, free
from all fetters and bonds. They link the faith and belief in God with superstition; consider the belief in religious teachings as narrow mindedness, and good character and behaviour as a signs of weakness of personality. They look down upon the performance of good deeds and
consider evil acts as accomplishments. These ignorant and negligent persons consider themselves to be learned and aware and do not listen to any admonition or advice, which often produces opposite effects of them.
Individuals who posses this type of ujb are the most wretched of human beings. Imam al‑Sadiq (ra) said, "The Devil says, `If I subdue the son of Adam in three things, I do not care whatever he may do (from then on), as his good deeds will not be accepted:
(1) When he overestimates his good deeds.
(2) When he is forgetful about his sins.
(3) When 'ujb permeates him. '" [Al‑Saduq al‑Khisal , vol. 1, p. 112,
hadith # 86].
The Evil Consequences of ujb
Ujb is a destructive and dangerous vice in itself that spoils the faith and deeds of the common and pious alike. According to the traditions
reported from the Ahlul Bayt (ra), ujb is worse than sin, so much so that God makes a believer commit sin so that he may be saved from 'ujb. In addition, `ujb is one of the greatest dangers to ones spirit. After death and in the purgatory (barzakh), the possessor of this evil disease experiences a frightful loneliness.
Ujb leads to a number of major sins and evil traits. When its roots permeate a human heart, it leads the person to apostasy and shirk. In addition, a person afflicted with `ujb
never cares to rectify himself. Rather, he considers himself as a pious and virtuous person. He belittles his sins and never thinks of purging himself from them, and ultimately leads himself to eternal damnation. The dark curtain of 'ujb covers and corrupts his intellect, making
him blind to his own shortcomings, and prevents him from achieving any kind of perfection.
A person with `ujb is inclined towards riya' (showing off) and nifaq (hypocrisy). It also infects his behaviour with pride. Among other vices present in the person who is afflicted with 'ujb is viewing others with contempt and belittling them. This gradually takes him away from the path of humanity and leads to the path of cruelty, heartlessness
and destruction.
Imam Ali (a) said: No loneliness can be compared in dreadfulness to the one that is the result of 'ujb. [Nahjul Balagha, saying # 113]. Also said: The person who has 'ujb has no intellect . [Al-Amidi, Ghurarul-Hikam wa Durar ul-Kalim, hadith #1008].
Advice to cure ujb
A person can detect `ujb in his personality by vigilance, being carefully critical of himself, and minutely analyzing his intentions and actions. He must sincerely implore God to bless him with the insight of his own faults and weaknesses. He should remember that when God befriends someone, He first blesses him with the awareness of his own shortcomings and mistakes. Remember that life, power, knowledge, and other achievements are the shadows of God's attributes. Every good deed, worship, talent, and opportunity is attained due to His blessings and grace. Without His permission, no creature can do a single good deed. Look at the good actions and worship you have done so far: Were they really sincere, without any error and only for the sake of God? Can you really claim that God should give you perfect reward for your good deeds? Or it is better that you understand that it was God's help that you got the chance to do good and that He covered many of your faults and bad intentions, and that you hope He will include such actions in the category of noble deeds. Realize that no creature on the surface of the earth can completely fulfil the demands of the worship and service of God. The prayers of Prophets and awliya bear testimony to the confessions of their failure in this regard. They were aware that even if they spent their whole lives, they would not be able to thank Him for His favours, let alone to pay the proper tribute due to His Essence and attributes. Thus one should always humbly admit his faults and ask forgiveness from God.
The vice of `ujb is the product of self‑love that makes a person overvalue his trivial deeds and underestimate the good deeds of others. Think about your own actions: How do you feel when God blesses you to perform a small good deed? Does it make you humble and
grateful before God? How do you view similar good actions of others? Is it difficult for your heart to accept them as good deeds? And how do you feel when you commit a sin? Does it make you feel ashamed in front of God or do you take it lightly and find excuses for it? How do you see similar actions of others? Do you pray to God to forgive them? Do you help them to leave sinful behaviour or do you feel hatred towards them?
When you offer salat , ponder over the meanings of al-hamdulillah (all praise is for God) and try to teach your heart that all the capabilities and qualities you posses and all the good that you have done so far have no praise, and it is God who deserves the real praise for all your good actions and talent.
In conclusion, Imam al-Baqir (ra) said: " Block the way of ujb with the marifah (gnosis) of the self. " [Mizan al-Hikmah, hadith # 11859].
