Post by maruf on Dec 12, 2005 1:39:39 GMT -5
The State of Nafs
Upon contemplating, as limited as man is to perceive what is beyond this life, meeting my Rabb (Lord) on the Day of judgment and being asked about my actions, it occurred to me that my biggest sins, transgressions, and flat out rebellions have been tied to my Nafs (Whims, desires, emotions, lusts) and my ignorance. Our whims/desires are powerful forces on our actions or behavior. For example, we observe men willing to take great risks in pursuit of the woman’s sexuality. To the point where he would travel great distances over troubled territory, he would risk danger, time, money, his family, children, and even his wife.
The lust over material things in life is well known. People lie, deceive, steal, and even kill for money and positions of power. However, short of these actions, we fully immerse ourselves in spending most our time, mostly working, in route towards the cars, electronics, houses, and other material things we covet. Often times they are not necessities, but indulgencies that we desire.
These lusts, desires, and wants have to be seriously re-assessed with the understanding that we would be asked about them by Allah sub hana wa’ala on the day when no excuses will be accepted. We will not even be allowed to speak. Allah says in his Final and Protected Book:
Ëõãøó áóÊõÓúÃóáõäøó íóæúãóÆöÐò Úóäö ÇáäøóÚöíãö
102:8 Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!).
æóÅöäøóåõ áöÍõÈøö ÇáúÎóíúÑö áóÔóÏöíÏñ
100:8 And violent is he in his love of wealth.
Çáúíóæúãó äóÎúÊöãõ Úóáóì ÃóÝúæóÇåöåöãú æóÊõßóáøöãõäóÇ ÃóíúÏöíåöãú æóÊóÔúåóÏõ ÃóÑúÌõáõåõãú ÈöãóÇ ßóÇäõæÇ íóßúÓöÈõæäó
36:65 That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.
Lusts or tastes fall into the category of what social scientists call social. They are conditioned by the particular society that one lives in. For example, people brought up in the West have strong sentiments for Freedom and Individuality. Although cultures are becoming more and more global, we can still say that this value (something that one holds in mind and heart to be good, thus opposite of this can be called bad) of Freedom and Individuality is higher in the West compared to in the EAST. This, of course, is a general statement, and exceptions are bound. The point here is that we come to like what we like or lust what we lust based on years and years of socialization or conditioning.
How many times did our mothers tells us “not to settle down” “take your time young man” or to “sow your oats” do not rush to get married. These were concepts placed in our heads through western ideas about freedom. Converts to Islaam, and unfortunately even some Muslims born of Muslim parents and families, know very well the baggage (an idea or behavior carried through life due to one’s socialization) in the form of thoughts, at the least, and/or transgressions, at the worst, that we carry. All of this leads me to consider my shortcomings on Yawma ki Yamma (Day of Judgment) and what are the causes.
It is not that we did not have an understanding that certain actions were Haraam (If we did not acknowledge that certain acts are Haraam, we would be Kuffar (Disbelieves in what Allah has revealed as Halaal or Haraam), but it was that we failed to control our lusts/desires for such actions. I ask Allah for his mercy and forgiveness.
Looking past ourselves into our children’s lives reveals a significant part of the effects of the State on our Nafs. When we knew that we were having children, we desired better for them than for ourselves. We wanted them to be pure, Hafiz of the Qur’an, Amir of Jihad, extraordinary patient in the times of difficulty, as Islaam demands, Iman of Umar, Fighter like Khaled bin Waleed or Salahudeen, etc.
However, the question that we must face, as we have faced about ourselves, what is the effect of being conditioned by Systems that are not based on Islaam? What is the effect of television on our children and wives? One finds his/herself fully engaged in daily activities that take us away from remembering that this life’s only significance is if we will get Jennah (Heaven or Paradise) or the Nar (Fire).
Whether we realize it or not, any system (political, social (mass media), economic, etc.) that is not based on Islaam, is Kufr. The entire World lives under Kufr systems (Democracy, Capitalism, Pseudo Socialism, Pseudo Islaam, etc.). The Ideas of Kufr are spread through textbooks, television, magazines, constitutions, advertisements, radio, schools, etc. Which in turn through other social agents (individuals in families, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, associates, teachers, US (Let us not forgot our own socialization) that reinforce these values and lusts?
Let us think back to when we first began to like what we like. If we think carefully and hard enough, it is the result of a particular idea given to us by someone or something (for example radio or TV) that became a concept (that we would now believe and act on). You might be saying, “Yes brother I know this, this is why we need to work on ourselves.” This is certainly without doubt true, and we must make tawbah (sincere repentance and intention not to make sins again).
