TAZKIYA NAFS / PURIFICATION OF SOUL

 

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.