Three Types of Nafs

Three adjectives have been used in the Nobel Quran to describe three different types of nafs.

1. The first is nafs-ul-ammarah.

 إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ

 Indeed the nafs that overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin.[12:53]

So this refers to that nafs, that is ruling over the self. This means that the nafs commands us and tells us what to do. So when the nafs has any desire, any wish, any appetite, it simply commands us, it dominates us. It is that nafs which is sovereign over a human being, it has sovereignty over us. What it means is that the nafs is sovereign over us, if it is Ammarah, it means we are subjugated by it, we are sub-ordinate to it, we listen and follow all of its dictates and commands. So this is the first type of nafs and the sign that a person has this type of nafs is that they sin willingly, blatantly, remorselessly, in any way that they ever want.

And if we think about it, in many places in the west, this concept is actually glorified because people say ”you should do whatever makes you happy, do whatever pleases you, do whatever your heart desires”. They may glamorize that by saying that it’s the heart but actually there are many people, whether in east or west, even muslims now, that are doing what our passion desires. So that means that we have a nafs-ul-ammarah.

2. Second type of nafs is known as nafs-ul-lawwamah.

Lawwamah, lawwam, it’s the same type of word as ammar and Allah  Almighty has mentioned this in Quran:

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ

[75:2]

Lawwam here means to self incriminate, to self reproach, to have blame, to do mulamat of oneself. So, this is that nafs that does sometimes bring a person to do sin, but then that nafs self incriminates itself, it reproaches itself, it feels bad, it feels guilty. And then this guilt is supposed to increase so much so then the person leaves those sins because they feel so guilty about them. So, the sign of this is precisely  that the person has such a nafs that when they commit a sin they feel remorse, regret, they feel guilt, they feel shame, they feel embarrassment, they wish they could take it back, they wish they never did it, they may even intend at that moment never to do that again. So, they are fighting a battle with their nafs. Sometimes they make sin and sometimes they are able to stay away from sin.

3. The third way this word has been used in the Quran-e-Kareem is nafs-ul-mutmainnah.

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً

 To the righteous it will be said “oh reassured soul, return to your Lord well pleased, and pleasing to Him”

[89:27-28]

So, Allah Almighty addresses the mutma’in nafs. And mutma’in here means two things.

a) Number one is that they are mutma’in, they are content with the hukm of Allah Almighty, there is nothing else that makes them happy. So, this person is also doing what makes them happy. But this person has been molded and trained and disciplined it in such a way, that the only thing that makes it happy, that gives it solace, the only thing that it ismutma’in on, that it is content with, is what Allah Almighty is please with, what Allah Almighty is content with. So, it’s heart’s content lies in that which Allah Almighty is happy and pleased with.

b) Second meaning of mutma’in is that has reached a state of serenity. The serene, contented, tranquility, at peace nafs. And obviously, the peace here means that it has aman, itminan from doing sin and also aman and itminan from desiring sin. It has no unlawful desires. It has desires, that is what the nafs does, but it only desires good things. The sign of this is exactly what we just mentioned that this person, not only do they not do sin, they no longer desire sin. That faculty, that part of their humanity that desires, only and only desires things that Allah Almighty views as desirable and has stopped desiring those things that Allah Almighty has labeled as undesirable.

So, these are the three types of nafs. Nafs-ul-Ammarah, Nafs-ul-Lawwamah and Nafs-ul-Mutmainnah.

Hazrat Abu Bakr Wagers Ubayy Bin Khalaf - Surah 'The Romans'

Ar-Rum

Eastern Rome and Persia (modern day Iran) were the two largest powers during the time in which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sent.

In 613 AD, these two neighbors and rival countries entered into a bloody battle. Khusraw II ruled Iran and Heracles ruled the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Persian armies followed the Roman powers until they drove them into water and captured every holy city in Syria. During 614 AD, they invaded all of Palestine and Jerusalem. During this invasion, all churches and religious buildings were destroyed and ruined. The 26,000 Jews that joined ranks with the Persians killed more than 60,000 Christians. The palace of the Persian King was adorned with the skulls of the dead people which amounted to 30,000!

This hurricane of an invasion did not end here. It had swept into Egypt as well. In 616 AD, they reached Alexandria after having occupied the Nile River and invaded all of Anatolia; they had even come to the shores of the Bosporus. They were seen across Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. In this way, they had captured Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Anatolia.