Yet, is it the whole truth? Working to re-socialize (defined as an intense active process) one’s self is part of our shahada (testimony of faith). Our shahada indicates that we would not make our Nafs our God, but that we would make Allah our Rabb alone. However, we must understand that Islaam has a system based on this aqeedah (creed). When we said our shahadah, it also meant that we would make His (SWT) Laws and Systems our Laws and Systems as well. Allah says in the Qur’an:
æóÃóäö ÇÍúßõã Èóíúäóåõã Èöãó ÃóäÒóáó Çááøåõ æóáÇó ÊóÊøóÈöÚú ÃóåúæóÇÁåõãú æóÇÍúÐóÑúåõãú Ãóä íóÝúÊöäõæßó Úóä ÈóÚúÖö ãóÇ ÃóäÒóáó Çááøåõ Åöáóíúßó ÝóÅöä ÊóæóáøóæúÇú ÝóÇÚúáóãú ÃóäøóãóÇ íõÑöíÏõ Çááøåõ Ãóä íõÕöíÈóåõã ÈöÈóÚúÖö ÐõäõæÈöåöãú æóÅöäøó ßóËöíÑðÇ ãøöäó ÇáäøóÇÓö áóÝóÇÓöÞõæäó
5:49 So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which Allah hath revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that Allah's will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Lo! many of mankind are evil-livers.
Cleary, the Arabic Ahkum baynahum bi Maa Anzala lllahu (So Ahkum (Rule or Judge) baynahum (between them) bi Maa Anzala llahu (with or by what (maa) Allah has revealed) is talking about the Qur’an. Our shahada indicated that we would implement or live our lives by this Oath to Allah. Beyond this, for anyone that appreciates what socialization (passive process that occurs throughout life) or conditioning builds in the individual, we should yearn to be under such a system that will culture us with Islaam instead of Kufr or Shirk.
We should long for our children to grow up having learned to lust for Jennah instead of Gina. Do not we desire for him/her to look back on life and not have any frustrations in what society told them and what Allah told them. We want to meet Allah with as little blatant flat out rebellious acts due to our whims or desires as possible.
Living under the State of Islaam is a mercy to the Muslim who wants to attain the mercy of his Rabb. Allah says:
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ ÞõæÇ ÃóäÝõÓóßõãú æóÃóåúáöíßõãú äóÇÑðÇ æóÞõæÏõåóÇ ÇáäøóÇÓõ æóÇáúÍöÌóÇÑóÉõ ÚóáóíúåóÇ ãóáóÇÆößóÉñ ÛöáóÇÙñ ÔöÏóÇÏñ áóÇ íóÚúÕõæäó Çááøóåó ãóÇ ÃóãóÑóåõãú æóíóÝúÚóáõæäó ãóÇ íõÄúãóÑõæäó
66:6 O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.
Would any Muslim deny that living under the Systems of Islaam implemented by the Islaamic State which conditions the baby Muslim from the beginning that he is not free, but he is a salve of Allah is not a mercy and a way to save your family from evil values spread by Kufr un-Islaamic Systems that lead to the Nar? Who would deny this? Would we deny that it is harder to look at a woman if she is covered by Islaamic dress? Would we deny that it is easy to engage in sin under un-Islaam as compared to if we lived under Islaam? We know that it would be easier to pray during work times, easier to distance ourselves from the opposite sex under Islaam as compared to Kufr.
The Islaamic systems are a Mercy from Allah to guide us in this life away from the Haraam and into the Halaal. Remember what social scientists have said, values, whims, lusts, desires, are all social. They are created by the Creeds or ideologies that the people live under. If this is the case, it is clear to see that if we (the masses, there will always be the few exceptions in society) want to have the good Islaamic values and lusts from the beginning (instead of doing what is most difficult, changing something that has become so ingrained, so subconscious that we do not even realize it is taking place), we must be conditioned by Islaam in its entirety from the beginning.
I believe we must broaden our understanding of what working on our Nafs means. Our understanding should compose of the Systems and the Ideology that feed us our thinking (and thus our actions) in the first place. Secondly, we must consider our family’s own fate under systems other than Islaam (Kufr) when it comes to their Islaamic sentiments. Society must be understood to compose individuals, sentiments (values, lusts, emotions), and systems (social, economic, political, etc. that spread its ideology (capitalism/freedom/democracy/kufr or Islaam/Iman).
