(Talib ad dunya). He who seeks this world. This is the seeker of earthly pleasures and delights. Such a one has no awareness of his inherent need for guidance. He is a follower of his own whims and fancies. He is under the control of the misguider, S...
(Talib). A seeker on the Spiritual Path. He is also called mutasawwif. He is the one who strives, through self-mortification, to reach the level of the Sufis. He is not a Sufi.
(Al Taalib). The Seeker. One of the Beautiful Names of Allah.
(Istighfar) is a necessary part of preparation for true prayer. It is an act of devotion which should never be abandoned, regardless of one's knowedge, spiritual visions, acts of abstinence, etc. 'The slave remains the slave and the Lord remains the ...
(Istighraq). Such drowning can be within the verses of the Qur'an, within the Self of the Murshid, within the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace), all of which are various drownings before being drowned in Alla...
(Nafs). The ego or the self or the soul. The nafs is that dimension of man which stands between the spirit which is light, and the physical body which is darkness. The spiritual struggle or combat is waged against the downward-pulling tendencies of t...
(Nafs al Hayawaniyya). The animal self. This is the lowest self. It is man cast down to the "lowest of the low". The animal self is totally obedient to the base natural impulses. The one who is dominated by the animal self is unfit for spiritual end...
(Nafs al Lawwama). The Self that Blames.The Qur'an refers to this Self, "And I do call to witness the self that blames" (75:2). This Self is conscious of its own imperfections. Its journeying is for Allah. The Blaming Self is equated with the second ...
(Nafs al Ammarra). 'The self which commands'. The Qur'an refers to this self, "The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil" (12:53). This self resides in the world of the senses and is dominated by earthly desires and passions. The initial struggle i...
(Nafs al Ilahiyyah). The Divine Self is Allah as He is with His Qualities of Life, Knowledge, Power, Will, Hearing, Sight and Speech.
(Nafs al Mulhamma) is the Inspired Self. The Qur'an refers to this Self, "By the Self and the proportion and order given to it" (91:7). This Self has turned away from wrong action and is able to discern that which will take it to felicity. It journey...
(Nafs al Mutma'inna) is the Self at Peace.The Qur'an refers to this Self, "Oh Self, in complete rest and satisfaction!" (89:27). This Self is tranquil as it rests in the Certitude of Allah. It has been reintegrated into the Spirit. The Nafs al Mutma'...
(Nafs al Kamila). The Perfect Self. The Qur'an refers to this Self, "Enter then, among My slaves. Enter into My Garden" (89:29,30). This is the final stage in the development of the self to the Self. It is the stage of Real Islam when the slave is i...
(An nafs al wahidah). The Unique Self. This is the Self of the first Prophet, Adam (Peace be upon him). The human species was created from the Unique Self. The Prophet Adam is the Father of the body and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations ...
Nafs al Kulliya - see 'Universal Soul'.
