Tazkiyat Al-Nafs, Purification of the Self Is the Best Answer to Tribulations of Life
By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
9 April
2022
Let Us
Begin By Purifying Ourselves And Meditating On Our Creator
Main
Points
1. Tazkiyat
al-Nafs helps us rid ourselves of animalistic desires and develop human values.
2. Tazkiyat
al-Nafs is a physical and mental exercise to develop the focus of attention
towards Allah.
3. Tazkiyat
al-Nafs strengthens the faith of the believers and changes them both externally
and inwardly.
4. Self-purification
training keeps you so focused on your Lord that you don't have time to notice
the unpleasant things around you.
-----
The
evolution of moral standards is a natural process that every human being
recognises. Most religions have mystics who teach their followers that by
performing specific physical exercises, they can eliminate their reliance on a
number of criteria that are otherwise regarded fundamental for the existence of
the human body. Some Hindu Yogis claim to be able to go for days without
eating. Religious gurus of other faiths cultivate their willpower and utilise
it to achieve superhuman feats in order to prove the authenticity of their
religion. Even non-religious persons can develop willpower and use it to
hypnotise and control others.
In the
world, there are several self-help groups that teach people how to be
successful in life. Some businessmen employ psychological tactics to boost
product sales. These are all common occurrences in our daily lives that
persuade us that concentrating and directing your thoughts at a single spot can
help you learn a specific ability. Some people achieve this by meditating, while
others do so by engaging in physical activities that require mental focus, and
so on. In order to lessen and erase undesired worldly attractions and cravings,
Muslim Sufis and spiritual masters also encourage their followers to meditate
on their Creator and fix their thoughts on a single point.
Tazkiyat
al-Nafs (purification
of the self) is one of the spiritual methods taught by Sufis. The Islamic Tazkiyat
al-Nafs differs from the moral ideals taught in other religions. Three
things are involved in Islamic Tazkiyat al-Nafs: (1) understanding the
psychology of our brain's functioning in order to rid ourselves of animalistic
desires and develop human values, (2) physical and mental exercises to develop
the focus of attention towards Allah, and (3) knowledge of Allah's attributes
and signs in the cosmos in order to develop absolute trust in Allah and His
Apostle [peace be upon him].
For the
purification of the self, it's vital to keep in mind that our lives on this
planet are finite and temporary. We were brought to this planet to prepare for
our after-death existence. The term Tazkiyah appears in various places
throughout the Qur'an. Some of them are as follows:
“Our
Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them
Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are
the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (2:129)
“Just as
We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses
and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that
which you did not know.” (2:151)
“Indeed,
they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a
small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah
will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And
they will have a painful punishment.” (2:174)
“Indeed,
those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small
price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or
look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will
have a painful punishment.” (3:77)
“Certainly
did Allah confer [great] favour upon the believers when He sent among them a
Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and
teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest
error.” (3:164)
“Have
you not seen those who claim themselves to be pure? Rather, Allah purifies whom
He wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside
a date seed].” (4:49)
“Take,
[O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause
them to increase, and invoke [Allah's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your
invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
(9:103)
“But
whoever comes to Him as a believer having done righteous deeds - for those will
be the highest degrees [in position]: Gardens of perpetual residence beneath
which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. And that is the reward of one
who purifies himself.” (20:75-76)
“O you
who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows
the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if
not for the favour of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have
been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and
Knowing.” (24:21)
“And no
bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul
calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried,
even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their
Lord unseen and have established prayer. And whoever purifies himself only
purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allah is the [final] destination.”
(35:18)
“Whatever
is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah, the
Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. It is He who has sent
among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses
and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were
before in clear error.” (62:1-2)
“But
what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified”
(80:3)
“And not
upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.” (80:7)
“He has
certainly succeeded who purifies himself” (87:14)
“He has
succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instils it [with corruption].”
(91:9-10)
“But the
righteous one will avoid it - [He] who gives [from] his wealth to purify
himself” (92:17-18)
In the
spiritual framework of Islam, Tazkiyat al-Nafs (self-purification)
entails reducing the inherent dominance of evil in the human soul and cleansing
it of the pollution and impurities of sins that obstruct spiritual growth.
Self-purification is the internal and exterior process of overcoming all of
these evil desires.
