How to Control Your Nafs in Islam - Follow These Practical Steps

And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from ˹evil˺ desires, [An-naziat-40]

Paradise will certainly be ˹their˺ home. [An-naziat-41]

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With unlimited distractions around us, many of us may feel that it is very difficult to be content and to be able to control your nafs. Instead of giving tips and tricks, I would rather want to give you a deeper insight into the topic.

Spiritual Dimensions And The Concept of Nafs

It would be necessary to delve into the understanding of spiritual dimensions to comprehend and develop an awareness of nafs and their influence on human existence.

Life as we call it is a fraction of a long journey that the soul travels, starting from its creation till eternity.

In the physical world, the soul resides in a body empowered with a set of senses designed for thriving in this material world. Our intellect and our physical qualities comprise one aspect of human existence whereas the presence of ruh (spirit) is what makes our creation a miracle in itself. We humans, as we come into this world are in a pure state and have an innate desire to discover the purpose of life and thrive for the tranquility that one finds in fulfilling that purpose… which is to submit fully to the Divine. With this realization of the meaning of life starts the struggle against one’s nafs and the need for purification of self begins.

Process of Purification:

To understand the process of purification which will lay the foundation for complete submission to The Creator, let us explore the central concepts from Sufi Islamic Psychology which revolves around 3 pillars.

Nafs (Self, ego, or Psyche)
Qalb (Spiritual Heart)
Ruh (Spirit)

Let us briefly touch upon the latter two before discussing Nafs.

Qalb:

This is the spiritual heart and not the physical organ. It contains deeper wisdom or Hikmat, which is more grounded than the rationale of the mind. Qalb also mediates between the Nafs and Ruh and controls the Nafs in many ways. The objective remains to develop a heart that is loving, compassionate & sincere.

Ruh:

The ruh is in direct connection with the Divine even if one is unaware of it. The spirit is beyond the realm of creation and already knows everything including its own source.

Nafs:

Nafs is described as Psyche or a continuum and has the potential of functioning from the lowest (negative traits and tendencies controlled by emotions, desires, and gratification) to the highest level where the state of submission to the Divine is achieved. Nafs is also defined as part of the physical self. It has desires, appetite, ego, anger, passion, lust, etc.

Three states of the Nafs have been mentioned in the Holy Quran:

Nafs Al-Ammarah:

This is the lowest state of nafs overpowered by material desires. This means the Nafs are sovereign over us and we obey it. This allows humans to do sins freely without guilt or remorse.

Nafs Al-Lawwamah:

Lawwamah means to self-incriminate or self-blame. In this type a human is in a constant battle with self as to why did I do it, I should not have done it, etc. In this constant battle sometimes a human sins and sometimes repents.

Nafs Al-Mutmainnah:

This is the highest level of Nafs and in this state, the soul is so pure and submitted to the Divine that it does not desire sin. It has full control over the self and is in a serene state. In essence, in this state the human desires only those things which the Almighty has defined as desirable and does not desire anything which the Almighty has labeled as undesirable.

Each one of us should have the level of self-awareness to be able to determine his own state. Usually, with self-help and continuous efforts, we can reach the state of Nafs al Lawwamah. But further progress is only possible with Allah’s Mercy and Grace. After sincere efforts and prayers, one may reach the level when the desire to purify oneself overwhelms him. At this point, one can move further with the help of pious people (sheiks etc.).

Practical Steps to Control your Nafs in Islam

At a very basic level to control your Nafs, the following are the steps that will help.

It starts with a sincere desire and focuses to purify oneself.
Once that step is achieved, it is important to inculcate the fear of Allah SWT in your heart.
Remembering your sins and killing the desire to do them again and repenting with utmost seriousness, clarity, and sincerity.
Always keeping in mind the severity of punishment from Allah SWT for all the committed sins.
Once the human starts understanding & accepting the severity, the guilt of doing such sins overtakes the soul and the person starts the process of repenting with utmost sincerity.
This along with the human inability & weakness to withstand the defined punishments by Allah SWT increases the intensity of repenting and aids the healing process.
Always remember and keep in mind that Allah SWT is All Powerful and All K If the efforts are not genuine and not sincere they can very well be hidden from the world however nothing can be hidden from Allah SWT.
Always remember the day of judgment and how challenging it will be for all humans and how difficult it will be for all those who have committed sins but have not asked for forgiveness. (Last Para – 30^thof Quran with translation & Tafseer helps as it focuses mostly on the day of Judgement)
Along with all of the above the important aspect is to leave the sins and focus both inward (inside the soul) and outward (with the rest of the world) on doing the right thing always with the intention of mercy from Allah SWT. The best way to achieve this is to do Astaghfar regularly. (Abu Hurraira RA reported: “Allah’s Messenger peace and blessings be upon Him said, ‘By Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah and I repent to Him more than seventy times in a day,'” Bukhari 6307)
Trying to spend most of the free time doing Zikar-o-Azkar as it helps keep Shaytan away and helps keeps the heart and soul at peace.