These re-conceptualizations will account for our own individual shortcomings as well as the state of affairs of our Ummah. Let us work on our Nafs and our future generations Nafs by bringing back Allah’s system, which will be a mercy for us on the Day of Judgment. May Allah Help us in this work, May Allah forgive us our sins, make us strong, and help us to desire nothing but what he desires for us, that is submission to his complete way of life (systems and values included).
Was-salaam
Ma’ruf Abul-Adil
The lust over material things in life is well known. People lie, deceive, steal, and even kill for money and positions of power. However, short of these actions, we fully immerse ourselves in spending most our time, mostly working, in route towards the cars, electronics, houses, and other material things we covet. Often times they are not necessities, but indulgencies that we desire.
These lusts, desires, and wants have to be seriously re-assessed with the understanding that we would be asked about them by Allah sub hana wa’ala on the day when no excuses will be accepted. We will not even be allowed to speak. Allah says in his Final and Protected Book:
Ëõãøó áóÊõÓúÃóáõäøó íóæúãóÆöÐò Úóäö ÇáäøóÚöíãö
102:8 Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!).
æóÅöäøóåõ áöÍõÈøö ÇáúÎóíúÑö áóÔóÏöíÏñ
100:8 And violent is he in his love of wealth.
Çáúíóæúãó äóÎúÊöãõ Úóáóì ÃóÝúæóÇåöåöãú æóÊõßóáøöãõäóÇ ÃóíúÏöíåöãú æóÊóÔúåóÏõ ÃóÑúÌõáõåõãú ÈöãóÇ ßóÇäõæÇ íóßúÓöÈõæäó
36:65 That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.
Lusts or tastes fall into the category of what social scientists call social. They are conditioned by the particular society that one lives in. For example, people brought up in the West have strong sentiments for Freedom and Individuality. Although cultures are becoming more and more global, we can still say that this value (something that one holds in mind and heart to be good, thus opposite of this can be called bad) of Freedom and Individuality is higher in the West compared to in the EAST. This, of course, is a general statement, and exceptions are bound. The point here is that we come to like what we like or lust what we lust based on years and years of socialization or conditioning.
How many times did our mothers tells us “not to settle down” “take your time young man” or to “sow your oats” do not rush to get married. These were concepts placed in our heads through western ideas about freedom. Converts to Islaam, and unfortunately even some Muslims born of Muslim parents and families, know very well the baggage (an idea or behavior carried through life due to one’s socialization) in the form of thoughts, at the least, and/or transgressions, at the worst, that we carry. All of this leads me to consider my shortcomings on Yawma ki Yamma (Day of Judgment) and what are the causes.
It is not that we did not have an understanding that certain actions were Haraam (If we did not acknowledge that certain acts are Haraam, we would be Kuffar (Disbelieves in what Allah has revealed as Halaal or Haraam), but it was that we failed to control our lusts/desires for such actions. I ask Allah for his mercy and forgiveness.
Looking past ourselves into our children’s lives reveals a significant part of the effects of the State on our Nafs. When we knew that we were having children, we desired better for them than for ourselves. We wanted them to be pure, Hafiz of the Qur’an, Amir of Jihad, extraordinary patient in the times of difficulty, as Islaam demands, Iman of Umar, Fighter like Khaled bin Waleed or Salahudeen, etc.
However, the question that we must face, as we have faced about ourselves, what is the effect of being conditioned by Systems that are not based on Islaam? What is the effect of television on our children and wives? One finds his/herself fully engaged in daily activities that take us away from remembering that this life’s only significance is if we will get Jennah (Heaven or Paradise) or the Nar (Fire).
Whether we realize it or not, any system (political, social (mass media), economic, etc.) that is not based on Islaam, is Kufr. The entire World lives under Kufr systems (Democracy, Capitalism, Pseudo Socialism, Pseudo Islaam, etc.). The Ideas of Kufr are spread through textbooks, television, magazines, constitutions, advertisements, radio, schools, etc. Which in turn through other social agents (individuals in families, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, associates, teachers, US (Let us not forgot our own socialization) that reinforce these values and lusts?
Let us think back to when we first began to like what we like. If we think carefully and hard enough, it is the result of a particular idea given to us by someone or something (for example radio or TV) that became a concept (that we would now believe and act on). You might be saying, “Yes brother I know this, this is why we need to work on ourselves.” This is certainly without doubt true, and we must make tawbah (sincere repentance and intention not to make sins again).
