SACRED THINGS IN ISLAM
Al-DarUriyyAAt al-Khams
(The Five Sacred Trusts in Shariʿah)
Class 2
HIFZ AN NAFS
Protecting Life and Disciplining the Soul
“Nafs” is one of those Arabic words that carries two meanings at once — it means both “life” and “self” (your soul, your ego, your inner desires). Here we will try to cover both sides of the same trust: first, briefly, protecting the body Allah gave you; then, in more depth, disciplining the self that lives inside it — the part of you that gets angry, craves things it shouldn’t, and needs real, daily work to stay on track. For most people, that second half is where the actual, everyday battle happens.
The Sanctity of Life
Islam treats human life as sacred.
"Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption done in the land — it is as if he had killed all of mankind. And whoever saves one — it is as if he had saved all of mankind." (Qurʾān 5:32)
Because of this, Islam only allows punishment for murder through a fair legal process — qiṣāṣ, or “retaliation” under proper authority — never personal revenge. Even then, forgiving the killer in exchange for compensation (diyah) is praised by Allah as “an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy” (Qurʾān 2:178). Mercy is always the preferred door, even in the one place where retaliation is permitted.
This same protection extends to your own life. Since it was never fully yours to take, the Prophet ﷺ described the seriousness of suicide in stark terms:
"Whoever intentionally throws himself off a mountain and kills himself will be in the Fire of Hell, falling into it forever... And whoever drinks poison and kills himself will carry that poison in his hand, drinking it in the Fire of Hell forever." (Sahih Bukhari)
Note: this warning is about how seriously Allah views the act — it is not a judgment on someone currently struggling with suicidal thoughts or a mental health condition. If that is you, or someone you know, this is exactly the moment to reach out — to people, to professionals, and to Allah in duʿāʾ — rather than carrying it alone.
Your Body Isn't Fully Yours Either
The same sanctity that protects you from other people also protects you from yourself — you are not free to slowly damage your own body, either. A short but powerful principle from the Prophet ﷺ captures this:
"There should be neither harming, nor returning harm for harm." (Ibn Mājah and others; graded ḥasan)
This became one of the biggest principles in Islamic law: you may not cause harm — to others, or to yourself. It’s one of the main reasons scholars give for why smoking, vaping, drinking, and drug use are haram — they cause real, measurable harm to a body that was never fully yours to damage. Allah says, “All that is Good is Halal and all that is Bad is Haram. (Surah al Araf)
(Some of these substances also affect the mind, which we’ll look at more closely in Class 3, on ʿAql.)
Nafs Also Means Your Self — The Daily Battle
For most of us, the biggest everyday threat to this trust isn’t murder or suicide — it’s something much closer to home: the constant pull of our own desires, temper, and impulses. This is the other meaning of nafs — your self, your ego, the voice inside you that doesn’t always want what’s good for you. The Qurʾān actually describes this inner self moving through real stages, almost like a journey.
The Three States of the Nafs
At its lowest point, the Qurʾān calls it an-nafs al-ammārah bis-sūʾ — “the soul that persistently commands evil”:
"Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy." (Qurʾān 12:53)
This is the nafs in its rawest state, pulling toward laziness, anger, and desire with little resistance — the default setting for most people before any real effort is made.
The next stage is an-nafs al-lawwāmah, “the self-reproaching soul” — the one Allah swears an oath by:
"And I swear by the reproaching soul." (Qurʾān 75:2)
This is progress: a nafs that still slips, but now feels genuine regret afterward and pulls itself back. If you’ve ever done something wrong and felt real discomfort about it right after — that feeling is actually a good sign. It means the nafs is awake and fighting back.
The goal all of this striving is aimed at is an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah, “the soul at peace,” which Allah addresses directly:
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي
"O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants, and enter My Paradise." (Qurʾān 89:27–30)
This is a nafs trained enough that doing right no longer feels like a constant fight. Nobody is born in this state — it is built gradually, through exactly the kind of daily discipline this section is about.
Real Strength Is Self-Control
The Prophet ﷺ redefined what “strength” actually means,:
"The strong is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger." (Bukhari & Muslim)
“Whoever gives up argument when he is in the right, a palace will be built from him in the middle (of Paradise) (Abu Dawood & Ibn Majah)
By this definition, someone who holds their tongue in a heated argument, or resists snapping at their family after a hard day, is showing more real strength than someone who wins a physical fight. This is disciplining the nafs in its most everyday form — and it even has its own name: mujāhadah, meaning “striving.” Jihād, correctly understood, is a broad word for struggle or effort, and its most constant, daily form is the struggle against your own self:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The mujāhid [one who strives] is the one who strives against his own self for the sake of Allah." (Musnad Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi & Ibn Hibban; graded ḥasan by al-Albani)
This is why the ṣaḥābah took disciplining the nafs so seriously — for them, it wasn’t an abstract spiritual idea. It was daily, practical work. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and the Fire is surrounded by desires." (Sahih Muslim)
Read that carefully: the things that lead to Paradise usually feel hard in the moment — waking up for Fajr, holding your tongue, staying patient — while the things that lead away from it are usually wrapped in something that feels good right now. Disciplining the nafs is really just learning to see past it.