In 616, the Eastern Roman Empire was ultimately destroyed.

The Romans were from among the People of the Book; in other words, they were Christians whereas the Persians were fire-worshippers who did not follow any holy books and did not believe in the afterlife.

When this news reached Mecca, the polytheists were happy while the Muslims were saddened.

The polytheists used this incident as a means to disturb the Muslims, “You and the Christians are the People of the Book. We and the Iranians are illiterate. Our Iranian brothers have prevailed over your Roman siblings. We would defeat you if we entered into battle with you.”

Thereupon, Allah sent down Surah ar-Room, which would be considered as one of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) miracles, and relieved the Muslims from sadness: “Alif Lam Mim. The Roman Empire has been defeated― In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious. Within a few years. With Allah is the Decision, in the Past and in the Future: on that Day shall the Believers rejoice― With the help of Allah. He helps whom He will, and He is Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. (It is) the promise of Allah. Never does Allah depart from His promise: but most men understand not.” (Surah ar-Room: 30/1-6) (1)

When these verses were revealed, the Roman Empire was in such devastation that its government had been dissolved due to the number of rebellions that took place; its army had been dispersed; and its treasury was emptied; Emperor Heracles was even planning to abandon Istanbul and escape to Carthage. In their drunken state of victory, the Persian commanders made the following demand:

That the Emperor would give the Persians everything they wanted! This included a thousand loads of gold, a thousand loads of silver, a thousand loads of silk, a thousand horses, and a thousand women.

The Roman Empire accepted these burdensome and vile conditions and sent deputies to sign this agreement. When these deputies went to Persia, King Khusraw haughtily said, “This is not enough! Emperor Heracles must come to me in chains and worship fire and the sun in place of his God.”

It was unfeasible to imagine that the Romans could revive within a couple of years and succeed again after such a great turmoil. The above Quranic verses informed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) that the Romans would triumph again within a few years.

Hazrat Abu Bakr and Ubayy bin Khalaf

As soon as Hazrat Abu Bakr heard these verses from our Holy Prophet (PBUH), he recited them loudly on one side of Mecca. Afterwards, he said to the delighted polytheists, “The Romans will certainly prevail over the Persians in a few years.”

The polytheists were puzzled. How could the aforementioned empire, which was in such a disastrous state and which had completely fallen from grace, revive and prevail over the Persians!?

Ubayy bin Khalaf was one of those who could not fathom the possibility of this situation; he said, “You are lying. Come on; choose a time-frame so that I can bet against you.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr accepted. They betted ten camels and agreed on three years. (2)

Hazrat Abu Bakr came and informed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) about the situation. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “what is meant by bid’a (a few) in the verse is from three to nine.” Increase the number of camels and extend the length of time.”

Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr left and encountered Ubayy. Ubayy said, “You must be regretful.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “No. Come on; let us increase the amount of our bet and extend the length of time. Let us say nine years and agree upon 100 camels.”

Ubayy accepted, “Come on, let us do it”, he said.

Hazrat Abu Bakr about to Leave Makkah

During the period in which Hazrat Abu Bakr was planning to leave Mecca, Ubayy bin Khalaf got a hold of him and said, “I am worried that when I win the bet that you will not pay off the camels as you will be gone from Mecca. Show me a warrantor.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr showed his son Abdurrahman as his warrantor.

When Ubayy bin Khalaf wanted to participate in the Battle of Uhud, Abdurrahman went to him and said, “By God, I will not release you until you show me a warrantor.”

Ubayy bin Khalaf showed a warrantor and then set off to fight in the Battle of Uhud.

Ubayy bin Khalaf died from a wound that he received from the strike of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) sword.

Nine years after their defeat, the Romans greatly defeated the Persians with an unexpected and unsuspected attack.

The Muslims were very happy upon hearing this whereas the polytheists were immensely upset.

Hazrat Abu Bakr took the hundred camels from Ubayy bin Khalaf’s warrantor and inheritors and brought them to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). “Gave them away as charity”, ordered the Master of the Universe (PBUH).

Upon the realization of this incident, which was foretold in the Holy Quran and was considered as one of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) miracles, some of the polytheists became Muslims. (3)

[1] ar-Rum, 1-6.

[2] The divine decree that prohibited gambling had not been sent down to the Prophet yet.

[3] Tirmidhi, Sunan, V. 12, p. 66-71; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 141-142; M. Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili, V. 5, p. 3795-3800.