ENVY (hasad)
........Or do they envy [other] people because of what Allah has given them of His bounty? (Qur'an, chapter 4, verse 54) Abu `Abd Allah (al‑Imam al‑Sadiq) (ra) said that the Apostle of God (saw) said that God Almighty addressed Musa ibn `Imran (ra) as follows:" O son of `Imran, never be envious of people concerning the favours I have conferred on them by My grace; do not glower at them, and do not succumb to your (envious) self. Indeed, the envious man is indignant at the bestowal of My favour, and contests My apportioning of gifts among My creatures. Whoever is such, he neither belongs to Me nor do I belong to him. " [Al-Kulayni, Usul
al‑Kafi ,vol. 2, p. 307, Bab al-Hasad ,
hadith no. 6]
Hasad or envy is a psychological state in which a person wishes for the deprivation of a blessing, talent, or merit possessed by another person (the mahsud ). Islamic ethical teachings shed light on the causes and motives of hasad and its harmful spiritual, moral and social effects, and offer practical solutions for combating this spiritual disease.
The Causes and Motives of Hasad
Qualities in others such as certain
intellectual, spiritual, and moral merits, or good and pious deeds, or outward factors such as honour, prestige and wealth can cause hasad. Also, immoral or negative traits that are imagined to be
merits can be a cause of hasad. Almost all of the causes of hasad are the products of a feeling of inferiority and dejectedness. When a person perceives others to be more perfect than himself, a feeling of inferiority seizes him, which, with the help of external factors and inner propensities, generates the feeling
of envy in his heart.
The scholar al‑`Allamah al‑Majlisi has mentioned seven causes and motives of hasad. We have listed these causes and in some cases provided examples of hasad corresponding to the cause: Enmity : Hasad can be the result of enmity. For example, enmity against another family, tribe or group can cause
one to envy successes they achieve.
The sense of one's supremacy : The hasid (one who envies) anticipates the pride of the mahsud on account of a merit mahsud enjoys. Not having the patience to put up with this pride, the hasid feels a sense of superiority and earnestly desires the loss of this merit.
* Kibr (pride) and Wonder: The hasid
high‑handedly treats the person who is conferred some merit, favour, or talent, and may wonder to see a great blessing enjoyed by the object of his envy. For example, a wealthy individual outwardly looks with disdain upon the respect enjoyed by a poor person believing that he deserves to be the recipient of such
admiration.
* Fear and Love of authority : Also, the envious man is fearful of some
hindrance on the part of the person
enjoying an advantage or talent or merit that may frustrate his cherished objectives. Such fear manifests itself when one's acquiring or preserving authority over others requires that nobody should share his advantages or
merits. For example, one who wishes to be re-elected as the leader of an
organization may desire that no other member step forward and exhibit leadership skills such as eloquence of speech and efficiency of organization and mobilization.
* Viciousness of nature: A human being of vicious nature does not like to see others enjoying any kind of good whatsoever.Such a person always greets news of anothers good fortune for example, in education or business, with sarcasm, pessimism, and ridicule or with other unethical tactics or conduct.
The Evil effects of Hasad
Envy is one of the deadliest diseases of the heart and it produces additional vices such as hypocrisy, backbiting, slandering, abuse, taunting, and torturing, all of which are grave sins. This hideous condition makes the human
heart so narrow and gloomy that its
effects pervade the realm of one's inner and outer being. The fears and grief of the hasid revolve around the person(s) of whom he is envious.
The hasad he harbours in his heart
blinds him to the virtues of the envied, and he becomes unhappy over the blessings of God conferred upon the mahsud . The spiritual light and the divine spark of faith which makes the human heart greater than anything else in the world cannot go along with the darkness and narrowness caused in it by hasad. The heart becomes grieved and
depressed, the chest narrow and
suffocated, and the face grim and
frowning. The more this state gains in strength, the more it diminishes the brightness of faith, while this faith is the source of his salvation in the Hereafter and the life and vigour of his heart. Eventually this disease reduces the hasid into a helpless wretch.
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
Beware! Do not bear enmity with the
blessings of Allah. When asked about the people who bear enmity with the blessings of Allah, he (s) replied: Those who are envious. (Al-Mu`tazali, Sharh Nahj al-Balagha , vol.1, p. 315)
Imam Ali (ra) said: Envy is a great trap of Satan. (Al-Amadi, Gharar al-Hakam wa darar al-Kalam , hadith no. 1133) also said: A hasid is a sick
person though he (may) physically appear to be healthy. (Gharar, hadith no. 1963) Muhammad ibn Muslim reports that al-Imam al‑Baqir (ra) said: A man may be forgiven for something done in a fit of anger, but hasad devours faith as fire consumes wood. (Al-Kulayni, Usul
al‑Kafi , vol. 2, p. 306, Bab al-Hasad ,
hadith no. 1) Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (ra) is reported to have said: Satan says to his soldiers: Instil hasad and disobedience of Allah among them (bani Adam) as these are equal to shirk (polytheism) in the eyes of Allah. (Al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi , vol. 2, p. 327, Bab al-Baghy , hadith no.2)
Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (ra) said
that Luqman (as) said to his son: There are three signs of a Hasid :
(1) He is a backbiter at the back.
