I Want to Fight My Soul, so What is the Way?
By Nawwâl Bin Abdullâh
Adapted with slight modifications from a translation by Abû Iyâd Amjad Rafîq
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All Praise is due to Allâh the Rabb of all the Worlds and prayers and peace upon the best creation of Allâh.
To proceed:
We hear many complaints from the people. Most of their complaints are related to their souls, which command them what is evil. They also complain about the evil of their actions. One of them says:
Indeed I have been put to trial with four, they did not afflict me
Except due to my misfortune and wretchedness
Iblîs, the world, the soul and the desire
How will this end when they are my enemies, all of them
So we find some of them saying ‘I have tried many times, repeatedly, to turn my soul away from committing these specific acts of disobedience but my efforts have failed.’
Another one says: ‘I tried to get my soul to perform acts of obedience (to Allâh), good and righteous deeds but I am not able to remain firm upon them, I leave them so quickly.’
And we hear a third one say: ‘I have repented from many evil actions and promised myself that I would not commit them again. However after the passing of time and being occupied much it did not take long before I returned to them. In fact I fell into others and increased in them.’
If we were to look at the condition of these people we would realise that among the reasons for their not being able to dominate and control their souls and not being able to remain firm upon what they have promised themselves is their lack of striving against their souls. In fact they have left the fetters and reins for the soul so that it leads them and plays with them however it wi ...