WHAT IS
TAZKIYA NAFS OR PURIFICATION OF SOUL?
Tazkiya
nafs, although the term tazkiya nafs is not thoroughly mentioned in the book
Quran but most of the verses and Islamic philosophy indicates its
inference.
People
loosely termed tazikya nafs as purification of inner self or soul. Tazkiya is
actually a very tough process of growth, development and evolution of self. The
growth of the nafs occurs due to honest realization, recognition of our own
unique embedded script. By following our own unique script (al-kitab) we can
bring change of mind, this is tazkiya nafs or cleaning of our mind from our
traditional belief.
The role of
our inner script (al-kitab) and our inner rasul is very important in building /
growing / developing our psyche (nafs). The script continuously speaks to us through
the voice of Allah. We need to able to pick up the voice and listen to it that
is emerging out from the script (al-kitab). Rasul is the voice of Allah
embedded in all of us, known as rasulallah in Quranic terminology. This voice
is lying dormant in majority of us, we all need to raise that voice in us.
The purpose
of our inherent script (al-kitab) is not for reading but for following. The
Quranic words تَتْلُونَ / تَتْلُو / يَتْلُونَ /
اتْلُ mentioned in the
book are vaguely translated as recite which is contextually and linguistically
wrong. The basic meaning of تِلَاوَة is to follow and not to recite. By
only reciting (تِلَاوَة) the physical book nobody grows / develops or become purified.
We need to identify and follow the inner script in order to grow or bring
change. Tazkiya nafs is not about chanting, reciting or repeating some
prescribed words or verses from the book Quran and expecting a miracle that
purifies our nafs (mind, body and soul).
Another
big mistake done by our translators is to translate the Arabic word ayat (آيَاتٍ) as
verses,
whereas it's actual meaning is active signs, valid signs that points, indicate,
guide, signal our direction. The signs are living that are meant to be
followed, to be inferred and never to be read, recited or for rote reading. In
the context of the book Quran ayats are vibrant signs in ourselves by following
it we can reach our intended destination. Therefore ayats are meant to be
followed and not meant for reciting تِلَاوَة - Ayaats are not at all related to rote
reading but more importantly its only purpose is to follow them consciously.
The message of the book Quran is to follow the signs of our own script taught to us by our own inherent rasul, that’s the way to grow, purify and refine our nafs. Dead rasul cannot purify us; the rasul must be living inside us to purify us. A rasul in the grave cannot purify anyone.
Let's
study some verses of the book Quran in order to understand the role of the
contextual rasul in purifying us.
2:129 - Our Rabb!
Raise in them a rasul from them who will continuously follow on them Your
signs, teach them the script (al-kitab) and wisdom, and purify / refine them.
Indeed, You are the Almighty, All-Wise -
2:151- Since We have sent
in you a rasul from you—following on you Our signs, purifying / refining you,
continuously teaching you the script (al-kitab) and wisdom, and teaching you
what you would have never have known —
3:164 - Certainly Allah
confer great favor upon the believing mindset when He raised in them a rasul
from their own selves/nafs / soul, continuously pursuing upon them his signs
and purifying / refining them and continuously teaching them the
script (al-kitab) and wisdom, inspite of that they were in the state of
acceptance the clear error .
65:11 - A rasul
continuously following / pursuing upon you the distinct signs of Allah that he
may bring out those who believe and do reconciliation from darkness into the
light. And whoever continuously believes with Allah and constantly do
reconciliation - He will be admitted into hidden gardens of enlightenment (jannah)
beneath which rivers of enlightenment flow abiding in it forever. Certainly
Allah will have perfected knowledge for him as provision.
62:2 - It is He who has
raised in/for self correction a rasul from themselves continuously following /
pursuing upon them his ayaats and purifying / refining them and constantly
teaching them the script and wisdom - in spite of that they were from the state
of acceptance, surely among those who strayed clearly.
So it is
clear from the above verses the role and the identity of the rasul in purifying
our nafs. Rasul the voice of Allah continuously pursue us with his ayaats
(signs, indicators, pointers, symptoms) from our own inherent script and relentlessly
teach us wisdom. An outside rasul or the book cannot purify our nafs / inner
self.
The book
Quran is not about universal moral values, neither it dictates to build one's
character, these all are common subjects which do not require extra ordinary
book like Quran. The subject of the book Quran is much larger and complex than
what we can imagine; the subject is Meta Physics (bilgayab) related to human
beings.
The
beauty of this book Quran is that it does not dictate its readers to do this or
don't do this. It is not a book of do's and don'ts. The book Quran
makes us aware / conscious / warns about the consequences of not governing our
urges, emotions, feelings, thoughts and conscience properly.
The book
Quran is not about governing the material world but it is about governing the
inner world of mankind which is unseen (bilgayab) and the signs need to be
recognized and tackled.
The world
which is inside us is the topic of the book Quran. The inner world that drives
our lives is the unbroken theme of the book Quran. Faith in that unseen world
is hard to believe but it is the main qualification to understand the book
Quran and able read the signs (ayaat) in our own self. That’s why the book
Quran emphasis on words like faith, believes, trust, submit, surrender and
reconcile.
Allah,
Satan, Iblees, Malaikah, Rasul, Nabi, Jannah, Jahannum are the main
terminologies of the book Quran. Nobody has seen these abstract elements in
their life, still the readers revere this book Quran on the basis of
faith in unseen (bilgayab). To understand the book Quran the readers must have
faith in these metaphysical elements and energies otherwise they won't be able
to comprehend the essence of the entire message.
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