(2) He is a flatterer in front.
(3) He is happy when a misfortune befalls (the envied). (Al-Saduq, Al-Khisal , p. 121, hadith no. 113)..
The Cure for this Disease
If you suffer from this deadly disease, seriously contemplate the enormity of its devastating effects on your faith. Consider taking following steps to purge it from your heart: Know that your envy doesn't harm your mahsud , nor does it make him lose any of his favours and merits. You shall ever suffer in grief, pain, and anguish while the mahsud is in a state of bliss and joy. In the Hereafter as well your envy will benefit your mahsud, especially if it results in backbiting or slandering as your good deeds will be assigned to the mahsud.
Force yourself to be affectionate with the mahsud . The aim of your kindness should be to cure yourself of envy. Your inner self will ask you to ill-treat or hurt him, but you must act against these inclinations and be friendly to him. You must respect him and gradually convince your heart to respect him. Try to see his virtues yourself and think that these are favours of Allah on him. Force yourself to speak in his praise and make his good qualities known to
others. Though your behaviour will be unnatural in the beginning, since your aim is self‑rectification, it will gradually become less artificial. InshaAllah, day by day this will become a reality and your heart will follow your tongue to appreciate his virtues and good qualities. You should convince yourself and make it understand that your mahsud is
a creature of God; perhaps it is God's
grace that He has selected him for the advantages and blessings he enjoys that you do not (currently) possess. If, God forbid, the object of your envy is a scholar endowed with knowledge or piety, you must understand that he is from the chosen ones of God, blessed by great merit. Try to generate love and
humbleness towards him.
At any stage during your treatment,
don't think that this moral vice is not
curable; this erroneous notion is
inspired by Satan and the lower self (al-nafs al-ammara ), who want to frustrate your efforts of curing yourself. Have hope in God Almighty Who has promised that He will guide those who struggle and help them through His invisible grace and increase their capacities. (Imam Al-
Khomeini, Forty Hadith , chapter 5 Hasad)
Conclusively, Hasad is a disease of the soul that has grave psychological, moral, and social consequences. Fortunately, with faith and, sincere and persistent efforts, it is curable. A faithful person is optimistic, has a hopeful attitude towards God, and is satisfied with the way He has divided His bounties among His creatures.
Imam Ali (ra) said: The person who gives up hasad is loved by people. (Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 77, p. 237, hadith no. 1)..
The purified soul must have: ikhlas,Tawakul,Khaof wa rajah,zuhud,sobru(patience),shukru(thankfulness..
IKHLAS( sincerity)
Ikhlas (sincerity) is to do everything, internal and external, only desiring the pleasure of God. It is to forget the eyes of the people, and whether they view your deeds or not, with the only thing on your mind that God is watching you.
Imam Al-Ghazali said that: "If you want to know whether something you did was purely for the sake of God or not, you should test your reaction when someone acts ungratefully. Do you feel self righteous, like you were doing the person a favor? Do you feel angry that they did not appreciate your work? It may not mean that your act was ostentatious, but it points to the fact that it was not solely for the sake of God. We were expecting, at the very least,recognition and respect from the person as a result of the good we did to them.
This is closely linked to sincerity " that you are worshipping God as though you see Him and you know that He sees you".
Sincerity is the foundation of any work that we do – if the foundation is corrupt, then the building can easily be broken. Does this only apply to specific acts of worship or can it also apply to regular habits?
God says in the Quran: {Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds} (Al-An'am 6:162).
How to purify soul
1. You have to be love to be purify i.e genuine intention that you want to be purified within you and Allah.
2. You need a competent Mursheed because you want to be healed and you can't do it yourself.
However, if there is no Mursheed, soul can be purified by:
1. Seek istighfar and taobah frequently and many times,with full concentration,and this can be achieve by remembering your sin during istighfar process.
2. Be sincere in all your deeds.
3. Attend good fellowships.
4. Always apply what you have read to yourself not another person.
5. Pray to God to purify you.
6. You must deceit from making fame.."Allahumo sogiri duniya fi ayunina wa azim jalakaka fi qulubina wa amitna bi mardotika wa azimna ala dunika watohati ka ya Allah....
Conclusively, purification of soul is very essential in which it is determinate of ones self, if a man can purify his soul or heart,he may not be accepted by God..Prophet said "ina laha tahala toyyib la yakbalu ila tayyib..."He won't accept anything that is not pure...that is why our soul have to be purified..May Almighty Allah make it easy for us..wasalam alaykum waramatulahi wabarakatu.
REFERENCES
#Dr A A Giwa's lecture at TIMSAN SOUTHWEST #CONFERENCE @ LAUTECH.
#www.google.com/disease of the soul
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