Dalael-us-Suluk

CHAPTER 6

NAFS (THE SOUL)

What is the Soul?

T he Arabic word Nafs is either derived from ‘Nafasat’ (refinement or exquisiteness), because of its civility and elegance, or from ‘Tanaffas’ (breathing) because of its inevitable process of ingress and egress. If, on ac­count of the latter attribute, the soul is taken to mean the spirit, it will be a fair assumption because during sleep it departs, and it returns upon awakening.

The Soul and the Spirit

T he soul and the spirit are two names of the same thing. This is borne out by the Hadith 2 Lail at-T‘aris:

Said Bilal to the Prophet, “My nafs was held by the same Power Who held yours.” The Prophet replied. “Our Ruh were gathered away by the Creator.”

Note: The same thing called Nafs by Bilal has been referred to as the Ruh by the Prophet. Conformity in the two statements is possible only by accept­ing two names for the same entity.

In the Qur-an, the term Nafs (soul) has also been used to mean the Ruh.

Deliver up your souls... (6:93)

ALLAH receives souls at the time of their death. (39:42)

Note: In both these verses, the word Nafs has been used to mean the Ruh. A majority of the ‘Ulama agree on this. (Kitab ar-Ruh by Ibn-e Qayyam p: 264).

The Distinction

‘Allama Abu Qasim Sohaili, in his Raudh al-Anf has dwelt on this subject at length. He concludes that the Ruh and Nafs are one and the same thing. The distinction lies in the attributes. At the first instance, that is, at the moment of ‘breathing’ by the Angel into the child in the womb, it is the Ruh. After birth, when the child acquires various traits of character, commendable or infamous, it cultivates love for the physical body and engages in its well-being, it is termed as Nafs. Before acquiring these traits it is not correct to use the term Nafs. Thereafter as heedlessness and carnal desires set in, the expression Nafs becomes appropriate because these two traits necessarily emanate from the Nafs.

What is Peace?

T he preceding two traits of the Nafs, i.e., being inconsiderate and licentious, can be harnessed through endeavour and toil, i.e., by reducing diet, reticence, seclusion and piety. It is this harnessing, which in sufi terminology is called peace, and has three distinct stages:

Different Names of one Entity

I f a single entity is described in different words having the same antecedent, no contradiction takes place. For example, the creation of Prophet Adam has been described in the Qur-an in different words:

Created him of dust. ( 3: 59)

Of plastic clay. ( 15:26)

Created out of potter’s clay of black mud altered. ( 15:33)

Of clay like the potter’s. (55:14)

T hus the Nafs and the Ruh are two names for the same entity. The dis­tinction is by way of attributes.

The difference is by way of attributes and not in terms of essence. (Kitab ar-Ruh by Ibn-e Qayyam p: 265).

Notes

2 T he Night of Rest, so named because the Prophet and his Companions while on their journey on two separate occasions rested late at night. Hadhrat Bilal from Habshah (Abayssinia), a renowned Companion, was deputed to rouse them for the morning pray­ers, but he could not, being himself overtaken by sleep. This resulted on everyone missing their prayer at its proper time. - Translator