NAFS
TAZKIYAH AN NAFS
Class 2
NAFS AL AMMARAH
How the Commanding Soul works, and the diseases it hides
إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful. (12:53)
There is something in us that gives orders.
Most of us have never called it that. It shows up as preference, as mood, as what we felt like doing. And because it speaks in our own voice, we have spent years assuming it is simply who we are.
That assumption is why we keep losing to it. It is very hard to refuse something we believe is ourselves. Refusal starts to feel like self-betrayal, and no one sustains a fight filed under self-harm.
In Class 1, we met the commanding soul, the voice that says "just this once." That voice pushes us into sins we can see. But the commanding soul has a second, subtle side. It also plants diseases inside the heart that we cannot see so easily. Today we are going to switch on the light and look at them.
How the Commanding Soul (Nafs Al Ammarah) Works
Before we look at the diseases, we need to understand the method. The commanding soul works in three ways.
i. It makes wrong look beautiful
When the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him) came home with a false story, their father Ya'qub said: "Rather, your souls have made something seem good to you." (Surah Yusuf 12:18)
The nafs never says "this is ugly, do it anyway." It dresses the wrong thing in nice clothes. Backbiting becomes "just sharing my concern." Showing off becomes "inspiring others." Arrogance becomes "having standards."
Shayṭaan’s main tool isn’t force — it’s presentation. He doesn’t need to convince you that something harmful is harmless; he only needs to make it look attractive enough that your mind stops asking the question. Iblees himself described exactly this strategy to Allah: "Iblees said: My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all." (Qurʾān 15:39)
Notice the word: attractive, not forced. It’s worth naming two of the desires this trick works through most effectively, lust, which it dresses up as love, freedom, or “just looking”, and greed, which it dresses up as ambition, provision for the family, or simply “what everyone does”. Different desires, same underlying mechanism — something harmful, made to look good enough that the mind waves it through.
ii. The Gradual Path (Step by Step)
Shaytan, does not directly approach humans and ask them to abandon their religion or commit major sins. No sane person would willingly disobey Allah while choosing to follow Shaytaan instead and share his dreadful fate! Shaytaan has his own ways of distracting mankind from the religion of Allah and deceiving them into committing evil deeds. Shaytan uses the Nafs and tempts mankind little by little; beginning with a few steps and eventually leading them to the final downfall.
Ibn Abbas further elaborated how Shaytan persuaded the people of Nuh into worshiping these idols in stages, he said, “Indeed these five names of righteous men (that have been given to those five idols) are from the people of Nuh. When they died, Shaytan whispered to the people to make statues of them and to place these statues in their places of gathering as a reminder of the people, so they did this. However, none from amongst them worshiped these statues, until when they died and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next generation) began to worship them.” [Agreed upon]
Similarly, in a gradual manner, Shaytan had persuaded Adam and Hawa into eating the forbidden fruit.
Shaytan uses the same ploy with the children of Adam and this necessitates extra precaution on our part. We not only have to refrain from committing sins but it is also necessary to keep away from every path that may lead to disobeying Allah, including visiting places and gatherings where the limits of Allah are not respected, keeping bad company or participating in innovated celebrations etc.
Allah says, "And do not go near adultery (zina). It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way." (Surah Al-Isra 17:32). Instead of just forbidding the act itself, Allah commands believers to avoid the paths and triggers that lead to it.
The Prophet ﷺ described the same mechanism at the level of everyday sins: "Beware of trivial sins, for they are like a group of people who camped in a valley bed. One brought a stick, another brought a stick, until they had gathered enough to bake their bread. Trivial sins, whenever a person is taken to account for them, will destroy him." (Musnad Aḥmad; graded sahih)
This is the honest, unglamorous truth about how boundaries actually get crossed — not through one dramatic decision, but through small, individually forgivable-feeling steps that quietly add up. Recognizing the pattern early is most of the defense against it. With that playbook in view, here are two of Shayṭān’s most effective weapons in practice — one chemical, one behavioral.
iii. It hides its own faults
This is its most dangerous trick. Ibn al-Jawzi explains that the self is loved, and a lover never sees the faults of the one he loves. He says the hidden faults of the soul are like internal diseases: the patient feels no pain, so he never goes to the doctor.