Yet, is it the whole truth? Working to re-socialize (defined as an intense active process) one’s self is part of our shahada (testimony of faith). Our shahada indicates that we would not make our Nafs our God, but that we would make Allah our Rabb alone. However, we must understand that Islaam has a system based on this aqeedah (creed). When we said our shahadah, it also meant that we would make His (SWT) Laws and Systems our Laws and Systems as well. Allah says in the Qur’an:
æóÃóäö ÇÍúßõã Èóíúäóåõã Èöãó ÃóäÒóáó Çááøåõ æóáÇó ÊóÊøóÈöÚú ÃóåúæóÇÁåõãú æóÇÍúÐóÑúåõãú Ãóä íóÝúÊöäõæßó Úóä ÈóÚúÖö ãóÇ ÃóäÒóáó Çááøåõ Åöáóíúßó ÝóÅöä ÊóæóáøóæúÇú ÝóÇÚúáóãú ÃóäøóãóÇ íõÑöíÏõ Çááøåõ Ãóä íõÕöíÈóåõã ÈöÈóÚúÖö ÐõäõæÈöåöãú æóÅöäøó ßóËöíÑðÇ ãøöäó ÇáäøóÇÓö áóÝóÇÓöÞõæäó
5:49 So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which Allah hath revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that Allah's will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Lo! many of mankind are evil-livers.
Cleary, the Arabic Ahkum baynahum bi Maa Anzala lllahu (So Ahkum (Rule or Judge) baynahum (between them) bi Maa Anzala llahu (with or by what (maa) Allah has revealed) is talking about the Qur’an. Our shahada indicated that we would implement or live our lives by this Oath to Allah. Beyond this, for anyone that appreciates what socialization (passive process that occurs throughout life) or conditioning builds in the individual, we should yearn to be under such a system that will culture us with Islaam instead of Kufr or Shirk.
We should long for our children to grow up having learned to lust for Jennah instead of Gina. Do not we desire for him/her to look back on life and not have any frustrations in what society told them and what Allah told them. We want to meet Allah with as little blatant flat out rebellious acts due to our whims or desires as possible.
Living under the State of Islaam is a mercy to the Muslim who wants to attain the mercy of his Rabb. Allah says:
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ ÞõæÇ ÃóäÝõÓóßõãú æóÃóåúáöíßõãú äóÇÑðÇ æóÞõæÏõåóÇ ÇáäøóÇÓõ æóÇáúÍöÌóÇÑóÉõ ÚóáóíúåóÇ ãóáóÇÆößóÉñ ÛöáóÇÙñ ÔöÏóÇÏñ áóÇ íóÚúÕõæäó Çááøóåó ãóÇ ÃóãóÑóåõãú æóíóÝúÚóáõæäó ãóÇ íõÄúãóÑõæäó
66:6 O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.
Would any Muslim deny that living under the Systems of Islaam implemented by the Islaamic State which conditions the baby Muslim from the beginning that he is not free, but he is a salve of Allah is not a mercy and a way to save your family from evil values spread by Kufr un-Islaamic Systems that lead to the Nar? Who would deny this? Would we deny that it is harder to look at a woman if she is covered by Islaamic dress? Would we deny that it is easy to engage in sin under un-Islaam as compared to if we lived under Islaam? We know that it would be easier to pray during work times, easier to distance ourselves from the opposite sex under Islaam as compared to Kufr.
The Islaamic systems are a Mercy from Allah to guide us in this life away from the Haraam and into the Halaal. Remember what social scientists have said, values, whims, lusts, desires, are all social. They are created by the Creeds or ideologies that the people live under. If this is the case, it is clear to see that if we (the masses, there will always be the few exceptions in society) want to have the good Islaamic values and lusts from the beginning (instead of doing what is most difficult, changing something that has become so ingrained, so subconscious that we do not even realize it is taking place), we must be conditioned by Islaam in its entirety from the beginning.
I believe we must broaden our understanding of what working on our Nafs means. Our understanding should compose of the Systems and the Ideology that feed us our thinking (and thus our actions) in the first place. Secondly, we must consider our family’s own fate under systems other than Islaam (Kufr) when it comes to their Islaamic sentiments. Society must be understood to compose individuals, sentiments (values, lusts, emotions), and systems (social, economic, political, etc. that spread its ideology (capitalism/freedom/democracy/kufr or Islaam/Iman).
These re-conceptualizations will account for our own individual shortcomings as well as the state of affairs of our Ummah. Let us work on our Nafs and our future generations Nafs by bringing back Allah’s system, which will be a mercy for us on the Day of Judgment. May Allah Help us in this work, May Allah forgive us our sins, make us strong, and help us to desire nothing but what he desires for us, that is submission to his complete way of life (systems and values included).
Was-salaam
Ma’ruf Abul-Adil
Be careful what you ask for. 