Nafsi Nafsi In Ramadan, the devils are chained but we may still do things that we’re not proud of. Why do you think that is? There is something inside of us called our nafs. Our nafs is very important. It helps us survive- some translate it as our 'self' or our 'ego.' And while our nafs is very important, it is also important to keep it in check. Sometimes our nafs only wants to eat junk food all day and play video games. Sometimes, it wants to gossip about others, lose its temper, and hoard all the blessings that Allah ﷻ has given it. Other times it feels really guilty and wants to seek Allah’s forgiveness. Do you know that Allah ﷻ actually describes three types of nafoos in the Qur’an? Does anyone know what they are? The first one is النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ- An-nafsa la-ammaara bis-su’ (12:53)- which is the nafs that commands us to sin. Can someone describe some of the actions that this nafs would want us to do? Yes, it will tell us to sleep in, be angry, be jealous, show off etc.etc. We have to work really hard to tame those desires and it will be a lifetime journey to get there, but with Allah’s help, we will be able to do it, inshaAllah! Can anyone tell me what the next type of nafs is? It is النَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ- An-nafsin lawwaama (75:2)- Allah ﷻ swears by this nafs in Surat al-Qiyaamah. This nafs is the one that scolds us when we do something wrong. In adult words it is 'self-reproaching.' You may feel this sometimes. You may have heard of it as a 'guilty conscience' and it causes a lot of discomfort in your heart. Allah ﷻ is placing that feeling in your heart to help you stay away from committing those sins again. It may feel like shame, or embarrassment. Make sure to listen to this conscience all the time, but with everything, there needs to be a balance. Sometimes we feel so guilty and ashamed that we never try to do anything else, and Allah ﷻ does not want that from us either. The third type of nafs found in the Qur’an is found in one of my favorite surahs. It’s found in Surat al-Fajr. Can anyone guess what it is? Yes! It’s النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ- al-nafsul mutma’inah. Who can recite the ayat for me? يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً 'To the righteous it will be said, 'O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],' (Surat al-Fajr, ayat 27-28). This is ultimately where we want to be. This nafs is content with what Allah ﷻ has ordained for it. It is a nafs that has been trained and disciplined to only desire what makes Allah ﷻ happy. And it feels happy doing it as well! It feels a sense of peace and serenity. What are some ways we can get to this level of peace and serenity inside ourselves? Allah ﷻ gives us a lot of guidance on how to train our nafs. In Surat ash-Shams, Allah ﷻ swears by the sun, the moon, the day, the night, the sky, the earth, the soul, that the one who is successful is the one that purifies their nafs. You know, when Allah ﷻ swears by something, what follows is very very important? So imagine Allah ﷻ swearing by all of these things to then tell us about purifying our nafs. That means it is one of our ultimate objectives. What are some ways we can purify our inner selves?