Purification of the Soul and Its Importance
Allah Sunhanahoo Wata’ala has created the human soul in a remarkable way. It is the hub of desires; all significant ambitions and rebellious thoughts stem from it. It incites disobedience to Allah’s commands, behaves like animals in lust, expresses ferocity like wild beasts in anger, disregards lawful and unlawful distinctions when hungry, and becomes rebellious, arrogant, and defiant when satisfied. During adversity, it laments like the impatient. In essence, the human soul is never content. Reforming it is incredibly challenging, and purifying the soul is the essence of a healthy heart.
What is the Soul?
The soul is a thief within the human body that prevents one from turning toward Allah. It is the greatest barrier between a servant and Allah. The human existence faces two forces, the soul and Satan, which constantly lead the natural disposition of humanity toward sin. When Satan was cursed for refusing to prostrate before Adam (عليه السلام), he vowed enmity against Adam and his progeny, striving to mislead them. The soul is Satan’s oldest weapon, and through its desires, Satan misguides humanity. However, if the soul escapes Satan’s influence and comes under human control, the barrier between Allah and the servant is lifted.
What is Purification of the Soul?
In Arabic, “tazkiyah” means to purify something, help it grow, and nurture it. Technically, it refers to redirecting the soul from wrong tendencies toward righteousness and God-consciousness, enabling it to reach the pinnacle of perfection. In essence, the purification of the soul means cleansing oneself from sins and nurturing goodness.
Two Aspects of Purification:
1. Removing sins and purifying oneself.
2. Establishing and fostering good deeds after purification.
The soul refers to the human essence or personality. Thus, purification of the soul means eradicating vices and cultivating virtues within oneself.
Three States of the Human Soul:
1. Nafs Al-Mutma’innah (The Content Soul):
This soul remains content with obedience to Allah and is free from sinful desires and temptations.
As Allah states:
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ ٢٨ فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ٢٩ وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ٣٠
come back to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. So, enter among My (special) servants, and enter My Paradise. (89:28-30)
2. Nafs Al-Lawwama (The Blaming Soul):
This soul reproaches itself for sinning, encouraging repentance and remorse.
As Allah states:
وَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلنَّفْسِ ٱللَّوَّامَةِ
and I swear by the self-reproaching conscience, (that Resurrection is a reality.) (75:2)
3. Nafs Al-Ammarah (The Commanding Soul):
This soul incites evil and sinful desires.
As Allah states:
وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
And I do not acquit my soul. Indeed, the soul is prone to evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy. (12:53)
Importance and Virtue of Purification of the Soul:
Allah has instilled the awareness of good and evil in human nature and defined the straight path through revelation. Despite this, humans often get involved in sins. Without purification, no one can enter Paradise. Thus, the process of cleansing sins begins in worldly life and reaches completion in the Hereafter with Allah’s mercy.
While the process of purification seems straightforward, it is a challenging task in practice. Yet, it is the essence of religion, and success in it results in eternal blessings in Paradise, while failure leads to Hellfire. The Quran emphasizes the significance of purification, making it a central theme.
Purification as a Condition for Paradise:
Paradise is reserved for those who strive to purify themselves from all forms of sin. As the Quran states:
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
the eternal gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they shall live for ever. That is the reward for the one who has purified himself. (20:76)
Similarly:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا ٩ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا ١٠
success is really attained by him who purifies it, and failure is really suffered by him who pollutes it. (91:9-10)
Supplication for Purification of the Soul:
Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) would supplicate:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ نُمَيْرٍ – قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآَخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، وَعَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ، قَالَ لاَ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِلاَّ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ كَانَ يَقُولُ “ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْهَرَمِ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا ” .
Zaid b. Alqam reported: I am not going to say anything but only that which Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upgn him) used to say. He used to supplicate: ” O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, decrepitude and from torment of the grave. O Allah, grant to my soul the sense of righteousness and purify it, for Thou art the Best Purifier thereof. Thou art the Protecting Friend thereof, and Guardian thereof. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah), from the soul that does not feel contented and the supplication that is not responded.” (Sahih Muslim)
This prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ) is a teaching for the Ummah. Every Muslim should strive to rid their soul of undesirable traits while also praying to Allah for its purification.
