بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Allah Ta’ala has warned us against our own nafs, egos and desires in many verses of the Quran Majid. For instance, He Ta’ala said, “And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”[1]
“But what is the nafs (ego) exactly? The nafs (ego) is the tendency for self-preservation gone mad. It has two aspects: a static ugly presence lurking in the soul comprised of acquired memories and tendencies, and a moving stream of internal chatter flowing from it. Consequently, the nafs (ego) is always saying ‘me, me, me’; always seeking itself, and only itself; always looking for attention and recognition; always puffing its own self up under whatever excuse it can find; always boasting and showing off at the slightest opportunity; always arrogant and wanting leadership or domination; always insisting on its own arbitrary ways; always remembering and savouring its little victories; always trying to prompt flattery from others; always brooding and fuming over perceived or imagined slights and insults; envious of others; selfish; callous towards people’s needs and feelings; caring nothing really for the good; wishing no one well; easily irritable, resentful and quick to fly into a rage and use harsh words or violence (if it feels it has enough power); secretly hating others who do not pander to it, and wanting to crush them; always wanting food, sex, and comfort; always wanting to own and hoard things; greedy; insatiable; never satisfied; never still; incapable of patience; lazy; lying without thought; believing in nothing; living in fantasies, yet secretly cowardly and never wanting to leave its comfort-zone, nor oppose its own whims and caprices; and at last, given to absolute terror at the thought of death.”[2]
Allah Ta’ala quoted Yusuf عليه السلام saying, “I do not absolve my own nafs. Verily the nafs feverishly commands to evil, except those whom my Sustainer may show mercy.”[3] In other words, the nafs and egos of the vast majority of people drive them to the above evils. Many people are grossly oblivious to the existence of these tendencies within themselves. As a result, despite the immense destruction that these qualities wreck, they maintain a delusional sense of piety and purity. This ignorance is perhaps even more detrimental than having these evil qualities [while acknowledging them]. Thus, Allah Ta’ala says, “Do not consider yourselves to be pure [from evil traits]! He [Allah] knows best who are the [truly] righteous.”[4]
Every nafs is imbued with these qualities. Allah Ta’ala says, “We infused it with base desires as well as the propensity for righteousness.”[5] It is by opposing these existent evil tendencies that we attain Jannah. Allah says, “As for he who fears standing before his Sustainer and prevents the soul (nafs) from desires, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.”[6] Until we do not begin to recognize and acknowledge the wicked traits of the nafs, we would not be able to fight against it and prevent it from its evil impulses. This is the beginning of the greatest jihad. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The true warrior (mujahid) is the one who fights against his own ego (nafs).”[7]
Normally, we would be able to observe the ego within ourselves with the assistance of periods of silence, solitude, lots of prayer, fasting and concentration. However, since we are so deep in heedlessness and the world around us glamorizes narcissism, most of us would need the long company (suhbah) of the saliheen (righteous) and/or the diagnosis of an expert murabbi and shaikh of tazkiyah to detect the cunning of our egos.
May Allah allow us to detect the tricks of our egos and may He allow us to rectify our souls, because only the one who reaches Allah with a sound heart and pure soul will enter Jannah. Allah says, “The Day on which neither wealth will be of any use, nor children, [and when] only he [will be successful] who comes before Allah with a sound heart.”[8] He also said, “O the contented soul! Return towards your Lord – you being pleased with Him, and He pleased with you! Then enter the ranks of My chosen bondmen! And come into My Paradise!”[9]
“O Allah bestow on my soul its taqwa. Purify it, for You are the Best One to purify it. You alone are its Guardian and Master,” is a prophetic dua collected by Muslim in his Sahih. [10]
[1] Surah Al-Qasas: 50
[2] Ghazi’s The Truly Happy Life Pg.51
[3] Surah Yusuf: 53
[4] Surah Najm:32
[5] Surah Shams: 8.
[6] Surah An-Nazi’at: 41-41
[7] Tirmidhi #1621 and he graded it sound and authentic.
[8] Surah Ash-Shu’ara: 88-89
[9] Surah Al-Fajr: 27-30
[10] #2722