"O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow." (Qurʾān 59:18)
This kind of honest self-accounting — muḥāsabah — was something the ṣaḥābah practiced deliberately, not something that simply happened to them.
The Duty of Self-Care
Protecting this trust isn’t only about avoiding harm and disciplining desires — it’s also an active duty to take care of yourself. The Prophet ﷺ said, "There are two blessings which many people do not appreciate: good health and free time." (Bukhari).
He ﷺ gave practical guidance on things like sleep, food, cleanliness, and health.
SLEEP
It is well known that early to bed and early to rise is the practice of the successful people of this world, it is healthy, it keeps the mind fresh and gives us time and energy to work.
The Prophet Mohammed ﷺ encouraged his companions not to be involved in any activity after Isha prayer (which is around 1.5-2 hours after sunset). The Prophet ﷺ said, “One should not sleep before the night prayer, nor have discussions after it”, calling everyone to sleep early. (Abu Dawood)
He ﷺ also said, “O Allah, bless my people in their early mornings.” When he sent out a detachment or an army, he sent them at the beginning of the day. Sakhr was a merchant, and he would send off his merchandise at the beginning of the day; and he became rich and had much wealth. (Abu Dawud classed as Sahih Albaani)
EATING
Eating less – The Solution To Many Problems
Eating too much makes the heart hard and heedless of Allaah. And that is why the Prophet ﷺ and his companions used to go hungry quite frequently, even in the presence of abundant food. The Prophet said, ﷺ “A believer eats in one intestine, and a kafir (unbeliever) or a hypocrite eats in seven intestines." (Bukhaari).
He ﷺ also said, "The son of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach. A few bites are enough to keep a person’s back straight. If he must eat more, then let him fill one third for food, one third for drink, and one third for breath." (Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 2380; graded sahih al-Albani)
Overeating is described here almost like a small, daily loss of self-control — the same nafs-discipline from earlier, applied to the dinner table.
The Sunnah portion size
The best and most perfect diet is to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. For, indeed, it is only his way that is the best and his guidance that is perfect.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The Son of Adam will not fill a pot worse for himself than his stomach. It is enough for the Son of Adam to eat a few bites that strengthens his spine. If he likes to have more, then let him fill a third with food, a third with drink and leave a third for his breathing”. (Tirmidhi, Nisaa’i & Ahmad)
Cleanliness and Preventive Care
Better hygiene leads to better health, confidence and overall growth. It is important for people to practice good hygiene for many reasons, including: Reduced possibility of infection or disease. Improved self-esteem. Improved perception from others in our social groups.
Islam is a religion of purity. “…Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean” (Surah al-Baqarah)
And the Prophet ﷺ said, "Cleanliness is half of faith." (Sahih Muslim)
Caring for one’s hygiene is not only deemed a good habit in Islam but also rendered into rituals that constitute part of the faith itself. A believer must have a clean house, body, and environment. There have been clear instructions for bathing (ghusl) and ablutions (wudhu) for the believers. They cannot pray with unclean bodies and clothes or in polluted surroundings.
A Muslim is required to be clean when performing daily Prayers, which includes properly cleansing oneself after using the toilet and practicing ablution. We list below some of the Sunnahs that encourage good personal hygiene.
The Strongest
We conclude this class by reminding the ultimate source of strength is faith. The Life of the Sahaba is the example, not all of them were built like Umar R.A. but each one of them could take on many enemies in battle, it was their strong belief and the hope for rewards in the hereafter. The strongest amongst us would be the person who has good health and uses it to worship Allah and exerts himself or herself to help the Ummah for His Sake. What use is strength if it is just to show off or to oppress others by bullying them? Do not make this great blessing a means of being questioned or punished on the day of Judgement.
May Allah bless everyone with good health and give us the Hidaayah to use it right.
Practical Reminders & Reflection
A few things to carry into the week ahead:
Losing your temper online — doom-arguing in comment sections, road rage, snapping at family after a long day — is the modern, everyday test of “real strength is self-control.” Every reply and every reaction is a small chance to practice mujāhadah against your own nafs.
Notice one moment your nafs pulls you toward anger, laziness, or a bad habit — and treat controlling it as the real “strength” the Prophet ﷺ described.
Pick one habit that quietly harms your body — poor sleep, overeating, a substance, reckless behaviour — and take one real step to reduce it.
If you are carrying a mental health struggle in silence, let this class be the nudge to speak to someone — a friend, family member, professional, or all three.
Which state of the nafs do you recognize most in yourself right now — ammārah, lawwāmah, or muṭmaʾinnah — and what would move you one step further?
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the types of Nafs.
Remember the tips from Sunnah
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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