The eye that looks with contentment does not see flaws, but the eye that is full of discontent sees all flaws. (Lines of poetry quoted by Ibn al-Jawzi, Disciplining the Soul, ch. 23)
This is why we see the arrogance of others so clearly, and almost never our own. And this is why today's class is about honest diagnosis, not about pointing at other people.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “…The most hateful speech to Allah is when a man says to another, ‘Fear Allah!’ and he replies, ‘Worry about yourself!’ (or ‘Mind your own business!’)” (Nisa’ii & Tabrani; classed as Sahih by Albani)
Five Hidden Diseases
Scholars have written whole books about the diseases of the heart. Ibn Taymiyyah wrote a treatise called Amrāḍ al-Qulūb (The Diseases of the Hearts). Ibn al-Qayyim explains that these diseases come in two kinds: diseases of doubt, which damage belief, and diseases of desire, which damage character. In this class we focus on five diseases of desire that hide in almost every heart.
Disease 1: Arrogance (Kibr)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "No one who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise." A man said, "A man likes his clothes to be nice and his shoes to be nice." He said: "Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people." (Sahih Muslim 91)
Look at this definition carefully. Arrogance is not wearing nice clothes. It has two signs:
Rejecting the truth: you know you are wrong, but you cannot say "I was wrong." You argue to win, not to find the truth.
Looking down on people: because of their job, their car, their nationality, their accent, their skin, or even how religious they look.
Ibn al-Jawzi says arrogance grows from feeling superior in lineage, wealth, knowledge or worship. Notice the last one. A person can become arrogant because of his prayers. The one who prays at night and looks down on the one who doesn't has not escaped arrogance. He has only found a religious way to feel it.
Mirror: How do you feel when someone younger, poorer or less educated than you corrects you?
Disease 2: Self-Admiration ('Ujb)
Arrogance looks down on others. Self-admiration is softer: it simply looks at yourself and is pleased. "I pray on time. I give charity. I'm not like those people." All these makes us complacent. Where as the Prophet ﷺ said, "A believer is never satisfied with doing [or hearing] good until his final destination is Paradise." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi; Graded Hasan/Sahih)
Ibn al-Jawzi says self-admiration comes from loving yourself too much, and its harm is that it stops you from growing. Why improve, if you are already pleased? He says the cure is to read the lives of the righteous who came before. Then you will feel like a man with one coin who discovers that others have thousands.
Allah says,
“So compete with one another in doing good." (Surah Baqarah & Surah Maidah)
"Race with one another toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth..." (Surah Al-Hadid 57:21)
And for this [Paradise and its delights], let the competitors compete." (Surah Al-Mutaffifin 83:26)
And the Prophet ﷺ said, "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by trials like portions of a dark night..." (Sahih Muslim)
A Salaf said, That I sleep through the night and wake up full of regret is more beloved to me than that I pray the whole night and wake up full of self-admiration.
Think about that. A night of sleep with a broken heart was better, in his eyes, than a night of prayer with a proud heart.
Mirror: Do you remember your good deeds more easily than your sins? The Companion Ibn Mas'ud said:
"The believer sees his sins as if he is sitting under a mountain that he fears will fall on him. The wicked person sees his sins like a fly that passed over his nose, and he waved it away." (Sahih Bukhari)
Disease 3: Envy (Hasad)
Envy is to be unhappy that Allah gave someone a blessing, and to wish it would be taken away from them. Ibn al-Jawzi points to its root: the love of being above others, and the hatred of being equal to them or worse, better than them.
He also makes an honest point. Almost nobody is completely free of some feeling of envy. Ibn Taymiyyah quotes a famous saying:
No body is free of envy. But the noble person hides it, and the low person shows it. (Amrāḍ al-Qulūb)
So feeling the sting is not the sin. The sin begins when you act on it: when you wish the blessing would leave them, speak against them, or feel happy when they fail.
Ibn al-Jawzi notices something else: people rarely envy the one who prays at night or fasts often. They envy the one with money, fame and position. Envy is almost always about this world. Social media has made this disease stronger than ever, because now we see the best moments of thousands of people every day, and we compare them with the worst moments of our own lives.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Look at those who are beneath you and do not look at those who are above you, for it is more suitable that you should not consider as less the blessing of Allah.” (Ibn Majah; Sahih)
Islam does allow one kind of "envy", which is really healthy competition as mentioned in the Ayahs earlier. The Prophet also said, "There is no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah gave wealth and he spends it in the truth, and a man whom Allah gave wisdom and he judges by it and teaches it." (Sahih al-Bukhari 73, Sahih Muslim 816)
Mirror: When you hear that someone you know has failed, is there a tiny part of you that feels relief?