The
exegetes of the Quran have explained that the recitation of Quranic verses and
the teaching of the Qur'an, as well as the teaching of wisdom and the mysteries
of the cosmos, are topics related to the outer norms and acts of Sharia,
whereas the cleansing of the soul is tied to the inward spiritual training.
This spiritual instruction that changes men both externally and inwardly is
known as self-purification.
The holy
words "teaching you that which you did not know" in verse 2:151
indicate that there are some mysteries and secrets beyond the outer teachings
and knowledge of the Quran. These teachings are known as Ilm al-Ladunni, Ilmul
Marifat, and Ilmul Haqiqat. 'Wa Allamnaahu Min Ladunna Ilman' is a Quranic
phrase that alludes to knowledge that comes directly from Allah into the hearts
of the Prophets and saints. Ilmul Marifat is mystical intuitive spiritual truth
knowledge attained via ecstatic experiences in accordance with the Quran and
Sunnah scriptures. "Knowledge of Truth" is the literal translation of
Ilm-ul-Haqiqat. So these were the mysterious disciplines about which no one had
ever heard. Prophethood, on the other hand, had the obligation of revealing these
spiritual sciences and cognitions to truth mystics.
Self-purification
is a remarkable accomplishment for which God Almighty has praised and rewarded
His slaves. An efficient self-purification process increases a believer's faith
by removing doubt, ignorance, wicked concepts, erroneous convictions, and
immorality. The Nafs [a believing soul] is implanted with good religious and
moral traits such as sound belief, knowledge, gnosis, wisdom, and spirituality
as a result of this process.
In the
texts of Sufism seven stages of Tazkiyat al-Nafs are famous. They are
Repentance (Tawbah), Abstention (Wara), Asceticism (Zuhd), Poverty (Faqr),
Patience (Sabr), Confidence (Tawakkul) and Contentment (Riḍa).
Tawbah
starts with the light of Divine Recognition in the heart, which recognises sin
as spiritual poison. This causes regret and a desire to make amends for
previous mistakes, as well as a commitment to avoid them in the future.
The
ultimate level of Wara (pious self-restraint or abstention) is to avoid
anything that can divert one's attention away from Allah, even for a brief
moment. Some Sufis define Wara as belief in the reality of Islamic teachings,
honesty in belief and action, adherence to Islamic commandments, and prudence
in one's relationship with God.
Sufyan
al-Thawri defines Zuhd as a heart action dedicated to the pleasure of God and
blocked from worldly desires.
Both
material and spiritual poverty (Faqr) should be maintained. This entails
denying the soul’s desires for pleasure and power, as well as a commitment to
serving others rather than self-promotion. A Faqir, or poor person, is another
name for a dervish. Poverty is defined as a lack of attachment to one's things
and a heart that is devoid of all desires except for Allah.
Patience
(Sabr) is an essential quality for mystics and Sufis. The word Sabr literally
means "to bear, endure, and overcome pain and struggle." Sabr can be
divided into three categories: consistency in doing good deeds, patience in
executing a good deed, and patience in abstaining from Haram.
Confidence
(Tawakkul) is the realisation that whatever we have is a gift from Allah.
Rather than relying on this world, we trust in Allah.
Contentment
(Rida) implies accepting all manifestations of Destiny without complaint rather
than rebelling against misfortune. Rida, according to Dhul-Nun al-Misri, is
choosing the wills of God over one's own, accepting his Decree without
complaint, and believing that whatever God wills and does is for the best.
One of the
greatest benefits of self-purification is that it gives the ones who practice
it happiness in this life before the afterlife. When we hear hate speeches or
communal hatred we become concerned and upset. Hateful individuals are captured
on camera exploiting religious sentiments. They repeatedly say and do similar
things in order to provoke you. They have ruined their own lives and are
mentally ill since a hatred agenda does not offer satisfaction to anyone,
including the person who starts it. They
are deprived of peace and tranquillity. But if you retaliate, they will have
more opportunities to fan the flames of hatred and violence against you.
Self-purification will so protect you from such ailments even in such a
situation. Self-purification training keeps you so focused on your Lord that
you don't have time to notice the unpleasant things around you. Then Allah
Almighty will provide you with invisible assistance and your life will be more
enjoyable as a result. So let’s start purifying ourselves and meditate on our
Creator.
-----
A
regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim
and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar) with a Sufi background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/tazkiyat-nafs-purification-tribulations-life/d/126760