NAFS – نَفْس

Literally: It means the soul, self, or one's own personality. It denotes man’s carnal faculty, the flesh and lust, as well as the life or vital blood of an animal. It also signifies the essence of anything, its very substance, or ultimate reality.

As an Islamic Term: The core faculty within man that serves as the source of physical appetite, worldly desire and anger, while encompassing bodily constitution and the demands of the physical senses. It is susceptible to the waswasa and instigations of shaytan, serving as the focal arena of lifelong trial and the inner enemy of man. Thus, it possesses the boundless capacity either to drag man down below the level of animals, the level asfal sâfilîn, through rebellion, or to elevate him above the malâikah, the level a'lâ 'illiyyîn, through ma'nawî elevation and purification (tazkiyyah) by obeying the tarbiyyah of Islam.

The degrees of the nafs are as follows:

1: Nafs al-ammarah – نفس أماره: The lowest, unchastened and most primitive level of the nafs that is thoroughly dominant in man. It refers to a state of the nafs that is constantly commanding, domineering and unbridled in its lusts. It describes the tragic condition of a person who submissively follows the waswasa and instigations of shaytan without any inner struggle (jihad) or objection in the heart, readily committing sin and pursuing sharr. (12:53) (50:16)

2: Nafs al-lawwamah - نفس لوامه: Literally means the self-accusing or reproaching nafs. It refers to the state of the nafs when prone or submissive to its desires yet resists, feels deep regret after committing a sin, experiences a guilty conscience and fears attracting Allah’s displeasure (75:2). It represents the awakening of human irâdah — the capacity to recognise and admit one's own shortcomings and sins, consequently directing its inclination toward khayr.

In the tumultuous conditions of the âkhirzaman, attaining the higher degrees of the nafs becomes exceptionally rare. Instead, the highest and most acceptable degree attainable by the mu'mins in the conditions of this age is Nafs al-Lawwamah, because — while their nafs remains constantly prone to sin and transgression due to the instillation and assault of the age’s fitnah — the state of the mu'mins possessing nafs al-lawwamah is continuous self-reproach, immediate regret and an unwavering resolve to turn back to Allah. Therefore, they are granted salvation from their sins through His forgiveness, the good tidings of which are declared in many âyahs. To illustrate this, we shall cite two of them:

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

“And whoever does a wrong or wrongs his nafs but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah as Ghafûr and Rahîm.” (4:110)

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ * أُولَٰئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

“And those who remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins when they commit an immorality or wrong their nafs... Those - their reward is maghfirah from their Rabb and gardens beneath which rivers flow” (3:135–136)

The high estimation and validity of nafs al-lawwamah before Allah are decisively demonstrated by His swearing by it in the Qur'an:

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

“And I swear by Nafs al-Lawwamah” (75:2).

3: Nafs al-mulhamah – نفس ملهمة: The nafs that receives nûr and ilhâm for its hidâyah. At this degree, the heart becomes the companion of the nafs in pursuing khayr, and Allah grants haqiqahs to this person through the way of ilhâm (91:8).

4: Nafs al-mutmainnah - نفس مطمئنة: A thoroughly subdued and pious nafs that neither rebels nor harbours discontent. It is the state of the nafs that is purified from doubts and bad attributes, adorned with good morals and has attained stability and safety by submitting entirely to Allah’s decree; it is tranquil and delivered from suffering by mastering its appetites and desires (89:27).

5. Nafs ar-râdiyyah – نفس راضية: The perfected degree of the nafs — the true human essence — wherein the individual submits and finds complete contentment and peace with every decree and action of Allah, including trials and hardships. At this stage, the nafs looks upon all actions and rulings of Allah with wholehearted acceptance and submission (89:28).

6. Nafs al-mardhiyyah – نفس مرضية: The pinnacle degree of the nafs wherein the individual attains ultimate acceptance and approval of Allah. This state is reached in return for fulfilling His commands with pure ikhlas and loyalty, while the nafs remains perpetually watchful and deeply aware of its own faults and defects (89:28).

7: Nafs az-zakiyyah or as-sâfiyyah – نفس زكية / نفس صافية:The nafs of each Prophet and selected awliyâ. The nûr of Allah manifests in this person’s heart at any moment. (35:18)