Disease 4: Anger (Ghaḍab)
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "Advise me." He said, "Do not get angry." The man asked again and again, and each time he answered, "Do not get angry" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6116).
He ﷺ also said, "The strong person is not the one who wrestles others down. The strong person is the one who controls himself when he is angry." (Bukhari & Muslim)
Remember from Class 1: anger itself is natural. It protects us. The disease is anger out of control. Ibn al-Jawzi makes a sharp observation: the main root of anger is arrogance, because a person is rarely angry at someone above him. Test it honestly. Are you gentle with your manager and harsh with your wife, your children, or the person who works in your home? Then your anger is not about the problem. It is about who you think is beneath you.
Mirror: Who receives your anger most often? Is it the people with the least power to answer back?
Disease 5: Greed for Wealth and Status
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep do not cause more damage than a man's greed for wealth and status does to his religion." (at-Tirmidhi 2376, classed as sahih by Albani)
Notice the Prophet ﷺ named two things: wealth and status. In his time, status meant a position in the tribe. Today it can mean followers, likes, titles, and being seen as important. Ibn al-Jawzi says the soul loves to be above others, and that this love is never satisfied: once you reach one level, you want the next.
Two hungry wolves do not eat one sheep and stop. They tear through the whole flock. This is what this greed does to prayer, family time, honesty and peace of mind.
Mirror: How many times a day do you check how many people saw, liked or replied to something you shared?
There Is a Cure
After hearing all this, some people might feel heavy: "I have all five." If anyone feels that, it is actually a good sign. It means the blaming soul is Alhamdulillah alive in you.
And remember, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has not sent down any disease except that He has also sent down its cure" (Sahih Bukhari). He said this about the body. If Allah gave a cure for every sickness of the body, then the heart, which matters far more to Him, is not left without one.
Every disease we named today has a cure, and we will gather the full set of cures in Class 6. Today, the goal is only this: find your main disease. Pick the one that hurts you most, and start there.
The Mirror
Answer honestly in your Muhasabah notebook. Nobody will see this but you.
When was the last time I said "I was wrong" to someone younger or less important than me?
Who do I secretly look down on? What is the reason I tell myself?
Which of my good deeds do I think about the most? Which of my sins do I forget the most?
Whose success makes me uncomfortable? What exactly do they have that I want?
Who receives my anger most often? Would I speak to my boss the same way?
Of the five diseases, which one is strongest in me right now? Which is second?
Tazkiyah in Practice: This Week
Here is one small medicine for each disease. Choose at least the one that matches your main disease.
For arrogance: say the three hard words
This week, say "I was wrong" at least once, out loud, to someone. And do one act of service that your ego thinks is "below you."
For self-admiration: Alhamdulillah
Each time you feel pleased with a good deed, say "Alhamdulillah" and remind yourself: Allah gave me the ability, the time and the health to do it. Then remember one sin you have not repented from yet, and repent!
For envy: bless, then compete
When something of another person impresses you, make dua for them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "When one of you sees something in his brother that pleases him, let him pray for blessing for him" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3509, sahih). Say: "Allahumma barik lahu" (O Allah, bless him in it). Also remember, the Prophet ﷺ said, "The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is answered. At his head is an angel appointed to him; whenever he prays for good for his brother, the angel appointed to him says: 'Ameen, and may you have the same.'" (Sahih Muslim).
For anger: change your position
The Prophet ﷺ said, "If one of you becomes angry while standing, let him sit down. If the anger leaves, good. If not, let him lie down" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4782, sahih). He also taught that saying "A'ūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭān ir-rajīm" removes anger (Sahih al-Bukhari 6115). Practise both this week.
For greed for status: a week of hidden deeds
For seven days, post nothing about your worship, your charity or your achievements. Do one good deed every day that nobody will ever know about.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ مُنْكَرَاتِ الأَخْلَاقِ، وَالأَعْمَالِ، وَالأَهْوَاءِ
Allāhumma innī a'ūdhu bika min munkarāt il-akhlāq, wal-a'māl, wal-ahwā'.
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from evil character, evil deeds, and evil desires."
(Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3591, sahih)
Next class: The Blaming Soul, and how to take yourself to account.
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 Dua.
Remember 5 Main diseases.
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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